Starting your own business is an exciting journey full of twists and turns. For many, the dream of leaving the 9 to 5 grind behind and launching their own venture is incredibly appealing. But to turn that dream into a successful reality, you need the right tools and knowledge. One powerful resource you might not be fully utilizing yet is LinkedIn Premium.
Yes, LinkedIn—the app you use to keep in touch with your network and gain professional knowledge. If you really want to be a successful entrepreneur or small business owner, you need to take full advantage of this network of more than one billion members today. Because the more you invest in LinkedIn, the more it will invest in you and your small business helping you grow your brand, find new customers, and hire the right talent. LinkedIn has more than 35 million active small businesses on the platform today building their business with the help of LinkedIn.
Whether you’re a LinkedIn expert or new-to-the-network, here are my top insider tips for making the most out of LinkedIn and a Premium subscription.
Tip 1: Nurture Your Network Like It’s Your Lifeline
A successful small business thrives on community, which starts with your professional network. Everyone you’ve connected with throughout your career, from past jobs to friends and customers, investors, and your neighbors. Building this network is crucial, and LinkedIn is the perfect place to do it. Posting regularly is a way to keep up with your network and attract new members, while gaining scale and saving you time.
You can expand your LinkedIn network strategically, for example by joining a Premium group of like-minded entrepreneurs or following and engaging with other companies and individuals in your field that can help your business grow. With the LinkedIn Premium Business plan, you also get unlimited search capabilities to find relevant leads. Your next valuable connection could be just one request away, and Premium helps you have unlimited connection requests to which you can add personalized notes every month. So, take a chance and reach out!
Tip 2: Showcase Your Services With This Strategic Formula
Listing your services isn’t enough in today’s competitive market—you need to show them in action. Here’s the formula: Explanation + Examples = Success.
First, detail your unique services in the Services section of your LinkedIn profile. Then, provide creative examples of your work to help potential clients see how you can serve them, where with Premium you can feature recommendations from customers on top of your profile, have clients message you directly freely, and, as a Premium subscriber you’ll get 11x more profile views.
Premium Business subscribers also get this additional special features to grow their business:
- Custom CTA Button: Add calls to action like “ask for proposal, “schedule a meeting”, or “Visit my website” to appear on your posts, messages, and search results. This can lead to up to 2.4x more website visits/leads.
- Matching: Get automatically matched with potential clients looking for service providers.
- Storefront: Showcase your services and client testimonials on your profile, making it easier for potential clients to request services. Premium subscribers who feature content are 4x more likely to receive service requests.
Tip 3: Generate Leads for Your Business with a LinkedIn Premium Company Page
Clients love when all the information they need is easily accessible in one spot, and for small and growing businesses LinkedIn Premium Company Page is just that, allowing your company page to grow its brand and attract new opportunities.
The best ways to generate leads from your (newly enhanced) LinkedIn Premium Company Page are:
- Showcase testimonials of your successes: Now, when visitors click on your Page, they can easily see how your business has helped others, via a client testimonial, and your recognitions from industry organizations and other third-party groups.
- Grow Your Audience Automatically with Auto-Invites: LinkedIn Premium’s auto-invite feature automatically invites individuals who engage with your content or similar pages to follow your Company Page. This means you can build a following and increase your visibility with minimal effort, letting you focus more on creating and less on outreach.
- See Who Viewed Your Page: Knowing who’s visiting your page can give you a strategic edge. LinkedIn Premium provides detailed insights into your page visitors (based on their privacy settings). You can use this valuable data to tailor your outreach and follow up with personalized invitations, transforming curious visitors into potential clients or hires.
Tip 4: Embrace Innovation and Adaptability
To stand out and grow as an entrepreneur, you need to be great, not just good. This means embracing innovation and adaptability. These skills will keep you competitive and help your business thrive.
Start by adopting new technologies and being open to changing your business model based on market feedback. Innovation can set your business apart and drive growth. For example, AI has become essential for small businesses, with 50% of U.S. service providers using it to simplify their work, and can help you edit your LinkedIn profile and assist with messaging.
Regularly assess your skills and seek improvement opportunities. LinkedIn Premium gives you access to 22,000+ LinkedIn Learning courses to help you stay ahead.
You have the opportunity to propel your small business forward by being smart, proactive, and resourceful with the tools at your fingertips.
Ora Levit is the VP of Product at LinkedIn