I’ve always been a bit wary of LinkedIn, not because I think it’s an awful app or platform, but because it seems very beige when you compare it to Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. I always had it downloaded on my phone because it was either already downloaded, or just out of habit, like the way you make a cup of tea (milk after tea bag, not before). But someone asked me the other day if it was worth creating a profile and being on there from a PR perspective, and it got me thinking.
The short answer is, yes. It is definitely worth going on there if you are a PR professional, especially if you are looking at creating an account for your business, organisation, or client. It’s a great way of experimenting with your tone of voice, how you would write on Instagram is not the way you would write on LinkedIn, that’s for sure, and with a more professional tone, you can get away with perhaps leaning heavier on statistics or analytics to bolster your posts, rather than the fluffy unicorn content that you would normally associate with Instagram.
But it is a great way to listen, as well as talk, to your audience. And because everyone uses it professionally, you’re less likely to get the usual trolling behaviour as found on Facebook. Any feedback or criticism is usually done with genuine intent, or sharing best practice, rather than typing for the sake of typing because you’re a keyboard warrior with nothing better to do. If you’re unsure where to start utilising LinkedIn for your PR goals, there are some great resources available that give you tips and tricks into using it for the sole purpose of expanding your public relations and communications strategy.
I do love using LinkedIn to follow pages that promote communications and marketing campaigns; ‘Famous Campaigns’ is by far my favourite. I became obsessed with the McDonald’s vs Burger King marketing rivalry through following the page on LinkedIn and I’ve actually had some really cool ideas from looking at what other’s are doing on the market.
So while it might not be as glamorous or as easy and fun to use as the other mainstream social media apps, it’s definitely one to go to if you’re looking to boost your professional game and to have a sneaky peek at what other’s in your industry are doing.
