8 free best practices for building your LinkedIn community (and significantly increasing your leads!)

Do you have a LinkedIn account but have never really used it? Have you just created a Company Page but are not sure how to make the most of it?
Discover 8 best practices to apply on this social network to build and grow a community around your brand, drive traffic to your site, and ultimately increase your number of leads significantly! Download the ebook "How to turn your website into a lead generator through educational content" for inspiration in your web communications strategy!

1. Share your blog articles on your Company Page (and on your personal profile)

This may seem obvious, but it is worth stating. If you maintain a blog section on your site (particularly as part of an educational digital strategy), share those articles on your Company Page.

We are talking specifically about the Company Page, not your personal profile (or personal account). Many people confuse the two. Your personal profile is, in essence, your online CV — it is what you create when you sign up on LinkedIn. The Company Page, on the other hand, is dedicated to your organisation, not to you as an individual. It must be created separately and filled in with relevant information. You can add other administrators who will be able to manage the Company Page with the same level of access as you. Your personal profile, however, remains yours alone.

Share your content on your Company Page, with a brief introduction providing context. You want anyone who comes across this post to immediately understand what it is about (and to feel like clicking your link!).

After sharing an article on your Company Page, you can also share it on your personal profile. All your LinkedIn contacts (potential clients, therefore) will then have a chance to see this post.

2. Comment on other LinkedIn posts

By commenting on posts by other LinkedIn members — on topics more or less related to your sector and services — you begin a process of building a relationship with the authors of those posts. The more you comment on others, the more inclined they will be to comment on you. And the more comments you receive, the more visible your LinkedIn post (and therefore your shared blog article, and therefore your entire site) will become.

Another particularly interesting aspect: if you leave a relevant comment on a given topic, everyone who sees that post can appreciate your expertise. There is nothing quite like it for demonstrating to potential prospects that you have a command of your subject — and, by extension, that the brand you represent will be capable of handling their request if they choose to use your services.

3. Share your content in LinkedIn groups

LinkedIn groups allow you to interact with people who already have an interest in your sector. Targeting professionals interested in digital communications? Join a group that covers digital communications. Targeting professionals looking for financial advice, interested in social media marketing, or in HR? For every target, you will find at least one group that meets your needs.

Joining these groups and participating in them is beneficial for two reasons:

You demonstrate your expertise to other group members through your replies and posts.
You drive new traffic to your content when you share relevant articles within the group.

4. Visit the LinkedIn profiles of your target audience

This practice may seem both simple and low-impact — and yet…

Every time you visit someone's profile on LinkedIn, that person receives a notification alerting them to your visit. The LinkedIn notification says nothing more than "x viewed your profile."

This shows that you have taken a certain interest in those people. They may then discover your profile and the content you have shared. What is more, if those individuals subsequently come across a post you have published on LinkedIn, they may recognise you and be more inclined to read what you have to say.

Rather than simply hoping that your target audience sees your content, take this extra step — disarmingly simple as it is — to draw closer to them and maximise your chances.

5. Ask your colleagues to share your LinkedIn posts

The more engaging a post is (generating comments, shares, and likes), the more LinkedIn will be inclined to show it to a greater number of people. In broad terms, if I share a post on my personal profile, all my contacts will see it.

As a result, do not hesitate to ask people clearly to share and like your posts.

This practice is related to the concept of "employee advocacy": the idea of turning your colleagues into ambassadors for your brand. We would not necessarily recommend this approach wholesale, as a colleague who is not convinced will refuse to play along (or will do so reluctantly).

It is therefore better to ask your colleagues to share a specific piece of information. Ask, rather than dictate. Make it clear to them that they are perfectly entitled to decline, and that this is even preferable if they are not comfortable with the practice for any reason.

One more important note about this best practice: do not ask people to share ALL your posts every time — this would quickly become tiresome. Do it only for your most important posts, and ideally wait until you already have a certain base of active followers on your Company Page.

6. Highlight your visual content

Producing quality content is the key. And it can be worthwhile showcasing that content quality visually when the context lends itself to it.

A concrete example: you have just written an article that contains an infographic? Post that infographic on LinkedIn, with a link to the full article for those who want to know more. You are thus offering real added value directly on LinkedIn (with the infographic). Interested users will get a preview of your expertise, be more inclined to trust the credibility of your content (having already consumed a sample of it), and will therefore be more likely to click the link to your article.

7. Use video to attract your target audience

Video is one of — if not the — most popular formats on the web. A video catches the eye and promises easy consumption for internet users: they do not need to read; they simply need to watch.

Of course, you need the means to produce a video capable of attracting your target audience, which is not necessarily within reach of every small or medium-sized business. But if it is within your capabilities, make the most of this excellent medium for attracting attention.

Your videos can direct viewers to other content (blog articles, other videos, etc.) or to your offers.

8. Personalise your connection request messages

On LinkedIn, "connecting" with someone means adding them to your contacts. When you send such a request to a member, you have the option to add a personalised message to your request.

Use this feature as an opportunity to stand out, maximise your chances of being accepted, and begin building your relationship with that contact.

These 8 practices — from the most straightforward to the most refined — will help you establish an effective presence on LinkedIn and turn this social network into a genuine lead and client generator for your brand!

Source: Ross Simmonds

8 free best practices for building your LinkedIn community (and significantly increasing your leads!)

1. Share your blog articles on your Company Page (and on your personal profile)

2. Comment on other LinkedIn posts

3. Share your content in LinkedIn groups

4. Visit the LinkedIn profiles of your target audience

5. Ask your colleagues to share your LinkedIn posts

6. Highlight your visual content

7. Use video to attract your target audience

8. Personalise your connection request messages

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