LinkedIn. Nearly everybody uses it, but not very many people use it well. On the latest episode of the Bond Appetit Podcast, social media strategist and consultant Adam Houlahan stopped by to explain why so few people are using LinkedIn in a way that will net them long-term, sustainable results. Shockingly, Adam told me that among the 550 million people using LinkedIn, less than 1 million are producing good content. And of that 1 million, less than 100,000 are really dominating.
Why such low numbers? Adam says it’s because people fail to understand LinkedIn’s algorithms and what propels your content to the top of people’s feeds. On top of that, too many LinkedIn users are looking for immediate results and forgetting what the platform is really good for: generating excellent relationships.
Here are a few of his key bits of advice for boosting your business in the age of LinkedIn.
Refine Your Content
Content is everything. But what kind of content? Adam explains that there are four key areas you should be focusing on:
- Native video (not re-posted bits from YouTube or elsewhere)
- Text with no links or images
- Text with images
- Pulse updates (similar to a personal blog)
The key here, however, is to provide a mix of these content types. If you only do one, LinkedIn will start hiding your posts. And be sure not to post links in your posts — doing so will quickly flag your content as spam and could even land you in “LinkedIn jail”.
Get Ready For The Long Haul
One of the most irritating parts of Adam’s job, he tells me, is dealing with people that expect instant results from LinkedIn and other social media platforms. They give themselves a 28-day timeline, for example, and expect to see an ROI within that strict deadline.
But this is a poor approach to LinkedIn. It’s not going to be a platform that will earn you money quickly. Unless you’re looking to start spamming people (which will do terrible things to your brand and reputation) LinkedIn is something you need to take your time with. Develop your profile, make valuable connections, produce interesting content. Just don’t expect cash flow in a month.
Focus On Building Relationships
Like we’ve said, LinkedIn is best for building connections. Use it to reach out to potential business partners. Engage with other user’s content: like, comment and share. The platform is great for interacting with other big names in your industry that you otherwise might never have the chance to meet. Don’t be afraid to send a message saying hello and even offering a business partnership.
Give Forward
This last tip isn’t just relevant to LinkedIn, but is something that should be implemented by anybody with a business. Too many organisations lack a higher purpose, and Adam says that should be one of your top priorities. You might think you don’t have enough money to start working with charities, but it’s important to realise that philanthropy itself can help drive business. Especially among socially-conscious millennials, businesses with a purpose are going to be more attractive than those who turn their nose up at charity.
And, of course, LinkedIn is the perfect place to share your vision and purpose with your followers.
Listen to my entire conversation with Adam Houlahan, here.
http://www.bond-appetit.com/adam-houlahan-2/
Author: Ronsley Vaz
Ronsley is the founder & chief day dreamer at AMPLIFY. He is an author, speaker & serial entrepreneur.
He has a Masters’ degree in Software Engineering and an MBA in Psychology and Leadership. He is known as the creator of We Are Podcast – the first Podcasting Conference in the Southern Hemisphere, and the host of The Bond Appetit Podcast and Should I Start a Podcast. He has an audience of over 3 million in 133 countries.