Three things happened in the summer of 2005:
- “Hollaback Girl” by Gwen Stefani was topping the music charts.
- My friends and I were enjoying our last summer before starting college.
- The world’s first social media giant expanded its platform to include more college and university students across the country.
Checking my email on my parents’ (probably ancient) desktop computer one summer day, I received a notification that my friend Britta was inviting me to “join her network” on something called “Facebook.” I accepted the intriguing request, signed up with my university email address, and the rest (as they say) is history.
Who knew that I would go from connecting with my future college classmates – remember when you could enter your class schedule and find each other? – to launching a business from this platform?
Today, I help clients optimize their online presence not only on Facebook, but LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and TikTok as well. Each social media platform comes with its own quirks and opportunities for building connections and revenue. I could fill a blog series with my likes and dislikes on each! But today, I’d like to talk about my all-time favorite social media platform: LinkedIn.
Just a few years ago, LinkedIn was Facebook’s not-so-cool older cousin – but today, it’s a vibrant, engaging space that is ripe with opportunity for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
*New to LinkedIn? Read this article for a quick primer!
Here are three ways to leverage LinkedIn for your small business:
- Post 2-3 times per week
- Spend 10 minutes a day engaging on the platform
- Strategically connect with interesting people
Post 2-3 Times Per Week on LinkedIn
Most people who have LinkedIn profiles do not actually post, which is why your content is more likely to stand out – even if you only post a few times per week!
Here’s more insight into why you can stand out on LinkedIn and here are 17 post ideas for LinkedIn.
Spend 10 Minutes Each Day Engaging on LinkedIn
You don’t need to dedicate hours and hours to building an influence on LinkedIn. Start with just 10 minutes per day! This free handout walks you through my proven method for getting the most out of LinkedIn in just 10 minutes every weekday.
Strategically Connect with Interesting People on LinkedIn
If you’re spamming hundreds of people with your advertising messaging through LinkedIn… you’re doing it wrong. If you’re strategically connecting with people you genuinely find interesting… you’re doing it right! Here are a couple of ways to target your LinkedIn connection strategy:
- Connect with your current clients or customers.
- Connect with people you’ve worked with at past jobs.
- Connect with alumni from your college/university.
- Connect with individuals who could be your prospective clients.
I’d be happy to help you out with some strategic messaging for each of these buckets. Simply reach out for my affordable, 1-time consulting rate!
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Now it’s your turn. What are you going to do to make LinkedIn work for you and your small business? Comment below or find me on LinkedIn and send me a message!
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