Citigroup is making great use of the Group function on LinkedIn. Lee Benecke, social media and content consultant at Amaze, analyses what the company is doing right
Citigroup is an American multinational financial services giant. Formed as part of one of the world’s largest mergers, the group is used to operating on a massive scale and its approach to LinkedIn demonstrates a company that is innovative, diverse
and dedicated.
Engagement
With a financial network that spans 140 countries, it will come as no surprise to read its LinkedIn network is vast: 129,886 LinkedIn users cite the company as their employer. While 500,831 users follow the brand’s updates on services, campaigns and initiatives across the globe.
The core of its LinkedIn content links back to either its global or local websites so it’s clear its goal is to generate traffic back to the brand content or campaign microsites. However, that hasn’t stopped the conversation also occurring on-page with likes and comments connected to every piece of content shared.
For me though, the most interesting part of Citigroup’s engagement on LinkedIn comes from its groups. In 2012, Citigroup identified that its brand was not resonating as strong with female professionals as it was with male professionals. To fix this, it launched a group where female professionals could connect and discuss the issues related to their working lives. As of writing this post, the ‘Connect: Professional Woman’s Network’ group has 247,574 members and is a highly active hub for women in business, averaging over 1000 comments per week. As well as encouraging general conversation, the group’s potential as a source of feedback, insight and recruitment cannot be ignored. In addressing a single internal issue, it has potentially created a number of opportunities to leverage this network in the future.
Page: linkedin.com/company/citi
Number of followers: 505,108
1: The page ties in with current events keeping the page fresh and relevant as well as drawing attention to its campaign funding future American Olympians.
2: Citigroup recognised a gender divide in its community and used LinkedIn groups to help fix it.
3: Community strength is evident but creating a culture of sharing company content may need to be addressed; 129,886 registered employees on LinkedIn should see more likes, shares and comments.
Direction
The main LinkedIn Page is as diverse as the group’s services; perfectly demonstrating the breadth of the organisation as well as the topics it’s willing to champion or talk about. To tie in with the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Citigroup partnered with a number of US athletes to talk about their motivations and personal journeys. With some sponsored by Citigroup, the content also demonstrates its campaign to fund future American Olympians thus bringing all content back to either the brand’s services, social responsibility campaigns or PR. This works cross channel as well, something demonstrated by a recent Twitter chat that put eight influential panelists in front of the twittersphere to debate urban startups. This type of content and engagement is the lifeblood of Citigroup’s approach to business, therefore it naturally translates to its corporate comms and social media.
Alongside the group campaigns, the LinkedIn page is also used for straightforward business insight. Advice on the best methods for energising a workforce or launching initiatives to improve productivity sit alongside plugs for its mobile banking app while off-page the previously mentioned LinkedIn group, championing female professionals, continues to grow
in strength.
Within the business sector, I’d say this is one of the most comprehensive LinkedIn strategies around.
Overall rating: 9/10
