In addition to providing a great venue through which to network with former colleagues and other professionals you meet during your career, LinkedIn’s recent announcement that a blogging platform will be added to personal profiles is great news for users of the social network. By leveraging the popularity of social networking and content marketing, businesses and individuals stand to benefit greatly from the new tools they’ll have at their disposal.
With LinkedIn profiles, users are already connected with an audience that’s likely interested in what you have might have to say in a blog. That’s because the social networking site is integral when it comes to business-to-business marketing. In fact, in a recent survey 85 percent of respondents indicated that LinkedIn is the best social network through which to share content.
Why? Because you’ve done business with many members of your network at some point, which means that you already have a connection and deal with similar matters as they do. Your insight likely differs from theirs, and anyone who is interested in growing and developing will search for inspiration wherever they can find it. The more unique your perspective, the wider your reach and the more likely you are to be considered a thought leader.
In 2012, LinkedIn allowed industry movers and shakers like Bill Gates to begin blogging on its network. Members of the social networking site were allowed to read the content produced by people like Gates but weren’t able to contribute any of their own insight into issues affecting their profession. That’s all changed, however, and users are now able to share their thoughts like Gates could two years ago.
It goes without saying that the founder of Microsoft probably has more eyeballs on his content than you would—at least for now. Nevertheless, by creating original, thought-provoking content and regularly sharing it with your network, you ensure that your readership grows as followers learn from you and decide to share the content that inspired them with those in their own networks.
Additionally, LinkedIn’s new blogging platform can be a lifesaver for small business with tight marketing budgets. Rather than spending the big bucks on campaigns, decision makers are able to take to their blog to announce new products, relay new news about their companies and just generally draw more attention to their businesses.
With more than 70 percent of businesses planning to increase their content marketing budgets this year, it’s imperative that companies do all that they can to generate a buzz surrounding their organization. Thanks to LinkedIn, that goal can now be accomplished a whole lot easier.
