When self storage operators and owners, along with other business professionals, think of having a social media presence, two powerhouses come to mind– Facebook and Twitter. But rising in the social media scene is a site that aims more at the professional crowd – LinkedIn. Where Facebook became the preeminent “social network” site, LinkedIn is becoming the preeminent “business network” site. Self storage and other businesses should take heed as LinkedIn begins its meteoric rise. Setting up a business profile on LinkedIn could mean a big business boost.
With a worldwide user base of 100 million people, its numbers continue to grow at a fast pace. One new user joins every second of every day. And where it was previously seen as a glorified recruitment tool for job seekers and human resource departments alike, it has now grown into a site for businesses to stake their presence. And just last month, it entered into the news scene which is currently dominated by Twitter, with the introduction of LinkedIn Signal and LinkedIn Today. Signal provides a news feed based on relevant topics and hashtags, while Today provides a view on news of the day broken down by profession.
Getting in on the news game has made LinkedIn a way for professionals to keep up to date on an industry, said Senior Product Manager for LinkedIn, Liz Walker. Members can also evaluate the importance of news via statistics on the stories professionals are viewing. Users can choose to follow up to 22 separate industry news feeds.
All LinkedIn users are business-minded and relationships businesspeople develop on LinkedIn can positively impact a company. Even if a self storage company has a Facebook or Twitter presence, LinkedIn with its business tilt, is a smart addition. But it goes beyond just setting up a profile, posting content regularly – every seven days at a minimum – is essential because it will translate into a higher Google placement. Also, the more interaction and content posting on LinkedIn makes a site more prominent in its network and garners more name recognition.
By becoming a member of various groups on LinkedIn, you can keep up on what topics people are interested in by reading and taking part in the questions and responses that are being posted. LinkedIn can be used to search for companies you want to work with and help you search your network for people who have connections there. You can then ask that person for an introduction to a decision-maker within the company who can help you. The site can also help you research people you plan on interacting with. You can look up potential clients or vendors and see what their interests are based on the groups they belong to. As a result, you’ll have more to talk about with a potential client, vendor or networking friend.
As is the key with any social media site, the key to making LinkedIn work for you is to work with it regularly. Experts suggest spending 30 minutes per day posting comments and ideas, asking and answering questions, participating in groups, and reaching out to make connections with other members.
Sources Used:
“LinkedIn: Friend or Glorified Recruitment Tool?” PCWorld.com. April 18, 2011.
“LinkedIn Launches Signal, Today.” CIO.com. March 11, 2011.
“It’s Time to Link Up With LinkedIn.” Inside Self-Storage. April 14, 2011.