Six Reasons Your Business (and Employees) Should Be Using LinkedIn

It’s no secret that LinkedIn is deemed “the professional social media network,” and for good reason.  With more than 414 million users, and 2 new members joining each second, it’s where business professionals spend time keeping up with industry news, peers, and research.

LinkedIn has the most educated and affluent user base of the big social media sites, making it an ideal place to connect with other business professionals and decision makers.  The focus of LinkedIn is on learning, networking, and creating relationships and referrals based on mutual business interests – the hallmarks of more traditional in-person networking and word-of mouth marketing since people began doing business together at all.  Now, finding the right people to proactively connect with for business has become exponentially faster, easier, and more laser-focused.

Here are six important reasons to use LinkedIn effectively today, and there are certainly many others.

1) Establishes Credibility

Who do you trust more?  Someone who says they can do something, or someone who actually does it?  By virtue of what you talk about through your business’s LinkedIn page—the relevant, useful, helpful business and industry information you share—you prove that your company keeps on top of trends.  You also show that you want to provide resources and insights to clients.

2) Creates Networking Opportunities

LinkedIn is searchable, so having an up-to-date company profile is critical.   Make your business available to be found when people need a company with your unique skills and services.

When you initially meet a new business acquaintance (at an event, client meeting, webinar, via social media), a professional way to stay in touch is by connecting on LinkedIn.  And if your profile and company page put your best foot forward, that new connection can see those unique skills and abilities you have highlighted in one place.

3) Keeps Your Industry Knowledge and Involvement Current

LinkedIn was born and raised to be a business networking tool.  It is also a simple way to keep on top of business and industry news just by checking your LinkedIn homepage.  Here you’ll see updates by people you’re connected to and companies you follow.  If someone is following your business, you also have an opportunity to share useful information with them and establish your company as a thought leader in your industry.

4) Shows You Are Part of the Community

LinkedIn Groups exist as another way to join up with people who share common business interests.  Locally, nationally, or globally, there are Groups around both broad and niche topics where you can exchange ideas, ask questions, and stay involved and connected to people based on wanting to learn more about specific topics.

5) Makes You Easier to Find

Since Google (and Bing, and Yahoo) trusts LinkedIn and LinkedIn gets so much traffic, your company page is likely to come up as one of the top results when people do a search for your company name (an SEO benefit).  Keeping this profile up to date can help ensure that accurate information that you control comes up when people are curious about your business.

6) Paints a Positive Picture of Your Company

Along the same lines as making you easier to find, complete, accurate profiles also allow you to push older, inaccurate information down in search results over time.  If you keep an updated company page, for example, chock-full of useful business and industry tips, then that is likely to be one of the first things people read about your company.  They’ll immediately see that you not only are an industry expert, but that you are contributing in a positive way and providing something of value.

All of these benefits do require putting some time, effort, and thought into your LinkedIn strategy, but the benefits are plenty.