Today’s digital world has numerous opportunities and options for buyers and providers to connect. Yet, despite the prevalence of other social networks or online communities, one professional network has continued to reign supreme over the years: LinkedIn.
Not only is LinkedIn the world’s largest professional social networking platform, it also ranks as the most popular and most effective among professional services firms, according to Hinge’s own research.
With almost 400 million members, LinkedIn is also a popular tool for buyers of professional services to learn more about the marketplace and check out potential providers. In fact, of the over 1,000 professional services buyers we surveyed, a staggering 70 percent identified LinkedIn as their most commonly used social media platform for checking out prospective services.
Yet, with more and more companies joining LinkedIn every day, how can you ensure your professional services firm stands out from the crowd? The answer is simple: look to the experts.
SEE ALSO: 7 Social Media Marketing Mistakes to Avoid With LinkedIn
Take a look at these three companies’ LinkedIn tactics and consider how you can apply their LinkedIn expertise to your own page.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a better example of effective digital marketing than HubSpot — and their presence on LinkedIn is no exception.
Their professional LinkedIn page is updated consistently with a wide variety of content, like eBooks, guides, blog posts, infographics, podcasts, industry news, and webinars. They regularly interact with their followers by responding to comments and answering questions.
HubSpot also knows the importance of breaking up their posts for maximum impact and making sure to call special attention to certain items.
For instance, whenever posting about a recently available eBook, HubSpot offsets their status update with brackets and capital letters, as seen below:
So, how can you translate HubSpot’s example into real-world social media marketing?
- Make your statuses stand out. If you’re sharing something important, make sure your followers take notice.
- Mix it up. Don’t always share the same type of content. Your followers are more likely to enjoy seeing your posts pop up on their feed if they know they can expect a variety.
- Be professional. Make yourself familiar with the stylistic standards of LinkedIn and don’t make a newbie mistake of simply cross-sharing between your social media accounts. Case in point: LinkedIn doesn’t use hashtags.
Even though LinkedIn is designed to be a professional social network, that doesn’t mean companies can’t show a little personality on their pages.
Take professional services giant Deloitte, for example. They use their LinkedIn page to not only share educational content, but also to share stories and information about what it’s like to work at Deloitte.
This strategy is a great way to add a human element into the characterization of your firm. By giving prospective buyers a glimpse into what it’s like to work at your company, you can create some additional interest for your followers—and it may even help you score your next all-star employee.
After determining that their audience was less active on Facebook, Boston Consulting Group switched their social media focus primarily to LinkedIn and Twitter. In addition to connecting with their target audience, they also use social media and LinkedIn to distribute to employees and recruits.
BCG is a prime example of the power behind focused social media marketing. Even as a small organization, it can be tempting to fall into the trap of signing up for every social media platform simply to increase your presence.
However, rather than casting a wide net, it’s much better to plan and focus on a few key social media accounts that coincide with where your target audience tends to spend their time.
Next time you log in to LinkedIn, try using some of these firm’s tactics to make your company page more interesting and appealing to your current and future followers.
Above all, you want your LinkedIn page to be a true reflection of your organization—especially since we found that about 60 percent of buyers use social media to check out a prospective provider. Your presence on LinkedIn could very well be your first impression with a potential new client.
Additional Resources
- Our Social Media Guide for Professional Services is designed to give you everything you need to know to build a comprehensive social media strategy for your firm.
- Or dive deeper into LinkedIn with our LinkedIn Guide for Professional Services Executives.
- Join the Professional Services Executive Forum to discuss how to create a high growth, high value firm with others in your industry.
How Hinge Can Help
A successful social media strategy builds visibility and connects with audiences. Hinge’s Visible Firm℠ is the leading marketing program for delivering greater visibility, growth, and profits. Based on 8 years of research into high-growth firms, this program gives firms like yours the practical tools and approach used by industry leaders.
