• More than 65 million business professionals around the world on LinkedIn.
  • LinkedIn members have an average annual household income of $109,000.
  • There is a LinkedIn login every second.
  • Almost half all LinkedIn members have decision-making authority for their companies.

With statistics like this it becomes obvious that small business owners need to take advantage of the power of LinkedIn to grow their business. The question becomes, “How do you, as a business owner, harness the power of this tool to enhance your business?”

First, you need to learn how LinkedIn works. This link leads to a great tutorial that will help you better understand LinkedIn, how to use it and its benefits.

Next, if you are not already a member, create and account and develop an attractive profile focusing on how your business can be of benefit to other LinkedIn members.

Then, consider building a LinkedIn company page for your business. While completing the resume portion of your profile, you will have a chance to set up a business page that will link automatically the resume in your profile.

There are several ways you can use LinkedIn to grow your business including:

  1. Jobs and Internships can be posted. Since LinkedIn is a very popular site you will be able to attract top talent, connect with job seekers and even those who may not be actively looking for a job change. With your business profile already created potential applicants will have a better idea about your company before applying. These job seekers will be able to determine early in the process if they are a good fit with your company. This helps save time and money and will generate only the best leads.
  2. You can join LinkedIn groups comprised of individuals from similar businesses and with like interests. You can create your own group to communicate with other interested LinkedIn members.
  3. There is a “SlideShare” feature on LinkedIn that can be used to create content that visitors can quickly and easily browse. It is a good idea to find ways to include SlideShare content in your marketing strategy. LinkedIn slideshows can enhance your business’ credibility as well as attract new visitors. These SlideShares can also be shared on Facebook or other social media sites that are part of your marketing strategy.
  4. Your LinkedIn profile allows you to frequently update the content. It should be handled like any other social media platform, but with a more professional tone. Many businesses will use their LinkedIn profile to start a conversation with those with whom they have connected. If you do this and you get a response make sure you answer to keep the conversation going. Ask a question or give an update but don’t let the conversation stagnate or drop.
  5. You must to sell your brand before you can sell your products or services. To do this you need to improve your trust with your audience. Completely filling out your profile, including articles related to your business and possibly uploading videos will give your visitors a way to get to know you and, hopefully, trust you and your business. This will improve the likelihood they will return when they are ready to make a purchase.