5 Steps to Building an Engaged LinkedIn Following

LinkedIn is currently the largest professional online network with over 313,000,000 registered users in over 200 countries and territories.

Shown to be 277% more effective in ad lead generation than Facebook or Twitter*, LinkedIn helps your business attract the attention of millions and keep them engaged. Maximize your LinkedIn profile with these five simple steps:

STEP #1: Establish Your Company Presence

Tell readers about your business on the Company Page. Keep it concise (between one and two paragraphs), but clear. Company Pages are SEO-friendly, so be sure to include key words relevant to your business. And, because only 156 characters appear in Google’s search results, make your initial sentences descriptive and powerful.

Unsure what to say? Include the types of products and services you offer, what makes your business unique and your vision or mission statement, if you have one.

Biz Tip

Complete the Products & Services page and add links to your white papers, case studies, blogs and videos. Use sites like Bitly to shorten URLs and track their traffic. Business profiles that build out there Products & Services page are reported to attract twice as many followers.

STEP #2: Attract Followers

Build your following by going to the people who already love your business. Your employees are 70% more likely to interact with your posts than anyone else. And engage your existing customers by sending them an email and directing them to your page in person. Announce any new content posted on your company blog and provide a link to your LinkedIn page on your website’s homepage.

Captivate others by joining LinkedIn Groups, and starting one of your own. Follow conversations and contribute by posting comments daily. Members seen as active (those who comment, share and “like” often) are given special recognition as “Top Influencers” in the group.

Biz Tip

When commenting, offer members solutions to their problems and resources where they can find more information on topics relevant to them. This will establish you as an expert in your field and people will be drawn to your page to see what else you have to say.

STEP #3: Engage Your Followers

Get, and keep your followers engaged with content they want to read. Sixty-eight percent of LinkedIn members are interested in reading relevant news and informative industry highlights. Post content regularly, daily if you can. Companies that post at least 20 times per month are reported to reach up to 60% of their intended audience.*

Include links in your status updates to helpful and informative sites and content. Posts that include links experience 45% more engagement than those without. Most businesses receive the highest engagement when posting in the morning and between 4:00PM-6:00PM.* Try posting at different times to discover what works best for your business.

Biz Tip
Remember to keep it conversational. Viewers enjoy reading content that flows and informs rather than copy that is obviously meant to sell. And always respond to comments to keep the conversation going.

STEP #4: Amplify Your Posts
Every time your followers share, recommend, “like” or comment on your posts, you “amplify” your message, reaching beyond your first-degree network into theirs.

Further extend your readership by providing Recommend and Share buttons (both available at developer.linkedin.com). The more your content is recommended and shared, the more likely your readership will extend beyond your network. And because non-followers have a 30% higher engagement rate than your network, this should be your primary goal.*

Biz Tip
Status updates that include questions receive 50% more engagement than those without. Get readers involved and further your reach by asking questions regarding common industry problems and requesting their input on your products and services.

STEP #5: Analyze Results
Your analytics (e.g., engagement rate, impressions, etc.) can be viewed as early as 24 hours after each post. Take note of popular topics by observing the number of “likes”, shares and comments each piece of content gets.

Use this information to make future decisions about later topics to continue or introduce. Also pay attention to the traffic generated by links included in your status updates and content pieces. Look for differences, like whether viewer engagement is higher with content pieces or videos.

Biz Tip
Estimate your number of conversions from followers to leads by dividing the number of new monthly (or quarterly) leads by the number of new followers for the same time period.
Build your business page and potentially be seen by millions of professionals interested in your business’s unique offerings. And share your page with your employees and existing customers who will happily recommend and share your updates and content with their family and friends. Then analyze your results to identify popular themes. By utilizing these five simple steps, you increase your chances of reaching millions of potential customers and successfully building an engaged following.