Why and when is LinkedIn a good bet for small businesses?
Every business has a social media darling and in the social landscape LinkedIn seems to have gotten the “ugly duckling” label. Is it really like this though? Let’s start with looking at why is LinkedIn off the table for many businesses? What we hear from our network of solopreneurs and small business owners:
“I don't know what to do with it as a brand.”
“It’s only for people looking for a job.”
“It is serious and stiff, not cool like Instagram.”
“Users on LinkedIn are not in a mood for products and ads on LinkedIn”
Here’s our latest take on LinkedIn, why and when it can be beneficial to launch and maintain a presence as a small business:
It is by far the most trusted and reputable social media - in a fake news and misinformation era, reliable and credible information has never been more valuable. Presence on LinkedIn and content shared or promoted gets a positive “halo effect”.
It has relaxed a lot in terms of content “appropriateness” - did you notice that posts on LinkedIn are no longer only about career milestones? This takes us to the next point….
It looks more and more like Facebook by the day!
People are spending more time on the LinkedIn feed - yes, even when they aren’t looking for a new job.
It is a space where people express more and more their “personal” self on top of their “professional” self - they make “statements”, support causes, take positions in terms of social and political matters. And this is done while LinkedIn, at the core, remains a professional networking platform.
People have stopped taking themselves so seriously on LinkedIn - and this is welcome in a constantly changing world, the COVID pandemic has been a trigger encouraging many professional to cross the border of what is appropriate and what was considered not OK to share on LinkedIn.
Scrolling on the LinkedIn feed is still done with a professional or business mindset so from this perspective they are more open to business engagement and to forging business relationships - compared to when scrolling on the Instagram or Facebook feeds.
To be clear, at Journee we DO NOT encourage embracing all social networks out there and stretching oneself too thin to keep all of them updated, nor do we applaud cross posting. For every business its social - YES. And focus, time and energy should be placed accordingly especially since a brand presence on LinkedIn does require a separate strategy and ad hoc editorial content.
When can LinkedIn be THE social network for you as a small business? Some of our thoughts and a set of non - exhaustive examples.
Your offering is B2B and targets specific roles or departments (HR, IT, Events & Corporate Communication) within a company. For example: your product makes for a great (and sustainable) corporate gift, you offer an out-of-the-box team activity, office & staff photoshoots, catering services, customized software solutions.
Your offering helps with achieving work-life balance or offers carrier support. For example coaching (of almost any sort), mentorship, motivational programs, educational programs.
Your offering is on the opposite side of the “office / work life”. We are including here relaxation activities, yoga and meditation, body & soul treatments, outdoor experiences, thematic retreats, sports, nutrition.
When your audience has specific income levels or are working in a specific industry Think of handmade highly customized jewelry pieces, accounting solutions for restaurant owners, a unique location venue.
When your service / product solves a problem for working parents - kids activities in a specific city/region, private language training and tutorials, summer camps provider or aggregator, birthday party and family event organizer.
Long story short, LinkedIn is a great space for personal and business networking and when used correctly it can also be a great tool to market and grow your small business brand. Considering the above listed points, it becomes obvious that the promise of precise and accurate professional information, makes running LinkedIn ads quite attractive.
Are you feeling a bit different about LinkedIn and its role in the marketing mix now? Still having doubts? We would be happy to have a conversation about your own business case. Let’s talk!
About Journee - Digital at Ease
Founded by two digital marketing professionals with extensive international experience, Journee GmbH is a female owned digital marketing and technology boutique consultancy.
We aim to make a big difference for the small: small business owners and solopreneurs looking to start and advance on their business digital journey.
Our combined expertise covers digital marketing, digital analytics, advertising, marketing technology as well as overall digital strategy support and mentorship.