There are many ways that LinkedIn can promote a membership organization. Recently, I did a LinkedIn training for the board of directors of the Denver Jewish Chamber of Commerce (DCJJ). They asked me to help them find ways to use LinkedIn to help them grow.

The recommendations I gave this group can be successfully applied to other membership-based organizations.

Ways LinkedIn Can Promote a Membership Organization

• Board members should include their position in the experience section of their own profiles for several reasons:
  • Positions in the experience section get more attention than those in the organizations section.
  • Positions come up in the “work anniversary” part of the Home page.
  • You can add media (photos, videos, and links to a website) to a position in the experience section. Since you can’t do this for listings in the organizations section, there’s a value in listing positions in the experience section.
  • Organization members can write recommendations for a board member who list their leadership role in this way. These recommendations increase the visibility of the member and thus the organization as well.
• Board members should periodically reference the organization in their LinkedIn updates. For example, they can promote an upcoming meeting or special event.
• Board members should write articles about the value of being part of the organization using LinkedIn’s publishing feature.
• Individuals write these articles, so they appear on their individual profiles. LinkedIn company pages can have updates, but not articles.
• Use the organization’s company page to share information about the organization’s activities. It can also be a great vehicle for showcasing individual members and their companies.
•  All members should be encouraged to “follow” the organizations company page. As a result of doing this, they can share the page’s posts so their own LinkedIn connections might see them.
• LinkedIn groups can serve as a space where members get to know each other better. They can also ask fellow members for advice, share business tips, etc. In addition, using this feature on LinkedIn not only helps current members. It illustrates to prospective members how useful the organization might be to them.

 

 

How About You?

Are you on the board of directors of a membership-based organization? Do you list that role in the experience section of your LinkedIn profile? Does your organization have a company page on LinkedIn? Does it have a group on LinkedIn? If so, how does are the page and/or the group used to promote the organization?

About Joyce

Joyce Feustel helps people, especially those age 45 and up, become more effective using social media, especially Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter. She provides social media tutoring and training to business owners, business development professionals, authors, speakers, coaches, business consultants, job seekers, and many others. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com.