Over the last few months, LinkedIn added the ability to post status updates on company pages. The average LinkedIn company page is no longer a stagnant, unchanging list of standard company facts. Now companies can post status updates which can be commented upon by followers or page visitors. This change has added a level of interactivity to LinkedIn that can be used to communicate more effectively with employees, customers and prospects.
Those of you who are early adopters of social media marketing with active utilization of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts should consider adding LinkedIn status updates to your social media marketing mix. Many forward thinking companies have already jumped on the LinkedIn bandwagon. For example:
- In the telecommunications field, AT&T’s status updates are always about their latest blog posts. They post blogs an average of four times a week.
- Other companies with similar posting strategies are Whole Foods, Google, the Mayo Clinic, and SAS. Companies that post blogs along with other status updates: Citi, Deloitte, General Mills, and Oracle.
- Dell posts product and business-oriented posts two to three times a day.
- Citi posts daily. Status update topics are their blogs, product information and earnings.
- Deloitte posts their blog every other day.
- General Mills – aside from blogs, their dairy posts pertain to human resources and charitable giving.
- Google posts their daily blog.
- IBM creates daily posts about business, philanthropy and human interest stories.
- Marriott posts product or business information daily.
- Oracle posts twice a day and adds their blogs to the feed.
- Microsoft posts daily, but uses LinkedIn for HR-only information.
- Companies posting status updates twice a week: Eastman Kodak, Intel, Intuit, Publix, PwC (Price Waterhouse), and Starbucks.
- Companies testing the waters with some limited status update activity over the last few weeks: American Express, Chesapeake Energy, Cree, Edward Jones, Genentech, National Instruments, Qualcomm, SAS, Scripps Health and Stryker.
Recommendations:
Although companies are not embracing LinkedIn updates as quickly as Facebook and Twitter, I recommend that you increase our LinkedIn activity by posting twice a week with status updates that are more sophisticated than your Facebook tweets and customized for the audience of professionals who “follow” you on LinkedIn. Share information or announcements about your products and services, sales and promotions, and, of course, your blog. Keep is simple, interesting and poignant, inviting comments and sharing.
While you’re strategizing your LinkedIn posts, consider updating your LinkedIn profile with a great content on your Overview page, expanding your company description and including important key words. Don’t forget to link your Twitter account to your LinkedIn account to display your recent tweets. Add your blog to LinkedIn, which will be automatically included in your feed with each update. For your Careers page, write a company description that “sells” your company to prospective, high level employees, including information about your mission, health benefits, and dedicated, creative employees. Don’t forget to post all your job openings on LinkedIn. Fill out your LinkedIn Products & Services page with everything your company offers, including videos. It takes a little effort to look great on LinkedIn, but it’s worth the extra effort.
