There are now over 500 million people using LinkedIn, and 40% of its active users log on daily.
Of those, 61 million are influencers, according to a recent report by Foundation. That’s a lot of potential prospects! If you’re not already on LinkedIn, it might be a good idea to consider joining.
LinkedIn is one of the more important social media platforms in the insurance industry. Here are a few tips for getting more out of your LinkedIn platform in the coming year.
Write Longer Personal Posts
You get 1,300 characters on a personal LinkedIn update. Many people use this space for linking to blogs and articles that are industry-relevant. If you’re going to do that, it’s a good idea to provide context.
Long-form updates are much more visible than shorter posts and links with no context. Write a short paragraph that gives some background to the story, engages your readers and tells them what you think of it.
Use Hashtags
Hashtags let users follow a topic and get content on it, bypassing the algorithms and influence of more visible LinkedIn users. If you’re just getting started on LinkedIn, it’s a great way to be seen by people who have a strong interest in the topics you write about.
LinkedIn will auto-suggest hashtags whenever you update. These can be a bit off-topic, as their algorithm isn’t perfect – but the suggestions can give you a jumping-off point for writing your own hashtags.
Stay Engaged
One effective strategy for building LinkedIn visibility is simple, if not easy. It involves leaving thoughtful comments on articles and posts uploaded by people who are prominent in your industry.
You can narrow this down by searching for the leading hashtags in your industry and following the content that comes up in that search.
This approach takes time, but if you do it often and stay consistent in the quality of your comments, you can build an audience this way.
Include LinkedIn in Your Email Signature
Adding a direct link to your LinkedIn page in the signature line of emails is a great way to raise your visibility. This allows you to advertise your LinkedIn presence to people who are currently outside your network.
Chances are they’re on LinkedIn too, and some will want to connect with you. This allows you to expand your network through genuine connections. And if you maintain a strong presence on LinkedIn through articles you write, posts and recommendations, you can expand others’ knowledge of your professionalism. This can help you both online and off.
LinkedIn can be a very powerful platform for business networking. Use these tips to start, and you should be able to strengthen your LinkedIn presence this year and in the future.
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