We covered a lot of ground in part 3, and now, I want to get you thinking about tying it all together. Analytics provide lots of insight and ways of looking at a picture, but what, in the end, do you take a way from the information?
Well, hopefully, serveral things. I am not really an uber-data person nor am I am really a detail person, but I look at, and appreciate both. I look at various bites of information from how many new business development calls were made in a day to who is looking at what, on my site. In the end, I look for patterns, I look for energy and relevance. Today for instance, I jumped over to a national insurance company’s company page on LinkedIn. I thought, given their conservative nature, it would be less than stellar. I could not have been more wrong.
Their Company Page was built out with strong value propositions, logo, a social media campaign for Life Insurance Awareness Month [September, who knew?] as well as their Twitter feed and LinkedIn activity. They have over 24,000 followers and 16,000+ employees on LinkedIn. So much for thinking they are conservative. My perception changed quickly…clearly someone within their organization has a vision and a strategy. They are using LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to share their message and no where did I see them promoting their products. They are talking and trying to create conversations.
Perhaps their greatest challenge is to create some level of best practices or consistency for their employee’s profiles. Providing expectations might be helpful. Shooting for as close to 100% completion for a profile would really bring this Company Page and organization to life.
It appears they found their ambassadors, their pilot group of LinkedIn champions who suddenly create a face for the company. That is terrific, most likely it happened organically, all the better, it creates the authenticity we have been talking about.
What will they gain from their Company Page? Well, not being on the inside, I am not entirely sure but from someone observing I see the following:
Recruiting opportunities. I don’t know about you but working in insurance is not like working at Google, LinkedIn, Heifer International etc. but if I know it is filled with smart, young professionals and they are engaging in new ways to market very traditional products, I may be intrigued to work there as well. Right now this insurance company has 25 jobs on LinkedIn, impressive, and so much better than sifting through CareerBuilder and Monster or even looking at their site. Applicants can actually apply right from their Company Page.
Customer Relations. If I know the companies I spend my money with, and, in this case, invest in over time, are doing more to than just trying to sell me the next thing they are asked to take to market, I am again intrigued. As they educate and create value as a resource I become more invested in their organization, I look at them more seriously. Customer relations is no longer about solving the last problem but thinking about how to engage to build greater traction.
Differentiation. Companies who highlight and empower their employees to be active socially stand out in their respective industries. They create interest and credibility, they also create insight into the culture of the organization. I think it is hard, if not impossible, to make xx number of employees be jazzed about what they are doing. Let the evangelists stand out.
Business Development. Companies want to work with companies that are shaking it up, moving things forward, that have a voice and can be seen. Let your business development people out of their cubicles and put them in front of people in LinkedIn. Let LinkedIn work for you.
Amp up your people and your organization. Look at other professional profiles, Company Pages, see what they are doing and take some cues. If you are not sure how to do, ask someone who understands both the strategy and implementation around social, and particularly, LinkedIn.
Consider how you and your company should look, go forward and build it. Let me know how you are merging and leveraging both your profle and your company pages. Drop a line or two, comment or pass along to others.