Yes, a company page can invite followers on LinkedIn. LinkedIn provides company pages with various options to grow their follower base and engage with prospective customers and partners. Some of the key ways a company page can invite followers on LinkedIn include:
Send connection requests
Company pages can send connection requests to LinkedIn members directly from their page. This allows them to invite relevant professionals in their industry or location to follow their page and receive their updates. When a connection request is accepted, the recipient automatically becomes a follower of the company page. This is one of the simplest and most direct ways for a page to proactively grow its follower base on LinkedIn.
Share and promote page
Company pages can easily share and promote their page within LinkedIn to attract more followers. They can share their page link when posting updates, commenting in LinkedIn groups, and messaging connections. Pages can also run LinkedIn ads specifically designed to promote their page and gain more followers. Tools like LinkedIn’s “Follow” ads make it simple for pages to get their page in front of targeted audiences and invite them to follow.
Add “Follow” button
Every company page has the option to display a “Follow” button on their page. This prominent call-to-action button makes it easy for visitors to follow the page with one click. Pages should make sure the Follow button is enabled and displayed in a visible location like the page header or sidebar. This allows visitors to proactively follow the page if they like the content.
Share compelling updates
Posting interesting and useful updates is key to attracting and inviting more followers. When a company page shares compelling content, it gets displayed in the feeds of existing followers and can also show up in the feeds of prospective followers suggested by LinkedIn’s algorithms. This organic visibility gives pages the opportunity to invite new followers who engage with their updates.
Utilize LinkedIn tools
LinkedIn provides several tools to help company pages invite more followers as part of their account settings. For example, the “Partner Program” allows pages to invite business partners and subsidiaries to become followers and collaborate. The “Embed Follow Button” gives pages code to add a Follow button to their website or emails. And “Audience Targeting” lets pages specifically target and invite follower profiles that match their ideal customer.
Benefits of Inviting Followers
There are many benefits for a company page to invite followers and grow their audience on LinkedIn:
Increased visibility
More followers means increased visibility for a company page’s brand, content, and job posts. A larger follower base helps pages reach and engage more professionals through the LinkedIn feed.
Expanded reach
Followers can help expand a page’s reach by liking, commenting, sharing, and reacting to updates. This exposes the page to new audiences through followers’ networks. Inviting more relevant followers improves overall reach.
Build credibility
A healthy follower count adds credibility to a company page on LinkedIn. Professionals perceive pages with more followers as more reputable brands and industry leaders.
Generate leads
Followers represent potential customers and business leads. Company pages can convert followers into leads using call-to-action buttons, offers, and gated content. The larger the follower base, the more sales opportunities available.
Spread brand awareness
Inviting followers helps spread brand awareness organically to a targeted professional audience. Instead of paying for impressions, pages can reach relevant profiles through followers interacting with their content.
Best Practices for Inviting Followers
Here are some top tips for company pages to effectively invite quality followers:
Target strategically
Rather than inviting followers randomly, pages should target professionals aligned with their ideal customer profile. Tools like LinkedIn’s Audience Targeting and Lead Gen Forms make strategic targeting simple.
Personalize invitations
Personalized invitations and connection requests get much better response rates than generic outreach. Segment lists and add custom notes to invite followers individually.
Offer value
Share valuable insights, thought leadership content, and special offers through the page to provide followers with an incentive to engage. Offering value encourages followers to stay engaged long-term.
Make it easy to follow
Ensure the LinkedIn Follow button is clearly visible and use clickable links in posts to make following frictionless. Also, include links to your page in email signatures and website.
Engage and respond
Be proactive in liking, commenting on, and sharing follower posts to foster engagement. Also, respond promptly to all follower messages, comments, and reactions.
Analyze performance
Use LinkedIn Page Insights to analyze which types of content, offers, and messaging attract the most new followers. Double down on what works best.
Retarget engaged visitors
If visitors interact with your page but don’t follow, retarget them through LinkedIn ads and email marketing to invite them to follow.
Make regular asks
Don’t just invite followers once. Ask site visitors, email subscribers, partners, and existing connections regularly to follow and help spread the word.
Risks to Avoid
While inviting followers can be beneficial, company pages should avoid certain risks:
Spamming connections
Irrelevant connection requests and repetitive invitations may be marked as spam. This can negatively impact page reputation.
Purchasing followers
Buying fake followers inflated follower counts but undermines credibility. Focus on inviting real, engaged professionals.
Over-promoting
Avoid making every post an overt sales pitch or self-promotion. Followers will disengage from spammy content.
Neglecting relationships
It’s not enough to just invite followers. Pages need to cultivate ongoing relationships by engaging with and responding to followers.
Conclusion
Inviting more relevant followers can significantly expand a company page’s reach, credibility, and lead generation on LinkedIn. But it must be done strategically and authentically. By targeting and personalizing invitations, offering value, making it easy to follow, and cultivating relationships, company pages can grow their follower base successfully over time. With LinkedIn’s array of tools and best practices, pages have many options to spread brand awareness and increase followers without risking their reputation.
Type of Invitation | Pros | Cons |
---|---|---|
Send Connection Requests | – Direct outreach to targeted profiles – Higher acceptance rate – Recipients auto-follow when accepting |
– Time intensive to personalize at scale – Limited to direct connections |
Share and Promote Page | – Broad reach across network – Free to share organically – Ongoing awareness |
– Impersonal – Followers may have low relevance |
Display Follow Button | – Easy one-click following – Works for anonymous visitors – Persistent visibility |
– Passive approach – Visitor must find page first |
Type of Content | Best For… |
---|---|
Thought leadership articles | Establishing industry expertise |
Behind-the-scenes photos/video | Building brand personality |
Infographics | Educating and engaging visually |
Job openings | Recruiting passive candidates as followers |
Live videos | Make authentic connections |
Industry news and trends | Demonstrating knowledge |