Hannah Luera
Social Media Account Manager / Executive Assistant

It’s no secret that LinkedIn has been gaining momentum over the past few years. In fact, they currently boast more than 660 million users across the world. If you haven’t been paying much attention to the platform, it’s never too late to start. Sunwest has compiled information on three features that you can begin using right away that will help increase your business page’s follower count and make your individual profile stand out.

Open for Business.

If you don’t have this feature on your personal LinkedIn profile yet, you will soon. LinkedIn recently began rolling out the “Open for Business” section on user profiles, which allows you to add up to 11 services that you/your business offer. You can choose specific services from categories such as accounting, consulting, writing, photography, and many more. This feature will let those browsing your profile know what types of services you can provide with expertise. If you don’t see this on your profile yet, check back every couple of days. Some of the Sunwest team members already have it but we’ve noticed there are still several who don’t.

How it works: If LinkedIn has enabled this feature on your profile, you’ll see it directly underneath the section with your profile photo and job title, labeled “Providing services.” Depending on if you already have a service listed, you will need to click the pencil icon or the + icon in the upper right-hand corner of that section. When you are done adding services, click save and they will immediately appear on your profile.

Invite connections to follow your page.

A feature that became available to users last year but was subsequently removed a few months later is now back. Here at Sunwest, we couldn’t be more excited! It’s the most effective and simple way to grow your business’s follower count – and, subsequently, engagement. After all, if you’re connected with someone on LinkedIn, it’s likely that they will take an interest in what your company is doing, too.

In order to follow the directions below, please note you need to be an administrator on your company’s LinkedIn page. 

How it works: Navigate to your company’s LinkedIn page. Click on “Admin Tools” in the top right-hand corner. Under “Reach,” you’ll want to click “Invite Connections.” A screen will then pop up that allows you to select up to 15 users every 24 hours. Make it a habit to log in every day and invite 15 connections.

To get even more mileage out of this feature, try adding your executives and/or employees as admins temporarily (if they are comfortable) and give them the instructions provided above to invite their connections to like your company’s page. You can easily remove their admin capabilities after this process is over.

Highlight work samples.

There are two main reasons other professionals search for you on LinkedIn: They want to hire you, they want to do business with you, or they are checking out the competition. Regardless of why someone is browsing your profile, one of the best ways to showcase your skills and expertise is to highlight real world examples of publications you’ve been featured in or other samples of your work (e.g., blogs, white papers, videos, etc.).

How it works: Navigate to your individual LinkedIn profile. Scroll down to the third section titled “Featured.” You’ll need to click the + icon on the top right corner of that section and you’ll then be prompted to add a post, article, web link, or other media. After you’ve uploaded one of these items, it will immediately show up on your profile. Then, go and add some more!

Along with these three LinkedIn features, it’s important you get into the habit of taking a moment at least once monthly to ensure your personal profile is updated. Simply taking the time to review your job title, featured work samples, awards, and experience are current makes all the difference. This goes for your company’s page, too. If your office has recently changed addresses or added new services you can provide to the public, you’ll want to ensure that’s reflected on your company’s LinkedIn page.

Do you have any LinkedIn tips or best practices you want to share? The Sunwest team would love to hear from you.