LinkedIn Small Business Marketing: How Anyone Can Do It

November 10, 2015 - By Aaron Hockel

Social media may have started as a medium for teens, but it has quickly become a legitimate way to market and advertise. Professional networks like LinkedIn are particularly valuable for B2B businesses that rely on partnerships to fuel sales. Naturally, marketing effectively in the medium is often an essential element of advertising. To get started with LinkedIn small business marketing, consider the following advice as you construct a professional and attractive profile.

Establish Your Presence

When you construct a company page, you are crafting an important extension of your brand. Page visitors will use the page as an information station and initial point of contact. If you have a company banner or image, upload it along with a description. Keep your content consistent with your other web presences. Make your profile easier to find with website links, SEO terms and quality information.

Attract Followers

Like with your other media, your LinkedIn profile should showcase what your enterprise has to offer potential clients. Include relevant details about products, services and specialties. Cross promote your profile on your existing sites and media accounts to bring in core followers. Invite colleagues to follow your page and begin contributing to LinkedIn groups and discussions. Track how your audience grows over time and take note of any surges in numbers. When you find a blog topic or other tactic that works, make a note of it for the future.

Engage Followers

As you build your follower base, it is important to consistently engage with them. When websites and pages fail to update for long periods of time, audiences have the opportunity to forget the brand’s name or become disinterested. Thus, post company updates frequently and engage in your comment section. Mix up the format of your content to increase follower interest in your page. As your profile grows, refine your posts to cater to your audience’s taste.

Engage Employees and Partners

As a business owner, you probably think of followers as potential clients. While this is the dream, reality is very different. Sometimes expanding your network is simply a matter of taking advantage of your existing connections. When potential customers see common connections or an established network, they are more inclined to trust your services and reach out. Plus, if you engage your employees, they become more invested in the company brand and web presences.

Sponsored Updates and Ads

While there are a number of free methods for building a successful company profile, paid advertisements are also effective. LinkedIn offers both sponsored updates and ads that serve to extend the reach of your company. These paid methods appear on all devices and serve to raise general brand awareness for your enterprise. Additionally, the ads drive the creation of quality leads.

For small B2B businesses, LinkedIn small business marketing can be an effective way to create more fruitful partnerships and sales. Networking in this sector is particularly important and professional social media is a great place to begin. With both free and paid tactics, small enterprises can take a multifaceted approach tailored to specific needs and industry trends.

Aaron Hockel

Aaron Hockel is a Partner and the VP of Digital Marketing at AltaVista Strategic Partners. A University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) alumnus, Aaron expertly crafts digital marketing strategies that drive success for clients, leveraging his deep industry knowledge and innovative approach.