As we look to keep up with social media daily, unfortunately, some weeks we are lucky if we are able to get to every outlet and give it the attention they deserve. Facebook comments. Messenger. Tweets we’re tagged in. Replies. Messages. Sharing our own comments. Following new people to expand our networks. Liking. Retweeting. Sharing. How do we keep up with it!?
Through several posts, we’re going to provide a simple weekly checklist that will allow you to remember what to do each week on or with each network. Create the to-dos each week. Knock them out and see your business expand.
Our first Social Media Checklist is for LinkedIn – the lesser-remembered social media with an unfair reputation as being only for those searching for a job. LinkedIn is free of all the cat videos and social debates found on other outlets. Industry articles will help with your professional development. Finding vendors, suppliers, manufacturers, and other third-party resources is a breeze. With more than 530 million users, LinkedIn should clearly be a part of your marketing strategy.
Here’s you weekly Social Media Checklist for LinkedIn:
- It should go without saying, but with all the attention on Facebook, many forget to post on LinkedIn. Try to post a few times a week, if not daily. Share updates about your business – key word is “updates” not commercials. Share comments that demonstrate your expertise. And share curated content – outsider content by other businesses or thought leaders.
- Connect with new people each week. Try for three to five connections. Look for people in your industry or an industry you are trying to break into. Continuously add to your network. A larger network means more post engagements. More connections mean more endorsements. More endorsements mean your reputation grows.
- Follow 3 new companies each week. If in sales, company pages are a wealth of information. The home page has general company information. Discover all the products and/or services a company provides on their products page. That page is usually shorter than their products or services page on their website. The insights page has facts about an organization’s employees, such as top skills and expertise the company seeks, and most recommended employees. Of course, you can find job postings on the career page.
- Request one to two recommendations per week. These are “statements that are written by a LinkedIn member to recognize or commend a connection.” People who view your profile will often read the recommendations you’ve received from your connections to see what others have to say about your work.
- ADVANCED TIP – Post a relevant industry news item with a call to action. Too often we post something that leaves the reader thinking, ‘Now what? What do I do with this information?’ Include a call to action. Go ahead and tell the reader what you want them to do next.
With these five to-dos and approximately 10-15 minutes for each, you’ll see your network expand, reputation grow, website traffic increase, and your business GROW…