Struggling to engage your LinkedIn audience and build meaningful connections? You’re not alone. LinkedIn is more than just a professional platform; it’s a powerhouse for brands looking to connect with their audience, build authority, and drive business growth. But with 1 billion members and over 67 million companies vying for attention, how do you ensure your brand stands out? Whether you’re just starting or looking to take your existing community to the next level, these four LinkedIn strategies will help you create a vibrant, active space where professionals can connect and grow.
Why Building a LinkedIn Community Is So Valuable
Creating a strong LinkedIn community can do wonders for your brand. For starters, it helps establish your company as a leader and expert in your industry. When you regularly share valuable content and actively engage with your community, you showcase your expertise and build trust with potential customers, partners, and future employees.
Another big perk of having an active LinkedIn community is the insights it gives you into your audience. By paying attention to the discussions and interactions happening within your community, you can get a real sense of what your audience cares about. This helps you fine-tune your content and offerings to better meet their needs, making your marketing efforts more effective.
Plus, a lively LinkedIn community can boost your brand’s visibility, generate leads, and drive traffic to your website. When people find your content useful, they’re more likely to share it with their own networks, which can bring in new potential customers. By making conversations and offering valuable resources, you also strengthen relationships with your community members, making them more likely to become loyal customers or even advocates for your brand.
Anyway, let’s get into it; here are four ways to build your LinkedIn community!
1. Create and Share Valuable Content
In the crowded world of LinkedIn, content is king—but not just any content. For your brand to resonate, you need to post content that is informative, relevant, and truly valuable.
Become a Thought Leader in Your Industry
Your brand has a wealth of knowledge—use it! Whether it’s industry insights, case studies, or how-to guides, your content should address the key concerns, challenges, and interests of your target audience. For instance, if your brand is in the healthcare sector, share a detailed analysis of new healthcare regulations. If you’re in the tech industry, discuss emerging trends like AI and machine learning.
By consistently offering content that helps solve problems or provides fresh perspectives, your brand can establish itself as a thought leader. This not only builds credibility but also makes your brand the go-to source for industry insights.
Maintain a Consistent Posting Schedule
Just like any successful marketing strategy, consistency is key. Develop a content calendar that outlines what and when to post. Whether you share weekly insights or monthly deep dives, a regular posting schedule keeps your brand top-of-mind and boosts engagement. It also signals to your audience that your brand is active and committed to providing value.
Experiment with various content types
LinkedIn offers a range of content formats, including articles, videos, polls, and carousel posts. Experiment with different types to determine what engages your audience most effectively. Articles provide an opportunity to share in-depth insights, while videos can be more engaging and easily digestible. In fact, video has become the quickest-growing format on LinkedIn. Polls encourage interaction and can help you gather valuable insights from your community. It’s all about monitoring what performs best!
Optimise Your Content for LinkedIn’s Algorithm
To maximise the visibility of your content, it’s essential to understand and optimise your content for LinkedIn’s algorithm. The algorithm prioritises content that sparks engagement and conversation.
Post during peak engagement hours
Analyse your audience’s activity patterns and post consistently during peak engagement hours. This ensures that your content reaches more people when they are most likely to interact with it. For optimal engagement, post during weekday hours from 9 am to 5 pm. The most effective times for each day are:
- Monday: 4 pm
- Tuesday: 4 pm
- Wednesday: 2 pm
- Thursday: 4 pm
- Friday: 1 pm
- Saturday: 10 pm
- Sunday: 7 am
But remember, this is just a guide!
2. Engage with Your Audience
Posting great content is only half the battle. To truly connect with your audience, your brand must actively participate in the LinkedIn community.
Start talking!
Don’t just hit “publish” when your brand posts content and walk away. Actively respond to comments, answer questions, and thank users for their input. This shows that your brand values its audience and encourages more people to join the conversation.
Beyond your own posts, engage with content from other users, industry leaders, and influencers. Like, comment, and share posts that align with your brand’s values or interests. This broadens your reach and shows your brand is genuinely invested in the community.
Build a Community Around Your Brand
Engagement goes beyond individual interactions—it’s about building a community. Your brand can create a loyal following by consistently interacting with your audience. Over time, this community becomes an invaluable asset, driving engagement and advocacy. People are more likely to recommend your brand or become customers when they feel connected to it.
3. Join and Create LinkedIn Groups
LinkedIn Groups offer a unique opportunity to connect with professionals who share your brand’s interests. These groups are ideal for networking, sharing ideas, and positioning your brand as an industry leader.
Participate in Relevant Groups
Start by joining LinkedIn groups that align with your brand’s industry or niche. Once you’re in, actively participate. Share your brand’s insights, join discussions, and offer valuable input. This boosts your brand’s visibility and helps you connect with potential clients, partners, or collaborators.
Tips for effective group participation
Create Your Own Group
If you want to take it a step further, consider creating your own LinkedIn group. This allows your brand to lead the conversation in a specific area of your industry. For example, if your brand specialises in eco-friendly packaging, you could create a group focused on sustainable business practices. As the group’s leader, your brand can steer discussions, share exclusive content, and build a community of like-minded professionals.
Recognise and appreciate active members
One effective way to boost engagement is by recognising and appreciating your most active members. Highlight their contributions by featuring them in group spotlights or showcasing their expertise in a member interview. This makes the featured members feel valued and inspires others to increase their participation in hopes of receiving similar recognition.
Consider implementing a “member of the month” programme or creating special badges for members who consistently contribute high-quality content and engage with others respectfully. These small tokens of appreciation can go a long way in building a sense of community and encouraging ongoing engagement.
4. Leverage LinkedIn Events
LinkedIn Events are a powerful tool for brands looking to engage with their audience in real time. Whether you’re hosting a webinar, virtual workshop, or live Q&A session, LinkedIn Events allow your brand to connect with its audience in a dynamic and interactive way.
Host Value-Driven Events
Identify relevant topics for your audience and align them with your brand’s expertise. For example, if your brand is in the marketing industry (like ours), consider hosting a webinar on the latest trends in digital marketing. If you’re in finance, a virtual workshop on financial planning could draw a crowd.
During these events, provide valuable insights, answer questions, and encourage discussion. The more engaging and informative your event, the more likely attendees will view your brand as a trusted resource.
Promote and Engage During Events
Promote your LinkedIn Events across your network and encourage your audience to spread the word. During the event, actively engage with participants by answering questions and facilitating discussions. After the event, continue the conversation by sharing a recap, offering additional resources, or connecting with attendees individually.
Conclusion
That’s it – four ways to build a LinkedIn community for your brand. LinkedIn offers many opportunities for brands to connect, engage, and grow. By creating and sharing valuable content, actively engaging with your audience, participating in and creating LinkedIn groups, and creating LinkedIn Events, your brand can build a robust and influential presence on the platform.
Remember, success on LinkedIn isn’t just about being present—it’s about being active, engaged, and always adding value. Implement these 4 LinkedIn strategies, and watch your brand’s presence and influence grow.
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