LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional social-media network and boasts over 175 million professional and active users. LinkedIn offers an effective way to promote your business and helps you stay in contact with personal friends, schoolmates, past and present colleagues, and past and prospective clients. An increasing number of businesses are starting to incorporate LinkedIn as part of their personal and business marketing campaigns, primarily due to its many valuable marketing tools. Listed below are the top 5 Linkedin tools for business you should be actively using:

1) Update Status – This is a simple and, for most people, very familiar tool. By posting a status update, you are instantly marketing your business, as long as the information is important, relevant and compelling. Be sure to keep all of your posts professional and polite for the best results.

2) Endorsements and Recommendations – True testimonials from your past and present clients will help improve your reputation, and will provide your LinkedIn page with accountability. Add specific skills that you are proficient in to your LinkedIn profile, and ask others to endorse or recommend you. You also may want to endorse or recommend fellow connections to help promote both of your profiles.

3) Company Pages – Company pages are very similar to Facebook fan pages, but are specifically designed for business. Creating and promoting a company page allows you to market to a larger audience of professionals in your specific field. The Company Page is created to make it easier for visitors, allowing them to quickly and efficiently discover what your business is all about.

4) Display Ads – Ads can take your business from a slow start to a booming rush, if used correctly. Using demographics and geolocation will help you target specific audiences. Display Ads also provide tools that help track the success of your marketing ad, and ensure you are receiving the best bang for your buck.

5) LinkedIn Polls – Like many other social-media sites, LinkedIn offers a Polls tool that allows users to engage with their customers and receive important feedback on a specific topic or question. It also shows your peers that you value their input and opinions.In offers a Polls tool that allows users to engage with their customers and receive important feedback on a specific topic or question. It also shows your peers that you value their input and opinions.

 

If you’re using LinkedIn and we’re not yet connected, you can find me here: www.linkedin.com/in/joshmillar/