Why it's Time for Your Business to Get a Brand Page on LinkedIn
Brand pages aren't necessarily a new feature on LinkedIn, but in September the professional networking site revamped their brand pages in an effort to better connect the business to the customer and job hunters with several new features reminiscent of what Facebook and Twitter are currently offering. As mentioned on Brandchannel.com, LinkedIn reported that 69% of professionals expect a company to be on LinkedIn with 48% stating that were much more likely to buy a product if they interacted with the company on the site first. If your company is just getting started on the social media scene or lacking a LinkedIn presence, now's the time to start creating a brand page for your business.
Beyond having a whole new look on the site; what makes this worth it for a company to launch a brand page?
More Focus
The LinkedIn brand page of the past was a cluttered mess. The layout was blocky and it was harder to tell who currently worked at the company. Often times the brand pages were left partially finished, lacking a full list of products or services offered or contact information. With a new layout similar to Facebook's Timeline, there's room for a cover photo for the brand, an easy to access follow button in the top right-hand corner, and four tabs (home, careers, services, insights) that allow simple navigation. At the top of the page, right above your cover photo is a place to keep your company logo, reassuring visitors that they are at the right place and keeping the focus right on the business.
Opportunity to Advertise Products and Services
Maybe you wanted to include all of the products your business offers on LinkedIn in the past but didn't want to spend extra time filling out the long form to do so with. And once they were up, what could anyone even do with them? The Products and Services page now comes with a form that only takes a minute (really) to fill out and the ability once the product is listed to be able to recommend the page, request a recommendation from someone who used it, and even share the product as a status update or send it to specified individuals.
The Status: Use It or Lose It
Do you have a new job opening available? A blog post or feature on your business that just got published? Show it off in a status update! Likewise with statuses or tweets on Facebook and Twitter, these are use it or lose it functions. You can update as much as you like or as little. But the less you do it, the more difficult it is for customers to see what, if anything, new that's going on with you and your brand. The silver lining? Unlike Twitter which frequent tweets can sometimes come off as spammy to the reader and you'll never be sure exactly who following you isn't a spam account, LinkedIn caters as closely to the professional as possible. Update with what's truly newsworthy and show off the updates on your own personal account as well, to reach an even wider audience.
Author Bio:
Deborah Sweeney is the CEO of MyCorporation.com. MyCorporation is a leader in online legal filing services for entrepreneurs and businesses, providing start-up bundles that include corporation and LLC formation, registered agent, DBA, and trademark & copyright filing services. MyCorporation does all the work, making the business formation and maintenance quick and painless, so business owners can focus on what they do best. Follow her on Twitter @deborahsweeney and @mycorporation.