LinkedIn Marketing

 When I think of LinkedIn, I think of it being a career-oriented platform instead of a marketing possibility. Now it does serve as the biggest professional network with over 1 billion users. It almost seems as if nowadays if you do not use a LinkedIn profile then you are put a major disadvantage. Personally, I am relatively new to the LinkedIn world as I started using it slowly throughout my sophomore year here at Ohio Northern. I did not take it too seriously as I had no need for it to work in the landscaping and asphalt industries. It was not until taking a career planning class last year that I began to realize how powerful of a networking tool it really was. During my search for an internship, it was especially helpful in finding companies in my area and connecting with employers I had met at career fairs. What I did not realize is the potential for companies to advertise themselves on the platform. What makes LinkedIn so unique is its ability as a platform to generate leads for possible business to business (B2B) sales.  

    A B2B sale is one where instead of selling to a group of consumers, it is a sale to another business in the form of a service or product sales. LinkedIn is an especially good place to market to other businesses as the platform is primarily used by other businesses alike. A study even showed that 80% of leads garnered over social media came from LinkedIn. Like other social media platforms, LinkedIn offers an easy setup for businesses to setup a company page. The company page on LinkedIn makes it easy to build your business by engaging with potential customers or other businesses, build product or brand awareness, and have easily accessible links to company websites. Another way businesses and jobseekers alike can use LinkedIn is the job posting feature. Companies can easily put out posts for recruiting new candidates, and many times you can apply through LinkedIn with an attached resume. This makes finding and applying to new positions infinitely easier than searching through websites trying to find if they have any job openings. From personal experience, LinkedIn makes it very easy to filter and find the right position for you. 

    All these tools and more are what make LinkedIn such a great platform to get on if you are not already. Whether you are open to work or seeking candidates for your own company, LinkedIn has all the tools necessary. LinkedIn is also a great place to advertise as LinkedIn is one of the biggest social media platforms with over 20% of the internet being a monthly user.