LinkedIn Marketing Tools

This project is aimed at walking the reader through how to build a better LinkedIn profile in 2022 both in terms of
marketing a business, as well as boosting one’s personal brand.

But first of all, what is LinkedIn and why should anyone even use it? LinkedIn is claiming itself to be the world’s
largest professional network available up to this day, more precisely a platform through which users can find
internships, connect with prospects or businessmen, strengthen their professional experiences, promote their
business, and even learn new skillsets that would enrich their career path. On LinkedIn, one can make public their
education, work experience, skills as well as interests.

Now that we have established the purpose behind this platform, this presentation will further touch upon the
mechanism behind using LinkedIn. Creating a profile on LinkedIn is free and it involves a very short process. The
aspiring user needs to provide its e-mail address or phone number and create a password. Then the user has to
provide the platform with his or her complete name, the town, followed by answering professional related questions
such as the last job or form of education. Then, the user is all set and left to build his or her network and further
customize his or her profile by adding a profile and cover picture. Despite the fact that LinkedIn is a widely
accessible free tool to use on professional basis, the platform also offers a paid subscription which is an enhanced
version of the original one and includes marketing, recruitment, sales and learning products and in order to convince
the users of the benefits, LinkedIn offers a free trial period of one month. (INSIDER 2019)

Why is this tool useful for a PR or marketing specialist?

Unlike other social media platforms, LinkedIn has never been used for frivolous purposes.

Let’s discover together why LinkedIn is a useful marketing tool for both individuals and organizations. LinkedIn has
772 million users and 30 million companies and connects the users to the world’s largest professional market,
making it a great platform for lead generation.

There is also the option for LinkedIn InMail, which is a premium messaging function on LinkedIn that allows you
to send messages to persons with whom you are not linked. While you can't send direct messages to anyone outside
of your network, if you have a premium LinkedIn account, you can use InMail to do so.
The cost per lead on LinkedIn is 28% lower as compared to that of Google AdWords which makes it a great fit for
SMEs and personal branding and LinkedIn has 90 million senior-level influencers (decision-makers at 63 million
and opinion leaders at 17 million), meaning that your business has the power to reach the right person. (Statistics
Source: socialpilot.co)
Thus, the main reason is that it has a great network coverage and a trusted, transparent promoting environment, the
profiles of each user being influenced by themselves. (Pilot 2022)

What are the strengths of the application?

Each individual decides how to portray himself on LinkedIn, whom to connect with. Plus, one can gain exposure to
prospective business partners, employers, or recruiters. Another advantage would be that one can follow companies
or industries on LinkedIn as a search tool. Moreover, it is the easiest way to update your resume and make it visible
at the same time. It is also less expensive, thus a cost-effective networking path. Another benefit of using LinkedIn
is the integrated learning platforms through which one can enhance their skills. Market researchers can gain valuable
data on the targeted demographics and simply keep up with the changes within an industry.

What are the weaknesses of the application?

While LinkedIn is an excellent social media networking platform, and probably the most professional tool in this
area, it is not without weaknesses and it's important to also be conscious of some of its downfalls.
The first thing consists in the fact that not everyone uses LinkedIn to its full potential and this disadvantage is
closely related to another, namely, the fact that it is time-consuming. Some people join up for the social media site
but never use it. As a result, you'll spend the majority of your time attempting to form new connections. This
procedure can be time-consuming, tiresome, and it may not even be successful. Breach of privacy is another big
concern of LinkedIn and the Internet in general given the personal data shared, with email addresses being one of
the most, if not the most, often obtained pieces of information. Your selections about how to adjust your privacy
settings will be dependent on your goals for using the site and the degrees of privacy you are comfortable with, and
the user runs a far higher risk of identifying theft if LinkedIn's security is breached. LinkedIn is also criticized for
spam messages from spam messages from recruiters, employers, and even job seekers. (Advergise 2022)

example of spam messages

Plans of using the app in the future and conclusions

After analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of LinkedIn, this platform may show to be a strong tool to utilize
when it comes to raising conversion rates, identification, and interacting with highly qualified personnel, and it can
assist to grow sales on a long-term basis.

References
Advergise. 2022. What Are the Disadvantages of Linkedin.
https://www.advergize.com/marketing/disadvantages-of-linkedin/.

INSIDER. 2019. 'What is LinkedIn?': A beginner's guide to the popular professional networking and career
development site. september 6. https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-linkedin.

Pilot, Social. 2022. 8 Fresh-n-Hot LinkedIn Marketing Tools for Boosting Sales in 2022.
https://www.socialpilot.co/linkedin-marketing-tools.