In the April/May Public Accountant, David Walker wrote about the building of personal profiles. But there’s now also the opportunity for a company to set up and manage a company page. And it’s possible this page has more to offer than we might have thought.
To date, the influencers on LinkedIn have been individuals building a personal profile to attract attention, either to build a career or a company. This will continue to happen, but what we will see in the knowledge worker industry is companies publishing the work of their staff on a company page to attract more attention to the capabilities of the company.
This is not greatly different to having a blog page on your website, but it may be more powerful in a number of ways. The reason for this is in the rules around search engine optimisation (SEO) and the downgrading of websites seen to publish duplicate material. On the LinkedIn company page you can set up links to existing articles in magazines and on other websites and blogs. In this way you can have your staff showcased in magazines like this one, but still attract attention to the company by linking them to the company’s LinkedIn page.
Combine this with the power of your team’s entire network, by having them share the articles with their connections and groups, and you have a tool that lets you put your opinion in front of thousands of people. Your company can build a brand and a reputation from the platform of a LinkedIn company page. This can be more powerful than a search engine happening upon you and will reward those who work hard at it and produce or share valuable content. It encourages people to learn about your business and your team and possibly even visit your website.
Having your staff profiles linked to your company page also gives you the ability to promote your point of difference – that is, if you have the kind of employees you are proud of. The companies who want the world to see their bright people will do well in this environment.
The advice from most LinkedIn gurus is for employees to update their profiles and include a professional-looking photograph to ensure they are part of the team your prospects can be impressed by. Who knows, it could be a friend of the most junior member of your team who chooses to do business with you next.
Of course, those who are hiding behind smoke and mirrors, who have virtual teams and use contractors and offshore solutions to do large parts of the work will need to find ways to look the part. For the firms with the real talent pool, this is an opportunity to drive your point of difference.
[breakoutbox][breakoutbox_title]IPA Social Media Toolkit[/breakoutbox_title][breakoutbox_excerpt]The IPA Social Media Toolkit is designed to guide members in practice through the fast-paced world of social media. While this guide has been designed with accountants and small business in mind, it is not restrictive, and anyone who wants a better understanding of why they should pay attention to social media will find value within. To download the toolkit directly, head here .[/breakoutbox_excerpt][breakoutbox_content][/breakoutbox_content][/breakoutbox]
