Career and talent resources

MRT Insights

March 13, 2023

Volume 12 – From a Recruiter’s Desk – March 2023

Building a LinkedIn Brand that Transcends Beyond All Others

In today’s digital age, building a strong brand presence is essential for individuals and companies alike. With around 875 million users worldwide, LinkedIn has become a go-to platform for professionals to connect, share their expertise, and establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry. As the world’s largest professional network, LinkedIn offers a variety of tools and features that can help individuals and companies build a strong brand identity and reach their target audience. By optimizing their profiles, engaging with others, and sharing high-quality content, individuals and companies can use LinkedIn to build a powerful personal and professional brand. In this article, we’ll explore the importance of using LinkedIn to brand yourself and your company and provide tips on how to leverage the platform to increase your reach and visibility.

How To Build a Company LinkedIn Brand

Building a LinkedIn brand should be a crucial part of any company’s marketing efforts. Having a lack of social media presence for any company is the first step to missing out on connections, great candidates, and brand development. On the hiring side, using social media, such as LinkedIn, spreads your job advertising to a wider audience of candidates, bringing in stronger applicants, and further enhancing your brand development. Being a constant source of information and sharing industry knowledge and insights opens the door for engagement from possible clients, candidates, consumers, etc.

Imagine having a lack of LinkedIn brand presence when 57% of job seekers use LinkedIn to find new jobs. Even worse, imagine a job seeker coming to your page to find the most recent post is  2 years old. How are candidates supposed to learn about your brand, culture, mission, and goals? 62% of job seekers have reportedly used social media as a way to evaluate the employer brand of a company. A company’s LinkedIn profile is a reflection of their brand. To build a lasting brand on LinkedIn make sure to:

  1. Optimize the company page: Companies should create a complete and compelling LinkedIn page that accurately reflects their brand. This includes a logo, cover image, company description, and other relevant information.
  2. Use consistent branding: Use consistent branding across all your social media profiles, including your LinkedIn company page. This includes your logo, colors, and messaging.
  3. Post regular updates: Post regular updates about your company, including new product launches, company news, and industry insights. This will help keep your followers engaged and up-to-date on your latest developments.
  4. Share relevant content: Share relevant content related to your industry, such as articles, blog posts, and videos. This will help establish your company as a thought leader in your industry.
  5. Encourage employee participation: Companies can encourage their employees to engage with the company’s LinkedIn page by liking and sharing its content. This will help to increase the reach of the company’s posts and showcase the expertise of its team.
  6. Engage with your followers: Engage with your followers by responding to comments and messages in a timely and professional manner. This will help build a strong relationship with your audience and demonstrate your commitment to customer service.

If we have still not convinced you enough that your company LinkedIn profile should be branded and aligned with the rest of your company marketing at least take away that your brand, as a whole, is important when it comes to hiring. 75% of candidates will research a company’s reputation before applying for a job opening. Thus, a company’s LinkedIn page should be branded to reflect the company as a whole. A strong employer brand reduces turnover by 28% and cost per hire by 50%. Branding does stop at LinkedIn, it is a stepping stone to creating a proper reputation that future candidates and business partners can have easy access to.

How To Build a Personal LinkedIn Brand

In today’s competitive job market, building a strong personal brand is more important than ever. As the world’s largest professional network, LinkedIn offers a powerful platform for professionals to showcase their skills, experience, and accomplishments. With over 875 million users worldwide, LinkedIn provides ample opportunities to network with other professionals, establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry, and attract new job opportunities. By building a strong personal brand on LinkedIn, you can increase your visibility, expand your professional network, and demonstrate your expertise to potential employers and clients.

With so many users, it is imperative that your LinkedIn page is optimized for your specific skills and brand. According to the Social Shepherd, here are some reasons why keeping your LinkedIn profile updated is essential:

  • Every minute 8 people are hired through LinkedIn.
  • Active LinkedIn pages receive 5 times more page views.
  • 101 job seekers submit an application on LinkedIn every second.

Users (and more specifically, job seekers) are constantly competing against each other to land jobs, make connections, and grow their brands. While LinkedIn is a resource for learning and camaraderie, it is also good to remember you could one day be using your LinkedIn profile to compete for a job. According to Zippia, 92% of employers check social media. More specifically, 67% say they use social media sites to research potential job candidates. Users of LinkedIn can build their brand by:

  1. Optimizing their profile: Jobseekers should create a complete profile on LinkedIn that highlights their experience, education, skills, and achievements. They should also include a professional profile photo and a compelling headline.
  2. Developing a strong network: Jobseekers should connect with people in their industry, including colleagues, mentors, and thought leaders. They should also engage with their connections by commenting on their posts and sharing relevant content.
  3. Sharing content: Jobseekers can establish their thought leadership and showcase their expertise by sharing relevant articles, blog posts, and other industry insights. This will help to position them as an expert in their field.
  4. Participating in groups: Jobseekers can join LinkedIn groups relevant to their industry and participate in discussions. This will help them to network with other professionals and gain insights into the latest trends and best practices.
  5. Seeking recommendations: Jobseekers can request recommendations from former colleagues, managers, and clients. These recommendations can provide social proof of their skills and experience.

Next Steps

Building a brand, whether for a company or on a personal level, is a long process, but with long-term benefits. A brand is a voice. A brand is how you want to be perceived. How do you want to be remembered? Next month we will review our favorite resources to help you build your personal brand and provide steps to achieve it.

At MRT, we are committed to offering valuable information and resources to our clients and candidates and to build lasting relationships. Please do not hesitate to reach out to any of our recruiters. If you ever have any questions or topics you would like us to explore, contact us.

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