Imagine working for a business that shares your values in life.
Picture yourself in a work environment that supports and prioritizes your overall well-being.
Consider the possibility of belonging to an organization where you have a voice, you are heard, and you matter.
Imagine being an integral part of the mechanism that will bring your organization to the next level.
All of these are highly achievable. They are real scenarios in many workplaces today.
Now imagine bringing all of these to your company’s social media platforms such as LinkedIn for all the world to see. The company will not only attract good recruits, it is also highly likely to attract great businesses.
This article will explain the importance of a strong LinkedIn company culture to ensure success in B2B initiatives.
Company Culture Explained
To understand the value of a strong LinkedIn company culture, you must first understand what company culture is.
The website Indeed defines company culture as “a collection of beliefs, values, attitudes and behaviors that are sustained through a collective effort.”
Innovative operational leader and global trusted advisor Julian Lute define company culture as “how you do what you do in the workplace. It’s the sum of your formal and informal systems and behaviors and values, all of which create an experience for your employees and customers.”
The Harvard Business Review defines it “as the ways people in the organization behave and the attitudes and beliefs that inform those behaviors (i.e., “the way we do things around here”) — including formal, stated norms as well as implicit ways people work and interact.”
If we simplify it further, company culture can be considered an organization’s identity of fingerprint that separates it from others.
There are several elements that makeup company culture and they vary from one organization to another.
The common elements among many organizations are their vision and mission, values, professional development programs, sense of community, trustworthiness, creativity, continuity, purpose, leadership style, and communication practices, to mention a few.
Generally speaking, company culture is very important for the following reasons:
1. Talent Retention
It is a known reality that employees stay in a company where they are happy. Some will equate happiness with fulfillment.
When an organization’s culture provides opportunities for growth, whether personally or professionally, employees find a good reason to stay as well.
Employees who feel secure supported and motivated in an organization become loyal individuals who commit long-term.
2. Productivity
Employees who are happy also tend to be very productive.
It is for this reason that many companies worldwide are now applying the happiness index.
The Journal of Social Change of Walden University defines the happiness index as “a comprehensive survey instrument that assesses happiness, well-being, and aspects of sustainability and resilience.”
Across America, multiple companies are committed to keeping their employees inspired and productive. Even Fortune 100 companies are doing and on top of the list is Freddie Mac, a Virginia-based investment banking company.
3. Employee Engagement
When a company upholds a strong work culture, employees tend to be more committed to their work.
Businesses achieve this by creating a group of people who share the same ideals and principles.
A common indicator of employee engagement is relatedness. Employees are also known to solve problems more effectively when they are engaged.
4. Company Image
Company culture shapes the overall image of a business, which is crucial in building an authentic brand that people can patronize. It is a reflection of what the brand stands for and when they resonate with consumers, it will easily take off
If you plan to make improvements to your company image, the answer is, “go ahead.” Being adaptable to the changing times is crucial and when people see this, they become more eager to get to know your brand further.
Read more: Encouraging Employee Advocacy in B2B LinkedIn Marketing
How to Promote LinkedIn Company Culture
It doesn’t take so much to promote your company culture on LinkedIn. You just have to set your eyes on doing and be strategic. Remain truthful and authentic to give LinkedIn members a real picture of what your company is like.
1. Promote Employee-Generated Content
You can start by encouraging your employees to take photos and post them on their LinkedIn profiles. It can be photos in the workplace during a meeting, lunch break, or office activity.
Happy and satisfied employees would be more than glad to share exciting content on LinkedIn when they are genuinely committed to helping their employers get to the next level. When they are proud of where they work, sharing about the company will come naturally for them.
Additionally, take group photos of ordinary days in the workplace to be posted on the company’s LinkedIn profile to highlight the work atmosphere. Candid photos will also appeal to a lot of people.
2. Interact with Your Audience
Interacting with your audience allows you to connect on a different level. You can start a poll and see how people will respond. You can extend the interaction by having them comment on their choice.
Making a personal connection is helpful in building your brand on LinkedIn. Use statements that will reflect the overall culture of the business. When interacting, keep the conversation light and simple.
Nowadays, people like interacting with the brands they like. Adding this personal touch to your promotional initiative will spell the difference between you and your competitors on the platform.
3. Come Up with Videos
You can never go wrong with videos.
Most, if not all, LinkedIn users are very visual people. You may choose to give your audience a virtual tour of your workplace, interview an employee, or solicit their opinion about anything under the sun.
Create fun and engaging videos that will keep your audience glued to their screens. Make sure to highlight the values that you uphold within the organization.
4. Highlight Recognition and Awards
Showcasing the accolades collected by the company will emphasize the kind of performance it has been doing. Getting recognition highlights good practices, excellent work culture, and efficiency.
It will also show your audience how the people within the company work passionately in order to reach their goals. Seeing a company that is fully supported by its employees will evoke nice responses from your audience.
5. Come Up with a Uniform Profile Picture Background and Cover Photo
Encourage your employees to use the same background for their profile photos. Moreover, your company can come up with a common cover photo that all employees will use to promote the organization further.
Employees who are fulfilled in the workplace would be proud to use the company’s branding.
6. Establish the Links that Ought to Be Shared
Identify what kind of links the company will be sharing and encourage your employees to share the same. It can be links of organizations or individuals who align with your values and long-term goals. Do your research and make a list.
Cascade the list to your employees and empower them to be discerning when it comes to evaluating whether a specific kind of content is detrimental to your brand or not.
Read more: 10 Customer Retention Strategies that Work
Takeaways
B2B success can only be achieved when the parties involved trusting one another. True can only be established when there is professionalism, care, and excellence involved. Naturally, any business organization would want to know who they are collaborating with.
LinkedIn is very potent when it comes to executing this kind of approach, thanks to its 40 million members from all over the world. As it is a legitimate platform, it is crucial that you maintain your company’s good image online at all times.
Be creative and explore new ways to highlight your company on LinkedIn. Think out of the box and surprise your audience with content they did not expect from a company like yours. Audiences like it when their minds are blown away.
You are bound to succeed if you remain true to your brand’s real identity. People appreciate it more to see that company owners are making an effort to connect with their employees outside the workplace. Leverage this reality and see how far it will take you.
