LinkedIn can be the building blocks to growing a business.

It’s surprising how often I come across people who still aren’t embracing LinkedIn. Quite often it’s because they are not aware of how the platform has evolved beyond one just for job seekers and corporate recruiters. It’s a powerful tool for small and medium business owners and anyone helping them with business development. 

With over a billion members worldwide, it offers direct access to decision-makers, industry insights, and a platform to showcase your brand and I encourage anyone who hasn’t tried it for a while to jump on and at least give it another try.

Here’s how you can leverage LinkedIn to build connections, raise your profile, and drive growth for your business.

Build a strong online presence for your business

Your LinkedIn Company Page acts as a shopfront in the digital world. A complete, professional profile tells your story, highlights your products or services, and shows potential clients what makes you stand out. 

Whilst your company page may not attract a lot of followers directly, posting regularly on a company page gives you/your employees content that they can share via your/their own networks – that’s where the magic happens (remember those shampoo advertisements? She tells two friends, and she tells two friends and so on...). Ensure you have a system in place for notifying your team when a post is shared – a simple and effective way to do this is via the 3 dots on the top right of a post…there is a bell icon and when clicked notifies anyone showing up on LinkedIn as an employee of your organisation.

Connect with the right people

LinkedIn makes it easier to find and connect with your ideal customers, suppliers, and industry partners. By building a quality network, not just a big one, you create more opportunities for meaningful conversations and referrals.

Generate leads and new business

From targeted search to paid advertising, LinkedIn offers tools to help you reach decision-makers directly. Many SME owners find it’s one of the most cost-effective platforms for generating qualified leads, although you may need to subscribe to a paid plan to get the most from it. LinkedIn is regularly offering its members free trials – you don’t have much to lose by giving it a go!

Keep on top of industry trends

Follow industry leaders, competitor pages, and relevant groups to stay informed about changes and opportunities in your sector. These insights can help you adapt quickly and make smarter business decisions.

Position yourself as an expert

When you post content that’s helpful and relevant to your audience – whether that’s tips, case studies, or behind-the-scenes stories, you build credibility. Over time, you become the go-to source in your niche.

Build trust with recommendations and testimonials

Ask happy customers or business partners to write a LinkedIn recommendation. These act like online word-of-mouth and are one of the most powerful marketing tools available to any business.

Upskill and stay competitive

LinkedIn Learning gives you and your team access to training in marketing, sales, leadership, and more. Continuous learning means your business can adapt faster to changes and keep improving.

Engage with the LinkedIn community

Comment on posts from your network, share industry news, and congratulate others on their wins. Spending time on LinkedIn in isn’t all about creating your own posts, regular engagement keeps you visible and helps strengthen your relationships over time. If you are worried about getting carried away and spending too much time on the platform, set yourself strict time limits or manage your usage in similar ways to other social media.

Research potential customers and partners

Before you approach a prospect, LinkedIn can give you valuable background about them. From the size of their company to recent news or shared connections. This makes your outreach more relevant and effective.

Increase your visibility with consistent activity

Algorithms favour active users. Posting regularly (once or twice a week is ideal, but even once every couple of weeks if you are using it to engage with others’ content more regularly in between), and keeping your profile fresh will help you stay on the radar of the people who matter most to your business.

For small and medium business owners, LinkedIn is more than a networking site… it’s a platform to build relationships, showcase expertise, and attract opportunities. The key is consistency… how you manage that is up to you. A few minutes a day, used strategically, can help you connect with the right people and grow your business, however even a couple of times a week should open opportunities that may have otherwise not happened.

Whilst Flex Marketing doesn’t position itself as 'LinkedIn experts', LinkedIn is one of the may tools we assist clients with in their general marketing, ensuring that they are using it strategically and it fits in well with the rest of their marketing plans. If you’d like to discuss your overall marketing strategy, get in touch to see how we could help.

About Andie Johnson

Andie is the owner of Flex Marketing. Flex Marketing helps businesses grow by allowing them to have the help of senior marketing resource without needing to employ a full time marketing manager. How flexible! We call this outsourced marketing services, however, some refer to it as ‘fractional resourcing’. We help multiple businesses at the same time who can’t yet justify having a permanent senior marketing person, so we become their ‘fractional CMO or senior marketing manager’ for an agreed number of hours per month. Often we drive a particular project or help with a specific business need that may be temporary. Flex Marketing has been helping businesses in this way to grow their businesses since 2011 and is based in Auckland, New Zealand.