Personal social media accounts are used by the majority of people around the world to connect and share with a variety of other people. People post things related to personal experiences, funny moments, and an endless variety of other things. No longer is social media just a fad, it is a staple in our society. That is not to say that it is a stagnant entity – it is ever evolving. This is evidenced by the fact that businesses now experience major growth through platforms that were once solely used by highschoolers.

Business owners are surely familiar with traditional social media growth efforts like brand pages and targeted marketing. Recently however, LinkedIn has become one of the premier sites for businesses to find their footing in the world. Many view it as the online resume platform, and rightfully so. Now, it has become a destination for companies of all sizes to expand their potential clients and corporate relations. Bobby Darnell, the managing principal at Construction Market Consultants, Inc., summed this up wonderfully, “Active participation on LinkedIn is the best way to say, ‘Look at me!’ without saying ‘Look at me!”

There are numerous niche methods that exist to achieve growth through LinkedIn. We connected with 10 different business executives for their opinions on this.

Leave nothing blank

Nowadays Media is a service aimed at cultivating popularity for the social media accounts of individuals and influencers. Their co-founder and CEO, Kaspar Povilanskas, believes that entering all the requested information on the site is the first step to success.

“Like any social media platform, the visible depth of a page is reliant on the account owner. There are so many business pages out there which are lacking in available information. Profile pictures are left on default, descriptions are overly simple, and even links aren’t present. If a person or other company is unable to completely understand what your company does, they’re sure to close out the page in favor of another. In the age of information, a lack of it will quickly become the achilles heel.”

Go above and beyond

Dr. Robert Applebaum runs his own plastic surgery business dedicated to natural looking results in Beverly Hills, CA. He considers it imperative for businesses to take their account to the next level by doing more than simply creating a company page.

“A well-made LinkedIn page is only as strong as the person behind the page. If you want it to be a simple resource for people to get an overview of what you do, it will more than suffice. But, actively following other users or companies, posting relevant content, and connecting with your employees will bring your page to life. Those who view your page will notice the stark contrast between active and inactive accounts and be far more likely to engage.”

Broadcast yourself

Visibility is not something that appears out of thin air. It is a result of effort. LinkedIn provides multiple avenues to make users aware of a company’s presence. Tri Nguyen is the co-founder and CEO of Network Capital, a company specializing in home equity, loans, and financing. He suggests taking advantage of LinkedIn’s tools.

“LinkedIn knows its users better than anyone and this knowledge allows users to reach an even broader audience. Let’s say you’re a health focused dog food brand. If you make use of the Boost option, then some of your posts will be seen by personal or company accounts within the veterinary industry. Alternatively, LinkedIn also has a livestreaming platform which allows users to interact with followers or those interested in your brand.”

Enhance your page

Foster Grant is an online retailer of glasses featuring a wide variety of options and styles. Their CEO, Fred Gerantabee, advises companies to modify their page in ways that will cause them to appear more frequently in search results.

“In marketing we talk a lot about search engine optimization, or SEO for short. This is the practice of designing web pages to include terms that are popular within web searches in order to appear in results. This same method to promotion applies on LinkedIn as well. Make sure to change your descriptions or design posts to include keywords specific to whichever industry your company resides in. Another way of thinking of this is as if you’re using your words to target those who would be intrigued by your brand.”

Analytics

George Fraguio is the vice president of bridge lending for Vaster, a company offering streamlined custom mortgages and commercial loans. He believes that LinkedIn’s built in analytics can be incredibly helpful for understanding what works on a page.

“Without data to back up your decision making, engaging in any form of social media with growth in mind is similar to shooting in the dark. LinkedIn Analytics displays information surrounding who is liking your content and which content is performing the best. This data goes even further and it shows the corporate attributes about the users interacting with you. Having this information readily available should allow you to create a game plan for how to manage your page more effectively moving forward.

Marketing Partners

LinkedIn does more than simply host the website where your company is displayed. They also have third-party partners who specialize in marketing on the website available to users. Elite HRT is a health and wellness brand featuring doctors who focus on anti-aging. Their founder, Michael Fischer, considers this opportunity to be a great benefit.

“Marketing yourself in a compelling way requires a lot of know-how and industry information. This is why companies have their own marketing departments. Nobody knows the LinkedIn platform better than the marketing partners who concentrate on nurturing popularity on the site. From content creation to campaign management and making sense of the data, these partners have an incredible grasp on the necessary steps to elevate a company on LinkedIn.”

Consistent engagement

Fred Gerantabee is the CEO of Readers.com, a company offering numerous varieties of reading glasses. He suggests persistence when it comes to interacting with other users and even following up with them in order to gain an invested audience.

“LinkedIn company pages are very good at making you aware of who followed you, viewed your page and interacted with your content. This is something to take advantage of. The awareness of interested people should prompt a few measures to retain their attention. First, be sure to follow back those people, especially if they could be of help to your company. Second, send them invites to online or in-person events. Finally, continue to reach out to them with additional company information. Users want interaction and networking and engaging on this level can go a long way.”

Utilize videos

TextSanity is a technology solution which allows texting mass groups or individuals to be accomplished with ease. Their CMO, Carrie Derocher, advises LinkedIn business pages to create and post video content because of its effectiveness.

“No matter the platform, it’s been proven time and time again that users are far more likely to watch a video on a topic than read a post on a topic even if there is a noticeable difference in the length of the two. On top of this, video creation allows for much more creativity than written words which, when done right, can establish your brand even further. People remember the visuals of a video much clearer than a specific line in a post and you want your brand to stick in their mind.”

LinkedIn Groups

Social media brings people of similar interests to the same place in multiple fashions. LinkedIn accomplishes this through their groups. Kevin Miller runs his own marketing service geared for direct-to-consumer and technology companies. He believes LinkedIn Groups can be impactful.

“If you can think of a business related topic or industry, a LinkedIn group exists for it. For businesses, joining relevant groups and engaging with other members is a wonderful way of getting your name out there while also demonstrating your knowledge related to the topic at hand. If you want to take this a step further, you could start and manage your own group allowing you to have a heavier influence on the conversations.”

Advertising

Jae Pak is the founder of his own hair restoration service, Jae Pak MD Medical. He considers the advertising options offered by LinkedIn to be highly effective.

“One of the beauties of LinkedIn is the various ways in which you can market your company to users across the platform. Like most sites, sponsoring specific posts is always an option. But LinkedIn also has the ability to send advertisements in the form of messages or even display interactive ads. The site has a built-in portal which makes designing and enabling these things extremely simple, making it well worth your time.”

LinkedIn has so much power to raise a company’s visibility and expand their reach. With so many options readily available, becoming a consistent user of this platform should be a necessity for any company. Jill Rowley, the GTM advisor for Guild Education, spoke to this, “Before LinkedIn and other social networks, in the sales world, ABC stood for Always Be Closing. Now, ABC means Always Be Connecting, because your connections lead to your next hire, your next job, your next lead, and your next close.”