Article posted by HomeEquity Bank.

In the B2B world, LinkedIn can be your most powerful marketing tool. With over 300 million users, LinkedIn has become a key method to finding clients directly, and to forge valuable business alliances for further connections. Here are 5 ways to start leveraging this powerful platform to help grow your business:

1. Network using your professional profile. If you don’t already have a LinkedIn profile, this is a must. Ensure that your profile is 100% complete – the platform will tell you if it isn’t. Start by connecting with existing contacts such as clients, current and former co-workers, mortgage brokers, real estate professionals, colleagues and business-minded friends. Next, use the platform to start connecting with potential partners such as real estate agents and lawyers in your area.
TIP: Bypass the generic default invite message and personalize your request to connect with a relevant message about what you offer.

2. Create a LinkedIn company page. While your professional profile is a great way to actively connect with prospects, a LinkedIn company page increases your credibility and your chances of being found via search engines like Google and Yahoo. To maximize your potential, use both a personal profile and a company page. These offer different benefits: your personal profile connects you to prospects to grow relationships, while your company page enhances your business credibility (these pages don’t allow you to reach out and connect like personal pages do). Your business may not get many leads from your company page, but people will use it to find out more what you offer.
TIP: Be sure to replace the default grey box with your company logo.

3. Promote your LinkedIn company page. There are many ways to maximize the visibility of your company page:
• Ensure that LinkedIn profiles of all company employees include a clickable link to your company LinkedIn page as well as your company website for organic exposure
• Encourage all employees to follow the LinkedIn company page, broadening your exposure to their connections
• Announce your LinkedIn company page to clients, employees, and on your personal LinkedIn profile
• Include a link with your email signature, on marketing materials, newsletters and on your website home page
TIP: A great way to get company employees to support your LinkedIn company page is by making this a part of your onboarding process.

4. Use LinkedIn’s publishing platform
Establish yourself as an expert in your field by writing and sharing thought leadership pieces. It could be an example of how a CHIP Reverse Mortgage helped fund a client’s dream vacation or second property. Or perhaps it’s tips to grow mutually beneficial relationships with real estate partners. Whatever the topic, the goal is to get likes, comments and shares of your post, thereby expanding your network. This will increase your chances of outside connections subscribing to your posts.
TIP: Including an image can boost your comment rate by 98%!

5. Get a discussion going. If you’re not sure what kind of original content to post, simply comment on somebody else’s post in a way that positions you as an expert; this makes you visible to professionals beyond your immediate connections. Or, stay visible in front of your current contacts by sharing a link coupled with a value-add comment from you.
TIP: Generate discussion by posting your own piece that asks a provocative question at the end.

LinkedIn is a platform that is rich in opportunity for prospecting. You can join groups relevant to your industry, use it to recruit employees, and even use it as a paid marketing or advertising tool for highly defined prospects. If you’re not using this user-friendly platform, you’re missing out on huge business potential.