What are the most important things to have in mind when using LinkedIn as a Director? Where in the company should you place the responsibility for LinkedIn? In this article, I will guide you, as a leader, through LinkedIn.
If some years ago, LinkedIn was mainly used as an online CV database, now LinkedIn users know the platform as the “professional social networking platform.” becoming an essential place for the company’s communication, marketing and sales work, and recruitment. More than 766 million people are using the platform in 2021. Among frequent LinkedIn users who are engaging with the platform, 40% access it daily, summing up to over 1 billion interactions each month. It’s vital to have a professional attitude towards a platform that many in the company already use.
Different roles for each department
- Marketing & communication: LinkedIn is the number one platform to work with content marketing and thought leadership in the B2B market. It is a perfect place to create awareness and generate leads. Think about all the information about LinkedIn users we have access to – we know their title, workplace, education, seniority, and much more. We can also use this information to do targeted advertising towards relevant people.
- Sales: If sales are not already using LinkedIn, now is the time to start! Social Selling/Networking has become a fundamental part of the B2B sales process. This sales technique allows a better sales lead generation and prospecting process and removes the need for hardcore cold calling. It mainly consists of connecting with the right people, creating a professional brand, focusing on the right prospects, engaging with insights, and building trust. LinkedIn is ideal for strengthening the relationship with your customers.
- HR department: There are a lot of great ways to use LinkedIn in your HR work. The platform is the perfect place to work with employer branding, employee advocacy, seek potential candidates, and ensure visibility to the right audience, including more passive job seekers. Read the article “The HR Manager´s Guide to LinkedIn” if you want to know more
I recommend that you carefully think about your business purpose when planning the LinkedIn strategy, as well as the overall goals – and, not least, where should you place the responsibility? You can also read the article “The Hybrid Sales Approach” if you are working on your future strategy.
What about you as a leader?
The first step is to update your own LinkedIn profile. You can be sure that your profile will have many views, so let your professionalism shine. Find out who is viewing your profile by checking “Who´s viewed your profile”. Humans are curious by nature, and most people visit people rather than companies on LinkedIn. Your customers should be able to find your employees and not your competitors when they search for specific skills and knowledge.
- Be a pioneer. If you are actively sharing knowledge, you can inspire your team to do the same. Spread the word about your company, expand your network and identify new connections.
- Stay updated. Show that you are interested and wish to stay updated. By connecting with your customers and following their company pages, join relevant LinkedIn groups. You can also track your competitors and consider following some of LinkedIn’s Influencers, such as Richard Branson.
- Manage your settings. Many people are not aware of the things you can control on LinkedIn. You can decide, for example, if your network should be notified when you update your profile, if others should have access to your network or if people should be able to see when you visit their profile and who is allowed to connect with you. Invest 5-10 minutes in examining your own settings.