Are you using Linkedin marketing as part of your business strategy? If not, you need to consider doing so...

LinkedIn isn't just beneficial to see what your old buddies from work are doing these days. Billed as a professional social network, LinkedIn is an effective job searching and profession networking platform that has an incredible global reach.

In spite of its surging popularity and rising user base, Linkedin marketing remains under-used as a marketing platform by lots of businesses and brand names that would much rather focus their energies on the main social networks like Facebook and Twitter.

In this day and age, it's crucial that businesses and brand names acknowledge the unique position of LinkedIn that makes it such a powerful tool to increase their brand's influence.

LinkedIn is a powerful social networking platform in its own right

LinkedIn has been around for a long period of time now; it was actually launched even before Facebook. It's therefore safe to say that LinkedIn marketing isn't some passing fad.

It's a proven social network that's in it for the long term. Users likewise view it positively as it's been voted the most relied upon social network in the United States.

It doesn't have a billion+ users like some of the other social networks do. However, it's important to keep in mind that those social media platforms tend to have many different types of users. LinkedIn primarily brings in professionals interested in a business-oriented network. It boasts outstanding numbers as well. At last count, LinkedIn had almost 800 million members around the world.

Throughout the years, LinkedIn has changed into a professional network and is no longer just a recruitment platform. Users can post material, stream video and do a lot more. Material on LinkedIn in fact gets 15x more impressions than job posts - an important consideration for leveraging LinkedIn marketing.

You might be surprised to learn that LinkedIn is the leading network for B2B content marketers.

It's used by 96% of them to be precise. These statistics are simply the tip of the iceberg. There's plenty more that underscores LinkedIn's status as an effective social networking platform.

LinkedIn's Distinct Market Positioning Opens New Opportunities For Businesses

We see an overlap with some of the world's leading social media networks. They typically have features and tools that do similar things. The user base tends to be similar too since the main objective of these networks is to entertain, not to educate.

LinkedIn has been developed from the ground up to be a place for professionals. It got its start as a recruitment platform where people produced profiles and got scouted for new positions. Conversely, individuals might likewise search for and find new positions through LinkedIn.

In time, it has turned into a formidable social media platform. Thought leaders now prefer uploading material on LinkedIn to immediately reach a large like-minded audience. This results in greater engagement and natural reach, something that's fast becoming evasive on traditional social media channels.

For LinkedIn, the issue of platform overlap doesn't really exist given that there's truly no huge competitor to LinkedIn. It exists in its own bubble with a target group that's aware that LinkedIn is the place they need to be in order to meet their professional goals.

That's what makes LinkedIn very special amongst all of the social networks networks. The target demographic it wants seeks the platform out by itself because it's just the best fit for business purposes.

With LinkedIn, experts understand that they must use this platform because that's really where the greatest opportunity for brand influence and impact is.

Leveraging LinkedIn Marketing To Increase Your Business's Influence

1. Use it to inform your brand name's story

LinkedIn's core user group is primed to connect with brand names and especially market leaders. They're actively seeking out material from these companies and want to discover the story and people behind the brand name.

Use this eagerness to your advantage by detailing your brand's story on LinkedIn. Think about it as a way to inspire followers and share material that provides them with value. This is also an excellent method for increasing brand name exposure on LinkedIn.

The more individuals see material from your brand on LinkedIn, the more its influence is going to grow.

2. Host a live video conversation

Video content rules supreme online and that's one of the main reasons that LinkedIn made it possible for users to stream video on the platform. LinkedIn users are no different from the rest of social media users in this regard - they too prefer video content.

To grow their influence, businesses can host live video sessions on LinkedIn. It can be anything from a fireside chat to a roundtable conversation or perhaps a town hall with dozens of executives and staff members.

Most people instinctively prefer watching videos to checking out a lengthy article. Live video can hence prove to be exceptionally effective when attempting to broaden your LinkedIn brand influence.

3. Shed a positive light on your brand name through employee advocacy

People look for authenticity on social media in general and it's no different on LinkedIn. Brand names can depend on employee advocacy to connect more effectively to their target demographic.

It's an excellent sign when staff members stand behind their business's products. By having your workers attest to it online, you not only improve the brand's impact but you also expand product awareness.

4. Count on user-generated material to produce buzz

LinkedIn is a social media platform after all and that means user-generated content tends to do well on it. Brands need to engage a conversation in order to increase their visibility and organic reach. What better way to do that than through material contributed by users.

Ask your followers for content about their needs and vision for your particular market. Any viewpoints and ideas that they can offer will likewise help stimulate a conversation that causes increased visibility and improves your Linkedin brand influence.

5. Highlight your brand's social good projects

People like to see brands that appreciate and give back to their community. Social good projects serve a double function. They're reliable marketing tools and also a terrific method for brand names to really distinguish themselves.

It's the sort of content that succeeds well on any social network and it certainly has a place on LinkedIn. Brand names can increase their influence on social media by showcasing the causes they actively support.

Make LinkedIn Marketing One The Pillars Of Your Social Marketing Strategy

For a holistic social media marketing strategy, businesses need to consider LinkedIn marketing as one of the pillars. There's unbelievable value to be unlocked from leveraging Linkedin's brand influence as the world's only proper social media network for professionals.

Just by following these basic steps, businesses and brand names can put themselves in control of their story using LinkedIn marketing strategies. This will assist them to attract more quality professionals into their business and solidify their reputation on the platform and beyond.