SOCIAL MEDIA: How to get the most out of LinkedIn

Sep 16, 2012

Martin Kubler is owner, director and chief cook and bottle washer of Iconsulthotels FZE, an ultra-boutique hospitality consultancy in Dubai.

LinkedIn is known as the largest professional social network worldwide, yet most of us mainly use it for personal networking and forget that it also provides company profiles and functionality. It has more than 60 million users worldwide. On average, LinkedIn users tend to be slightly older than users of other social media services and also have higher disposable incomes. Many LinkedIn users hold senior positions in their companies and travel a lot for business, but also leisure. LinkedIn provides hotels with various tools (many of which are free) to tap into this market.

CLICK HERE TO SEE KUBLER'S TOP FIVE HOTELS/OPERATORS ON LINKEDIN

Essential profile
Every hotel should have a company profile on LinkedIn – it’s your property’s digital business card and represents you to all LinkedIn users worldwide. Company profiles allow all your team-members/colleagues who are using LinkedIn to link to it in their professional profiles, which, in turn, lets other LinkedIn users discover useful information about your company. Think “free PR” as well as a neat way to see all your company’s LinkedIn users in one place. Yet, LinkedIn company profiles can do so much more. You can highlight your products and services on your company profile, showcase your corporate video, get other LinkedIn users to recommend your hotel or your restaurants and bars publicly, provide various direct points of contact for corporate enquiries, or send out updates about promotions and special offers (highly targetable, e.g. ‘UAE only’ or ‘CEOs only’) – all of it completely free of charge!
I carried out a quick survey of hotels in the region on LinkedIn and I was amazed how many of them have a company profile, yet do not even use 20% of its free functionality (see also “LinkedIn Company Profiles – 5 of the Best”). You’re literally throwing away money and free advertising opportunities. Your LinkedIn company profile is also an excellent recruitment tool, though this function is chargeable.

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