The 2014 guide to Linkedln for Business

Over the years, LinkedIn has become so much more than just an online resume. From media-focused profiles and influencer content to advertising, the social network has become a staple in the marketing arsenal. As people spend more time reading news and keeping in touch with their network through LinkedIn, it’s created a powerful opportunity for marketers to build and grow relationships with professionals across the globe. Many of those relationships eventually translate into revenue. According to LinkedIn, the number of B2B and B2C marketers generating sales from LinkedIn has grown consistently (65 and 51 percent, respectively) since 2010.

Company Pages

In Q3 of 2013, LinkedIn reported 184 million unique visitors as more people turn to the site to learn about professional growth, job opportunities, and your business. Company Pages have become an integral piece of the social network. Through it, you can market your business, tell your brand’s story, and give customers and potential hires a place to learn about your business, your employees, and your products or services.

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Company Updates

According to LinkedIn, content now garners six times more engagement than jobs properties on the social network. Company Updates, sent from your Company Page, are a powerful way to reach and engage professionals with relevant content. Similar to other content you share, it’s important that you optimize your updates for your audience.

updates

Sponsored Updates

Once you’ve got a few company updates under your belt, try extending your reach by delivering updates into the feeds of members beyond those already following your company. Sponsored Updates let the more than 3 million companies on the platform pay to promote updates to a broader audience.

The updates look like regular posts, are clearly labelled “Sponsored,” and given viewers the option to like, comment, and share, the updates, as well as follow your company. You can define your audience by location, company size, industry, job function, and seniority. You’ll also have access to impression and engagement metrics within minutes of publishing your update.

sponsored updates

Display Advertising

When sharing engaging content isn’t enough many marketers turn to advertising to help reach their target audience. LinkedIn allows you to display ads on various pages, including profiles, home pages, inbox, search result pages, and groups.

Want to encourage members to follow your Company Page or your Showcase Page? Use Follow Company Ads to deliver personalized messages on the home pages of your target audience. Hewlett-Packard used the ad unit over a two-month period and found its follower count increase from 300,000 to 1 million.

Content Ads deliver five different types of content, including blog posts, case studies, white papers, and video. For this reason, the ad unit helps to position you as a thought leader on the network as well as encourage members to engage with your content. It’s recommended that you review the different ad specifications before starting the creative process.

Talk to a digital expert such as Just Digital People to find out how your company could utilise digital platforms for hiring purposes. For more information on LinkedIn features download the Sophisticated Marketer’s Guide to LinkedIn.