The 5 Best Cities To Start A Business

For decades, businesses have gravitated toward urban centers like New York and Los Angeles. But are those thriving metropolis the best locations to launch a new business? Here’s a look at some of the best cities to launch a new start-up based on competition, access to resources, and economic growth.

Austin, Texas

CNNMoney ranks Austin, Texas the most business-friendly city in America. The city has a projected job growth of 4 percent, making it one of the top cities for projected job growth in the country through 2015. As the 11th-largest city in the country, Austin has the population to support whatever a small business is selling. The Austin area has a long history of business success, being home to such major companies as Whole Foods and Dell.

Austin is especially welcoming to technology companies, with the University of Texas at Austin turning out thousands of engineering and computer science graduates each year. In 2012, Forbes ranked Austin as the top city in the nation for jobs. The Wall Street Journal Marketwatch named Austin the top U.S. city for growing businesses, citing its close ties to both energy and technology.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Ranked at the top of Forbes.com‘s 10 Best Cities for Young Entrepreneurs, Tulsa provided $125 million in small commercial and industrial loans in 2012, according to NerdWallet. This is the second-highest lending rate of all major U.S. cities. Tulsa is especially beneficial to those in the aerospace industry, with the Tulsa Technology Center and the American Airlines maintenance base at Tulsa International Airport serving as the city’s largest employer.

As the 46th-largest city by population in the U.S., Tulsa has a built-in customer base for new start-ups. According to GrowMetroTulsa.com, Tulsa has the fifth-lowest cost for doing business in the U.S. Companies have stout competition, however. Tulsa is home to the headquarters for Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group and energy companies ONEOK and The Williams Companies-all three of which fall on the Fortune 1000 list.

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is often not credited for being the thriving metropolis it is. Entrepreneur.com ranked it as the best city to start a business due in part to the fact that small-business lending topped $62 million in 2012. But Atlanta’s population of 432,000+ is the reason it has been named the ninth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S.

The Southern city has the third-largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the U.S., serving as home to the global headquarters of The Coca-Cola Company, Home Depot, AT&T, and many other large companies. The city also has the fourth-largest concentration of technology jobs in the U.S. With 9.8 businesses per 100 residents, the city has less businesses competing for consumer dollars than cities like Seattle (12.5 businesses per 100 residents) and Tampa, Florida (11.5 businesses per 100 residents).

Washington, D.C.

It may be known as the political capitol, but Washington, D.C. is home to a large population, centered in a small area. With more than 630,000 living in the city in 2012, D.C. is considered the 24th most populated area in the country. Monday through Friday, those numbers rise as residents of nearby Maryland and Virginia travel to D.C. to work.

But the jobless rate in D.C. is what makes it most conducive to small business development. This rate has changed slightly as the Federal government slashes jobs, but D.C.’s unemployment rate still hovers around 5.4-5.5 percent. When compared to New York City’s unemployment rate of 8.3 percent and Chicago’s unemployment rate of 10.3 percent, 5.5 percent isn’t bad for a major metro.

Bismarck, North Dakota

Speaking of low unemployment numbers, Bismarck, North Dakota has the lowest unemployment rate in the nation, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In July of 2013, Bismarck’s unemployment rate was around 2.5 percent. Even more impressively, while the nation’s unemployment figures hovered at 10 percent in 2009, Bismarck held strong with an unemployment rate of only 3.3 percent. Why? According to CNN Money, the city was growing at the right time, thanks to its energy sector, with the city ranking as one of the top wind-turbine areas in the U.S.

With a population of more than 60,000, Bismarck has the infrastructure to support incoming businesses. Health is an important part of the business sector, with Medcenter One Health Systems and St. Alexius Medical Center falling behind the State of North Dakota as the second- and third-largest employers in the city.

If you’re flexible about your living arrangements while starting a small business, these five cities provide great opportunity, while also having excellent access to amenities and housing. The list of “best cities for starting a small business” seems to be constantly evolving, however, so it’s important to watch for changes from year to year.

Microsoft Nokia Acquisition: Good For Small Businesses

Yesterday’s news that Microsoft will acquire Nokia for $7.2 billion is probably good news for both Microsoft and Nokia, and also for small businesses.

Naysayers - and there are a lot of them - use words like it’s “too little too late” and that Nokia “can’t save” Microsoft.  For instance, industry observer Vivek Wadhwa sees lots of problems on the horizon for Microsoft. He says the answer is for Microsoft to break itself up into nimbler pieces.

Others, such as Business Insider’s Henry Blodget, see it as a “smart move” but one not likely to be successful because it’s too much of a Hail Mary pass, in his opinion.  If it works, it can win the game.  But chances are high it won’t work, for a variety of reasons.  For example, he notes that the big party in the mobile space has been tablets, but that Nokia has a nonexistent tablet offering.  Microsoft, on the other hand, has tablet offerings, but they have been high priced and slow to catch on.

The Microsoft viewpoint was aptly put in an announcement sent to members of Microsoft’s Voices for Innovation community, by Jonathan Friebert, Microsoft’s public policy manager, explained:

This deal adds to the momentum of Windows Phone and will accelerate growth as the next billion people come online using mobile devices. In addition, the transaction provides Microsoft with leading geospatial and mapping technologies. The integration of hardware and software will strengthen the position of the Microsoft ecosystem and provide a wide range of choice to consumers worldwide.

For businesses that are Windows shops, having a range of Windows smartphones and tablets is an attractive thing.  It provides a real alternative for businesses.

Apple and Google’s Android dominate the consumer mobile devices market today.  It would be a hard row to hoe, to try to gain substantial market share there. But for business users, by combining forces, Nokia and Microsoft have the potential for a stronger offering for the business market.

Businesses need that.  For business users, there’s real benefit to being able to use a phone and tablet that integrate seamlessly with your desktop or laptop  computers.  It’s efficient.  It puts less burden on businesses that use Windows.   There’s less of a learning curve.

When a device makes it easier to conduct business, then small businesses and enterprises have a real reason to choose a Windows smartphone or a Windows tablet.

That’s especially true with tablets.  Right now there’s a void in the marketplace.  Yes, iPads and Android tablets are fun.  But for business users they have limited business value.   If my own tablet is any example, it tends to get used mainly for entertainment and occasionally on business trips when I have to write something longer than an email with two or three sentences.  It’s not very functional when it comes to the heavy lifting of business work I do.  My little 4-year old netbook computer is unpleasant to use for entertainment purposes, but far more useful than my tablet when it comes to work, despite being old and slow.  Consequently, I often carry both on business trips â€" one for watching movies and catching up on email and social media, and the other for real work.

Some think that Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia is as much about tablets as smartphones.  It gives Microsoft access to hardware technology and access to Nokia’s distribution network.

To date, Microsoft has had limited success with tablets.  After the market failed to receive its stripped down Windows RT tablet, Microsoft reduced the price.   It’s Surface tablet with full Windows 8 was better received, but pricey and so Microsoft also dropped the price of the Surface tablet.

Yes, Microsoft was slow to the tablet and smartphone party.  But there really is a place for good Windows phones and good Windows tablets in the business world.  Those that prefer a unified operating system across all their devices were essentially out of luck before. They were forced to pick one of the big industry leaders, Google or Apple, for the operating systems on their mobile devices instead.  Now they could have more options, if the Microsoft - Nokia acquisition is successful. For the sake of business users, we hope this acquisition will lead to more mobile device choices.

Images: Wikipedia

The 5 Best Cities To Start A Business

For decades, businesses have gravitated toward urban centers like New York and Los Angeles. But are those thriving metropolis the best locations to launch a new business? Here’s a look at some of the best cities to launch a new start-up based on competition, access to resources, and economic growth.

Austin, Texas

CNNMoney ranks Austin, Texas the most business-friendly city in America. The city has a projected job growth of 4 percent, making it one of the top cities for projected job growth in the country through 2015. As the 11th-largest city in the country, Austin has the population to support whatever a small business is selling. The Austin area has a long history of business success, being home to such major companies as Whole Foods and Dell.

Austin is especially welcoming to technology companies, with the University of Texas at Austin turning out thousands of engineering and computer science graduates each year. In 2012, Forbes ranked Austin as the top city in the nation for jobs. The Wall Street Journal Marketwatch named Austin the top U.S. city for growing businesses, citing its close ties to both energy and technology.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Ranked at the top of Forbes.com‘s 10 Best Cities for Young Entrepreneurs, Tulsa provided $125 million in small commercial and industrial loans in 2012, according to NerdWallet. This is the second-highest lending rate of all major U.S. cities. Tulsa is especially beneficial to those in the aerospace industry, with the Tulsa Technology Center and the American Airlines maintenance base at Tulsa International Airport serving as the city’s largest employer.

As the 46th-largest city by population in the U.S., Tulsa has a built-in customer base for new start-ups. According to GrowMetroTulsa.com, Tulsa has the fifth-lowest cost for doing business in the U.S. Companies have stout competition, however. Tulsa is home to the headquarters for Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group and energy companies ONEOK and The Williams Companies-all three of which fall on the Fortune 1000 list.

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is often not credited for being the thriving metropolis it is. Entrepreneur.com ranked it as the best city to start a business due in part to the fact that small-business lending topped $62 million in 2012. But Atlanta’s population of 432,000+ is the reason it has been named the ninth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S.

The Southern city has the third-largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the U.S., serving as home to the global headquarters of The Coca-Cola Company, Home Depot, AT&T, and many other large companies. The city also has the fourth-largest concentration of technology jobs in the U.S. With 9.8 businesses per 100 residents, the city has less businesses competing for consumer dollars than cities like Seattle (12.5 businesses per 100 residents) and Tampa, Florida (11.5 businesses per 100 residents).

Washington, D.C.

It may be known as the political capitol, but Washington, D.C. is home to a large population, centered in a small area. With more than 630,000 living in the city in 2012, D.C. is considered the 24th most populated area in the country. Monday through Friday, those numbers rise as residents of nearby Maryland and Virginia travel to D.C. to work.

But the jobless rate in D.C. is what makes it most conducive to small business development. This rate has changed slightly as the Federal government slashes jobs, but D.C.’s unemployment rate still hovers around 5.4-5.5 percent. When compared to New York City’s unemployment rate of 8.3 percent and Chicago’s unemployment rate of 10.3 percent, 5.5 percent isn’t bad for a major metro.

Bismarck, North Dakota

Speaking of low unemployment numbers, Bismarck, North Dakota has the lowest unemployment rate in the nation, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In July of 2013, Bismarck’s unemployment rate was around 2.5 percent. Even more impressively, while the nation’s unemployment figures hovered at 10 percent in 2009, Bismarck held strong with an unemployment rate of only 3.3 percent. Why? According to CNN Money, the city was growing at the right time, thanks to its energy sector, with the city ranking as one of the top wind-turbine areas in the U.S.

With a population of more than 60,000, Bismarck has the infrastructure to support incoming businesses. Health is an important part of the business sector, with Medcenter One Health Systems and St. Alexius Medical Center falling behind the State of North Dakota as the second- and third-largest employers in the city.

If you’re flexible about your living arrangements while starting a small business, these five cities provide great opportunity, while also having excellent access to amenities and housing. The list of “best cities for starting a small business” seems to be constantly evolving, however, so it’s important to watch for changes from year to year.

Xbox One on sale in NZ in November

Microsoft's new Xbox One console will go on sale November 22 in 13 launch countries, including New Zealand, the US tech giant said.

The company had previously said the entertainment and gaming console would be available sometime in November.

In June, Microsoft said the launch would be in 21 countries, but last month cut that back to 13, saying the plan had been too ambitious.

"We are humbled and gratified by the tremendous interest in Xbox One from game fans everywhere," said Microsoft vice president Yusuf Mehdi in a blog post.

"We have sold out of our pre-order supply in the US faster than at any other time in our history and we are on path to have the biggest launch of an Xbox ever. We look forward to celebrating with millions and millions of gamers this holiday."

Mehdi said that because of the high demand, Microsoft was adding a "limited number of additional Xbox One Day One consoles for pre-order."

He also said that the processor speed of the device would be icreased about 10 per cent to 1.75 gigahertz, on top of the six per cent boost from the earlier version.

"It means that the Xbox One will have that much more power for developers to make their games and entertainment really shine," he added.

The 13 markets to get the Xbox One in November will be Australia, Austria, Brazil, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Spain, the United States and New Zealand.

The successor to the Xbox 360 will be available for $499 in the United States, 429 in Britain and 499 euros in Europe.

The beefed-up console is powered by software that allows for instant switching between games, television, and internet browsing. Microsoft-owned Skype was also integrated for online group video calls.

Kinect motion and sound sensing accessories accompanying the consoles recognize users, respond instantly to commands spoken in natural language, and even detect a person's pulse.

Microsoft's new console will compete against Sony! 's new PlayStation 4, which also promises to combine its film, music, television and games in a home entertainment box. It is due to be released later this year as well.

- AFP

Is Your Online Marketing Strategy Up to Date?

The Internet is a volatile place, with new platforms launching more frequently than most of us do laundry and a constant shifting in the ways that users use the Web. Small business marketers are playing a constant game of catch-up as the online world marches steadily onward. It’s a game that can be very easy to lose when you don’t have a full-time marketing staff to keep tabs on things 24/7.

Think your online marketing strategy might be living in the past? Not even sure what an up-to-date online marketing strategy looks like?

These four signs indicate that it might be time to stir things up a bit and trade those proverbial bell bottoms for app development, Pinterest and Vine.

You’re Using Somebody Else’s Platform Exclusively

Now, I’m not saying that uploading photos to Facebook is a bad thing. But using big, corporate-owned platforms and not hosting any of your own content on your own website, for example - not such a great idea.

There are two big reasons for this:

• One is the phenomenon of digital sharecropping, in which sites like Instagram and Facebook wind up owning your content and potentially profiting from it.
• Second is that in this day and age, you’re just not going to look like a legitimate business without your own website full of relevant and interesting content.

Not sure how to get started? It might be time to hire a web designer to get you set up.

You’re Four Social Networks Behind

Does MySpace ring a bell? Xanga? LiveJournal? These early social networking sites all had their day, to be sure, but that day is long gone. In fact, many of them are totally shifting gears to appeal to different audiences, or simply aren’t used or functional in any useful capacity anymore.

I know it can be tough for small businesses to keep up with every single new social network, and it’s not always worth it to be an early adopter when you don’t know what’s going to fly - but it is important to find the networks that are thriving and right for your business.

You’re Ignoring ROI (Return on Investment) and Analytics

This more technical side of online marketing can be intimidating and just a little bit bewildering. You’re already running a marketing campaign - now you need to analyze it, too.

True, it takes a little bit more work, but tracking data can go a long way in ensuring that the effort you put into marketing is well-placed. And the good news is, you don’t need to be a math or programming whiz to measure the success of your online marketing strategy.

You’re Trying to Appeal to Everyone

The days when you could churn out content and try to reach everyone with it are over. Now, market segmentation is a necessity. There’s simply so much of the Web to reach that you need to strategize and produce content accordingly.

Even more, you need to post that segmented content in the right places. What you post on Pinterest, for example, is going to be very different from what you post on LinkedIn.

The Magic Word is Strategy

The key to online marketing success is right there in the title of this post: Strategy. The biggest sign that your online marketing strategy is outdated might be the fact that you have no strategy.

If this is the case, it’s time to put your nose to the grindstone, figure out your audience, create an editorial calendar and start writing content that adds up to a greater whole.

And of course, don’t forget to measure the results of your online marketing strategy.

Up-to-Date Strategy Photo via Shutterstock

What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger: Entrepreneurship and Recession and How The Different Generations Handle It

Going through a recession is tough on everyone; however, small business owners bare a special burden. Reduced cash flow, decreases in demand, and budget constraints all make it difficult for entrepreneurs to survive in rough economic times.

But when they do, we are eager to hear what these business owners have learned from their experience - which is precisely the point of a recent survey by American Express OPEN.

 

The 2013 OPEN Ages Survey is a follow-up from a 2007 survey, which looked at small business owners aged 24-35 (Generation Y) and 48-70 (Baby Boomers). The 2013 OPEN Ages Survey included interviews with 600 small business owners, defined as companies that have fewer than 100 employees. The questions focused on the impact of the recession.

Results of the survey show similarities and differences between the two generational groups, but taken as a whole, the combined wisdom can provide great insight to entrepreneurs of any age.

Some of the similarities between the two groups include: 

• Stronger Leaders - Both Gen Y and Baby Boomers believe that they’ve become better entrepreneurs as a result of surviving the recession.

• Better Financial Management - The recession caused both groups to change how they manage the finances of their business, and both Gen Y and Baby Boomer small business owners say they improved their financial management strategies.

• More Creativity - Constraints can force creativity, with both groups saying that the recession made them become more creative in their marketing strategies.

 

The differences between the two groups found in the survey included: 

• Caution - The recession seems to have made Gen Y owners more cautious. While 72% said they like to take risks in the 2007 survey, only 56% agreed to that statement in 2013. There was no change in the figures for Baby Boomers.

• Passion - While Baby Boomers were drawn to becoming entrepreneurs in order to make money and be their own boss, Gen Y small business owners are fueled by passion and the desire to do what they love.

• Social Media - Respondents from Generation Y see greater value in social media. During the recession, they increased social media usage in order to build business relationships and to increase visibility.

 

Insight for Entrepreneurs

Small business owners of any age can benefit by combining the insights of business owners from both the Baby Boomer generation and Generation Y.

Baby Boomers know that entrepreneurship is a great way to be independent and make money at the same time - but Gen Y adds that you have to choose something you love for the greatest results.

The recession is a particularly scary thing for Gen Y business owners who are cautious about taking risks - but Baby Boomers know that risks are part of the game, and the economy regularly cycles through highs and lows.

Finally, while Baby Boomers rely on their experience, they should - like their Gen Y counterparts - take advantage of technological trends like social media in order to boost their business in the modern era. For ideas on getting the most out of social media, stay tuned to Small Biz Technology.

What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger: Entrepreneurship and Recession and How The Different Generations Handle It

Going through a recession is tough on everyone; however, small business owners bare a special burden. Reduced cash flow, decreases in demand, and budget constraints all make it difficult for entrepreneurs to survive in rough economic times.

But when they do, we are eager to hear what these business owners have learned from their experience - which is precisely the point of a recent survey by American Express OPEN.

 

The 2013 OPEN Ages Survey is a follow-up from a 2007 survey, which looked at small business owners aged 24-35 (Generation Y) and 48-70 (Baby Boomers). The 2013 OPEN Ages Survey included interviews with 600 small business owners, defined as companies that have fewer than 100 employees. The questions focused on the impact of the recession.

Results of the survey show similarities and differences between the two generational groups, but taken as a whole, the combined wisdom can provide great insight to entrepreneurs of any age.

Some of the similarities between the two groups include: 

• Stronger Leaders - Both Gen Y and Baby Boomers believe that they’ve become better entrepreneurs as a result of surviving the recession.

• Better Financial Management - The recession caused both groups to change how they manage the finances of their business, and both Gen Y and Baby Boomer small business owners say they improved their financial management strategies.

• More Creativity - Constraints can force creativity, with both groups saying that the recession made them become more creative in their marketing strategies.

 

The differences between the two groups found in the survey included: 

• Caution - The recession seems to have made Gen Y owners more cautious. While 72% said they like to take risks in the 2007 survey, only 56% agreed to that statement in 2013. There was no change in the figures for Baby Boomers.

• Passion - While Baby Boomers were drawn to becoming entrepreneurs in order to make money and be their own boss, Gen Y small business owners are fueled by passion and the desire to do what they love.

• Social Media - Respondents from Generation Y see greater value in social media. During the recession, they increased social media usage in order to build business relationships and to increase visibility.

 

Insight for Entrepreneurs

Small business owners of any age can benefit by combining the insights of business owners from both the Baby Boomer generation and Generation Y.

Baby Boomers know that entrepreneurship is a great way to be independent and make money at the same time - but Gen Y adds that you have to choose something you love for the greatest results.

The recession is a particularly scary thing for Gen Y business owners who are cautious about taking risks - but Baby Boomers know that risks are part of the game, and the economy regularly cycles through highs and lows.

Finally, while Baby Boomers rely on their experience, they should - like their Gen Y counterparts - take advantage of technological trends like social media in order to boost their business in the modern era. For ideas on getting the most out of social media, stay tuned to Small Biz Technology.

How Do You Like Your Content? Depends on the Device You’re Using

Whether through smartphones, tablets, or desktops, consumers are constantly looking for ways to satiate their content-driven hunger for the latest news, entertainment, and social media trends. Even in a multi-screen world, content finds its way to the consumer so easily that we do not realize the magnitude of the amount we take in or its impact.

Most of us are victims of getting drawn into the content portal while reading articles or watching clips in the evenings and thinking, “just one more then I’ll go to bed, I swear.” If hours have passed and you’ve far surpassed your content curfew, we’ve done our jobs.

Here at Outbrain, we hope to make your content discovery journey a personalized one, allowing you to get lost in the expansive online world and explore different topics and forms of media, from more traditional publishers like online newspapers, to newer niche publishers growing in influence.

As part of our goal of facilitating interesting online discoveries, we thought it would be fun to analyze the variations of content consumption patterns across our network, depending on what, when, and which devices people use when they click on an Outbrain link.

Get ready for the Battle of Devices!

Got content ready to be discovered? Try Outbrain Amplify and get your content recommended on premium publisher sites across the web. Get Started Here.

How Do You Like Your Content? Depends on the Device You’re Using

Whether through smartphones, tablets, or desktops, consumers are constantly looking for ways to satiate their content-driven hunger for the latest news, entertainment, and social media trends. Even in a multi-screen world, content finds its way to the consumer so easily that we do not realize the magnitude of the amount we take in or its impact.

Most of us are victims of getting drawn into the content portal while reading articles or watching clips in the evenings and thinking, “just one more then I’ll go to bed, I swear.” If hours have passed and you’ve far surpassed your content curfew, we’ve done our jobs.

Here at Outbrain, we hope to make your content discovery journey a personalized one, allowing you to get lost in the expansive online world and explore different topics and forms of media, from more traditional publishers like online newspapers, to newer niche publishers growing in influence.

As part of our goal of facilitating interesting online discoveries, we thought it would be fun to analyze the variations of content consumption patterns across our network, depending on what, when, and which devices people use when they click on an Outbrain link.

Get ready for the Battle of Devices!

Got content ready to be discovered? Try Outbrain Amplify and get your content recommended on premium publisher sites across the web. Get Started Here.

How to Get Followers and Sales With Your LinkedIn Company Page

According to Lana Khavinson of LinkedIn:

50% of LinkedIn members are more likely to purchase from a company they engage with on LinkedIn.

That’s powerful, and a great reason to create a LinkedIn Company Page and promote it. Here are some other benefits of LinkedIn company pages:

• Gives followers a way to keep up on your company news, product updates, etc.
• Provides a single place to learn about all of your company’s products and services.
• Allows recommendations of products and services.

Status Updates

Company Pages offer the ability to post status updates that will be read by your followers. Posting a status update at least a couple of times a week (when most folks are on LinkedIn) is a good strategy.

Your company page status updates can include awards that you’ve won, interviews with employees, new product and service announcements, employment updates, events, tips, company information and more. You can link to your blog posts and videos as well.

If you’re looking for the highest engagement with followers, according to LinkedIn, the company page updates that generate the best response are:

• Company branding - inside looks and interviews.
• Employment branding and career opportunities.
• Tips and best practices.
• Fun facts and quotes.

How to Get More LinkedIn Followers

Just like other social networks, the more people that follow you, the more likely that you will receive sales inquiries and interest.

One way to get more followers is to add a button to your Website, blog and other social media networks. Instructions are below:

Additional ways to get company page followers include:

• Offer an incentive for new company page followers (a free report, ebook, etc.) and send messages to your connections about it.
• Post relevant status updates to groups.
• Include your company page link in your email signature line.
• Suggest to existing employees to follow the page and share status updates.
• Post job openings - a sure way to gain interest in your company.
• Follow other companies on LinkedIn; some will follow you back.

LinkedIn Analytics

It’s a good idea to track the results of your efforts using LinkedIn company pages. With the July, 2013 addition of LinkedIn company page analytics, you’ll now be able to:

• Identify the updates that prompt the greatest engagement.
• Filter engagement trends (clicks, likes, comments and shares) by type and time period.
• Receive more detailed demographic data about your followers.
• See the growth of your follower base and compare it to similar brands.

Using the analytics available will help you determine which actions offer the best response, as well as understanding more about your follower base.

As stated earlier, “50% of LinkedIn members are more likely to purchase from a company they engage with on LinkedIn.” By increasing your engagement with LinkedIn company page followers, you’ll increase the likelihood of purchase.

Followers Photo via Shutterstock