6 Tips to Grow Your Home-Based Business Using LinkedIn
You’ve built a home-based business and you’re proud of the results, but you’re ready to take it to the next level. You want to get better results and expand your audience. Good for you, I love your enthusiasm!
6 tips to grow your home business with LinkedInBelieve it or not, LinkedIn can help you grow your brand.
When I decided to start a freelance writing business from home, I had no idea I was going to use LinkedIn as a marketing tool.
I thought LinkedIn was for people in the business world. A world I had never been a part of professionally. One look at LinkedIn made me yawn and cringe simultaneously. I didn’t think it was where creatives, introverts, entrepreneurs and freelancers congregated.
I can see myself on Instagram in my sleep (it’s also part of what I do for my clients, so it’s very familiar), and I’ll gleefully and mindlessly scroll through Facebook until my eyes hurt (probably not a good thing, right?). I play a bit on Pinterest, but I thought that engaging on two social platforms was really all I needed to find clients and writing opportunities.
However, after much resistance and sighing, I discovered that my audience existed. It was all about networking, connecting with other writers and publishing work. I was really out of the loop.
I know you probably don’t want to hear this. If you have a business of any kind, whether you’re a freelancer, coach, blogger, makeup artist or have an online shop, you need a LinkedIn account.
When I created my account, I did some research. Naturally, there is a ton of information, gurus and endless courses out there, but to save you time and effort, here are 6 tips I discovered to grow your home business with LinkedIn.
Grow your home business with LinkedIn
1. Know your brand
Create your profile as if you are addressing your target audience. Don’t just tell your life story in your summary. Instead, talk about the challenges your customers face and how you can help them. And unlike a CV, you can use the first person.
This is your chance to shine and stand out.
Choose a photo that makes you look professional but approachable. This is not the time to share a photo of you in a bar with your friends. Or a photo of your dog wearing a hat. It’s about projecting the right image.
I’m thinking of having professional photos taken, because I think it’s important for my brand image, and I don’t have any recent photos of myself. Seriously, none. Only 29,000 of my kids! Most phones have fantastic cameras these days, so ask someone to take a photo of you.
Don’t forget to take advantage of the banner image that includes your name, contact details and niche. Use images and video wherever possible to impress your audience.
Remember you have less than five seconds to make an impression. Make it count.
2. Start connecting
If your audience is out there, it’s worth making an effort. There are between 500 and 600 million LinkedIn users. Even if your audience isn’t there, it’s a great source for generating referrals.
Gradually add people in your industry or people you’d like to work with. Don’t spam them. The goal is to gradually build meaningful connections that, hopefully, will convert.
3. Pass on your wisdom
Create engaging status updates, write interesting articles directly through LinkedIn, share your blog posts or any information or advice that your network connections find valuable. You want your audience to take ownership of this information and apply it to their professional or personal lives.
This is not an opportunity to sell your product or service, as you would on other social platforms, but to share your unique perspective. Your mission is to establish trust and build social authority in your niche.
Use keywords and hashtags to show up in searches. Create a custom URL with your name instead of a jumble of numbers. You want your brand to be as visible as possible.
4. Engage thoughtfully.
Check your network updates daily. Click “Like” and comment on posts, congratulate people on their new posts. Think of it as a networking event where you want to be nice to everyone, but not impose your own agenda. You don’t want to be “that” person at the party.
Be prepared to spend several months engaging before you get offers. It’s a process, but if done right, it will be an extremely beneficial marketing tool. Plus, it’s a great way to keep up to date with what’s going on in your industry and what your competitors are doing.
If you feel a bit lonely on LinkedIn compared to Facebook or Instagram, you can join groups in your field. Or just for fun. If you actively participate in them, it’s another way to get noticed and get those all-important referrals.
5. Search for job offers
Companies post jobs on LinkedIn, sometimes before posting them elsewhere. You can also apply directly for jobs through the platform. Make sure your list of previous work experience and qualifications is constantly updated.
You may be sought after by recruiters, so your title should describe exactly what you do. Be specific and use words that will help you stand out from your competitors.
6. Create a company profile
To seriously up your game and get business results, you’ll need a LinkedIn company page in addition to your personal page. You’ll set it up almost like your personal page, but it will focus on your brand.
It’s going to give more detail about your business, so take the time to fill it out completely. The idea is to increase brand awareness and make your company one of the leaders in the industry.