“If you are on social media, and you are not learning, not laughing, not being inspired or not networking, then you are using it wrong.” ― Germany Kent

 If LinkedIn still functions as your place to “store” contact info for colleagues and business connections—an online Rolodex, if you will—the question that begs an answer is WHY. Okay, we will admit that, in its early days, nearly twenty years ago, that is how most everyone utilized the site. But today’s LinkedIn finds itself miles from that starting point.

Acquired by Microsoft in 2016, LinkedIn now fulfills a plethora of business-related functions: as a marketplace from where to offer your professional services, a vast resource from which to source your newest employee, a place to publish and showcase your best content and let’s not forget perhaps the most significant perk, a place to market your business.

When folks think about social networking, Facebook instantly comes to mind. And while it earns the label as the largest social networking site globally, LinkedIn has been in the business two years longer. It is the number one platform for all things business, from networking to hiring to career advancement to business growth, earning the professional social networking site title.

The stats are indeed impressive.

  • Nearly 740 million members.
  • 55 million companies represented.
  • Across 200 million countries and territories.
  • Participating in 9 million groups focused on industry, interest communities, professional associations, alumni groups, and more.

The WHO and WHERE of these millions of users—

  • Some 50% of Americans with a college degree use LinkedIn compared with just 9% of those with a high school diploma or less, according to the Pew Research Center’s 2018 survey.
  • 44% of LinkedIn users take home more than $75,000 per year.
  • Men make up 57% of its user base.
  • The U.S. boasts the most LinkedIn users at 176 million, yet over 75% of LinkedIn users are from outside of the U.S.
  • Millennials make up 60% of LinkedIn’s user base.

The platform is growing by leaps and bounds, to the tune of—

  • Three professionals sign up every second.
  • Making it among the world’s ten fastest-growing brands.

And member engagement? Well, it’s never been stronger, again, logging impressive numbers.

  • In 2020, 6.3 million members attended virtual LinkedIn events.
  • Every month, one billion+ interactions happen on LinkedIn Pages.
  • From March 2019 – March 2020, the platform posted 55% more conversations between members and hosted 60% more created.

LinkedIn’s operations include—

  • 33 U.S. and international offices.
  • Employing 15,900.
  • Currently available in 24 languages.

Wow and wow. What an incredible, wallop-packing resource. So, if, by chance, you answered “yes” to using LinkedIn as an online Rolodex, you are now thoroughly convinced that an upgrade is in order. Good for you! So, dive into these insights that will help your company get the most from this amazing tool.

1.  Post about your company on your personal page

Social media is about connections, remember? Specifically, people connections. And LinkedIn engagement follows this same premise. Of course, your company should create and maintain an appealing, informational company page. But for greater engagement with real people, the CEO and other key personnel should post about the company on his/her personal page. Studies show time and again that personal profiles garner more interaction than a business page.

2. Utilize video content

While relatively new to LinkedIn, video content has been and continues to be popular with audiences. Not only does it drive engagement—the critical component of social media—it can very effectively tell a story, deliver a message, and leave a lasting impact.

“I think people are so tired of being sold to, and we are so hungry for that human connection,” says entrepreneur and Hubspot Academy Instructor Dr. Ai Addyson-Zhang. “Video is a great way to humanize what you do and who you are to build that trust. Face-to-face is ideal, but so many of us can’t do face-to-face. So, the next ideal situation, I think, is video content. My video is my biggest business generation. I do either pre-recorded video or live video. Video is performing, really, really well.”

3. Strive for greater engagement

Lynnaire Johnston, an internationally recognized LinkedIn expert, offers the following pointers—

  • Commenting is the most valuable form of engagement. Commenting on another person’s post makes you a good LinkedIn citizen, ensures other people notice you, and, depending on what you write, demonstrates your knowledge of the topic under discussion.
  • Avoid “hijacking” posts Making comments unrelated and pushing your agenda will not endear you to other LinkedIn members. Yes, of course, add to the conversation but not at the expense of the original poster.
  • When commenting, make an effort. Meager, generic comments such as “great post” or “Nice!” add no value to the conversation. Instead, ask a question, express your opinion, or even make an observation. While it’s okay to disagree with someone, do so politely.
  • Don’t just LIKE; react instead. Take advantage of LinkedIn’s variations on liking a post: the blue thumbs-up, hands clapping (applause or congratulations), heart (or love), a lightbulb (insightful), a questioning face (curious), and the newest option, a purple hand indicating support.

ASJ Partners can help your staffing firm craft an effective LinkedIn strategy that will capitalize on how this professional network can benefit your company. What are you waiting for? Make their team a part of your team. Reach them at 610.930.5300 or weneedhelp@asjpartners.com.