LinkedIn recently passed 300 Million registered user accounts and is now the number 1 social media network for driving traffic to corporate websites. The USA not surprisingly is still the top ranked country represented with just over 100 million registered users. India is now number 2 followed by Brazil, Great Britain and Canada.
It is no longer just a job seeking site or an on-line resume, though it is still a very powerful medium for job seekers and companies looking for new talent. In 2010 26% of companies were achieving significant results in their B2C (Business to Consumer) customer acquisition through LinkedIn, last year this number increased to 51%.
If you are not on LinkedIn you are missing some incredibly powerful marketing opportunities, not to mention one of the most powerful ways to get noticed on the first page in searches. You will need to ensure your profile is well optimised to achieve this. You can access a free download to help you here LinkedIn Tutorial
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If you are new to marketing on LinkedIn a great place to start is the Sophisticated Marketers Guide to LinkedIn this is a free download packed with interviews and tips from the LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Team and some of the industries key thought leaders.
It covers the “why” you should be marketing on LinkedIn, the “how” and expanding your reach to millions of active professionals. Staying ahead of the pack in your marketing efforts in today’s fast paced on-line world is tough, you need to ensure you spend your budget & energy in the best way possible. Take the time to understand what is possible with LinkedIn & it will become clear why 91% of marketers are now using it.
Whilst it is free to set up a profile on LinkedIn that is about where the free options end. There are many ways to spend plenty of money on LinkedIn from upgraded accounts with additional features not available on the free version, to In mails that allow you to contact with anyone on LinkedIn even if they are not within your current network. Most effective marketing strategies utilising their platform will also cost you some of your monthly marketing budget. So like any other new strategy you implement ensure you test and measure your results. If you are unsure of where to start, consider engaging any of the many professional companies you find that specialise in on-line marketing. You should however make sure they are highly experienced using the latest techniques for this very powerful platform. Ask for references to clients who have used them before, of course don’t expect them to to suggest you contact any former disgruntled clients.
If you plan to go it alone, start with a small campaign then see how your results stack up to other on-line campaigns you have run. Once you are confident in your approach you should be comfortable with launching a bigger & hopefully more profitable strategy.