Associations have a unique opportunity to leverage LinkedIn as an effective platform for networking, knowledge sharing and establishing thought leadership within their respective industries. Building a strong leadership presence on LinkedIn requires a strategic approach tailored to your association's goals and mission as well as the specific needs of your current and prospective members. Let's explore some strategies associations can adopt to become LinkedIn leaders.
Strategic Content Sharing
Sharing timely and relevant content that resonates with your audience such as industry insights, best practices and trends, or updates on regulatory changes related to the profession helps put your association at the forefront of your industry. To further enhance your association’s role as influencers, consider these strategic approaches to content sharing:
▪️ Showcase thought leadership. Produce and share thought leadership content such as blog posts, white papers, and guides or videos related to your area of expertise. If your association conducts research annually, produces industry trends reports or provides critical benchmarking data, consider how you can leverage and repurpose this content in various ways over time. Posting this information on LinkedIn, while linking back to the original content, can demonstrate your organization’s expertise, drive traffic to your website and improve SEO.
▪️ Leverage existing publications. Many associations publish journals, newsletters or magazines, and the articles shared within these pages can be easily repurposed into shorter, digestible pieces of content optimized for social sharing. In addition, tagging authors and contributors can increase engagement and recognition, further marketing their publication as a crucial industry resource. This can also help drive conversations around the content, if the contributors repost amongst their own networks.
▪️ Curate and comment on industry content. In addition to sharing your association’s thought leadership on LinkedIn, curating content from industry partners or leaders that is relevant to your audience can further extend your reach and your position as a valuable resource. Enhance this by adding your association’s perspective/commentary to these posts, providing your unique take on a topic within your field.
Engagement with Followers
Associations should actively engage with LinkedIn followers by promptly responding to comments, questions and messages. This demonstrates a commitment to fostering meaningful connections and community building.
A good response time on LinkedIn depends on various factors such as industry norms, organization size and resources available for managing social media. However, as a general guideline, responding to inquiries or messages within 24 to 48 hours is considered prompt and professional on LinkedIn. It's essential to strive for timely responses to maintain engagement and foster positive relationships with your audience. If possible, aim for even quicker responses, especially for urgent inquiries or important interactions. Regular monitoring of messages and notifications can help ensure timely responses and demonstrate your company's commitment to communication and customer service on LinkedIn.
Thought Leadership through LinkedIn Articles
Associations can use LinkedIn Articles as a complementary online source to publish insightful articles, analyses, and commentary on relevant industry topics. Learn more about the benefits of LinkedIn Articles and how to use this functionality for your association's needs.
Participation in Groups and Communities
Community building is important on any social media platform. On LinkedIn, association leaders and staff should consider participating in LinkedIn groups and communities relevant to their industry and actively participate in discussions. This allows representatives from your association to engage with peers, share expertise and collaborate on industry initiatives. This can also strengthen your credibility and establish your organization as a valuable resource within your specific profession or industry.
Authentic Brand Storytelling
Associations can humanize their brand and connect with their audience on a personal level by sharing authentic stories and experiences. This could include success stories of members, highlights from events or conferences, or testimonials from partnerships.
By implementing these strategies, LinkedIn can become a powerful tool to establish a leadership presence, showcasing expertise and engaging with your audience effectively.
Paige Elbert is a marketing specialist at MCI USA.
