LinkedIn has traditionally been viewed as a job search and recruiting tool, but has evolved into a social platform where you can share news and personal updates. And today, it also serves as an extremely effective – yet underused – tool for public relations initiatives.
In our current digital-focused world, the lines are continually blurring between PR, marketing, and content creation. A successful public relations pro recognizes the evolution of their industry and seizes opportunities for enhancing their clients’ online presence across a variety of channels. In the course of my career, one channel I have found works fabulously for elevating my clients’ visibility is LinkedIn.
I write A LOT about the benefits of using LinkedIn for businesses and C-suite execs in particular. Why? Because PR is centered around cultivating relationships, telling stories, and building brand recognition and reputation. There’s no better place to do that than on a platform with 830 million members!
Making the most of LinkedIn is an optimal way to level up your communication strategy. When you properly leverage the platform, you can connect with journalists who cover your industry, enhance executive/leadership credibility, and strengthen brand reputation – all incredibly important in a market rife with hiring challenges and increasing stakeholder demands.
How LinkedIn Boosts Your PR Efforts
LinkedIn helps PR pros like me up their game.Given my background and experience, I bring tremendous value to my clients with my LinkedIn strategy and content development. LinkedIn is more than another social media platform; I see it as a strategic communications tool. On LinkedIn, I position clients in ways that promote their competitive advantage. It’s a critical platform on which to build executive thought leadership. The LinkedIn content I create for my clients is in their voice. It’s specific to what they care most about vis a vis their business.
That’s not to say that LinkedIn content should be like an advertisement. In fact, it should be anything but that in order to be credible and keep followers coming back. Because I’ve helped my clients to devise their strategic communications plan and key messages, I’m able to tell their story in just the right way, using language that sounds like them. They come across as human, with the tone and verbiage used authentic and genuine. It makes you want to sit down and have a conversation or a coffee with them.
Below are ways the platform can elevate your capabilities.
Link Up with Journalists…and LinkedIn News
The right contacts are a PR pro’s lifeline, but given today’s 24/7 news cycle, journalists are stretched to the limit. That said, they are increasingly surfing Linkedin for sources and subject matter experts to feature in their stories. Just recently, one of my clients, a consulting firm CEO, was contacted on LinkedIn by a Wall Street Journal reporter. Although he didn’t end up in that particular article, I have stayed in touch with the reporter; my client is now in line to be featured in an upcoming article.
LinkedIn is the perfect place to establish a thought leadership persona and highlight a CEO’s decision-making, perspectives, leadership and expertise through strategic content – posts, articles and videos. Why should you care about this? On LinkedIn, you have the opportunity to reach critical audiences – including members of your company’s board of directors. The benefits of doing this are plentiful – you’re not only speaking to employees who are on the platform, but investors, members of the board of directors, strategic partners, and the media.
LinkedIn also has its own news platform, LinkedIn News which has more than 100 million readers (yes, you read that correctly) and a domain authority score of 99. Increasingly, I’ve been pitching stories to LinkedIn journalists.
Build the Brand.
When creating content for CEOs and C Suite executives on LinkedIn, I make sure to shine a light on their personality, too. This helps to humanize the organization’s brand and positions the exec as “real” and “accessible.” Sharing perspectives on leadership, along with relevant company news, helps create trust and credibility – both of which significantly enhance image. And when you weave in messaging about your positive company culture, you can boost your hiring efforts. Potential candidates are scouring profiles to get the scoop on an organization BEFORE they even apply to a job posting.
If you want to get your organization noticed, LinkedIn cannot be overlooked as a valuable PR tool. Not sure where to start? I’m here to help.
