We put a lot of emphasis on social media and the way it can help and change the way our businesses operate. There’s a heavy focus on things like Facebook, with video on the rise of marketing trends. Instagram has also come into the forefront recently for the same exact reason. However, LinkedIn has always had a special hidden power that not all business owners know how to use. On top of what LinkedIn can already do for you, the site is currently going through changes that make it even better. Plus, there are rumors of a LinkedIn Live feature! The hype around the way this site is growing cannot be missed by anyone, including you.

That’s why we’ve got Meg Kerns on the show to tell us all about it! A digital marketer herself, Meg works with her agency MOKUp Media to help small businesses move forward with their digital presences. A big fan of social media, Instagram in particular, Meg has all the details about the new wave of LinkedIn updates, and why business owners should be hopping on this opportunity sooner rather than later. Let’s get started!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

• How Meg uses LinkedIn to its full potential. She knows about finding your audience and knowing where your audience is hanging out. Often, she finds that the businesses that are still struggling with social media are on LinkedIn. That’s where they connect, and talk, and post their business-related content. It takes some extra social listening to see what’s going on, and they’re usually just waiting for help from someone like Meg.
• Meg reviews the changes that are upcoming for LinkedIn. Before, it sort of acted as an online resume, where people could post their experience in the business world. Now, people are using LinkedIn to have conversations that pertain to their businesses. They’re sharing things that they’re looking for, they’re hiring, and they’re showing different pieces of their company during events. Additionally, you can now upload PDF files that people can both see and use, something that wasn’t an option before. They’re pushing it farther to enable the curation of more content.
• Another new thing recently added to LinkedIn, Meg explains, is the use of tags! With both tags and a blurb about the company on your page, you can showcase what you’re all about, while also using these tags to reach out to your intended audience from the get-go. Exciting news also comes in the form of the beta version of LinkedIn Live, which is expected to work like Facebook Live!
• Meg talks about when to use your business page, versus your personal pages. Meg explains that she needs to use the company page a little more, but she uses her personal page due to getting more interactions. People are more willing to interact with a person, as opposed to a business. Smaller businesses also do better with personal pages as opposed to bigger businesses who can use brand names to connect. From your personal, you can send a message, comment on people’s content, and share content. It all helps to increase awareness for your business!
• Meg then tells us about her personal challenge! Throughout the month of March, Meg created and posted a video every single day on LinkedIn. She got the idea from Alexa Skills Briefings and wanted to take another piece she created and use them in a video format. It played out amazingly well, and every time she posted a video, she connected with viewers in the comments.
• Meg explains the concept of “LinkedIn Lions”. These are people that are open networkers on the site. They mark it on their profile and will connect with and reach out to anyone on the website. These people generally don’t reach out to Meg for conversations and instead will throw information and expect a response. It’s something to consider.
• Lastly, Meg explains that the best way to connect is sharing content. If you’re doing that and doing it the way that your audience wants to see it, then they’re doing to react to it. It doesn’t matter how many connections you have—if your content is gold, you’re going to get engagements and interactions.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• MOKup Media
• Meg Kerns
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Twitter

Did Meg not get to answer a burning question on your mind? No problem! She encourages everyone to reach out to her across all social media platforms. The handle is the same, @MOKupMedia! She also suggests reaching out to her on LinkedIn to see if you could make a connection! LinkedIn is the future of new marketing trends, and with video at the forefront, it’s important to hop in on the LinkedIn Live train while it’s still developing.

Produced by Jeremiah Isley.