While many business operators focus their time on the business and see ‘playing’ on social media as a waste of time, they have still recognised the value in nurturing their business networks. So the question is often asked after receiving email invite after invite; Can LinkedIn Connect my Business? As the medium for communication becomes social networks, business leaders and entrepreneurs realise that standing still and not engaging in social media is a recipe for decay. Now as CEOs become more familiar with how to present their personal brand on social networks they are looking for the best use of their time to connect with the right people online.
The place in social media for business-to-business connections or communications among business professionals is LinkedIn. Already the health sector has an active use of LinkedIn with a million Doctors seeing the value in connection. LinkedIn has also created the ability for companies to create a corporate presence which lists business locations, products and services. A company can then build a B2B (business to business) brand and allow both their past and present employees to connect to the business which helps build the profile.
For many businesses, the ability to connect across an industry sector brings sales opportunities and supply cost efficiencies. For the individual there is the ability to advance a career through carefully chosen connections. But one of the most overlooked advantages of the online business network is education. LinkedIn offers a variety of tools for sharing information that can advance the knowledge quotient of an organisation or an individual. Groups are available for distributing relevant content such as the latest research, white papers and videos.
Many industry networking groups are already making their home on LinkedIn as a way to share information amongst their members. Forums operate that allows peer groups to engage on topics that challenge an industry or the latest trends in a market. Some groups are created by industry representatives while others are generated by employees showing initiative to build collaboration.
Build a professional wave for your brand by encouraging your team to keep their LinkedIn profiles up to date in terms of their CV of skills and experience. Then ensure your company page is current and use it as a PR channel that your staff can cross promote.
A nurtured LinkedIn profile will grow influence.
