If you run a business in 2019, you’ll have heard about LinkedIn. But are you using it? Are you even on there? After all, you run your own business – you’re not a graduate looking for a corporate tech job in California, but have you thought about how you could use LinkedIn to benefit you?

Here are 5 reasons why everyone should be using LinkedIn, particularly those running their own business or working freelance.

Establish yourself as an expert

Take advantage of the online CV format to show your breadth of knowledge, qualifications and other experience, all of which can help position you as an expert. It is said that no recruiter has an interview without looking up the candidate on LinkedIn so it is more than likely that other businesses and customers will look you up to see if you are who you say you are. 

Build trust – connect to like minded people and customers

Develop your network by building connections with your customers and other business owners that you might like to work with – likewise agencies and freelancers. Ask trusted partners and previous colleagues to leave you recommendations and endorsements, all of which help build trust.

Develop your brand

Go one step further than just creating your own profile by creating a LinkedIn page for your company and use this to develop your key brand messages. Spend time creating valuable content which is relevant and desirable to your target consumer.

Generate and nurture engagement and leads using your content

LinkedIn can be a great place to use content to generate and nurture engagement and leads. Lead nurturing is the process of building relationships with prospects who aren’t yet ready to buy your product or service – reaching them, acquiring them and then driving them towards becoming a customer.

Statistics show that 90% of a customer’s research has already taken place before they make contact with a business, and 70% of the buying process takes place online, so make it easy for your customers to find you, learn why you are right for them, and make it easy to contact you.

LinkedIn has various tools which can help you with a multi channel approach, but anyone can create and implement a basic free content approach to reaching and engaging with prospective customers.

For recruitment – find and research talent

Advertising for a role will only go so far – you can increase your pool to pick from by approaching likely candidates who may then wish to interview for a position, or, if they don’t, may know someone who can. Think of LinkedIn as your own directory or doing your own head hunting.