Are you keeping up with your LinkedIn account? You should be: this platform is a great professional tool that allows you to connect your brand with over 770 million professionals across the world. But aside from using it to link you up with other professionals, you can actually use it to boost your personal brand with some of the features available on it. In fact, according to Sprout Social, businesses marketing on LinkedIn generate 277% more leads on average than those engaged in Facebook marketing alone! Find out some of the features that LinkedIn has added to its platform that can help you grow your business and help you reach your business goals.
LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning is a part of the platform where you can go to get your questions answered, and where you can also develop and learn a skill relevant to your career. You can search for skills, industry trends, popular topics, and what your competitors are doing, so you can brush up on your insurance knowledge, sharpen your selling skills, and find new ways to prospect leads.
In addition, you can list your skills here, making it easier for people to look for you, so they know what you can do for them and what you are licensed in. This feature is also helpful for building connections with other insurance agents, which can bring you new prospects.
Add Media Files
Did you know you can add videos, documents, photos, and links to your profile? You can now add them to the “Featured, Education, and Experience” sections of your profile – and it’s a great idea to do so: after all, images garner over six times more engagement than text-only content. Think about the following:
- Custom image collages (3-4 images in one post) perform very well.
- Videos should be about 1-2 minutes long, and should capture attention within the first few seconds. Add subtitles for those watching with the sound off.
- Live video generates 24x more comments than regular video on LinkedIn.
- Documents, like PDFs or PowerPoints, can showcase what makes your brand unique.
Record The Pronunciation of Your Name
Got a name that has been butchered your whole life? Maybe it’s a simple name and people still manage to say it wrong? LinkedIn has added a new feature that allows you to record how to say your name in your own voice for 10 seconds. There will be a speaker icon next to your name that people can click on to hear it.
Make Sure To:
Optimize Your Profile
LinkedIn is similar to any other social media platform: you have to optimize your profile, making sure to incorporate keywords and phrases that might be used to search for you, your product, or service. You also want to use hashtags, but remember that they are limited to a maximum of 5 per post on LinkedIn; using too many will result in the post being marked as spam. And don’t forget to link your page to your website, and share relevant content often- just make sure you know your audience. Around 60% of LinkedIn users are between 30 and 64-years-old.
Post Everyday
When building your personal brand on LinkedIn, content is key, and when you consistently post, you’ll establish your voice. Not only that, but people will be more likely to see your profile and be able to communicate with you if you’re engaging with the platform regularly.
Do More Than Just Sell
We get it, LinkedIn is a great place to sell yourself and your brand/business: it is a professional platform meant to showcase people’s accomplishments. But trying to sell yourself is a turn off for most, and just promoting yourself as an influencer, or promoting yourself without context will not get your noticed or get any engagement from others. Start to build connections first, then build relationships- this will get you further.
Have A Great Profile Pic & Cover Photo
When selecting your profile picture and cover photo, make sure that your profile pic includes your face and shoulders, is not pixelated, has good lighting, and shows you dressed professionally and smiling.
For your cover photo, try sticking to something professional such as your company’s logo, or something else relating to your profession.
Customize Your Profile’s URL
When customizing your URL on LinkedIn, use your name; if it’s already taken, consider adding your middle name. And when creating your URL, use dashes, because Google reads them and recommends them over underscores. Try to find something you’ll want to stick with: you can only change your URL once every 30 days.
If you’re looking for more ready-to-buy leads, come to Benepath. When you work with Benepath, receiving reliable, exclusive leads is the easy part: we provide you with real-time leads through a secure process, and give you a customized thank you page so your leads will be ready for your call. To get more information, fill out the form above, or call 866-368-0377.
