10 LinkedIn tips for business

1. Share the important details of your business right away

• When filling out your company's profile, it is important to say exactly what your company is, who your clients are and how you assist them. The idea is to make it obvious what you offer and why they should contact you. Make sure that your profile headline and photo are professional and a true reflection of your company.

2. Include your Products & Services

• It is imperative to add your products and services to your company page. Not only is this your opportunity to explain what you offer, individuals can recommend and share the products you list, making them ambassadors for your brand.

3. Use “call to action” in your profile

• The main aim is to convert connections into paying customers. One way to do this on LinkedIn is to create a "call to action." Instead of simply filling in LinkedIn's generic "my website" or "my blog" links on your profile page, take the extra step and tell visitors to click on your links. For instance, write: "Click here to (insert your product or service here)." when editing your 3 websites in your contact information.

4. Create and join groups, and get talking

• Creating and managing groups of your own provides you with a level of credibility. Groups allow you to expand your network to reach targeted and influential individuals you seek to make contact with. Research topics of interest within your industry and choose the top two or three as the basis for your group.

5. Send thoughtful targeted messages

• Targeted status updates can be an effective way for business owners to tailor the content in their updates to specific company followers. This helps ensure the right people are reading the most relevant messages from you at the right time. Company status updates are accessible from your LinkedIn Company Page.

6. Embrace & Encourage employees to be on LinkedIn

• A simple way to expand your company's network is to encourage your employees to create and actively use LinkedIn profiles of their own. Upon connecting with your employees, you open your own network to their pool of second-degree connections. These could be valuable customers and clients you weren't connected with before.

7. Share interesting and engaging information

• One way to boost engagement among your connections is to get them talking about relevant and timely news in your industry. You can do this by sharing links to interesting stories and asking questions about the posts you share.

8. Set up your profile to be found

• Millions of people search LinkedIn every day. You want your company's profile to stand out.

• When deciding your profile language, be sure to include keywords that are related to your business and industry to help improve the chances of your name appearing in LinkedIn's search results. What would a potential client type in when seeking to use a service like yours?

9. Avoid buzzwords

• If you've described your business as "creative," "effective" or "innovative," you might want to consider saying something different. Cliché style buzzwords won't help your profile stand out and they might not accurately convey your professional identity on the site. This could act as a deterrent to others.

10. Endorsements and recommendations are vital

• These are your customer testimonials on LinkedIn. Nothing draws business like a good recommendation. Ask customers to write a recommendation and endorse your company for its skills or services. Endorse others first and try not to bulk message your contacts for endorsements, try segmenting your network into different lists and writing a more personal message.

http://www.linkedin.com/company/2989732