I often think of social media as similar to an iceberg, with its usage split into above-the-surface and below-the-surface. Above the surface, there are many simple and commonly-used functions of these platforms, such as liking, sharing and posting. These are all obvious elements of social media that for the most part, reflect the average person’s usage of social media in their daily lives. However, unbeknownst to many, below the surface is where the power of social media truly lies, especially
as a retailer. This is where you can truly mine platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook for the best features they offer businesses, so you can utilise your social media at full capacity, rather than, say, 30 per cent.
LinkedIn specifically is a fantastic tool for raising brand awareness and of course, building relationships. Beyond the sponsored posts and targeted ads of Instagram and Facebook, LinkedIn offers a real opportunity to build a genuine connection with customers through thoughtful profiles, sharing actionable insights and being active on the platform.
To help you make the most of your business’ presence and improve the time and money ROI from managing your socials, I have compiled a list of top LinkedIn tips for retailers, so you can dive below the surface.
Keep your company page up to date. This goes without saying, but regularly posting to your page with exciting or interesting business updates, such as honest behind-the-scenes stories, a little (or big) win or profiling an employee are all great ways of keeping your page active and authentic. It will also help keep your brand front-of-mind for potential customers scrolling through LinkedIn and seeing your updates on a regular basis. The same rules apply for LinkedIn content as for any other social media platform – it should be high quality content that is consistent with branding and brand messaging.
LinkedIn is unparalleled when it comes to audience targeting – small businesses can define exactly who they want to attract by choosing the industry, company size and role of those that they know would typically buy their product or service. To fully take advantage of this when it comes to your marketing strategy, make sure you have really defined your target audience so you’re aiming your content at the right people.
Start with connections, then build relationships. Business owners can and should connect with prospects, strategic partners, referral partners, and other business owners on LinkedIn. Once those connections are made, you can then decide how to nurture specific connections you’ve made and grow the relationship in a more organic way (alongside a healthy dose of sponsored posts, of course).
Grow your email list. I’ve just mentioned building relationships, but what’s the best way to make connections on LinkedIn in the first place anyway? You can message up to 50 people on LinkedIn at one time, although some personalisation can get lost this way. To make up for this, tell your connection what they will receive by signing up to your email list (and offer a direct link to it in your email) and offer to look at something of theirs. This is a great way to garner goodwill in a relatively non-committal way and encourage people to sign up to your email list, which of course allows you to further target these prospects outside of LinkedIn.
Participate in LinkedIn Groups and industry discussions. This is where your business can really shine and position itself as an industry leader. It’s also a great place to ‘listen in’ on what your audience is talking about and any concerns they may have, as well as contribute and generate some interactions with group members. Another handy trick? Once you’re inside the group, you can go through all the other members and curate a list of your ideal prospects from here. You now have a list of people you can invite to join your own LinkedIn group using personalised invitations and viola! All your best prospects nestled in one place.
Make the most of your own LinkedIn Group. Following on from my point above, a group of your own can be an incredibly valuable asset, as it provides an opportunity to demonstrate your value and expertise without coming across as an overt sales pitch. The best part? Your group’s carefully-selected members double as a focus group of prospective clients and a built-in email list!
In summary, using LinkedIn for marketing is a great way to get your brand out there and build connections to prospective customers. If you ensure you’ve included plenty of information about your business and are an active participant across posting, groups and engaging with your connections, you’ll be right as rain to see some real results!