In the pursuit of being found, connecting, engaging and creating opportunities both inside and outside of LinkedIn building a strong and compelling Profile and Company Page is both necessary and strategic.
Outside of LinkedIn, if your Company Page is complete and key-worded properly, you will rank higher in search engines and add to your to credibility on Google and other search engines. That’s important, every spot you claim is an opportunity to displace a competitor.
Inside of LinkedIn, a Company Page that links your employees together strenghtens your overall organization and builds your brand awareness and reach.
Analyze your reach. How can you extend it? Measure the strength of your employees reach and ask them to build their networks. Networks travel and create stickiness that last a long time if they are well taken care.
Rally your colleagues, teams and associates to stay current on LinkedIn and to build new content within their profile. If a new section is added to Linkedin remind them to add to it. A great new section is Volunteer Experience and Causes [go to edit profile and scroll down to Add Section, click there and choose Volunteer Experience and Causes]. New sections like this provide insight into who and what your employees are interested in, It also promotes the personal and professional causes that matter most to your employees and your organization.
Also rather than a bio on your Website how about a link from your site to thE appropriate LinkedIn profile? This linking is important, remember to build them so a new page opens that way they don’t leave your original site. I always want to drive people to my profile to create context. View My LinkedIn Profile.
Building digital assets are vital in the B2B world, it’s how prospects and customers learn about individuals and companies. It often makes the difference between making the short list or not. These digital assets are now a fundamental part of your marketing.
LinkedIn gives you an unique code for your Company Page, take the code and add it to your site and display the “Follow us on LinkedIn” badge on your blog or Website. There is no question that followers equates to visibility. Your employees should be followers of your page as well.
Make sure you use and link your various digital assets. They are organic so it will be a work in process, just don’t forget about them.
Receive updates on what your employees are doing on LinkedIn.
Every tab in your Company Page has its own URL, promote those and rememer to use theAnalytics tab to check how your page is doing…[we covered Analytics earlier in the series].
The most important LinkedIn Company Page To-Do’s
Create a Company Page
Set up the proper administration rights
Build out your Overview Section with keywords and value propositions.
Add to your Products & Services tab with up to three 640×220 banners that link to specific URLS that you determine [ie. map to pages on your Website].
Add YouTube videos to either your Overview Section or your Products & Services page.
Ask your clients and connections to provide specific recommendations to your Producsts & Services tab. This is a great way to build endorsements.
Will a Company Page carry the same weight as a Web site or Facebook page? I think so. I think perhaps as much or more so, in fact. As I mentioned earlier what makes Company Pages work for me is how they offer an insider view, they are built through the lens of the employees; it’s in each member’s/employee’s profile that a well rounded view of the organization occurs. I much prefer that to a corporate site.
I will be surprised if LinkedIn, seeing the value and possibilities in Company Pages, does not continue to build this area out. Whether promoting your cause, your company or your personal brand these pages provide an unparalleled snapshot not available anywhere else, and, I am confident with all the analytics available to them, LinkedIn sees tremendous potential here.
Don’t forget sit down and think through your strategy first. What are you looking to accomplish on LinkedIn, how can your overarching marketing objectives be forwarded through LinkedIn. Write out your plan, get started and keep it updated.
Need help with the Company Page plan? Let me know. And, remember, every day you wait to do the strategy is a day you lose in building new opportunities. Start today.
Need a refresher on Why Company Pages Matter To You Parts 1-4?
