Social Performance Measurement For Agencies
Sahail Ashraf posted on 1 October 2015
With LinkedIn being the major force in B2B marketing, it makes absolute sense that the largest brands in the world are doing their very best to dominate the platform.
In this post we will look at the top brands present on LinkedIn, and try to identify how they got to where they are.
It’s not all because of the ‘name’, and the work they do with social media content is exceptional.
They could be forgiven for this, but Google consistently talk about themselves. Because they’re so amazing, we forgive them. Seriously, company updates, and the bright colours we associate with one of the biggest companies in the world means LinkedIn domination. Check out the link below to see what we mean.
Takeaway: Discuss your company culture to bring engagement
Google: 3,634,466 followers
The true king of LinkedIn. This company (which you may have heard of) had it’s original founder, Bill Gates, as one of the first hand-picked ‘Influencers’ on the platform. That means he was pretty important.
But the company page also offers marketing insights, an inspiring header picture that’s changed often, and actual concrete marketing tips from MIcrosoft’s own enterprise team. It’s a heady mix of great and very useful content.
Takeaway: Share tips that help your audience
Microsoft: 2,552,635 followers
Forbes are ploughing the same earth as Microsoft, and they have excelled in many areas. With a huge readership, they are still pushing their print magazine (witness it’s presence in the header, a lot) and focus on inspirational updates for their audience of leaders.
Takeaway: Speak to your audience directly with your updates
Forbes: 709,493 followers
A true powerhouse in management thinking and corporate leadership topics. That is exactly what you get content-wise from HBR on the platform. They put their content on LinkedIn almost exclusively, and with their branding, it works brilliantly.
Takeaway: Share your content to show authority
Harvard Business Review: 1,051,228 followers
With truly beautiful header images and a real focus on their own company and how it helps people, the LinkedIn company page for IBM is the place to come if you want to pursue a job there, or find out how IBM could help your company
Takeaway: Provide clear, obvious examples of how your company provides answers to customer problems.
IBM: 2,552,828 followers
This huge recruitment firm is one of the biggest in the UK and Europe. It has over a million followers on the company page and gives these followers a steady diet of cutting edge recruitment advice.
Takeaway: Provide up to the minute advice
Hays: 1,099,279 followers
British Petroleum is obviously a worldwide company, but their LinkedIn page makes a huge effort to cater for every single corner of the globe. It’s probably one of the most global pages out there.
Takeaway: If you’re international in any way, show it. The audience on Linkedin likes it
BP: 1,107,122 followers
Huge in Spain, this company populates its page with up to date industry information, and thought-provoking content on communications
Takeaway: Make your audience think. Deeply
Telefonica: 209,396 followers
Very French and sophisticated, L’oreal has focused on providing plenty of advice to it’s followers. Video features well here, and it is always useful and aimed at improving understanding of products and L’oreal processes.
Takeaway: You may be a B2B platform, but still talk to the end user through video if you can
L’oreal: 717,961 followers
A Singapore giant in consulting and finance, this company fills its pages with high-quality colour imagery that leaps out at you. Never has banking and finance seemed so exciting.
Takeaway: Even if you’re boring, be exciting with imagery
DBS Bank: 142,231 followers
This huge behemoth of a company has created a long-standing reputation for clean energy, and the page is pretty much all about that. Great header imagery and a focus on up to date news makes this a real winner visually and content-wise. Over a million followers agree.
Takeaway: Make the content interesting in the industry
Shell: 1,640,853 followers
A huge player in IT in India, this company focuses on sharing company news with excellent imagery and a great header to back it all up.
Takeaway: Share company info. A lot
HCL Infosystems: 64,866 followers
Focused almost entirely on giving advice, especially to young graduates and people wanting to enter the industry, SAP has a page that is designed to help, first and foremost.
Takeaway: Solve your audience’s problems
SAP: 654,683 followers
Obsessed almost entirely with consistently updating their page, CapGemini prove that always updating actually helps to keep the brand in focus.
Takeaway: Be always available with new content. Update plenty
CapGemini: 657,425 followers
This financial services giant in Australia asks for interaction from its audience, and it gets it. This proves that if you reach out, people will respond, and your brand will excel.
Takeaway: Encourage interaction as much as possible
Standout Post
Commonwealth Bank: 121,310 followers
LinkedIn company pages have been around for some time and they have proven to be extremely successful for companies that work hard at it. Obviously, bigger brands don’t have that much of a struggle on their hands when it comes to finding followers, but they still have to maintain a page well.
● One key idea here is that you just allow your followers to feel they are being helped through your company page. If you give them value and help them solve their problems, then you are proving to be of service. This makes the company page a useful instrument that a follower (who may very well be a lead) can gain value from. In the above examples of leading pages, SAP does this very well. And they’re seeing great result.
● Images are also incredibly important. A company page that does not have images tends to look a little flat and even worse than corporate. Project an image of brightness and dynamism and it will help you build a loyal audience that keeps coming back for more. Remember that many people who view a LinkedIn company page aren’t hanging around on Twitter or Facebook, so they come to you for their eye candy. Take Microsoft’s page as an example, and move forward with visual content.
● Updates need to be as short as possible because the shorter the update, the quicker the click-through. This is proven to be the case with many high-quality LinkedIn company pages. It is most evident with pages like the one created by DBS Bank, which keeps updates short and focused on ensuring followers click through quickly and smartly.
● Use video to engage audiences more on your company page. This is a crucial example of how to use a visual medium to grab engagement. Telefonica are experts at this and have created videos that grab your attention.
● Finally, use your story to build your brand. We only have to use one word here to show how this works: Google.
