If you haven’t heard, LinkedIn is where it’s at, especially for entrepreneurs. Of course, your Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are great networking tools, too, but LinkedIn is a startup founder’s dream. Connecting aspiring founders with heavy hitters in their field as well as providing a channel of communication for established businesses, LinkedIn has a little bit of everything, including social networking, job opportunities, and a place to blog ideas. Here’s why you should set up and maintain a LinkedIn account:

Increase Your Startup’s Visibility

If your personal social media account has ten times more followers than your brand account, then using LinkedIn might increase your visibility by giving you an audience that is interested and seeking out business-related posts. Simply put, LinkedIn is about business and entrepreneurship, which makes it different than other social media platforms that are more geared towards entertainment. According to statistics from Oberlo, LinkedIn has over 654 million users worldwide, and more than 30 million business accounts. That’s a lot of eyes that could view your business.

Network

When it comes to networking and getting in contact with the right people, LinkedIn is lit! If you’re tired of cold emailing that “@info” email address, get active on LinkedIn and try your hand at connecting with the 63 million decision makers or 90 million senior-level executives that use LinkedIn, according to 99firms.

Connect With Like-minded People

Finding your entrepreneurial tribe can be difficult, but solidifying your team can be the extra push your startup needs. LinkedIn is a great online platform to connect with potential team members and meet people who share your same interests. For example, thousands of Black entrepreneurs are readying their LinkedIn in preparation for this year’s AfroTech conference. Also, thanks to LinkedIn’s “search” feature, you can explore numerous groups, blog posts, and businesses that are tailored to your search.

Increase Sales and Conversion Rates

If your startup falls under the business to business model and you’re not active on LinkedIn, you could be missing out big time! Don’t believe it? Check out these LinkedIn stats that were listed in their Marketing Solutions Blog:

    • LinkedIn is responsible for 80 percent of business to business leads
    • LinkedIn directs 46 percent of business to business social media views
    • LinkedIn is used by 94 percent of business to business marketers

Get Started

You may have had a LinkedIn account back in the day, but now it is time to reset your password and get into the action. It’s a virtual networking event, and your startup or businesses should be a part of it.