LinkedIn Business Love: 5 Ways to Promote Your Business for Free

If you haven’t already joined, LinkedIn is a professional networking platform that can be used to promote your business.

In fact, for the Harford Designs team, this is our go-to social media. By sharing our knowledge of graphic design, branding, SEO, and website best practices, we’ve found fantastic service providers supporting our business and connections with our client base.

The following lays the foundation for taking your profile from “just another social media account” to a bold lead generator.

1. Complete your profile

Make sure you have a complete and up-to-date LinkedIn profile.

This includes a professional profile picture, a detailed work history, and any relevant skills and accomplishments.

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Profile Picture

Don’t have a high-resolution headshot from a photoshoot? Your Apple or Android camera will be more than adequate.

Avoid harsh fluorescent indoor lighting and head outside for natural light. Try standing in front of greenery or a solid wall. Stand far enough away that the background can be blurred.

If you still need assistance without spending hundreds on an office photoshoot, check out free resources like pfpmaker.com, which will remove distracting backgrounds and apply brand colors.

Profile Description & Keywords

LinkedIn’s search algorithm considers the keywords in your profile and content. Make sure to use relevant keywords in your profile and content to increase your chances of showing up in search results.

2. Create a Company Page

Create a LinkedIn Company Page for your business. Even if you are a one or two-man show, the company page will allow you to share updates and information about your products or services with your followers and brag that your business has substance.

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You can also post job openings, showcase your company culture, and share company news.

Create Articles

Not sure about content? Share blog posts from your website as new articles. It’s a simple matter of copying & pasting, inserting photography from the original post, and linking back to your website.

LinkedIn rewards users who create and share valuable content. This can be in the form of articles, videos, infographics, or other types of media.

3. Engage with your audience

Build relationships and establish your business as an authority in your industry when you:

Share valuable and informative content

Sharing articles, blog posts, or other types of content that provide value to your audience can be a great way to engage your followers.

This can (and should) include industry news, tips, best practices, or thought leadership pieces, preferably from your website or valued partners.

Ask questions or start a discussion

Engaging with your followers by asking questions or starting a discussion can be a great way to get feedback and generate conversation.

Share personal or behind-the-scenes content

Giving your followers a glimpse into your personal life or the inner workings of your business can be a great way to humanize your brand and create a deeper connection with your audience.

COVID-19 brought the human element to the workplace, so don’t feel it inappropriate to share stories of sick kids and working from home.

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Use visuals

Posts that include images, videos, or other types of visual content tend to perform well on LinkedIn, as they can help to break up text and make your content more visually appealing.

Avoid overused, free stock photography from unsplash.com, pexels.com, and Canva.

Showcase your expertise

Sharing your knowledge and expertise on a specific topic can help to establish you as a thought leader in your industry, which can be a great way to engage your followers and build your credibility.

Timely posts or posts relating to current projects are a great way to engage your connections in your work. They will feel more involved from start to finish.

LinkedIn’s algorithm rewards users who are active on the platform. This means liking, commenting, and sharing content from other users and participating in LinkedIn groups.

It’s important to remember that the best type of LinkedIn posts will vary depending on your audience and the goals of your content.

Experimenting with different types of posts and analyzing the results can help you determine what works best for your business.

Scheduling Content

Logging in to yet another social media account every. single. day. can be exhausting. Consider using an app that allows you to schedule content ahead of time.

Not only does this remove a daily task from your plate, but it also allows you to plan out a weekly or monthly strategy with curated content.

4. Join LinkedIn Groups

Join relevant LinkedIn groups related to your industry and participate in discussions by sharing your expertise and knowledge. This can help to increase your visibility on the platform and expose your business to a broader audience.

5. Use LinkedIn to network

LinkedIn can be a great way to connect with other professionals in your industry and build relationships that can benefit your business. Use the platform to connect with potential partners, clients, or even employees.
The more connections you have on LinkedIn, the more likely you are to show up in other users’ feeds. This can help increase your visibility and improve your rank.

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6. Utilize LinkedIn Ads

LinkedIn offers paid advertising options that allow you to target specific audiences with sponsored content or ads. You can use these ads to promote your products or services to a specific audience or to drive traffic to your website.

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But the algorithms…

By the time you read this post, the algorithms for LinkedIn will likely have changed. But the foundation is still the same. Share knowledge, gain insight, and grow.

If maintaining a presence on social media seems a bit too demanding, reach out to Harford Designs or another social media marketing agency.

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