LinkedIn has proven itself a valuable resource for job seekers and professional service providers alike. The greatest value of LinkedIn for SEO service providers is the ability to connect with other business professionals who need marketers to help them promote their products.
For those who may not realize the potential of LinkedIn as a marketing tool, here's a quick guide to the basics many SEO professionals have already put in place:
Making the Most of Your LinkedIn Connections
Participation with others through your LinkedIn profile can have a strong impact on your marketing efforts through LinkedIn. Follow these tips to promote an engaging presence that will support your marketing efforts.
- Create and join groups on LinkedIn to encourage interaction with others in your field. Use polls within groups to encourage even more interaction. When joining and interacting with groups, pay attention to group demographics via analytics to better target your messages.
- Use the "Ask a Question" feature, much like a group forum, to further interact with others on LinkedIn. Answer questions in your industry to establish yourself as an expert and thought leader in your field.
- Take time to personally engage new connections. They're more likely to remember you and possibly recommend your service to others.
- Connections feel special when you remember details about their lives. Use notes, tags and filters on the profiles of your connections to help you remember your interactions and conversations. This helps build relationships that are more meaningful because you can remember what you talked about and what you have in common. It also helps you find ways to add value for the connection so that you may eventually call in a favor if you need it.
LinkedIn Company Pages
Engaging others with your LinkedIn profile is just the start. Independent service providers and SEO businesses can further their reach by creating Company Pages that offer details on the services they provide. This offers additional opportunities for being found by those needing your services.
Setting up a Company Page is much like creating a Facebook fan page. Navigate to LinkedIn.com/company/add/show to set up your company profile. The interface is intuitive, so you should have no trouble navigating through the necessary input sections and updating your company information.
Follow these tips for creating an engaging and useful Company Page:
- Set up your products and services individually under the services tab, not just on your main page. This makes iteasier for visitors to see what you have to offer. Although the tab is simply labeled "Products," it is for services as well.
- Optimize titles and descriptions with your skill offerings to make your page easier to find.
- LinkedIn lets you see how your page is performing. You can tweak your message to the demographic most interested in your services. You can even create specific pages that will only show to the demographics you choose. This helps visitors find the most useful content faster.
- Use your Company Page as a supplemental blog. Interact with followers just as you would on a fan page.
- Include a LinkedIn "Follow" button on your company's website to encourage more followers on LinkedIn.
- Announce your page on other social media channels to kick start readership. Tweet updates and changes as you would with a blog.
- Promote your LinkedIn Company Page through your email auto-signature.
- Consider creating a video that brings you and your personality alive for the visitor.
- Be sure to add a link to your Company Page on your LinkedIn profile.
- Consider using LinkedIn advertising. You can purchase many types of ads to promote your services.
New for 2013
Late in 2012, LinkedIn introduced endorsements, allowing others an easy one-click method for recognizing others for their services. This is less formal than the previous "recommendations" feature in which users had to make detailed write-ups about other professionals to recommend their services. Endorsements are simply easier to give and get, making it likely to be a more popular feature going forward.
Here are a few tips for making the most of endorsements to market your SEO services:
- Prioritize Skills - Endorsements apply to your LinkedIn profile. You can only be endorsed for up to 10 skills, so choose wisely.
- Return the Love - When receiving endorsements, it's good form to return the favor if you can.
- Check Endorsements - You might receive endorsements that don't apply correctly to your services. Consider hiding endorsements that don't add value to your profile.
Take regular time to nurture your Company Page's following. Share industry insights, items of interest and case studies on your existing client base. Don't forget to continue interactions with groups and other members through your profile to keep your connections alive and thriving.