Happy Fall! Spooky season is officially upon us, but while cobwebs might be a cute look for Halloween parties, it’s definitely not the look you want for your social media – especially not your LinkedIn.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, you’re saying. I’ve been told LinkedIn matters, but does it really?

Yes. Really. And we promise we’re not just saying that as a LinkedIn marketing agency.

Facebook and Instagram might be household names for personal social media accounts, but LinkedIn is the most important name to know for professional interactions. LinkedIn has been around longer than other platforms and offers better tools for businesses to excel than any other network. So, if you’re not using LinkedIn and maximizing your social presence there right now, you’re missing out – big time.

Here’s a look at six reasons why LinkedIn is crucial to the growth of your business and why utilizing your account should be a priority today.

1. It can increase web traffic

If you desire your brand to be known, you must take back your power and make yourself known. Creating and maintaining a complete LinkedIn account is one of the easiest, most effective, and most affordable ways of getting your name to show up in Google searches and introduce your audience to your brand. It’s important to emphasize that LinkedIn is more than a virtual resume – it’s an incredible marking tool. Taking the time to utilize all of its features will enable you to increase your search engine rankings as current and prospective clients seek out solutions to their problems. This is especially important when you consider that, as host to more than 800 million professional accounts, LinkedIn is recognized by Google as a relevant and trusted resource. Therefore, whatever you put into LinkedIn, Google is far more likely to pick out as “valuable”, rocketing you and your brand to the top of the list.

2. It creates a better first impression

Not only will fully utilizing your LinkedIn drive search engine results but doing so will also pique your audience’s interest. Think about it. When you click onto a LinkedIn page that is only partially completed or looks like a mess, how likely are you to hang around? If you want your clients to engage with your brand, you must ensure that your LinkedIn is an inviting space that tells a story about who you are. Use this opportunity to introduce your business, showcase your talents, share helpful tips and insights, and highlight the unique skillsets of you and your employees. Any LinkedIn profile service will tell you that this level of detail makes your LinkedIn so much more personal than a business website alone and helps you stand out from the competition.

3. It creates a robust network around you

As a professional social network, LinkedIn is all about, well, networking. This is not only valuable to you from a personal standpoint (after all, who couldn’t benefit from rubbing elbows with the best and brightest minds?), but also in terms of building up your own reputation. When your consumer audience can see that you’re connected with other reputable names and brands, they’ll instantly feel more confident in yours. As your employees connect with your business page, your followers are able to see the unique faces, talents, and personalities associated with your company. This connects them more deeply with your brand while reinforcing the idea that you employ a quality team and take good care of them. Finally, networking allows others to endorse your skills and write references so your customers can see that you’re not all talk.

4. It attracts new talent

As your brand grows, you’ll require more help and talent. If you hope to attract top candidates, you need to be on top of your game when it comes to LinkedIn. Profile services on job boards like Indeed are okay, but modern workers will be scoping out your LinkedIn to see what you’re all about. Research has shown that LinkedIn continues to remain popular with college students, meaning that the incoming generation of employees will be utilizing the platform in their job searches. Maintaining an active and complete LinkedIn account will ensure that the best prospects get a good impression of your brand so that you can continue dazzling your customers while you expand.

5. It sparks your imagination

One of the perks of networking with other businesses and professional contacts is that you have the benefit of getting a more up-close and personal look at what they’re up to and how they’re doing things. In addition to getting an idea about what’s trending in and around your industry right now, you can get inspiration with regard to the work culture you’d like to cultivate for your company.

6. It keeps you current

One of the gravest errors businesses make is being so focused on themselves that they lose sight of what’s happening in the world around them. Want to stay on top of the latest tech, and keep up with the current problems your target audience is facing? You need to be on LinkedIn. Marketing agencies of all types will emphasize that you need to be where your audience is in order to understand their needs and provide the best solutions.

Final Thoughts

It’s pretty clear that LinkedIn is an essential component of any modern business’s marketing strategy, but just having a LinkedIn account isn’t enough to do the trick. If you strive to stand

apart from the crowd and attract solid leads, positive branding, and excellent talent, you’ve got to be willing to take your networking to the next level.

Intrigued but a little overwhelmed? You don’t have to go it alone. All Approach is a premiere LinkedIn profile service that will give your brand the makeover it needs. Our passion is for making this process simple and fun so that you can thrive. Reach out to us to set up a free assessment of your current LinkedIn profile and to start strategizing today.