The Small Businesses’ Manual on How to Leverage LinkedIn (for Free!)

For small businesses, LinkedIn can sometimes be overlooked in favor of more familiar platforms like Facebook or Instagram, especially if you want to reach a certain demographic. But LinkedIn offers powerful, untapped potential, especially for connecting with other small businesses, building a professional brand, and finding new customers. Whether you’re a local shop or a service-based business, here are some key ways on how to leverage LinkedIn effectively—and all while using the free version:

1. Curate a Professional and Welcoming Company Page

Creating a LinkedIn Company Page is a great first step in building a professional online presence. Make sure your page contains all essential information, including your company description, logo, website link, and the appropriate contact information. Use keywords like "local small business," "family-owned," or your industry focus (e.g., "IT solutions for small businesses") to improve your visibility when people use LinkedIn’s search function.

Pro Tip: Optimize your LinkedIn tagline and “About” section with your business’s relevant keywords, and be clear about what you offer and who you serve. This helps potential clients and partners quickly understand what sets your small business apart.

2. How to Leverage LinkedIn to Connect with Local and Relevant Business Communities

The LinkedIn Groups feature may prove valuable for small businesses like yours. Join industry-related groups, local business communities, or professional networks to expand your reach. These groups are great for discussing best practices, staying up to date with industry trends, and even gaining leads. For example, if you’re a local bakery, you might benefit from joining groups focused on hospitality, food services, or small business marketing.

Pro Tip: Don’t just join—participate! Regularly comment, ask questions, or share relevant articles in these groups. Engaging meaningfully (don’t spam!) with others in your industry keeps your business top of mind and can foster meaningful connections.

3. Showcase Your Expertise Through LinkedIn Articles

Publishing articles on LinkedIn is a fantastic way to demonstrate your expertise. Think about topics relevant to your business or insights on common customer questions—we’re sure you’ve gotten plenty. A landscaping business, for instance, could write about “Seasonal Landscaping Tips for Small Businesses” or “Sustainable Landscaping Trends.”

These articles help position or reinforce you as an expert in your field and attract the attention of others searching for related services. Plus, LinkedIn articles can rank on Google, providing extra visibility. So make sure you are using good SEO practices. If you aren’t sure what those look like for your small business, Spark can help research, identify, and create content created just for you and your small business.

4. Highlight Your Team and Business Culture

For small businesses, showcasing the actual people behind the brand can be incredibly powerful. After all, as a small business yourself, you know the man power that goes into starting and running a business. Create posts that introduce your team members, celebrate milestones, or highlight your workplace culture. In a recent article, Forbes identified that cultivating and showing off a positive work culture is good not only for keeping your current employees, but for bringing in any prospective ones. This helps build trust with clients and attracts new employees who resonate with your company’s values.

Pro Tip: Make these posts engaging by sharing fun facts, team achievements, or behind-the-scenes snapshots. This approach humanizes your brand and strengthens your connection with your audience.

5. Post Regularly to Stay Visible

Becoming a familiar name as a local business can prove to be tricky. But LinkedIn can help! LinkedIn’s algorithm favors active users, so posting consistently (but again, not spamming!) is key. If you share updates on your products, services, and company news. Even re-sharing industry articles or client testimonials can be helpful. Remember to use industry-relevant keywords and hashtags to make your posts more discoverable. If you’re a small business consultant, for instance, using hashtags like #smallbusinesstips or #localbusinesssupport can attract other professionals and potential clients to your content.

Pro Tip: Aim to post at least once a week to keep your business in the feed—include different mediums like blogs, updates, and other proven profile boosting content like relevant images and video. Consistency helps your small business stay visible and builds credibility with your audience.

6. Encourage Employee Advocacy

If you have employees beyond yourself, encourage them to engage with and share your posts. LinkedIn’s network effect means that when employees interact with your content, it reaches a wider audience, including their connections. Employee advocacy not only increases your business’s visibility but also adds credibility to your brand!

Pro Tip: Share engaging, shareable content that employees will want to share with their own networks like customer success stories, local awards, or involvement in community events.

7. Use LinkedIn Ads to Target Specific Audiences

Okay, so we cheated just a little bit. Technically, you will have to pay for this, but anyone can do it! For small businesses looking to reach a specific audience, LinkedIn’s ad targeting can be effective. LinkedIn ads allow you to tailor your campaigns based on factors like industry, job title, location, and more. For example, a small accounting firm could create an ad targeting business owners or entrepreneurs within a certain area who might be seeking financial services.

Pro Tip: Start small with your ad budget, and experiment with different audiences and ad formats. Sponsored posts can be an effective, budget-friendly way to boost high-performing content.

8. Leverage LinkedIn’s Business Analytics

LinkedIn offers analytics tools that provide insights into your Company Page’s performance. Analytics can show you how your posts are performing, who’s visiting your page, and which types of content are resonating with your audience. Use this data to refine your strategy and focus on content that attracts the most engagement. For example, if you find that posts with behind-the-scenes photos get more clicks, consider incorporating them into your regular content.

Pro Tip: Keep an eye on follower growth and engagement rates as key indicators of your LinkedIn presence's health. Regularly reviewing these metrics allows you to tweak your approach for better results.

9. Network with Other Small Business Owners and Industry Leaders

LinkedIn’s core offering is networking. As a small business owner, you can benefit immensely from connecting with peers, mentors, and industry leaders. Building a professional network helps you stay informed on trends relevant specifically to your small business, discover collaborative opportunities, and even get referrals. For example, a marketing agency could partner with a local photographer or videographer they connect with on LinkedIn.

Pro Tip: When you send connection requests, include a personalized note explaining why you’d like to connect. Mentioning a shared interest or industry makes it more likely they’ll accept. That way, you build a relationship before you start making requests. This is known as building warm leads.

10. Engage with Customer Testimonials and Client Reviews

If clients or customers mention your business on LinkedIn or leave positive feedback, be sure to engage with those posts! Responding to testimonials and even resharing them can show potential clients that you value customer satisfaction. Positive interactions with past clients can also reinforce your credibility to new prospects.

Pro Tip: Talk to satisfied clients and ask if they’d be willing to recommend your services on LinkedIn (or, if you’re lucky, they may even do it without you asking!) Recommendations add an extra layer of trust to your profile and help set your business apart. 

Leveraging LinkedIn for Success!

Knowing how to leverage LinkedIn for businesses in order to build connections, share expertise, and engage with customers sets your small business apart as trustworthy and knowledgeable. If you use it right, LinkedIn can be more than a networking platform; it’s an opportunity to establish yourself as an expert, attract new clients, and build a professional brand that leaves a lasting impression. With these strategies, LinkedIn can be another valuable asset in your marketing toolkit.

If you are looking for support or other ways to build your brand, check out Spark, a digital marketing agency looking to give you the tools to ignite growth.