LinkedIn is out to help small businesses in a big way and they have conducted a survey to “investigate how small businesses are using social media, and whether it’s worth the investment“. This survey was put to use and LinkedIn’s new site for small businesses was born. Visit the new small business microsite to learn more about how LinkedIn can help you achieve your unique business goals through social media.
According to the study:
- 94% of Small Businesses leverage social media for Marketing
- 49% of Small Businesses use social media for learning
- 73% of Hyper-growth companies spend in the social media and social marketing channels
- 90% report that social media is effective for branding
- 90% report that social media is effective for word of mouth marketing
- 73% say LinkedIn helps to build credibility
View the survey results and infographic from LinkedIn’s “The Year of the Social Small Business” study.
What’s on the Site?
Personal Branding
1. Bring your story to life
Your personal profile tells potential customers and business contacts who you are. Highlight your skills, successes, and what makes you and your business unique. Use images, presentations, and video to showcase your accomplishments.
2. Grow your network
With the help of a strong network, you can find anyone from your next client to your next hire. And remember, it’s not just who you know—it’s who they know too. LinkedIn networking tips
3. Establish your expertise
Your personal profile gives you a platform where you can demonstrate your expertise. Share interesting news, articles, and videos—and your unique perspective on them—to become your network’s go-to resource. How to establish your expertise online
4. Keep up with the conversation
With LinkedIn Channels, Influencers, Company Pages, and Groups, you can get all the news and inspiration you need to keep up—and get ahead. See how to keep up with industry news
Marketing
1. Build your presence with a Company Page
Create the foundation for your marketing efforts on LinkedIn with a Company Page. Connect your employees to your page and highlight all your business has to offer—including its industry expertise and content. 11 Tips for Creating a Buzz-Worthy LinkedIn Company Page
2. Grow your community of followers
Company Page followers are your brand advocates—the key to driving word of mouth, recommendations, and referrals. Build your community by sharing content, adding a Follow button to your website, and inviting your network to follow. Discover simple ways to grow your community
3. Engage your audience with content
Deepen your relationship with your follower community and target audience by posting frequently and joining your followers in the conversation. Make your content engaging with images, videos, and SlideShare presentations. Encourage followers to like, comment, and share to help your message go further. How Small Businesses Use LinkedIn to Collaborate.
4. Reach out with Sponsored Updates and Ads
Get your message out to the right people with Sponsored Updates and LinkedIn Ads. Sponsored Updates extend the reach of your company’s updates to drive brand awareness and lead generation. LinkedIn Ads allow you to precisely target your ideal audience on our most-visited pages.
Sales
1. Perfect your profile
Establish a reputation that drives sales with a LinkedIn profile that speaks to your and your company’s accomplishments. Nail the profile basics—like your photo, headline, and summary—then add elements that separate you from the pack, including rich content like images, video, and presentations. And don’t forget to get recommendations from partners and clients! 10 tips for getting the most out of your LinkedIn profile
2. Find the right person
It’s easy to identify account decision makers or build a pipeline of new prospects with our powerful search tools. Just enter your search terms and select a few advanced filters such as location, industry, and current company. Then save your search to get automatic notifications of new matches. See how to find sales leads and prospects
3. Contact decision makers
Once you’ve found the right person, it’s time to get in touch. With Sales Navigator‘s InMail, you can directly message anyone on LinkedIn—even if you don’t share connections. Or take a look at their profile to find mutual connections who can introduce you. Learn more about contacting decision makers
4. Get to know who you’re meeting—before you meet
Get prepped for face time by reviewing the full profiles of everyone you’ll meet. Then check out their Company Pages, network of connections, relevant industry news, and related groups so you know all the right questions to ask. Learn more about lead research
Hiring
1. Build a brand that attracts top talent
Quickly establish your employment brand and kickstart your hiring efforts by building a Company Page that represents your company’s values, culture, and mission. If you’re in charge of hiring, you can do the same with your personal profile. Learn how to build your employer brand
2. Attract relevant candidates with job posts
Post your job on LinkedIn to let qualified professionals come to you. Create your short list of top candidates and reach out. Or engage with members that LinkedIn identifies as top candidates. Get job posting tips
3. Reach even those hard-to-find candidates
Some positions require unique skills and experience that are difficult to capture in a job post. For these roles, use LinkedIn search to find candidates who fit your hiring needs. Or upgrade to use Recruiter Lite’s Premium search filters to hone in on top candidates. Once you find them, get introduced through your network, or reach out with an InMail. How to Find New Hires Using LinkedIn
4. Research and pick the best candidates
Once you’ve found candidates, you can use LinkedIn to verify their experience by viewing their Endorsements and Recommendations. You can also search for past colleagues and reach out to check references directly through LinkedIn.
Visit the new small business microsite to learn more about how LinkedIn can help you achieve your unique business goals through social media.
I think this would be good as a user group, inside of LinkedIn.
It is a good idea from Linkedin, will help to the new start-ups