How to set up LinkedIn for Business: 101

With over 414 million users it’s safe to say that LinkedIn is a social networks your small business should consider being present on. When you create a LinkedIn profile for your business, not only are you expanding your brand awareness but you are also forming new relationships and working towards driving sales. You can even use LinkedIn as a recruitment platform by searching for the perfect candidates best suited to represent your business. No matter what your goals are, there’s a good chance  LinkedIn can help.

LinkedIn is an amazing space where members can stay connected with your company updates, products and services, business opportunities and available job openings.

Interested? Well, let’s get started!

Most people these days have their own LinkedIn account set up for personal use, if you’re one of those people, then you’re already a few steps ahead of the game.

However, if you don’t currently use LinkedIn you’ll first have to create a personal LinkedIn page before creating your company page.

1)    Set up your profile

To start creating your LinkedIn Company page, log in to your personal LinkedIn account, hover over “interests” and select “companies” from the dropbox. From here you’ll want to create a company (found on the right hand side of the page). Follow the onscreen steps to guide you through the process, fill in the requested information regarding your business. Make sure you’re adding as much information as you can to showcase your business, reach new customers and attract great talent.

When you get to the company description field, use this space to share what makes your company unique and explain what it is you have to offer, whether it’s products or services.

2)    Upload image and logo

This is the one step that you most definitely don’t want to miss as it’s the first thing people will see when visiting your company page and tells your company story almost immediately, visually. Make sure to follow the image size guidelines and use quality, high resolution photos to ensure your images look clean, crisp and eye catching.

3)    Publish!

Once you’re happy with the way your company page looks and it includes all information your target audience would find helpful, go ahead and publish your page. This is where the fun starts!

4)    Expand your network

Now that your company page is up and running, it’s time to get connecting! It’s always a great idea to start connecting with people your brand is familiar with. Do you have employees or local companies you deal with? What about close friends and family members? Every connection counts.

Fun tip: If you are out and about in the community, whether you’re at a conference, event, or volunteering, make sure to network. Make personal connections with people who may be key assets to your business. Then, add them on LinkedIn to continue to nurture those relationships and keep them in the loop with your business. You never know where a connection will  take you!

Each connection you make on LinkedIn is on average connected to 110 other professionals. The more quality connections in your network, the more opportunities you’ll have to find the right contacts to drive your business forward. (Via LinkedIn.com)

5)    Build meaningful relationships

Start a conversation and prove to your connections that you are an expert in your field. Post informative company updates and content relative to your business that your connections will appreciate on a regular basis to keep your business top of mind. When you share a post it will appear on your company page and in the newsfeed of your connections where others can like, comment or share your quality information.

Get inspired! Check out these top company LinkedIn pages, see what they did and take notes on how you can incorporate some of these great ideas to your page.

6)    Engage

Don’t forget to engage with others. Like, comment and share on posts you find relevant to your brand. Connect with those who you find interesting and influential, whether they be individuals, other companies or LinkedIn groups. They more you engage, the more others will engage with you, resulting in higher brand awareness!

To learn more about using LinkedIn for Small Business, take some time to browse through their resource toolkit.

Alternatively, you can get in touch with one of us today to learn how we can help your business achieve social media success!