Over the last year or so, this wonderful platform had evolved to become the go-to B2B social media platform for engagement and interaction within the business world.

• Linkedin turns 18 this year. May 5th to be exact. Set your calendar.
• It has 33 offices and 15'800 employees across the globe.
• It is available in 245 languages. A huge global audience.
• It is the most trusted social network with privacy and data at 73% in agreement.
• It has over 722 million users worldwide.
• 76% of users are from outside of the US. Over 200 countries are on this platform.
• Bill Gates penned some 50% if the 10 most engaging Linkedin articles in November 2020.
• 40 million people use Linkedin to search for jobs each week.

So why am I telling you all this..... you can research this yourself.

But you may be in the minority that still wants to hide in the shadows of Linkedin or just leave it to marketing or an outsource ad-campaigns or lead-generation team.

This enormous and people-centric site is growing all the time. Year on year.

Social media is growing, year on year and the users are becoming more digital savvy and want to have there voice on the largest B2B site on the planet.

There are over 4.2 billion people using social media in today's world. Half of those for business purposes.

The B2B landscape is all change as we navigate out of the pandemic and move into the digital and online interactions that are taking place from the traditional methods in buying and sales motions. If you are not active on this platform is some shape or form as a business, you will not be at the table when it comes to procurement and business decisions that are being researched, thought-out and discussed on these platforms before they even interact with vendors through a call or an email or a meeting.

As a business and business leader in today's world, you have to let your employees of the red-tape leash and they have to be social advocates on this platform for engagement.

They will want to do it, they just don't know if they are allowed or trusted to do it.

Employees who are passionate about whom they work for. They can lighten up a dreary corporate post by putting their passion into what they see, what they feel, why they want to work with X or Y, and this message can be multiplied by the other changemakers within your business that can amplify this message and grow your reputation, and in turn, grow and nurture relationships within there network and beyond.

Imagine this.......

Penny

from operations wants to share what changes the pandemic has had and how she is transforming the process and structure of the business.

Steve

from sales wants to post about his online and working from home challenges and what he is doing to de-risk any problems that his customers may be facing.

Dave

in Finance wants to share what drives him outside of the numbers game day-to-day.

Oh, and you, the CEO, have an idea of 'Leadership as we return to Work' and start a blog.

Now, accompany this with the right mix, the right social audience (built up over time), and the message that brings the human side out of the business and suddenly the corporate post from marketing that gave nothing to the audience, they are now understanding the people.

Let's take it further...

Those engagements, from a trusted network, who get you, like you, understand the business a bit more and want to perhaps get to know you more about you and the team.

That is where the 'social conversation' can play in.

This is where you can actually have a simple 'down the pub' chat as they have given you permission to take this conversation further by engaging in your authentic personal, employee advocated content.

This is not only about checking for likes and comments on content posted and making sure you are building a trusted network, and connecting with the right people and prospects.

This is about you, your business and your employees asking themselves, what would I do if I was on the other side of the fence? What would I want from a vendor or business?

Think about it. How would I want to be treated or approached? How will they get to know me?

By being interested in them first. It is all about them. How are they?

People, talking with people.

Your interest in them and what they do will only come from being honest and open about who you are, what you want to achieve and how you can help each other.

This is key to establishing any form of social conversations on this platform.

This comes from operating two-fold in seeking out content they share, they post, the like and making sure that if you are interested in this or that, then leave your mark and say so.

This is what the number one B2B social site is about. 'A platform for engagement.'

But once this is in place, and it takes time, effort, consistency, passion and teamwork.

It will be the best leadership decision you will make. Your employees are empowered, the content mix is equally shared across departments, the whole team is pulling in the same direction which is for the greater good of any business and the conversations you desired are now coming in from online and digital interactions had by just being you and being social.

Trust is now stronger than ever, confidence is strong and the culture within the business is defined and rubber-stamped.

Social conversations are being had. Decisions are being discussed and you have a seat.

Our clients are already working smarter and more efficient than ever on social.

The old methods have been put to one side, and they are now sharing the data and insights from being social champions that have embraced the new and improved way of working.

Now, as you look at the last year and the struggles that both employees and businesses have had in these times, why wouldn't you as a business, leading from the front and wanting to extend your knowledge and share your reach, enter into this way of working.

There is no quick fix here, no 30-day money-back guarantee or top tip.

There is however a social selling strategic business transformation program that is designed to make sure you can have that voice and share that message from the people that you allow to be part of the journey. It is about your people.

They will thank you for it. And in turn, you will thank them.

So make a start, reach out and let's talk about what you want to look at, what your employees are asking about and if you are curious about social selling, and start having those conversations that can change your pipeline, change your ways of working smart and create more opportunities for your business to thrive as we head through 21.

Have a great day.

Kevin