Business owners may feel that LinkedIn is just another task that needs to be dealt with in an already busy day. However, there are some compelling reasons why businesses should use LinkedIn for attracting potential employees, brand building and networking.
Setting up groups
Businesses who are seeking applicants interested in their industry can set up a group on LinkedIn. Setting up a group is simple; groups can be created so that anyone can join or restricted to invitation or acceptance only. Simply select the level of control that your company is comfortable with.
Attracting talent and clients
While some businesses may use LinkedIn only for talent purposes, there are other effective uses. LinkedIn allows users to set up options for developing contacts, seeking new contracts and allowing interaction. This makes LinkedIn an ideal platform for searching for potential clients.
Testimonials do matter
LinkedIn allows businesses to request testimonials or references from current clients, employees and previous clients. This can be very helpful, especially for a business that is just getting started. Testimonials help a business develop a strong online reputation. Additionally, these testimonials are readily available to share with others whether they have a LinkedIn account or not.
Brand building
One of the best things about using LinkedIn is that you help build your brand. Because LinkedIn allows a business to set up individual profiles for the management team as well as a business page, building a business brand is easier than on other social networking sites. In addition, a presence on LinkedIn is often seen as more professional than having accounts on Twitter or Facebook.
Networking opportunities
Some businesses may see LinkedIn as simply another networking site or social media site that must be managed. With time at a premium, many do not feel that there is a great deal of value in any social media site. Businesses who feel that they must decide between sites should select LinkedIn because it is often seen as more valuable for business networking purposes.
LinkedIn provides an ideal platform for networking, with like-minded business owners. Online meet-ups are also possible if you set up and use a closed group appropriately. Sharing your business expertise allows you the opportunity to establish credibility as well, which is helpful in attracting better talent and additional customers.
About the services
Businesses should take the time to familiarize themselves with the platform that LinkedIn offers. In addition to networking, brand building and building credibility, there are numerous opportunities for advertising. Whether you elect to promote your business using many of the free opportunities or use the paid opportunities, LinkedIn provides the tools that most business owners need.
LinkedIn can be used as a contact management system, a screening system for new employees and a recruiting method for small and large business owners. Take the time to explore the features of LinkedIn and decide which package works best to meet your needs. There are countless ways to gain exposure for your business whether you are a Fortune-500 company or you are just getting started. LinkedIn is simple to use, is very flexible and offers a number of benefits for businesses. Consider adding LinkedIn to your companies marketing and hiring strategy; the benefits will far outweigh the time that you spend getting your account set up.
About the Author: Tim works with coxcabledeals.com for his “real” job. In the mean time he works on his own thing. Once this is closer to becoming a reality he will definitely be using the benefits of LinkedIn for networking and business development.
Image: nan palmero / Flickr