Many people understand the value and potential in using LinkedIn, but struggle to move from simply scrolling and liking the odd post to sharing their own content and boosting their career or business.
It may be that your PR agency or in-house marketing team look after the company page, with frequent updates and an up-to-date profile common place.
It’s important to note that only utilising the company page may be limiting the reach of your organisation’s news and expertise to key stakeholders on the platform, as LinkedIn prioritises posts from individual accounts to encourage person-to-person engagement.
Adding in the hurdle that most professionals are now doing less in-person networking and video calls result in less general conversations compared to in-person meetings, all signs point to a healthy and active LinkedIn presence for individual profiles being of huge benefit.
So how do you overcome the challenge of switching from a passive relationship with the social media site to proactive?
The key step is to start off small. Aiming to immediately start posting three times a week and mixing in video, infographics, and storytelling along with leaving multiple comments and engaging in groups will inevitably be overwhelming and lead you straight back to square one.
For the first couple of weeks, simply make the step from purely liking updates to replying.
Add value with your comment. How can you move the conversation on? Think about sharing your own experience, asking follow-up questions, or adding a personal touch such as reflecting on working with someone if they announce they’re off to pastures new.
If you’re struggling to think of a response, imagine yourself in a face-to-face meeting with that person – what would you say? Bring that authenticity to LinkedIn.
The added bonus of commenting is that you place yourself directly in front of your target audiences.
Moving to the next phase of publishing your own posts isn’t as daunting as it may seem.
As a reminder, the key is to smart small. Take one of the company page updates as an idea and put your own tone of voice and stamp on it. For example, if it’s a case study, share your personal journey working on the project.
Authenticity and transparency are the two big winners on social media, and LinkedIn is no different.
Your day-to-day activity may just seem like your job, but to other people, you may have made a big difference or achieved something worth shouting about. Similarly, have you just given a piece of advice to a colleague or getting ready to exhibit? Consider sharing it.