About them:
LinkedIn was launched in 2002 as a professional networking site. Since then it has become a well respected exchange for brands, companies and professionals to connect, stay in contact, exchange industry news and to find new talent.
Who is there?
LinkedIn now has well over 675+ million users worldwide. While that may not sound quite as impressive as the “billions” on other networks, it must be understood that LinkedIn is focused on ‘professionals’ and ‘industry’. Hence, this number can EASILY be a much stronger audience than the “billions” which may include large segments not suitable to your target audience. Nearly one half of the user base is active every month and over 30 million companies post over 20 million vacancies… WOW! While ⅔ of the LinkedIn crowd is over 36 – the fastest growing segment appear to be career starters in the 25-35 age range.
Is it for us?
If you’re wondering whether a meaningful segment of your audience spends time on the platform, the answer is most likely a simple no unless you are marketing to decision makers and industry movers and shakers. However, you may wish to prioritize LinkedIn for:
- Professional Contacts
- Industry or trade groups
- Industry news and resources
- Recruting Industry Professionals
Suggested Content
Content that may work best on LinkeIn:
- Your Personal Professional Profile
- The Industry Profile of the Company
- Links to clients
- Links to suppliers
- Professional associations
- RECRUITING – Active Job Postings
- RECRUITING – Head Hunting
Caution:
You are spending your budget on a website and want visitors to come “here”. Thus, we strongly suggest to use social media links sparingly! The example you should note on our sample sites is
- SMALL icons
- FAINT colours
- DON’T use their bright colours!
- DON’T put links prominently in the header region or anywhere ‘above the fold’!
You want to attract user to YOUR site to read YOUR content and perhaps buy YOUR product. So, WHY would you present them with an invitation/opportunity to leave right at the opening/loading of your page (when those links are placed in the header region and made prominent with their brand colours)?
Notice also that on our sample sites the icon link to these info pages. As a result we can capture the attention of our visitor one more time… Alternately we could direct hem to the contacts page (where the real links to social media exists) or some other preferred flow…