Is LinkedIn useful for my business ?

In the world of social media LinkedIn is becoming more prominent especially within the working professional field. There has undoubtedly been a massive boom in the role of social media for businesses, as many are now active on these sites and see it as a good way to engage their target audience. But with networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter dominating the internet why would LinkedIn be the way to go for your business?

LinkedIn has firmly established itself as a specialised social networking site which has effectively distanced competition from itself. Its unique selling point is that it is for professionals and is used as a business networking solution. It is currently the largest online business network with over “259 million members in over 200 countries and territories.” It is currently estimated that LinkedIn has two new members sign up every second and over 3 million companies have created “company pages” to help promote their businesses.

Can creating a company page help my business?                                               

In short yes. Using LinkedIn can clearly make it easier for other professionals to see what your company is doing and help to raise your online profile. Over 3 million companies have taken the initiative to create business pages, major companies include:

• Adobe
• Disney
• HP
• Apple
• Google
• Coca cola
• PWC

Just as these companies have done, by creating a company profile you make your company much more approachable, and by regularly updating content and general posts you can be sure to engage your customers on a more personal level. The more a company posts useful links or information on its page the more likely a customer is to interact, whether it is re-posting an article you have written or a like on your page. Content is key in keeping your organisations social media profile looking and feeling fresh, remember to post content that is relevant and specific to your target audience.

B2B V B2C

As LinkedIn is a business specific network is it a waste of time for B2C organisations? Although LinkedIn is primarily for businesses it does have a global reach and is one of the fastest growing social networking sites on the planet. It is a useful tool to help raise brand awareness in any industry B2B or B2C, and is great if your business is targeted at students. According to LinkedIn’s official statistics there are over 30 million students and recent graduates on Linked and this is their fastest growing demographic.  With so many groups and company pages on the site it is definitely worth creating presence on this ever expanding network.

The site and its concept is primarily created for B2B companies. It is a great way to network with other professionals in your industry and also to seek out new opportunities relevant to you. It allows you the opportunity to headhunt for the best people to join your company and gives the perspective candidates the opportunity to showcase their skills through endorsements. At the click of a button you are able to see a person’s working history and what they believe are there best attributes so whether you’re looking for a new employee or evaluating a business partner LinkedIn can be helpful.