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Using LinkedIn for Business

February 20, 2018

LinkedIn is a unique social media site that you can truly take advantage of in order to better your business.

This platform is designed specifically for professional networking, finding a job or seeking out an employee, discovering sales leads and connecting business to business. With a worldwide membership of over 467 million registered users Linkedln has risen to be in the top four most visited social media websites.

Connect, find, and be found: 

In order to set up a LinkedIn page for a business, you must first set up a free personal account. Since you have to have a personal page to operate a business account, you might as well make the most of it. As consumers we like to do business with people, so use that to your advantage and let people get to know you professionally through the use of LinkedIn. You can add your previous work history, accomplishments, and various other areas of involvement with outside groups and organizations to help strengthen your profile.  This online profile makes it easier for you to market yourself as an expert in your field and to others in your industry to create a business to business relationship.

Requirements to create a business page:

Your personal account must be set up with your true first and last name and be at least 7 days old. Your personal page must also have several “connections”, meaning people that you know professionally that have recognized your professional connection using the site. You will need to list your business in the experience section of your LinkedIn profile. One aspect that is a must in order to create a company page on LinkedIn, is a unique email address that carries the domain of the business. For example, you could use an email with a domain such as sbdctraining@angelo.edu because the domain of the email angelo.edu is specific to Angelo State University. You would not be able to use an email such as sbdctrainingASU@gmail.com because gmail.com is a widely used domain name and not specific to your business.

Power your career and your business:

Once you have both your personal and business pages set up on LinkedIn it is time to put them to work. Actively manage the pages, update information according to change and growth within the business and continuously work to build the online relationships by accepting connections and inviting potential connections to become a part of your network.

LinkedIn can also be used as a resource to find potential employees. Businesses use LinkedIn to actively recruit top individuals in their field. This online resume is the perfect opportunity for you to hunt for the right person to meet your needs. You can also cast a wider net and market to job seekers based on industry, previous work experience and even highly rated job skills. LinkedIn is also a great way to foster business to business relationships around the world. Link to other groups and business related to your field to gain access to industry knowledge and share your company’s skills.

LinkedIn has proven to be a great resource for business in many ways. I encourage you to set up a personal page and find out for yourself the potential benefits of this professional social media site for not only yourself but for your business as well. If you would like to explore LinkedIn together please feel free to contact the Angelo State University Small Business Development Center to get individualized and confidential advising.

“Business Tips” was written by Dezaray Johnson, Certified Business Advisor, of Angelo State University’s Small Business Development Center.  For more information on the topic of this article or the services of the ASU · SBDC, contact her at Dezaray.Johnson@angelo.edu.