How to take advantage of LinkedIn tools to maximize your website traffic
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Website traffic plays a big part in finding success in today’s online world. The more customers can interact with your business and brand in a digital space, the better. The key is to be smart and strategic about getting your website out there and connecting others back to it, and using LinkedIn is one of the best ways to do so. In fact, did you know 46% of traffic to company sites comes from LinkedIn? It’s true!
It’s important to use all tools in your tool belt, and LinkedIn is one that every working professional should use to their advantage. Think about the potential website traffic you could get from a site that has 830 million members, according to recent statistics. How do you direct LinkedIn users to your website? What will grab their attention? What can you do to improve your results?
We have you covered with these 8 simple steps to help you generate the level of traffic your website deserves:
1. Ensure you have an active personal LinkedIn profile that meets all the basic requirements.
Before you promote your website for all to see, you first need to promote yourself. Your personal professional brand will help potential partners and customers connect to you and get a good idea of who you are and what your business is about before heading to your website to find out more.
This only works if your profile is carefully filled out with these basics: a professional headshot of you as a profile picture, a compelling “about” section, and an optimized work history.
The links you share will carry more weight when people can easily access and get a sample of who you are and what you do from your profile.
2. Create a company LinkedIn page.
Beyond a well put together personal LinkedIn profile, you also need to create a company page that pops and showcases your company’s best. The more interest you generate in your brand, the more likely people are to click the website link to keep learning.
Much like a personal account, your company LinkedIn page needs to be thoughtfully filled out and optimized. Be sure to differentiate your company page from others. If you’d like professional input, there are services available that optimize LinkedIn pages for you. The chance of more engagements, interactions, and higher website traffic makes this a worthwhile investment.
3. Build up your LinkedIn network.
This part is plain and simple: if you don’t build up your LinkedIn network, no one will see your posts. Luckily, this step of the process comes very naturally because after all, LinkedIn is a social media site, even though it is used for professional purposes. Start connections with your friends, colleagues, former coworkers, and any others in your close-knit or broad professional network, then work outwards from there.
Try setting goals for your connection growth and break them into smaller pieces, perhaps even into a step or two you can take each day. Personalizing your connection requests can also help your network grow. Everyone likes to receive a little extra effort with a personal touch.
4. Post content consistently on both personal and company LinkedIn pages.
Your LinkedIn pages and everything attached to them will always gain more traction and visibility when you remain active and share posts and quality content consistently. Why? Much like other social media sites, LinkedIn uses an algorithm.
Sometimes the mention of an algorithm seems intimidating, but just think of it as an extra layer of information you can use to your advantage. There are always pieces of advice you can follow to make the algorithm work for you, such as posting at optimal times.
5. Utilize LinkedIn Groups and consider creating your own.
LinkedIn Groups are incredible for users who want to expand their network and community and even connect over common interests. If the groups are related to what you do and what your company and industry are about, you can even share content there. It’s space for building up connections and engagements. Look at pre-existing groups to see if you find the communities you might be looking for, but if the group doesn’t exist yet, start it yourself!
If you do decide to start your own group and community, let your purpose be your guide and be ready to start engaging conversations for others to participate in with you.
6. Pique interest with link titles.
On a website with 830 million members, anything you can do to stand out is a good thing, so give your links interesting titles that attract the reader and make them want to click and follow along to your website.
It doesn’t take much innovation to hook people. Pay attention to the links that others are sharing on LinkedIn and be mindful of what entices you yourself to click on something. What stood out to you? Why? How could you recreate that feeling for others? Work backwards until you land on the formula that helps you find the perfect link title every time.
7. Republish content.
Remember, your content is high quality. Sometimes sharing once just isn’t enough, and on active sites like LinkedIn that use algorithms, there are always chances that you’ll reach new people each time. Of course, you can change up what you say in your post with your article or other content attached to ensure your voice stays fresh and current, but just know that it is okay to share more than once.
It seems to be a popular approach and the professionally branded “LinkedIn Demystifier” Jo Saunders shares best practices for those interested specifically in resharing.
8. Put a LinkedIn share button on your website so others can share for you.
The ultimate key is to get links to your website out there to generate as much engagement as possible. Believe it or not, this task doesn’t all fall on you. Let others do some of the work for you!
When you create incredible content, people naturally want to share it with their own networks and communities, so when you make it easy for them, that’s what they’ll do. Add a LinkedIn share button right onto your website to make sharing from your content simple and easily accessible. Then, watch the traffic improve as the magic of the internet and this connected world does its job, all because you’ve done yours.
Ready to see your website traffic skyrocket?
With all or even some of these steps, you’ll likely see the improvements you want to see. The internet isn’t going anywhere, and the world is only becoming more digital at this rate, so as long as you are prepared to put effort into your online presence and that of your company, you are in an excellent position for achieving your ideal results.
Remember, have fun with these steps too. Social media should always be a certain level of fun since it’s built on connection. LinkedIn is a place to share yourself, your interests, and your career with pride. Ready to take action and drum up more traffic and business? Do you have any LinkedIn Groups you’d like to recommend to others? Share below!
Photos by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Uplash; Fabian Irsara on Uplash; John Schnobrich on Uplash; Christin Hume on Uplash; Avel Chuklanov on Uplash