Social media is one of today’s top buzzwords – especially in the world of the Web. Consequently, the savvy business owner will use the assorted social media sites – Facebook, Twitter, Meetup, Google Plus and others to keep their name in forefront for consumers. Now, one of the most recognized, LinkedIn, has introduced a feature that makes it even easier for any consumer on the Web to keep up with companies of interest—the LinkedIn Follow button.

LinkedIn has over 2 million companies in its network and generates the highest visitor lead conversion rate, 2.74%, which is nearly 3 times more than Twitter (.69%) and Facebook (.77%). With numbers like this, it is no wonder that smart companies are adding the LinkedIn Company Follow button to their page! Not sure how to add the LinkedIn button? Here are the steps. (Of course, you can always contact Page Progressive if you have any additional questions.)

  1. Go to http://developer.linkedin.com/plugins/follow-company
  2. Enter your company name or ID.
  3. Choose your button’s count mode preference.
  4. Click, “Get Code” then copy and paste this code where you want the button to appear on your site.

Once people select the LinkedIn Follow option for your company, they can be in the know about what is happening at your company-assuming , of course, that you, or someone at your company, make frequent posts (but more on that later).

Not sure the LinkedIn Follow Button is for you? No problem. Consider these four reasons suggested by Ian Smith of Intelegia.com  for why people follow companies on LinkedIn.

  • It makes good strategic intelligence because people can keep up with changes and development in a company.
  • Looking for jobs. Today’s job market can be tough, so people often use LinkedIn as way to find employment opportunities.
  • Lead generation. People often follow companies on LinkedIn to track personnel movement, news and networking.
  • Brand affinity. Because LinkedIn is a prime platform for B2B, many people will follow a company based on what the brand represents to them, for instance, a source of reliable information.

Getting the Most of Your LinkedIn Company Page

So, how are you going to make the most of your LinkedIn Company Page? After all, you don’t want to “just take up space.” Rather, you want people to click on your LinkedIn Company Page and be engaged with the information found there. Fortunately, there are a variety of actions you can take to optimize your LinkedIn Company Page. Here are 10 things suggested by Hubspot.com that you can do.

  1. Activate status updates by adding admins—don’t forget to include yourself.
  2. Commit to posting at least two times a day—ideally once in the morning and then again in the evening.
  3. Add your blog RSS to your page to auto populate your blog’s content.
  4. Write a helpful company overview description, with the most important information on top.
  5. Opt-in to “show” news about your company. This will let people see how your business is impacting your industry.
  6. Add “company specialties” or use your company keywords to help your company be found for specific terms.
  7. Link to a Landing page on your overview page.
  8. List one of your services or products in the products section and explain why it is valuable.
  9. Add banners to your product page and link to special interior pages of your website.
  10. Add a video to your product page.

Each of these actions will only take a few minutes. In fact, they can all be done in less time than it takes to stop and eat lunch! Don’t overlook these great tips for building your LinkedIn Company Page’s audience. By taking time to invest in your LinkedIn account(s) you will help build your business.

If you are unsure about how to set up your LinkedIn page, or any other social media platforms, to work for you, please contact Page Progressive. We would be happy to show you how you can make the most of the various social media platforms available.