As many of you are aware, LinkedIn is THE social network for business. With over 277 million users (as of Feb, 2014), it’s a potential gold mine for adding clients and customers. Here are 5 ways you can use LinkedIn to grow your business:

1. Create A Company Page:

The benefits of a LinkedIn company page include the opportunity of engaging your followers with company news, updates, events and relevant content. Also, the product section is a perfect way for your business to display products and services, in addition to collecting recommendations from satisfied customers.

There’s also the benefit of improved search engine rankings. LinkedIn pages often perform well in Internet searches as well as providing potential lead generation opportunities. Research shows that 50% of LinkedIn members are more likely to purchase from a company they engage with on LinkedIn.

2. Sponsor Ads:

The most effective sponsored advertisements use few words with captivating visuals. (Remember the 2 second viewing rule for outdoor advertising? That’s about how long you have to get the attention of your audience.) Ads that have uplifting slogans and likeable content are viewed with less annoyance and stand out among the more wordy and visually boring types of sponsored ads on LinkedIn.

Simple ads also generate more socialization within the comment section and have more “likes,” therefore spreading the ad exponentially through existing customer and client networks, giving rise to new business.

3. Start A Group:

If your company is large enough and/or has sufficient reach within the LinkedIn community, developing a company group in addition to a company page can help generate interest and direct an additional flow of interaction. Larger business that can seem intimidating and hard to contact would benefit by having a social media specialist interact with potential customers within the group in addition to the many job seekers using LinkedIn to find work.

4. Host Contests And Giveaways:

Your business might benefit by launching giveaways and contests on Linkedin. Everyone, including potential new clients and customers, love free items that have your company logo (which leads to increased market penetration). Even hosting a contest with a prize of a visit to your company could gain new followers since people are often interested in operations and company culture.

5. Let Us Help.

Let us help you uncover simple solutions for growing your business that you might have overlooked. Contact The Sherwood Group today for a free 1/2 hour marketing consultation.

By implementing 1 or more of these 5 tips to grow your business, you will generate greater return on the time invested through LinkedIn’s growing social network of professionals.

If you enjoyed this article, you may also want to check out these others:

A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Sales: Using Pinterest for Business
Ideas for Growing Your Business When the Going Gets Tough
10 Reasons Why Positivity Is So Essential For Work / Life Balance
Why Should You Care About Starting A Blog?
Email Marketing: How to Keep Your Messages Out of Your Customer’s Spam Box
Combining Blogging and Social Media into a Truly Effective Strategy
5 Ways You Can Benefit By Using LinkedIn
How To Amp Up Your Visibility With Facebook

This article is published by Will Sherwood | The Sherwood Group |Website Design | Graphic Design | Marketing Communications: The Sherwood Group has over 30 years of experience working with all sorts of companies, small and large. Our clients range from entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 firms, in nearly every business sector, from across the street to around the world (and yes, even Europe, China, and South America). Our goal is to create advertising,  graphic design, website design, and marketing communication that still looks fresh and relevant 10-15 years later. Our mission is to stir your imagination and leave your competition shaken and wondering,  Now what do we do?”  We are located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Do you need help growing your business? Click here to check out the social media marketing and website design packages from The Sherwood Group. We’ll help you capture new business and achieve your goals.

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