Get the most from your LinkedIn team page

Here are four steps toward engaging online users through your LinkedIn team page:

1. Promote it
When your team page is ready to go public, create some buzz by announcing it through an email marketing campaign. Tell your contacts about the new and fascinating features they will find on your page.

Make sure your promotional efforts continue for some time after your page is up. For example, if you hold an event, collect the email addresses of those who attended and send them a special email afterwards. Thank them for their participation and add a link to an informative article from your team page.

2. Include relevant content
Use your team page as an avenue through which to distribute your blog posts or your firm’s approved content. You can also post items that involve you, such as an interview you did with your local newspaper.

In accordance with best social-media practices and etiquette, avoid making every status update about yourself, says Khan: “You don’t want to be perceived as someone who’s talking about you, you, you.”

To engage your online audience, post items your readers will be interested. Look for third-party content that appeals to your market. For example, if your client base is made up of young professionals, include that newspaper article you read about how millennials handle workplace stress.

To increase your page views further, consider adding videos.

“Research has [repeatedly] shown that the greatest form of online engagement is through video,” Khan says.

3. Encourage discussions
Start conversations by providing your own opinion on some posts and then asking readers for their thoughts.

Let’s say you posted results of a recent survey that found most Canadians know little about tax-free savings accounts. You might comment that it shows advisors must improve the way they discuss these accounts with their clients. Follow that up by asking for other opinions. Readers might start asking you questions, which will allow you to demonstrate your expertise.

Not only should you respond to people’s questions and comments in a timely manner, Khan says, but also thank people if they do something as simple as click on the “like” button on your status update. “It shows you care about your audience.”

4. Get your team involved
By involving other people, your page is more likely to be updated frequently. You should aim to update between two and four times a week. Fresh and interesting content will motivate people to come back and read more.

You will also empower your team members by giving them tasks suited to their abilities. A team member who enjoys photography can be responsible for updating the banner image, while your assistant who has his own YouTube channel can shoot videos for the page.

This is the fifth instalment in an occasional series on using LinkedIn to promote your practice.