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P. 51
SOCIAL MEDIA
The science of South African business
using LinkedIn as professionals are making
a marketing tool increasing use of LinkedIn.
But the marketing industry
T WO YEARS AGO, AN AUSTRALIAN US$26,2-billion to acquire LinkedIn has yet to turn it into
marketing consultant named Corp this year, there is some credence an effective tool. Cara
Anfernee Chansamooth to the value placed on the professional Bouwer reports.
declared that LinkedIn was the ‘most social-networking site as a business/
powerful marketing tool of the 21st marketing tool and B2B channel. marketing agency DigitLab, responds:
century’. He made mention of the size “To be honest I don’t see anyone
of the platform, which is put at more ? who has adopted LinkedIn in its full
than 450-million users across 200 The secret is high- capacity.” Even globally, there have
countries, and the number of unique quality content been few case studies on the effective
articles posted on the platform – over harnessing of LinkedIn by companies
130 000 a week in 2015. In South Africa, however, experts and brands, Saunders believes.
are doubtful as to whether LinkedIn
By its own assessment, LinkedIn is being used to its full potential from But Christopher Smith, Senior
believes it allows users to ‘share their a marketing perspective. Asked to Account Manager at Sha-Izwe
perspective’, build a personal brand highlight trend-setting examples, Mike Communications, a Johannesburg
and ‘let your voice be heard’ by the Saunders, CEO of Durban-based digital digital agency, believes a business
right professionals in a crowded global called HubSpot does stand out. The US-
marketplace. Given that Microsoft paid based marketing software company has
a simple LinkedIn strategy to create a
company page, post useful updates and
nurture an interest group of relevant
people. But it is the quality of their >>
October 2016 – January 2017 strategicmarketing 49
