Why Use LinkedIn?

Do You use LinkedIn?

If Not – Why Not? … The LinkedIn Facts…

LinkedIn was launched in May 2003 and now has over 400 million users with 97 million unique users a month.

Two new members join every second.

LinkedIn is available in 20 languages and 200 countries and territories.

Over 40% of users check LinkedIn daily.

There are 3 million business pages, over 2.1 million groups with more than 200 conversations a minute.

81% of users belong to at least one group.

41% of users check their updates on their mobile and there are more than 15 million daily profile checks and 2 billion network updates weekly.

As you can see from the statistics above LinkedIn is an influential platform.

LinkedIn is the largest business network website in the world. People from all industries are represented with many job titles and profiles of high-level executives of all Fortune 500 companies.

LinkedIn serves and encourages professional networking, which makes it different from Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and all the other platforms that are focused more on personal networking.

The most powerful and useful concept behind LinkedIn is that it lets you find the right people and highlights the connections you have with those people.

It reveals the networks of the people we know, and want to know. It also shows who is searching or viewing you.

How can you benefit by using LinkedIn in your business?

Here are 14 ways…

1. Finding and Identifying the Right People

There are 14 ways LinkedIn offers to find people. LinkedIn also offers excellent features for searching and sorting through your contacts. You can set parameters to find people by geographic location, company affiliation, the industry they work in, schools, language and more.

How much information you can see about someone who is not in your network, however, is to an extent under that user’s control.

Also the level of search functionality that you have is dependent on the plan that you have on LinkedIn are you on a Free plan or Premium plan or the Job Seeker, Sales Navigator or Recruiter Plans.

LinkedIn Search Options

2. As a Great Resource

LinkedIn is a great resource either for discovering information or offering information. You can be a member of up to 50 groups. It is easy to join relevant groups, where you can add comments, ask questions or simply observe. There is a world of contacts within LinkedIn offering valuable information. Another benefit is you can prepare for a conversation, meeting or networking event by reading the LinkedIn Profile’s of participants beforehand.

3. Relationships

LinkedIn is great for maintaining relationships with your network via personal messages and sharing ideas. Use LinkedIn to keep pace with your professional network.  LinkedIn provides numerous ways for users to discuss ideas and simply connect over conversation.

LinkedIn is an easy place to start building new business relationships through mutual connections, company pages or groups.

4. Discovering the Relationships Between People

LinkedIn is excellent for discovering the relationships between people by looking at your mutual connections. It is so much easier and more likely to produce a successful outcome when you can communicate for the first time already knowing you have mutual respected friends.

5. Being seen as the Expert

LinkedIn is a place you can stake your claim as an expert in your field. Others can endorse or recommend you. These endorsements and  recommendations  are visible to anyone who sees your profile, easily providing social proof of you as the expert.  Publishing your articles or blogs directly on Linkedin also increases your status and these are all listed at the top of your profile, again for all to see and read. Being helpful and transparent when you share on LinkedIn;  answering questions in groups you are in and offering helpful valuable advice, keep you being seen as the expert.

6. Being Visible

LinkedIn increases the visibility of your business, your brand and your products. Simply updating your profile will be seen by 20% of your network (compared to 2 – 6% organically on Facebook). Remain in the forefront of peoples minds by posting regularly, joining in on discussions, replying to other peoples posts and engaging with your connections. All these options serve to keep your name and face in front of the people who matter, your community, your prospects, clients and potential business associates.

7. Introductions and Referrals

There is no better platform than LinkedIn for introductions and referrals. LinkedIn is designed exactly for this purpose, to help businesses connect, recruit, engage and expand.

An introduction is different to an invitation. Introductions allow you to start a conversation with a member. You can connect to the people who matter to you by requesting an introduction through a mutual connection or by writing to them using LinkedIn InMail.

You can reach out to anyone in your network or again harness the power of mutual connections to obtain a referral, or alternatively you can refer one of your contacts to another that can assist them.

8. Lead Generation

LinkedIn is a simple and effective way to build leads. A great deal of marketing is about what you say, who you say it to and what problem you solve for your prospect. LinkedIn gives you the ability to connect with thousands of potential clients allowing you to engage with them directly.

9. Word of Mouth

LinkedIn is known as the business social media platform.  LinkedIn is like your own recommendation system, effective, respected and trusted.

10. Trends

LinkedIn is a great way through Pulse and discussion groups to pick up on what is trending and to stay up to date with the relevant news in your industry. This also gives you the opportunity to share relevant news with your community and connections.

11. Sourcing

LinkedIn is a super way to source professional organisations, you can join groups and connect with many in your field both for contacts and as potential prospects, clients and customers.

12. Sales, Job Seekers and Recruiters

LinkedIn is the go to place for customer, clients, job seekers and recruiters. There are several plans specifically designed either for networking, job seeking, recruiting or sales. These are namely the Premium plan, the Job Seeker, Sales Navigator or Recruiter Plan and they are all paid versions of LinkedIn.

13. Joint Ventures

On LinkedIn you can find complimentary businesses that you can mutually share a strategic alliance with and get your message out to their database and connections. Using this strategy you can broadcast your message to hundreds if not thousands of targeted contacts that have already built trust with the business or person you are forming the alliance with.

Click here for a Super Quick Guide to Joint Ventures.

14. Media Coverage

85 % of Journalists are on LinkedIn. Gaining media exposure on a regular basis is a brilliant and powerful way to boost your credibility, keep you top of mind and establish you as the expert in your field.

Through LinkedIn you have the opportunity to connect with hundreds of journalists and media people locally and from around the world.

LinkedIn is a business network that continues to grow exponentially year after year.  It is the single most important business and network platform in the world.

LinkedIn helps you find the people you want and highlights the mutual contacts who can connect you with others. LinkedIn gives you a huge audience to talk to and over time to gain as clients after offering your services or products.

LinkedIn offers many benefits for every situation: finding new customers, a new job, new employees, suppliers, partners, expertise internal or external to your company, and other information to get your job done faster.

Should you be using LinkedIn in your business?

That's a Big YES from me, do you agree? Leave a comment below and let me know.