Recently, Lori Dubois of Marketing Troubadour asked me to share some LinkedIn tips for entrepreneurs for her Inside Scoop program. Lori runs the Facebook Group Troubadour Collective – Branding and Marketing for Entrepreneurs. The Inside Scoop is a weekly program in which she conducts an interview of a different member of this group.

Here are some highlights from our interview:

Why is LinkedIn so underutilized?

  • Many people are mystified by LinkedIn. They simply haven’t spent much time on this social media site and associate it mainly with looking for a job.
  • LinkedIn isn’t as visually appealing as other social media sites. A LinkedIn profile is actually pretty boring unless you find ways to add some visual elements to it. So, people aren’t drawn to using it.
  • Most people think that other social sites are more fun. People don’t typically  think of LinkedIn as a place they go for entertainment or inspiration.

 

What are the biggest benefits for business owners when they use LinkedIn?

  • LinkedIn provides a number of ways for entrepreneurs to showcase their brand. Examples include the profile headline, the about section, the featured section, position titles and descriptions in the experience section, and much more. What you share in a post and how you say it is also part of your brand.
  • You can share your expertise on LinkedIn. As an entrepreneur, you are a subject matter expert in your field. Along with using the elements of your profile, you can share your expertise through the posts and articles you write. In addition to creating your own material, you can share the posts of others in your field.
  • LinkedIn works well for connecting and communicating with other business people. As Lori put it in our interview: “In a business environment, people expect to have others reach out to them on LinkedIn.” LinkedIn is a great place to celebrate the accomplishments of others and also comment on the posts they share.

How much time should you spend on LinkedIn and what should you do when you use the platform?

Since a little bit of time on LinkedIn goes a long way, scheduling 10-15 minutes twice a week is plenty. During these scheduled times, plan to do the following:

  • Review your pending invites and decide whether to accept them or not.
  • Scroll through your messages and respond to ones that are timely and relevant.
  • Skim through your notifications to find special occasions to comment on, such as your connections’ work anniversaries or new jobs.

On a weekly basis, create a post on LinkedIn or share a blog post from your website. Once or twice month, publish an article on LinkedIn.

Check out the entire interview to hear us discuss these tips and more at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuS1uOe1ffc

Learn more about Lori Dubois and her company at her website https://www.marketingtroubadour.com/ and at her Facebook business page: https://www.facebook.com/MarketingTroubadour 

About Joyce

Joyce Feustel helps people, especially those age 55 and up, to become more effective using social media, especially LinkedIn and Facebook. She works with business owners, business development professionals, business consultants, job seekers, and more – ranging from entrepreneurs to people in large corporations. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com.