Using LinkedIn to promote your business

LinkedIn is a social media platform that has been used by individuals, companies, and organisations to connect, network, and promote their products, services, causes, and brands. Entrepreneurs have also recognised the value of LinkedIn to their business, and EO Members share with us how they utilise LinkedIn to promote their brands and organisations and take advantage of the platform’s network.

Create brand awareness

As more and more professionals connect on LinkedIn, it becomes an effective venue to push for brand recognition. Although most users tend to use it for business purposes, it doesn’t mean one cannot get creative and playful on this platform. Let your brand’s personality shine and inject a bit of fun to make your posts stand out.

“I use LinkedIn for business to create brand awareness and get known in my field. It is mostly for PR purposes. To be honest, I treat it more like Facebook and do not take it too seriously as some of the comments I leave are more for fun than serious engagement. LinkedIn can be a bit dry sometimes, so why not spice it up,” quipped Alex Louey, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Appscore.

Attract new prospects

Raising awareness for your brand can help generate prospective customers and new clients for you. If you use LinkedIn well by regularly expanding your network and posting quality content, you will be able to attract a potential market for your business.

“We use our LinkedIn to re-purpose awesome content that will help us attract new prospects to our community and world that, in turn, will hopefully see our brand as a source to learn from,” said Nathan Chan, CEO and Publisher of Foundr Magazine.

Promote one’s products and services

While you’re at it, go beyond your regular posts. Talk about your products and services so that readers become more familiar with what you do and what you can offer. Your content doesn’t have to be a hard sell as you can subtly present your offerings that can pique the interest of your readers. 

“We use it to post and share videos that we have produced for our clients. It's a great way to showcase what we do on a mass scale. And every month, we always win new clients that say they found us through the videos that we share,” Anthony Lam, Managing Director of Punchy Digital Media, claimed.

Tell a story

LinkedIn is a platform for professionals, but remember that they are also individuals whom you can inspire and motivate. The users can also relate to your experiences, so use the platform to reach out to them through your stories.

“LinkedIn has been my go-to marketing platform to tell an authentic story without spamming people’s inboxes. During COVID, when we had no budget for marketing but still needed to tell the story to the world, we used LinkedIn to showcase and as a case study of what we were doing. The result from this was a 75% increase in new customers. Being able to connect with people at a one-on-one level was important to me. Few important things on LinkedIn -- personal profiles and personal articles get better traction than company updates,” Arosh Fernando, Founder and Director of WooHah Productions, shared.

Build credibility and authority

There is power in your LinkedIn profile and posts. Whatever you put out there can make or break your image. Make LinkedIn work for your advantage by sharing things that can build your portfolio. Share your wins, give and ask for recommendations, engage with people in your network, update your profile, and be consistent in your messaging.

“I use LinkedIn in building credibility and as a way of being seen. I try and post an article weekly that is in alignment with how I want to be recognised, which is as an authority on People,” remarked Jeni Clift, Director/General Manager of DWM Solutions and a Professional EOS Implementer.

If you have some great experiences on how LinkedIn has helped you in your business, share them with us through the comments section below.

Check out the EO Melbourne LinkedIn page at https://www.linkedin.com/company/eo-melbourne.

EO Melbourne members share their secret recipes for Social Media Success

With billions of people worldwide using the internet and social media for their day-to-day activities, it is no question as to why many companies and brands turn to social networks to engage their customers and target market. The big question is how to do it successfully?

Robert Tadros, CEO of Impressive Digital:

LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram

“Our approach is multi-faceted,” Robert stated. “Generally, we’ll pick a content vertical that we’re focusing on for the month. Then we ensure that our website content, such as pillar pages, subcategory pages and blogs, is up-to-date before we map out the various posts across our channels to support this vertical. This provides social signals for SEO performance.”

The key thing that Robert points out is to have different posts for different social networks. He explains, “We tailor our content in each platform. LinkedIn has previously been geared towards recruitment for us, but we’re now experimenting with curating a marketing industry newsfeed, while Facebook will be geared towards knowledge and results, and Instagram for recruitment and in-the-moment content.”

He also acknowledged that for the majority of platforms, exposure is difficult to achieve without amplification. “We do this if it’s beneficial to our campaigns. Otherwise, we don’t underestimate the value of our team’s personal and professional networks. You’ll frequently see posts shared by Impressive staff, which highlights that our true value as a company is collaboration.”

Hannah Vasicek, Founder and Director of Francesca Collections:

Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram

As a retail brand with mortar-and-brick stores and an online shop, Francesca Collections has to constantly reach out to their current and prospective customers to let them know of latest and available designs as well as updates and other offers. Hannah and her team use social media as one of the tools to communicate and build relationships with their clientele and keep the public informed of their products and services.

She finds that engagement is key to get the audience interested in the brand. “Currently, we plan our posts based on engaging educational content leading onto a 'sell'. We have found that by communicating to our audience by asking them a question like 'which product do you like better' really gets engagement up! Our audience loves being involved and it also provides social proof.,” she expressed.

Hannah cites planning well as an important factor in social media success. It includes coming up with creative content and implementing it with the right timing. “We plan a week ahead of time and schedule all of our posts,” she said.

While they generate content on various social media platforms and grow their audience organically, they also place advertisements on Facebook to boost their reach and visibility, which often help convert readers into buyers. “Facebook ads remain our highest return on investment,” she declared.

Nathan Chan, CEO and Publisher of Foundr:

Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

Creating and generating regular content for its magazine, podcast and website, Foundr has developed and continues to develop a wide audience and astonishing reach through social media. With over 2.4 million followers on Instagram, more than 840,000 followers on Facebook, and 101,000 plus subscribers on YouTube, it seems that Foundr has found the key on how to reach out to more users.

“We plan our social posts by having a social schedule working 4-6 weeks in advance. The method we use is providing quality content on a consistent basis at scale. We promote articles, videos and quotes or infographics. Our method is very effective,” Nathan declared.

For Facebook, they invest in it by putting out ads on this platform. “We spend millions of dollars every year to build the reach of our brand and acquire new customers profitability,” he substantiated.

On the other hand, it is organic audience-building for their Instagram account. “We have one of the largest Instagram accounts in our niche. This allows us to build top of funnel awareness for our brand, as well as provide value, educate our audience with engaging content and sell Foundr products.”

Similarly, their YouTube reach is organic. “What we do is we produce many videos for community to build trust, develop top of funnel awareness and sell Foundr products. We’ve found that video is a very powerful tool to build a relationship with our audience versus other mediums,” Nathan shared.

Tom Caw, Founder and Director of Untitled Group Australia:

Facebook, Instagram, YouTube

Untitled Group is a Melbourne-based collective that produces a variety of unique festivals, tours and events within Australia and abroad. Taking an innovative approach on how they do things, they also make the most of social media in reaching out to their audiences in promoting their events, artists and music.

According to Tom, “Our social media posts are planned around previous posts by reviewing how effective they were. For example, we look out for posts that performed well and then try and replicate that style of content or copy in future posts. If you try a new style of post or content or copy and you notice it is not performing well, it is important to recognise this immediately and adjust your strategy.”

Tom finds this method effective but recognises that other factors can affect the reach and engagement. “These factors can be the time of the day it is posted, day of the week it is posted or something happening in the community that day like a major announcement that will overshadow your post.  Also, do you usually put money on your posts or do you let them go organically? There are a lot of factors that need to be considered when strategising, planning and reviewing your social media posts,” he quipped.

How about you? What social media platforms do you use for your business? Comment below your experience.

The rise of social media stories

And how you can use it for marketing your business

At the turn of the century, technology has developed at an accelerated rate. Now, people can do so many things with the use of their smartphone, connecting users from different parts of the globe through various platforms and providing solutions to many needs we encounter each day. There are several applications for a variety of purposes. In social media alone, new features are added continuously to provide more ways for people to interact.

Now, the story format is making waves in social networks. These are ephemeral posts that last for only 24 hours. Despite its short period of exposure, many are hooked with making stories because users don’t have to scroll down. These vertical posts that occupy the entire screen shifts automatically. Plus, creative filters attract people to this new way of multimedia storytelling.

It all began with Snapchat, and it is now available on Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and other platforms. Social media influencers have been utilising this format to share content and visuals. Even brands are jumping into the bandwagon and using such format to their advantage. How do you bridge your business and your market through social media stories? Here are some ways to reach out to your customers and prospects with the use of stories.

Be authentic, yet relatable

Don’t treat your social media story as a TV commercial. If you want to promote a product, service or event, make it into storytelling form. Add a human factor to your post. Talk to them. Make it spontaneous. When you do it in a hard-sell way or put too polished or too edited videos, it can turn off your followers. They often love it raw and personal, but let your brand personality shine through. If you know your market too well, you will know the best approach to capture their interest and keep them hooked to your brand.

Inject creativity in your story

How do you draw people to your post within 24 hours you put it out? Even if you can archive your story, such as in the case of Instagram Stories, that 24-hour window is crucial to bring people to your account and let them take action like going to your site or purchasing the product you are promoting. Businesses have to make such posts creative enough for consumers to always stay tuned to it and view it. You can create a teaser, make people guess a surprise or do a live story during an event. Brainstorm with your team and get the feedback of your customers on what kind of posts excite them.

Focus the spotlight on your users

Some people love to see their faces, names or usernames on a known account. Through a story, you can share posts by your consumers. Use hashtags and mention them. You can also utilise the swipe action where viewers can be directed to a site or link. Be more appreciative of your followers through your stories. When you do a live story, be mindful of commenters and do shoutouts to greet your audience.

Make it interactive

Although the audience cannot comment on your story, you can conduct a poll or do a Q&A with them. Take advantage of the various features of social media stories to engage your viewers and interact with your followers. Storytelling in this platform should not just be a one-way communication line. Rather, it is an opportunity to talk and listen to your market.

So, start exploring this new format and see how it can benefit your business. Explore its various functions and features before you apply it to your brand. If you’re unsure of its effect on your products and services, test it first and evaluate how it will fit in your overall marketing plan. Besides, there are experts or other business owners you can consult when you’re in doubt. Most of all, have fun and let your followers enjoy interacting with you.

Using hashtags on social media for your business

The use of hashtags (words preceded by the pound # sign) is now a commonplace practice in various social media platforms. It was first popularised on Twitter until it is widely used in other social networks as well. How do you take advantage of hashtags to market your business?

Hashtags are presently included in marketing strategies to promote products, services, brands or events due to its rising popularity. Because they narrow down topics for discussion, hashtags make it easier for users to search and sift through words and subject matter. It also increases engagement and visibility for your brand.

To know the right hashtags to use, you can check the trends and topics relevant to your business by verifying analytics and reports from RiteTag, Sprout Social, Trendsmap, or other sites that curate information on hashtags. You can also see the insights from your Twitter, Instagram and Facebook Page accounts to see the demographics of your visitors and the data of your reach.

Popular hashtags for entrepreneurs

A quick look at RiteTag on hashtags related to small business reveal the words that you can use so that your venture can be seen now. These are #business, #marketing, #socialmedia, #entrepreneur, #startup, #work, #seo, #leadership, #success, #media, #facebook, #sales, and #digitalmarketing. But for online users to find you over time, you can use hashtags like #smallbusiness, #tips, #smallbiz, #smallbusinessowners, #sme, #owners, #website, #productivity, #smallbusinesses, #businesses, #ceo, #ideas, #reasons, #today, #infographic, #budget, and #smb.

Finding niche hashtags

If you want to be specific to your niche industry or market, whether it’s food, technology, beauty, travel or real estate, you can use hashtags that are popular in that segment. You can refer to the hashtags that influencers in your industry use so you can get an idea of trendy hashtags people use and follow. Another good tool is Hashtagify.me, which shows related hashtags and top influencers in a particular topic.

You can also use your business name or brand as a hashtag. Others base their hashtag on their tagline, or they create one to generate discussion among their followers and customers.

Other tips in using hashtags

While it is helpful to use hashtags, there is also danger when you overdo it. Limit the use of hashtags, especially on Twitter. On Instagram, the maximum allowable number is 30 hashtags per post. Different social networks have different cultures and behaviours, so you should not copy-paste your post across all platforms. Customise them according to what’s trending in that social media site.

Apart from hashtags related to business and entrepreneurship and anything relevant to your industry, you can also include hashtags popular for a particular day of the week, such as #traveltuesday or #foodiefriday. If there are special occasions, create a hashtag for that as well.

Again, a hashtag is all about trends. There may be a new one the next day. So, keep your eyes and ears open. Do your research on the latest discussions online. Be active on social media. Know the interests of your customers and target market. That way, you can reach out to them and communicate with them better.

The social media and the entrepreneur

If an entrepreneur is a social media platform, what would he be? He would be a mix of the popular social media we see these days. As much as every entrepreneur is unique, every social media network also has its respective strengths and interesting features. We can pick a thing or two from each platform and blend them in moulding the qualities of a business owner.

Let’s merge these social media features with the characteristics of an entrepreneur and see how it will develop. So, familiarise yourself with each platform and learn how you can utilise them in your business.

1. He creates a vision board like Pinterest

Pinterest is a visual board where you can group photos according to a particular theme or topic. It’s a beneficial tool for companies that sell products because they can post pictures of their items here. Moreover, even service-oriented enterprises can take advantage of Pinterest because they can link back their photos or graphics to their website.

An entrepreneur is a visionary. He visualises things way ahead before they happen that he can easily spot when an opportunity knocks on the door. Many brands and companies introduce a new idea and concept through a visual board to share what they have in mind. At times, it is hard to describe something in words, and images send a strong message that can instantly capture one’s interest.

2. He networks like Facebook

When it comes to the number of users, Facebook is at the top of the game. It has billions of users that are scattered all over the globe. It is the primary platform people use to get in touch with friends and acquaintances, announce an event, sell products, form groups, and promote various causes and businesses. There’s also high engagement as users can express their reaction, such as “likes”, comments and replies on posts. In Facebook, it’s about relationships, which can be either personal or business.

Similarly, an entrepreneur expands his network for the benefit of his venture. Building bridges and making connections are part of the business landscape, which many entrepreneurs adhere to do. To keep himself in touch with people, he engages with them in various ways that can effectively bond his brand with his customers.

3. He builds a reputation like LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a network of professionals that link colleagues, companies and clients. It also provides a rich resource of professional interaction through the LinkedIn groups. Often, it helps users find jobs and companies scout for new talents. Mostly, user profiles feature their career and work experiences in this platform. They also share links or notes that are useful to the business world.

Reputation is one thing that allows clients to trust a business or an entrepreneur. Thus, business owners see the value of building a respectable name that will help their ventures last for long. Users, both individuals and corporations, engage in LinkedIn because this social network is distinctly known as a serious kind of platform. Similarly, entrepreneurs want to show others that when they do business, they truly mean business. They want to present to their clients that they are professional in dealing with people and in carrying out its offerings.

4. He keeps up with trends like Twitter

Twitter is heavy on the use of hashtags # to highlight the trending conversations of the day. These conversations happen in a wide array of audiences, not necessarily friends or acquaintances. Every post is limited to only 280 characters, but that’s where one’s ingenuity in conveying a compelling message comes in. Many brands use Twitter to promote their sites by linking their posts to a more detailed page. Twitter users can also include images, videos, and polls to their posts. Most users get their news updates and express their opinions through Twitter.

To get the pulse of the market, business owners keep up with trends and listen to the current needs of the people. An entrepreneur can briefly explain about his brand to a wide audience and always speaks of his business. He can be direct to the point, crafting messages with his customers in mind. He provides an avenue where people can gather and give feedback.

5. He illustrates well like Instagram

Instagram is all about images and brief videos. Because photos are more compelling than texts, more and more people prefer to share things and memories with the use of pictures or short clips. They also easily attract attention compared with plain words. More and more brands turn to Instagram to share photos of their products, services, graphics, and moments.

Milestones and celebrations are important in the business journey. Various occasions, including trying times, are remembered because they make the entire adventure more memorable. Entrepreneurs highlight wins and challenges and learn from each one of them. Just like Instagram, he conveys his ideas and objectives to his staff, clients, suppliers and partners by providing a clear picture of the end goal.

6. He demonstrates like YouTube

YouTube is one of the most popular sites for videos. Businesses take advantage of YouTube’s features by sharing corporate videos or instructional clips. It has become a great platform for telling a story with moving graphics, giving rise to a new breed of social media influencers, the vloggers. Often, YouTube has become the go-to platform to watch impressive talks and training videos where people can learn new skills and improve their capabilities.

The best way to attract more and more people to a particular venture is to show the various benefits that the company has when it comes to delivering goods and services to its customers. An entrepreneur does not hesitate to demonstrate the advantages of his products, expertise and offerings to those who may benefit from them. He acts as an expert in his field, imparting pertinent information that customers need to know.

7. He leaves traces like Google+

When it comes to SEO and searchability, Google+ is a good pick. Although there are many users in Google+, this social network is not as utilised as other platforms. However, it is still used by individuals, groups and companies because of its Google brand, which leaves a footprint in the worldwide web that allows posts to appear in searches. It has circles and communities where users with the same interests can interact well.

Similar to Google+, business owners want to leave behind their imprints through their business, good works and impact on society. They want their ventures to be visible and easy to access by those who need their products and services the most.

When it comes to circles and groups, entrepreneurs also recognise the need of surrounding themselves with like-minded individuals. Therefore, they see the advantage of joining organisations like EO Melbourne, where they can share and amass valuable business insights from others.

Many of these platforms have their respective metrics when it comes to measuring page traffic and engagement. Business owners also recognise the importance of having metrics in their ventures, which can help in decision-making and strategic directions.

Social media networks have their own life. Every platform changes over time, depending on the needs and wants of people. New platforms emerge almost every day, and more and more users converge in these networks. Likewise, enterprises, their owners, markets industries and the entrepreneurial journey transform in accord with the shifting business landscape.

Entrepreneurs can learn from these platforms, not only as a tool to promote their brands but also as a guide on how to become an effective business owner. They can develop and hone their qualities and characteristics based on the features of these various social media platforms and the way they attract countless users to their sites. Like social media that acts as a hub for people across the globe that have varying interests, entrepreneurs bring together people, creating connections and establishing relationships.