Linkedin is one of the best platforms to build your brand and generate leads. It might not be as colourful as other social media channels like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. But it sure is a place where you can grow your business. Linkedin works better than any other social platform for businesses as studies show that 80% of the leads from social media channels come from Linkedin.
However, using Linkedin the right way is very important to get results for your business. So here is a guide that clearly guides you on how to create a business page in Linkedin and the best ways to optimize your profile.
How to Create a Business Page in Linkedin
You can create a Linkedin profile for company for free on Linkedin. However, you need to create a personal profile on Linkedin to set up your company page. There are many advantages of using a Linkedin company page over individual profiles. For generating leads setting up a Linkedin Page always makes much more sense.
Step 1: Create an Individual Profile
To create a business profile you need to have an individual account. You can simply sign up with your Google account or create an account with your email address and password
Step 2: Create a Linkedin Page
- Click on the Work icon in the top right corner of the Linkedin home page
- Click ‘Create Company Page’.
- On the next page select the type of company page you’d like to create from the options which are:
- Company Page
- Showcase Page
- Educational Institution
- Enter the page details
- Enter the profile details. Upload the logo and enter your company tagline.
- Check the verification box and click ‘Create’ page.
Step 3: Optimize your Profile
Where people get wrong with using Linkedin is not optimizing their profile in the right way. Linkedin gives you a lot of opportunities for generating leads, connecting with professionals, recruiting and many more.
The first step that you need to do if you are looking for ways to make the most out of Linkedin is optimizing your profile. It starts right with uploading the perfect Linkedin profile pic and crafting the perfect headlines for Linkedin profile. Here we have rounded up the best practices to optimize your profile.
1. Upload the right profile photo for Linkedin
The first thing people notice about your profile is your profile picture and your Linkedin headline. It is seen that Linkedin users having a profile picture gets 10x times more visits than users without a profile picture. Not just simply adding a photo. You also need to make sure that the picture looks attractive and impresses your audience.
For a company profile, you can add the company logo as your profile photo. However, you need to follow the guidelines provided by Linkedin while uploading it.
- Profile picture size should be between 400 (w) x 400 (h) pixels and 7680 (w) x 4320 (h) pixels.
- The file size should be a maximum of 8 Mb.
- The file type must be PNG or JPG. They do not support GIF
If you are using an individual profile make sure that you look approachable in it. Here are some best practices to follow to look professional in your profile photo for Linkedin.
To upload a profile picture on Linkedin:
- Go to your company page and click on the Edit button
- Click on ‘ Page info’ in the header section and click the pen icon.
- Upload your image from your device
2. Add a branded cover image
You can put in your creativity while creating a LinkedIn profile background image. This can be a design related to your brand. You can use tools like Canva, Design Wizard to create Linkedin profile cover photos. For more ideas check out some of our design templates.
To upload a background for LinkedIn profile go to your company profile and click on the pen icon and select Add cover. The LinkedIn profile background image size is 1128px x 191px.
3. Add Description
In the About Us section add a description for Linkedin profile that clearly tells about your company. Now, while writing the description make sure it is well SEO optimized.
SEO is not just for blogs and websites. Your Linkedin page is also indexed by Google and you need to crack this part.
The key is to add relevant keywords and not overload them just for the sake of SEO. Clearly state what your business is, the purpose of your business, where you are based and what you offer in a maximum of 2000 characters. Just by reading the description, your audience must get an idea about your business and your values.
To add a description for your page:
- Click on the edit button in your compan profile.
- In the About section enter the description in the field provided.
For some inspiration, we have included some brilliantly written descriptions by top brands on Linkedin.
Sephora, a very popular retail company of beauty products, has kept its description very descriptive clearly stating its industry experience, business values and vision.
The Nature Conservancy is a non-profit organization. Their description is well written mentioning their motto and the purpose of their organization.
4. Add hashtags
By adding hashtags relevant to your business you get to see all posts that use the hashtag you have given. This makes it easier for you to identify your target market and helps in boosting your lead generation efforts. You can easily engage with the post by clicking on the ‘Hashtags’ option.
You can add up to 3 hashtags. To add hashtags on Linkedin:
- Go to your profile and click the Edit button
- In the hashtag, section add up to three hashtags that are relevant.
5. Add a custom button
Adding Custom buttons to your company Linkedin page makes your connections easier to view or access your service. For example, if you are of a web-based app service you can add a ‘Visit website’ button so that your audience can easily access it.
The options that Linkedin provides are
- Contact us
- Learn more
- Register
- Sign up
- Visit website
You can choose any of these and enter the URL that needs to be linked to the button.
To add custom buttons:
- Go to your profile page and click on Edit
- Click the buttons sections and choose the button name and enter the URL.
You can also change the button or edit the URL any time you want.
Now that you have got a basic idea of how to create a business page in Linkedin and optimize it you can put them into practice. Once you have optimized your page follow the best lead generation strategies that can win you sales.
How to Manage your Leads from Linkedin?
If you have already got leads from Linkedin you need to follow up with them properly. Research shows that business loses 98% of their sales for not following up with their leads.
To make following up not a big deal you can use a business management tool that can help you organize and manage your leads. You can try Zenys for this. Zenys allows you to schedule follow-ups and meetings so that you stay on track with your leads and clients. Try Zenys for free and boost your sales