Become a propane brand ambassador on LinkedIn

People do business with whom they know, like and trust. Relationships matter more than ever, says Brian Basilico of B2b Interactive Marketing.

LinkedIn helps you maintain relationships and share knowledge. Follow these four steps to build a strong personal brand on LinkedIn and position yourself as an expert at your company and in the industry:

1. Build your personal profile. Remind people what you do in the propane industry. Include links to your company website and examples of the projects on which you’ve worked.

• Make sure you upload a profile photo and cover photo. Use a professional headshot, and keep it current.
• Next, change your title to focus on whom you serve, what you do and how you can help, Basilico says.

SET A REMINDER: Once per quarter, review your profile. Keep your contact information updated, check for spelling errors and consider swapping out your cover photo.

2. Add connections. Your network is your strongest tool. Platforms like LinkedIn help us build networks and stay in touch with friends and colleagues.

• If you are having trouble finding connections, try searching for people who are co-workers, current customers, past customers, prospects, vendors and friends.
• When trying to add someone you don’t know personally, include a note with your connection request explaining why you’d like to connect.

For all the benefits of building a presence on LinkedIn, avoid relying only on one platform. Make sure to save contact information for connections in a separate place as well.

SET A REMINDER: Sit down after each industry event, such as the annual Propane Expo, and review your notes and business cards to add new connections.

3. Post updates and engage with others. You’ve updated your profile, everything is current and you’ve added connections. Now, you need to post content. While you’re busy running a business, it’s important to continue building brand visibility and your professional presence:

• Reshare something from an industry association.
• Post from your company page.
• Start a post and choose “Celebrate an occasion” to highlight team members, new job opportunities or projects.
• Share updates from groups your company supports.
• Share an article related to the propane industry. (Follow LP Gas on LinkedIn now.)

SET A REMINDER: Spend 10 minutes on LinkedIn every day to scan your news feed, reply to messages or share an update.

4. Encourage your team to build their personal brands. Make sure your team has current contact information. You don’t want customers reaching out to someone with an outdated phone number or email, Basilico says.

For important items or company news, everyone at your company can amplify the content, Basilico explains. This helps to expand the content’s reach.

SET A REMINDER: Check in with staff on a monthly basis to make sure they are building their own brand and keeping their profiles current.