LinkedIn is one of the most powerful and effective digital tools to create connections and drive traffic to your website, so as a business owner, you want to make sure that you’re making the most of the platform, and not inadvertently making mistakes that could cost you time and money.
One common mistake is posting only on your personal profile and not taking full advantage of a company page. Let’s explore why it’s important to post on both profiles and how to do it effectively.
Why do you need to post on both profiles?
Posting only on your personal profile may seem like an easy way to get your content out there quickly, but this strategy can come back to bite you in the long run. When you post only on your personal profile, you miss out on all the potential connections and customers who may be looking specifically for a company page or have already followed your page but have not seen any updates lately. As difficult as it is for some business owners to hear, many people on LinkedIn may have heard of a company, but not of the owner personally! By posting only on your personal profile, business owners are likely to miss out on valuable leads who could become customers down the line.
How to utilise both profiles effectively
The best way to utilise both personal and company profiles is by posting content consistently and sharing it across both platforms. This way, people who follow your company page will see what you’re posting in addition to those who follow your personal profile.
This doesn’t mean there has to be a complete overlap between the two profiles. Sometimes you’ll want to publish something to the company page that isn’t appropriate or necessary to post on your personal profile, and vice versa. However, you can use both profiles effectively in tandem by writing posts about upcoming events or projects that link back to your company page or website for more information. This allows readers who may not follow both profiles to still find out what’s going on with your business without having to search for it separately – and the shared information works to strengthen both your personal profile and company page.
Another good strategy is reposting content from other sources onto each platform, as well as cross-posting content between them whenever possible. This helps build relationships between different businesses and organisations while also increasing visibility for all parties involved in the process
To sell or not to sell?
Many business owners fall into the habit of using their LinkedIn company page solely for promotional and sales-related content while publishing everything else (thought leadership, updates, educational material etc) through their personal page. This is a mistake because, while LinkedIn is intended to be a networking channel, it isn’t the place to go all-out with your sales pitch – on either your company or personal page - it’s about building relationships first and foremost.
Business owners need to focus more on cultivating connections through their company page with other organisations and decision-makers, instead of directly selling products or services – this will allow them to create trust and loyalty with potential customers both personally and organisationally. They also need to remember that people are there for networking purposes – so don’t push too hard or try too aggressively to sell something online. Sales are made through LinkedIn, but these usually come through the indirect medium of the business website, rather than the social platform itself.
Not engaging with others
Another mistake that business owners occasionally make is to ignore comments, messages, or other interactions that come through to the company page – responding only to followers and potential customers through the personal profile. The reality is that it is important to respond quickly and genuinely whenever someone interacts with you or the business on LinkedIn, through whichever channel – this will show that you care about what the prospect has to say and are committed to helping them out. Additionally, don’t forget to like other people’s posts or comment on them as well through both the personal and company page – this will help create multi-level relationships and foster engagement within your community of followers and customers.
What next?
Using LinkedIn correctly as an SME business owner can be incredibly beneficial for your business and for your personal profile, allowing you to connect with more customers, build stronger professional relationships, and increase visibility for your brand. For more information about how best to use LinkedIn and how to increase your returns from LinkedIn marketing, please call one of our LinkedIn marketing specialists today on 01332 343281.
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