LinkedIn in New Zealand
It was recently announced that LinkedIn reached the 300 million users mark. Which, for a network so strongly focused on business, is an impressive milestone. According to Roy Morgan Research, in New Zealand alone there are over 313,000 LinkedIn users, with more than a half earning $70k+. It is currently the second fastest growing social network in our country, with a 13% increase in the number of visitors in the last 6 months. In comparison, Twitter recorded 14% growth, while Facebook only 7%.
While all these stats sound impressive, LinkedIn is still perceived primarily as a recruitment tool, a place to look for a new job opportunity or find new employees. Because of this, LinkedIn profiles are not always kept up to date, are rarely complete and have a small number of connections. There are a number of reasons why keeping your profile looking fresh and interesting at all times is important – no matter if you’re asking your employees to join, or updating your own page. I urge you to do both as soon as possible. Outside of this, if you own or manage a business, there’s much more LinkedIn has to offer.
LinkedIn for business
LinkedIn brings together a unique audience – professionals. No other network offers access to such a specific group. And that in itself is a great opportunity to promote your business. With the available tools and a little bit of free time creating a Company Page is really easy.
You will need to provide top line information about your business, including logo and website URL. From here you can add company info, connect with your colleagues and employees and start building your network. Watch this short tutorial to get you started:
And if you’re looking for inspiration on how to present your company – check out 2013 LinkedIn Best Company Pages.
Why do you need a Company Page?
There are many reasons why your business would benefit from a LinkedIn presence. From generating new leads and extending client lifecycles, to targeted online communities and ‘top of mind’ customer awareness – this all fits into your social strategy. If you have a Facebook page and Twitter account – LinkedIn should be in that mix too.
LinkedIn Company Pages will improve your search engine reputation management (SERM), giving you the opportunity to control more of the first page brand search results for your company. This, together with a network of business connections, will increase your brand’s online visibility. By being an active member of the LinkedIn community, you will have the opportunity to present your products and services in a more direct way, increasing traffic and leads to your website. And finally – your recruitment efforts will become much easier, with access to highly qualified future employees.
How to use LinkedIn for business
LinkedIn Groups – you can join or create your own groups, based on location and industry. Here you can engage in discussions, connect with specific group members directly and stay active in your industry. You can look at LinkedIn Groups as an online equivalent of corporate events, where professionals with similar backgrounds come together.
Updates – with LinkedIn updates you can post and share the latest news about your company with your followers. Just like Facebook updates, you can share articles and blog posts, or promote your own services and advice.
Recommendations – recommend other users you’re connected to, supporting their business and ask for recommendations from your clients. This will add credibility to your business and profile and create stronger relationships with your contacts.
For us, LinkedIn is a very important part of a successful marketing mix, and we often include this channel in social media strategies for our clients. Connect with us on LinkedIn for recent updates on all things digital and contact us directly with any questions.
