social media

Make The Most Of LinkedIn’s Newsletter Feature

MOMENTUM Business Support Business Support, Digital Marketing, Social Media
LinkedIn newsletter page open on a laptop

LinkedIn is an often-overlooked social media platform, but its features are powerful and can connect your business with a large network of potential clients and new opportunities. One such feature is the in-built newsletter service they offer, which has recently been expanded to include newsletters from company pages. Join us as we explore it further, discover it’s benefits and learn to utilise it.

Become a leader in your industry
In a newsletter, you get to touch upon subjects you care about on a regular basis. This gives you a real chance to show off your knowledge and expertise, making you come across as more reliable and building confidence in your business. Apart from boosting your credibility, it is also a great chance to showcase any new or interesting findings and strategies that your business is using, helping you to stand out as a leader in your field.

Improve your audience engagement

All LinkedIn users can subscribe to newsletters, so if your writing is engaging and consistent, they are a great way of interacting with your audience. Target a chosen field and vary the topic to keep the conversation fresh and interesting. To make the most of your content, you need to know your audience and tailor your information. Create news articles with a specific purpose in mind (growing the newsletter, providing support for your clients etc.), and lean into your strengths such as storytelling, infographics, or blogs. When done properly, you can benefit from a regular audience that is more likely to spread the word about your business.

Grow your network
Anyone can discover, read, and share your LinkedIn newsletter, but in order to grow your audience we recommend you give the newsletter a bit of a boost. Inviting your existing network is a great way to get a head start on your subscriber count. Sharing your newsletter with new connections keeps the conversation going after you meet new people at networking events. Finally, posting about your newsletter on LinkedIn and other social platforms, reminds users who may have missed your invitation, as well as exposing additional prospects to your work.

Setting up

  • Make sure to turn on creator mode. You can find it under your profile’s dashboard.
  • Navigate to your homepage, where the usual “create a post” section appears, select the “write article” option and proceed.
  • From the menu selection at the top of the page choose “create a newsletter”.
  • Fill out the required information, create a name and bio for your newsletter.  
  • Upload or write your newsletter article.
  • When you are happy with your content and layout, click “Publish”. A newsletter page will automatically be created within LinkedIn. 

In summary, a LinkedIn newsletter is a fantastic, free tool for any business – it is a regular space to show the advancements your company has made and share the knowledge you have gathered from your experience. High quality, consistent content will grow the audience for your newsletter and by extension your company – leading to new customers and clients. For something so easy to set up, it is a worthwhile investment for any SME looking to grow.

If you’d like to find out more about LinkedIn’s features, need help setting up your newsletter or require any other business support, get in touch!

E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com   T: 01903 688789

Are You Making These Social Media Mistakes?

MOMENTUM Business Support Business Support, Home Working, Social Media
a hand holding an iphone with an open lockscreen displaying social media apps

In the last decade the numbers of social media profiles have skyrocketed beyond all expectations. Users of all ages and backgrounds are connecting across the world, as ‘liking’, ‘sharing’, and ‘tweeting’ has rapidly become everyone’s go to downtime. And so, it’s no wonder that social media is the place to be for every business. However, social media never came with a handbook. Sure, most of us know the basics but many users are continuing to make common mistakes that are affecting their reach, engagement, and branding. Join us, as we explore common social media mistakes your business should avoid!

Quantity over Quality – While you may think posting as much as possible is the way to go, it is the quality that makes the difference. If your profile is over encumbered with meaningless posts, it becomes harder for your audience to find the content that actually matters. Not only does it dominate people’s newsfeeds, but it also comes across as spammy which can lead to a loss of followers. Work to achieve a higher standard, choose regular but effective content that brings interactions and growth. This could be things like blogs, tips, polls, and testimonials – which are all popular choices among established business owners.

Lacking in video content – Video marketing has become widely used among successful brands, but many of us are still intimidated by the video format. While it requires extra time and attention it is by far the most effective when it comes to audience reach and platform algorithms. Top social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram are making calculated choices regarding the content shown to their platform users. They often prioritise video content and grant it a noticeably longer shelf life – giving it an edge over competing posts. Finally, video content is much more likely to be shared and to go ‘viral’ – it has higher audience retention and is often more accessible.

Not using a scheduling tool – Social media scheduling tools allow businesses to plan, visualise and keep their content consistent. Online schedule users can benefit from analytic technologies and helpful tools such as recommended posting times and engagement reports. They’re a fantastic way of staying consistent during busier periods and seeing the impact of your content.

Not targeting your audience – While Social media platforms have millions of users across the world, it’s important to cater towards your target audience first! This allows you to concentrate on the most suitable prospects and strategize your marketing. Businesses that don’t target their high-value audiences, tend to have much lower website traffic, a weaker referral base and fewer returning customers.

Not engaging with your audience – No one likes a one end conversation, which is exactly what a lack of customer engagement looks like! While you may have an established following and regular content, you need to utilise your business profile to its full potential. Get involved with your audience, comment, and reply to their queries. Engaging with your audience provides authenticity and validation – it shows that you’re listening to their needs. It can do a lot for a business, building lasting relationships and credibility. The most effective profiles are often the ones with an organic conversation between the business and its audience, eliminating that superficial feel.

We know most businesses don’t have a surplus of time to dedicate to social media, which is why MOMENTUM offers a wide range of services designed to suit you and your business needs. Focus on the development and growth of your business and let us do the rest! If you’d like to discuss our extremely cost-effective Social Media Management services or require any additional business support – please get in touch:

E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com   T: 01903 688789

How To Perfect Your LinkedIn Profile

MOMENTUM Business Support Business Support, Digital Marketing, Social Media
Classic LinkedIn logo on a white background

Every social media platform is different; some emphasise visuals, some provide you with daily news, while others exist solely as a way of keeping in touch. As a business owner it is vital to nurture all your networking spaces, and most importantly learn how to use them right! Often the first line of contact for prospective clients and established connections are our business socials, and these should be straight forward, on brand and active, but there is one platform that users still find more intimidating than others…

LinkedIn is one of the most overlooked networking tools, with the common misconception being that it is only used as a ‘formality’ or because it makes you seem more professional. However, with a few simple changes to your profile it can become a powerful ally to you and your business.

Choose an appropriate profile image

Your profile picture will likely be the first thing noticed by visiting users, and as we know, first impressions matter! If the profile is set up for your business, it is advised you use your logo as the image; it helps to keep your branding uniform and recognisable as well as boosting the profiles credibility. However, if you’re setting up your personal profile, it’s best to use a clear and recognisable photo of yourself. The image should be recent and of good quality, with a more professional tone and work or image appropriate clothing. Stay clear of selfies and filters and aim for your face to take up around 60% of the frame (don’t forget to smile!).

LinkedIn profiles also include the background photo, a great opportunity to use an attention-grabbing image in line with your branding. You could use an image that depicts your profession, the name of your brand or an image that reflects your business. It is also a great place to showcase some of your work e.g., your creations, achievements or products.

Make the most of your headline

While your current employment/field of work is the focus of the headline, passions, goals and a little extra elaboration on what you do or hope to achieve can also help to bring personalisation and attention to your profile. If you offer multiple services or wish to add more about yourself, try separating with a vertical bar (|). Don’t get carried away, for more in-depth content utilise the about section later on.

Tell your story

Your LinkedIn summary is your chance to impress, introduce your business and tell your own story, when done right it can be a gateway to exciting opportunities and new connections. It doesn’t have to be just a long list of qualifications, in fact personalised writing and anecdotes on how you’ve ended up in your profession help to improve readability and add creative flair to your summary. Achievements, your employment history and skills are all important factors which benefit from an engaging presentation, so think of creative ways to showcase them. If it is a summary meant for your business, delve deeper into the history of your brand, how you got here, where it originated as well as future goals and values. If you’re unsure of what to include follow this structure as a basic rule of thumb:

  • Introduction – who are you/ what do you do?
  • A little history – how did you get to where you are now?
  • Achievements and goals – what are your passions/ what are you proud of/ hopes for the future?
  • A call to action- contact information/ website/ upcoming events

Ultimately, remember that LinkedIn is a unique platform which caters to businesses and business professionals. It differs from socials such as Facebook and Instagram as its focus is providing an online space for finding work, marketing, as well as connecting with business partners. Whichever field of work you’re in, it’s a useful tool to have under your belt! If you’d like to find out more about perfecting your social media or require any other business support, we’d love to help. Get in touch:

E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com   T: 01903 688789

12 Days Of Tipmas Day 8: Outsource- Value Your Time

MOMENTUM Business Support 12 Days Of Tipmas 2021
Woman in white office shirt working at a laptop

There aren’t many things more valuable than time and while we can’t turn back the clocks, we can ensure that the time we have is well spent. Which is what brings us onto todays topic- outsourcing.

Outsourcing is a service during which a third party is hired to take care of various business processes and tasks, it holds many advantages and is a common practice among many companies. But what makes it such a popular service?

  • Shifts your focus to more important business activities– outsourcing is an incredibly effective way of freeing up extra time, allowing your business to keep its focal point fixed on growing the company. By passing on certain tasks to an outsourcing team, it allows you and your staff to concentrate on more important/time sensitive matters, as well as establishing new strategies.
  • Provides higher quality outcomes – An outsourcing company will have a team which specialises in the services it offers, therefore delegating your tasks to them will not only mean it’s going to get done in much less time but also to a higher quality. A specialising third party will likely have an established routine and strategy for completing your tasks, as well as knowing what works best and which approach is most suited for your business.
  • Higher cost effectiveness– Outsourcing is frequently much cheaper than an in-house service, reducing the costs of recruitment, training, and office hire. It also means that you pay exactly for the work you need done instead of fixed office hours, lunch breaks and holidays.
  • Flexible and tailored services– Outsourcing teams most commonly work from home and offer flexible hours which means that the work gets done as and when you need it. It provides a lot more flexibility and freedom, meaning you can get things done quicker and more effectively.

If you’d like to find out more about the benefits of outsourcing, reach out to our team! Here at MOMENTUM, we provide a wide range of professional services tailored to suit you and your business needs. Get in touch!

E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com   T: 01903 688789

12 Days Of Tipmas Day 4: Build A Trusted Network

MOMENTUM Business Support 12 Days Of Tipmas 2021
A network of colourful game pawns connected by straight lines crossing over

The phrase “It’s not what you know, but who you know” is used within many industries and while you may think it’s just a saying, it truly holds up its value when it comes to starting and growing a business. Of course, knowledge and skills are still important, but often the key to successfully running a business is a trusted network. Your connections play an integral part in expanding your brands reach, as well as increasing your visibility- both ultimately resulting in higher sales and a positive cash flow turnout.

So where do you start? It may be the case that your network is very small or you may even be starting from scratch, but not to worry, there are several things which you can do to build up a trusted network, most of which come with zero additional costs. First, remember that the heart of networking lies online. If you haven’t already, set up appropriate social media accounts and begin connecting with old, new, and prospect clients as well as other businesses and owners. Regardless of which industry you’re in- it’s near impossible for a business to thrive in 2022 without the additional visibility from social media. Here is a list of things you can do improve your network:

  • Be social, attend or hold business events
  • Sign up to relevant social media platforms
  • Join social media communities, groups, and lists
  • Take part in local business awards
  • Encourage word of mouth and ask for referrals
  • Deliver fresh and trending content- generating more interest
  • Use your existing testimonials and encourage reviews
  • Team up with other businesses, publish and partake in guest blogs

If you’d like to find out more about the importance of business networking, we would love to help and hear your thoughts. For blog questions, business advice and all other queries, get in touch!

E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com T: 01903 688789.