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By:Jeffrey K Rohrs






FOLLOWERS and Amplification


While LinkedIn Influencers can’t message their FOLLOWERS directly at present, the site has long provided every member the ability to post content that your company’s FOLLOWERS can read via their LinkedIn Today feed. Just like Facebook, each post lets your FOLLOWERS like, comment, and share; however, the signal-to-noise ratio is far better than on Facebook since only professionals see your posts.

HP (@HP) was one of the first to fully grasp the power of LinkedIn to its business, as it became the first company to surpass 1 million FOLLOWERS in February 2013.4 At that time, those 1 million FOLLOWERS put HP just one degree of separation away from 43 million LinkedIn CONNECTIONS and just two degrees away from 138 million CONNECTIONS—well over half of LinkedIn’s entire membership! Thus, much like Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn is now a place where SEEKERS can become FOLLOWERS who quickly transform into AMPLIFIERS for your business.





Community


One last reason to include LinkedIn in your Proprietary Audience Development plans is its ability to build LinkedIn Groups, where like-minded professionals can discuss topics of interest. Veteran LinkedIn users may roll their eyes when they hear Groups mentioned because they are a long-time feature often dominated by more noise than signal. However, as with any community on LinkedIn, Facebook, or elsewhere, the Groups that succeed have:

A singular focus

Active MEMBERS

Strong moderation from subject matter experts

Value to offer all MEMBERS (not just promotion for the sponsor)



Any LinkedIn user—individual or company—can start a LinkedIn Group, and MEMBER updates are automated by LinkedIn via email and distribution to MEMBER feeds. Prime examples of LinkedIn Groups include the wide array of B2B software USER groups where MEMBERS share tips and tricks regarding specific providers. Then there’s healthcare technology manufacturer Philips (@Philips), which maintains an “Innovations in Health” group to foster conversation around health technology issues.5 Frankly, the opportunities with LinkedIn Groups are governed by the same principals of Proprietary Audience Development: your company’s ability to attract, engage, and retain a vibrant audience.

LinkedIn has also recently begun building Sponsored Communities such as Connect: The Professional Women’s Network.6 With over 150,000 MEMBERS as of July 2013, the group serves as a virtual watercooler where professional women can share advice, insights, and business opportunities. Moderated by LinkedIn staff, the group affords its sponsor, Citi (@Citi), the ability to reach a highly desirable, upwardly mobile audience.

If this sounds familiar, it should. LinkedIn is building a Convergent Media machine that enables companies to buy Paid Media, leverage Owned Media, and create Earned Media in highly targeted, measurable ways. Companies of all types would be wise to build LinkedIn FOLLOWERS so they can better:

Capture and convert SEEKERS.

Engage industry INFLUENCERS.

Source and engage EMPLOYEES and PARTNERS.

Tap EMPLOYEES and PARNTERS as AMPLIFIERS.

Create communities of MEMBERS around relevant topics.

Cross-promote other SUBSCRIBER, FAN, and FOLLOWER audiences.



In short, if your company’s LinkedIn profile page looks a lot like it did last year, it’s time to reexamine how the channel fits in your Proprietary Audience Development plans today.

Slideshare: Putting the Point in PowerPoint

In May 2012, LinkedIn acquired the professional content sharing platform SlideShare (@SlideShare) for $119 million.7 A sort of “YouTube for PDFs and PowerPoints,” SlideShare has emerged as the place to share presentations with a global audience. As of June 2013, that audience consisted of 60 million VISITORS generating over 130 million page views per month.8

SlideShare’s primary appeal is the ability to attract SEEKERS, inspire AMPLIFIERS, and build FOLLOWERS. Much like LinkedIn itself, you can follow individual or company members, share content to any social network, and comment on presentations. Moreover, users can embed presentations on websites and blog posts just like YouTube videos—a feature that greatly expands reach through AMPLIFIERS. And while PowerPoints may not sound like the stuff that traffic is made of, the top presentations on SlideShare generate millions upon millions of views.9

With the recent ability to integrate lead-capture forms into presentations, SlideShare is now a channel that allows companies to convert SEEKERS into PROSPECTS seamlessly. In addition, with LinkedIn’s launch of SlideShare Content Ads, you can now turn your presentations into ads that run within LinkedIn’s pages.10

Who woulda thunk it? Proprietary Audience Development by PowerPoint. May the wonders never cease.



SNAPSHOT: LINKEDIN