The core of your LinkedIn success comes from your profile. Without a reputable and strong presence, it is virtually impossible to gain real traction on the website. But where do you start? Your company’s LinkedIn page will be different from any other social media outlet, and your personal and company profiles require different approaches.
1) Personal Profile
It all starts with you. As the CEO of your small business, your profile will be looked at more than any other employee of the company. This means you need to make sure you have an appropriate profile picture and cover photo. You are fourteen times more likely to get noticed with a profile photo. In terms of cover photos, make sure that you photo is the right size (1400px x 425px). Finally, you need to make sure your professional, scholastic, and recreational activities are completely up-to-date. When the CEO of a company looks good, the company looks even better.
2) Employees’ Profiles
Encourage your employees to update their profile as well. This is a tricky subject to bring up in an email or meeting. You need to make sure you don’t come off as over–controlling of the employees’ outside activities. The important thing to emphasis is how the employees’ profiles influence the image of the company. When more employees connect to the company through their job descriptions, the company looks more reliable and trustworthy.
3) Company Page
Once you and your employees are set to go, it’s time to create your company’s very own page. Your company page should serve three purposes: connect with your customers, present the company as official and trustworthy, and recruit the best of LinkedIn. First, connect to your customers through your company updates. Links and questions are among the most engaged posts and are great ways to gauge your audience’s opinions. Secondly, you want a strong, official looking company page. This includes a clean logo and an eye-grabbing cover photo. One of the biggest mistakes is to have a cover photo that is too cluttered. Make sure you keep text to a minimum and keep the content relevant to your company’s mission. Lastly, your company page is a great way to recruit. Most people use LinkedIn for B2B services and to find a job. By having a company page with a careers tab, you are able to present available positions, as well as show off your company culture.
The great part about LinkedIn is that it will often tell you about opportunities to enhance your profile. The important thing to remember is brand cohesion. Your profile, employees’ profiles, and company page should all be connected and frequently updated. The purpose of LinkedIn is to show off your professionalism and trustworthiness. The easiest way to fulfill this is through a robust company page. Ready for the next step? Head over to LinkedIn Series Part 2: Attracting Your Base Organically!
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Deborah Sweeney Deborah Sweeney is an advocate for protecting personal and business assets for business owners and entrepreneurs. With extensive experience in the field of corporate and intellectual property law, Deborah provides insightful commentary on the benefits of incorporation and trademark registration. Education: Deborah received her Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration degrees from Pepperdine University, and has served as an adjunct professor at the University of West Los Angeles and San Fernando School of Law in corporate and intellectual property law. Experience: After becoming a partner at LA-based law firm, Michel & Robinson, she became an in-house attorney for MyCorporation, formerly a division in Intuit. She took the company private in 2009 and after 10 years of entrepreneurship sold the company to Deluxe Corporation. Deborah is also well-recognized for her written work online as a contributing writer with some of the top business and entrepreneurial blogging sites including Forbes, Business Insider, SCORE, and Fox Business, among others. Fun facts/Other pursuits: Originally from Southern California, Deborah enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons, Benjamin and Christopher, and practicing Pilates. Deborah believes in the importance of family and credits the entrepreneurial business model for giving her the flexibility to enjoy both a career and motherhood. Deborah, and MyCorporation, have previously been honored by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal’s List of the Valley’s Largest Women-Owned Businesses in 2012. MyCorporation received the Stevie Award for Best Women-Owned Business in 2011.