If you work within the automatic door, industrial door, electrical, engineering, CCTV, access control or wider security industries, there’s a good chance that many of your customers, suppliers, manufacturers, potential employees and industry contacts are already on LinkedIn.
The question is: are you?
And if you already have a LinkedIn page or personal profile – are you actually using it?
LinkedIn can sometimes be dismissed as “just another social media platform”, but for businesses operating in professional, technical and trade industries, it can be an incredibly useful tool.
You don’t need to become a content creator. You don’t need to post every day. And you certainly don’t need to spend hours thinking about what to say.
Simply having a presence, building your network and checking in regularly can help keep you connected with what is happening across your industry.
Why should your business be using LinkedIn?
Find opportunities – and be found
LinkedIn is essentially one enormous professional network.
Companies regularly use it to find subcontractors, engineers, installers and other businesses when they need additional support with projects.
Imagine a company has secured a large project in an area they don’t normally cover and needs additional engineers.
Who are they going to ask?
Increasingly, the answer is their network.
A simple LinkedIn post asking, “Does anyone know an automatic door engineer covering this area?” can quickly reach hundreds or even thousands of people within the industry.
If you’re visible and connected, that opportunity could find its way to you.
Promote your vacancies
Recruitment remains a challenge across many technical industries, which makes it even more important to make the most of the networks already available to you.
LinkedIn allows businesses to promote vacancies directly to people working within their sector.
Whether you’re looking for an automatic door engineer, electrician, service engineer, project manager, estimator, salesperson or apprentice, sharing the opportunity through LinkedIn allows your existing network to help spread the word.
Your employees can share it.
Your suppliers can share it.
Industry organisations can share it.
And somebody in your network may know exactly the person you’re looking for.
Keep up with industry events
Training days, networking events, exhibitions, conferences and industry meetings are regularly promoted through LinkedIn.
Following the companies, associations and people within your sector means you’re far more likely to hear about opportunities to attend – rather than discovering them after they’ve happened!
It’s also a great place to see who’s attending an event before you arrive, continue conversations afterwards and build relationships with the people you’ve met.
Stay informed
Standards change.
Training becomes available.
New products are launched.
Events are announced.
Deadlines approach.
Industry news develops.
LinkedIn gives you an easy way to keep an eye on all of this without having to search for the information yourself.
Following the right people and organisations effectively creates your own personalised industry news feed.
Show people what your company actually does
One of the easiest things to post on LinkedIn is simply your work.
Completed a challenging installation? Share it.
Your engineer solved an unusual fault? Talk about it.
Welcomed a new apprentice? Introduce them.
Completed some training? Celebrate it.
Installed a new automatic entrance, roller shutter, access control system or CCTV system? Show people.
These posts demonstrate your company’s experience and capabilities without needing to feel like an advert.
Over time, somebody who regularly sees your work begins to recognise your company.
And when they eventually need the service you provide, your name may already be familiar.
Build relationships within your industry
Business is still built on relationships.
LinkedIn gives you the opportunity to stay connected with manufacturers, suppliers, customers, engineers, industry organisations and other companies within your sector.
Comment on people’s posts.
Congratulate somebody on an achievement.
Share useful industry information.
Ask questions.
Join conversations.
Sometimes the most valuable result of LinkedIn isn’t a viral post or thousands of followers – it’s simply being connected to the right person when an opportunity arises.
Your personal profile matters too
Don’t rely entirely on your company page.
People often engage with people more than logos.
Encourage directors, managers, engineers, sales teams and other members of staff to build their own professional networks too.
They don’t necessarily need to create lots of content. Following relevant organisations, connecting with people they meet through work and occasionally interacting with industry posts can gradually build a valuable network.
Already have LinkedIn? Start using it!
If you created an account three years ago and haven’t touched it since, now is a great time to log back in.
Update your profile.
Make sure your company information is correct.
Connect with customers, suppliers and colleagues.
Follow the organisations relevant to your work.
Then start engaging.
You don’t need a complicated LinkedIn strategy.
Even ten minutes a couple of times a week can help you stay connected with your industry.
Stay connected with ADIA
If you work within the automatic door industry or one of the many sectors that overlap with it, make sure you’re following Laura Saxby and the Automatic Door Installation Association on LinkedIn.
We regularly share:
- Industry updates and insights
- ADIA announcements
- Training and course information
- Event updates and reminders
- Member news and opportunities
- DoorSafe updates
- Monthly LinkedIn newsletters
- Useful information for automatic door companies and engineers
- News from across the wider industry
And, importantly, LinkedIn gives our industry another place to talk to each other.
Whether you’re an automatic door company, electrician, engineer, industrial door company, CCTV installer, access control specialist, manufacturer, supplier or simply work within a related sector, we’d love to have you as part of that network.
Create your profile. Follow the industry. Make some connections. And join the conversation.
Because you never know when the next post you see – or the next person you connect with – might lead to your next customer, employee, supplier, project or opportunity.