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LinkedIn is one of the most utilized social media channels for job hunting and referrals. Boasting 433 million users, LinkedIn is rapidly growing and will grow more since it was purchased by tech giant Microsoft. If you’re looking to grow your audience, explore these powerful LinkedIn marketing tactics:
Build Your Core Network
LinkedIn is one of the greatest tools for networking, both within and outside your circle of contacts. To network rapidly and efficiently, add meaningful connections. Increase your visibility by connecting with your inner circle of friends and close acquaintances. Take advantage of LinkedIn’s import function, which speeds up the process and gives you more recommendations. Navigate to the tab My Network and then Add Contacts to start importing your contacts from your e-mail. You can auto-import from email providers like Google Mail, Yahoo Mail and Outlook, or you can import a contact list from CSV.
Boost Yourself With SEO
Before you add your website and blog to LinkedIn, edit the basic display for better SEO. For example, instead of LinkedIn displaying “My Blog” or “My Website,” choose more compelling descriptions or keywords that describe your experiences, such as the name of your business or topic of your blog.
Make More Connections by Joining Groups
Explore outside your circle of friends and colleagues by joining groups that are filled with industry professionals. Based on your profile skills and interests, LinkedIn automatically shows some of the most relevant groups that pertain to your background. Once you pick a few to join, start posting and commenting on the other active discussions already in the group. The more you present yourself as a thought leader, the more people will gravitate toward you and your business.
Create a Company Page
If you are a freelancer looking for more opportunities or are a small business looking to expand your audience, create a LinkedIn page. Update your page with relevant news regarding your company, your employees and industry news. If you need a good example, look at how Amway continues to publish top stories that are related to its industry. This helps keep users engaged and returning to your business’ page.
You also may want to spend a little money on advertising through sponsored content or sponsored InMail. Sponsored content works like Facebook ads and leads users to your site, product or news article. Sponsored InMail is great for getting your message delivered to the right people. Depending on how frequently you send direct InMails, you may want to sign up for LinkedIn Premium so you can message users directly even if they aren’t in your connections.
Ask for Endorsements
There’s nothing more powerful in securing the confidence of potential recruiters on LinkedIn than endorsements because your colleagues and connections are vetting you and your skill sets. LinkedIn showcases your top 10 skills, so it’s important to order your skills in order of your expertise. As you continue to network, don’t be shy to ask for endorsements.