Having a strong presence on LinkedIn is crucial for establishing credibility and generating leads for your business. According to new research, the number of followers your LinkedIn Company Page has directly impacts how potential customers perceive your brand. More followers signal a trusted, established LinkedIn company page.
This article will provide an updated guide for 2024 on how to increase your followers organically, with a focus on elaborating on the main points from the original piece with additional details, data, and explanations. (see the original post on Ways to grow a Linkedin company page)
Why Your LinkedIn Follower Count Matters
Companies with under 1,000 followers see lower conversion rates from ads. Follower count displays on promoted posts, influencing clicks. The more followers you have, the more credible your company appears. Followers also expand your organic reach as their networks engage with your content.
In fact, a 2022 study by HubSpot showed that pages with over 10,000 followers had a 28% higher click-through rate on sponsored content compared to pages with fewer than 1,000 followers. The study analyzed over 350,000 sponsored posts across more than 4,000 LinkedIn Company Pages. Companies with more followers tend to be seen as more established and trustworthy, leading to more engagement.
Followers also serve as a readily engaged audience for your organic content. As your followers like, comment on, and share your posts, their own networks and connections become exposed to your content as well, allowing you to reach new audiences. One follower can expand your reach exponentially in this way.
Optimize Your LinkedIn Company Profile
A complete and professional profile is the foundation for growth.
- Add a high-quality headshot and banner image that represents your brand. Avoid stock photography and invest in custom images that reflect your company. Research shows profiles with a logo have a 16% higher connection rate.
- Fill out your description with keywords relevant to your industry. Include your company’s mission, competitive differentiators, and value proposition tailored to your target persona.
- Include links to your website, blog, and other social profiles like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc. to drive traffic.
- Upload photos and videos to showcase your company culture. Show employees at work, company events, office space, etc. to humanize your brand. Videos can boost engagement up to 3x more than static images.
- Customize your LinkedIn URL with your company name for branding.
Profile optimization is the first step to attracting and engaging an audience on LinkedIn. Devote time to getting all sections looking professional with detailed, keyword-rich information.
Post Valuable Content Consistently
Posting regularly shows your company is active. LinkedIn’s algorithm promotes frequently updated pages in follower recommendations and search.
- Aim for 2-3 posts per week, or daily for larger followings over 100,000. Vary text, image, and video content.
- Create educational posts that provide value for your audience. Avoid overt self-promotion. Focus on trends, tips, how-tos, and thought leadership.
- According to LinkedIn, video content can boost engagement up to 3x more than static images. Live video has 7x the engagement of non-live video. Consider weekly LinkedIn Live sessions.
- Posts that inspire discussion get the most engagement. Ask questions, run polls and surveys, highlight employee stories, etc.
Consistency is key. Analyze your followers’ industries, interests, and pain points to create content that resonates. Posting valuable content regularly shows you can provide helpful info to prospects.
Engage With Your Audience
Engaging with your audience shows you care and helps increase organic reach. Simple actions like liking and replying keep people interested.
- Reply to all comments and mentions on your posts within 24 hours. Have notifications on to respond quickly.
- Like and thoughtfully comment on relevant posts from influencers, hashtags, and groups daily. This expands your reach.
- Thank people who engage with you by name to build community. @mention them in replies.
According to Sprout Social, LinkedIn posts see 86% more engagement when company reps actively engage. Set aside time each day to interact. Monitor notifications and keywords.
Use Cross-Promotion
Drive visitors from all channels to your LinkedIn Page. Expanding reach across marketing activities compounds growth.
- Add a website call-to-action for visitors to follow your LinkedIn Page and leave your correct company contact information. Prominently showcase in header/footer.
- Promote your LinkedIn content across email marketing, social posts on Twitter/FB, paid ads, etc.
- Encourage employees to share Page updates on their personal profiles. This exposes you to new networks.
An integrated approach is best. Promote your LinkedIn presence in your email signature with a follow button, share posts on Twitter, and leverage employee networks.
Accelerate Growth With Paid Tactics
Promoted posts, Sponsored Content, and Follower Campaigns help gain followers within LinkedIn’s algorithm.
- Boost your best-performing organic posts to reach new audiences beyond your current followers. Start small with $10 – $50 per post.
- Run LinkedIn Follower Ad Campaigns with relevant target audiences to increase awareness. Follower lists become custom audiences for future ads.
- Use Sponsored InMail to send targeted messages to high-value prospects. Personalization boosts response rates.
Paid promotion can get your content and brand in front of new audiences and accelerate follower growth. Test small budgets and track conversion rates.
Analyze Performance and Optimize
LinkedIn analytics provides data to refine your approach. Set goals and dig into metrics.
- Track followers gained, content engagement, traffic sources, and conversion rates on an ongoing basis.
- A/B test posts, headlines, images, calls-to-action, and formats to see what resonates most with your audience.
- Continuously optimize and tune your LinkedIn Audiences based on insights from analytics and experimentation. Refine content strategy and tactics.
- Tap into advanced 3rd party LinkedIn audiences to target more relevant targets and grow more intentionally.
Without analyzing performance, you miss out on optimization opportunities. Monitor LinkedIn’s built-in analytics regularly and focus on improvement.
Leverage Your Network and Employees
Your connections and team can help spread the word about your Company Page.
- Send personalized video invites through LinkedIn to up to 250 relevant connections asking them to follow your page each month.
- Create an employee advocacy program with incentives. Encourage sharing your content. This exposes you to new audiences.
- Develop an internal content calendar and allow employees first access to company news they can share on social media.
- Share employee highlights, milestones, and events to boost authenticity.
Employees and direct outreach to connections helps increase awareness. This amplifies word-of-mouth marketing.
Conclusion
Growing your LinkedIn followers requires consistency, value, engagement, promotion, analytics, and leveraging your network. Follow these tips to increase your reach and credibility on the platform both organically and with paid tactics. A multifaceted approach is key for sustainable growth over the long term.
Focus on providing educational content that resonates with your audience. Engage thoughtfully with your community daily. Examine performance metrics frequently and continue optimizing the elements that work. With an integrated strategy, you can build an audience of followers interested in your brand on LinkedIn.
Additional Resources:
Best Practices for LinkedIn Company Page
