Making the Most Out of LinkedIn š Sunbury Business Association
A hands-on presentation and workshop with Dify Social's Steve Hubbard - with and for Sunbury Business Association
Held at Hume Global Learning Centre ā Sunbury on Wednesday evening 15 October 2025
Making the Most Out of LinkedIn š Sunbury Business Association
1.
Dify Socialās SteveHubbard is a Monash University Master of Marke:ng (MMktg)
alumni and former Australian Marke:ng Ins:tute Cer:ļ¬ed Prac:cing Marketer*
(CPM, 2015-2025)
Steve is arguably Australiaās best local social media marketer having provided social
media marke:ng & management services for 550+ businesses and enterprises since
2012. See blog for client case studies.
These include and have included, many well known franchise & independent brands,
branches of a major bank, a Na:onal spor:ng team, a Federal poli:cal party and the
Footscray Traders Associa:on.
1
āDo it for youā social media
marketer ā making the most
out of LinkedIn
2.
Not only haveI been using LinkedIn since 2010,
and networking in person (and online during COVID!) with small business owners
since star:ng Dify Social in 2012 ā
Itās my belief that LinkedIn is the natural choice for professionals because...
š¼ Itās built for business. Every connec:on, post, and message is purpose-driven ā
not social ļ¬uļ¬.
š¤ Itās your digital handshake. People Google you ā and your LinkedIn proļ¬le is
usually the ļ¬rst impression.
š£ Itās the only social media where ātalking shopā is encouraged. You can share
exper:se, achievements, and ideas freely.
š It connects you with decision-makers. From local business owners to corporate
buyers ā theyāre all on LinkedIn.
š It drives organic visibility. Unlike other pla_orms, LinkedIn rewards consistency
and authen:city, not just ads.
š It builds trust and authority over Dme. Your ac:vity compounds ā every
comment, ar:cle, and endorsement adds credibility.
š¬ It supports real relaDonships. Oļ¬ine connec:ons start online and con:nue to
grow through conversa:ons and collabora:on.
2
Steve Hubbard, CPM MMktg
Small Business Owner, Networker
& Social Media Marketer at Dify SocialĀ®
DIFY Social [ABN 39875722968] Steve Hubbard, CPM MMktg
a 43 Hewitt St, Footscray VIC 3011 o L4 / 301 Hampshire Road, Sunshine VIC 3020 (iHarvest workspace)
t 1300 DO SOCIAL +61 1300 36 7624 e [email protected] w difysocial.com.au
2
2012-
2013
2025-
2026
3.
Social media usagehas exploded since 2013
ā¦and LinkedIn has quietly become one of the biggest pla_orms of them all.
š Australian users (2013 ā 2025)
LinkedIn: 2.4 million ā 17 million (+600%)
Facebook: 11.7 million ā 17.2 million
Instagram: 1 million ā 15 million
TikTok: 0 ā 9 million+
š¬ While LinkedIn might not be as ās#ckyā as Facebook or Instagram (people donāt
scroll endlessly)ā¦
ā¦itās where serious connecDons, referrals, and collaboraDon opportuniDes happen.
ā Thatās 17 million potenDal collaborators, referrers, and customers ā and itās
growing every year.
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Social media stats (Australia) - itās no fad!
LinkedIn on the up, up, up
3
2013 2025
DIFY Social [ABN 39875722968] Steve Hubbard, CPM MMktg
a 43 Hewitt St, Footscray VIC 3011 o L4 / 301 Hampshire Road, Sunshine VIC 3020 (iHarvest workspace)
t 1300 DO SOCIAL +61 1300 36 7624 e [email protected] w difysocial.com.au
4.
My belief thatā¦
⤠No amount of social media markeDng can save a business that doesnāt know its
own āwhy.ā
š¬ Successful marke:ng starts with clear values, authenDc purpose, and a story
worth sharing.
š± When your values shine through your social media ā thatās when people connect,
trust, and buy.
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Mission. Purpose
Values. Impact
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Our mission is to protect (brands), build (relationships)
and grow businesses using social media marketing.
Our purpose is to gain competitive advantages for
businesses using social media marketing tactics that
include Facebook advertising, to attract and retain more
customers.
šHave fun. Do good! ⦠we change lives
šPassion ⦠we love social media marketing
šIntegrity ⦠we donāt do āsmoke and mirrorsā
šInnovation ⦠we keep improving ā¦
šCommunity ⦠we are social, online & F2F
DIFY Social [ABN 39875722968] Steve Hubbard, CPM MMktg
a 43 Hewitt St, Footscray VIC 3011 o L4 / 301 Hampshire Road, Sunshine VIC 3020 (iHarvest workspace)
t 1300 DO SOCIAL +61 1300 36 7624 e [email protected] w difysocial.com.au
5.
1⣠Small BusinessHouse
Social media marke:ng sits within Marke#ng Communica#ons (MarComms) ā itās
not your whole strategy, but it supports it.
It builds awareness, trust, and engagement around your brand, oļ¬er, and you.
2⣠Online ā Itās All About People-to-People (P2P)
Even in B2B, people buy from people.
Your prospect communi:es oken look just like your current customers ā so we focus
there ļ¬rst.
3⣠Inbound Approach ā āWeb ā Social ā Contact Usā
For aļ¬ordability and eļ¬ciency, we repurpose website content to social media to drive
interest back to your contact point.
Facebook remains key for small business because it owns Instagram, Messenger, and
WhatsApp ā lemng us āhuntā your target audience eļ¬ec:vely.
The same repurposing logic applies beau:fully to LinkedIn Company Pages ā where
we ānurtureā rather than āhunt.ā
4⣠The Opportunity for Small Business
According to the Yellow Social Media Report, less than 13% of small businesses have
any kind of strategy.
Thatās an incredible opportunity to stand out simply by being consistent and
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Dify SocialĀ® Strategic Model
[Infographic] ā¦
5
DIFY Social [ABN 39875722968] Steve Hubbard, CPM MMktg
a 43 Hewitt St, Footscray VIC 3011 o L4 / 301 Hampshire Road, Sunshine VIC 3020 (iHarvest workspace)
t 1300 DO SOCIAL +61 1300 36 7624 e [email protected] w difysocial.com.au
OpDmising Your LinkedInProļ¬le (Workshop)
Your personal proļ¬le is your online business card.
ā Key areas to review:
Proļ¬le photo (clear, professional, friendly)
Banner image (use brand colours, show what you do)
Headline (what you help people with, not just your :tle)
About sec:on (your story, purpose, and value)
Experience (what problems you solve, with outcomes)
Skills, endorsements & recommenda:ons (social proof)
š¬ Workshop ac#vity:
ā Review your headline and āAboutā sec:on ā does it tell people why and how you
help?
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Optimising your LinkedIn profile (workshop)
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DIFY Social [ABN 39875722968] Steve Hubbard, CPM MMktg
a 43 Hewitt St, Footscray VIC 3011 o L4 / 301 Hampshire Road, Sunshine VIC 3020 (iHarvest workspace)
t 1300 DO SOCIAL +61 1300 36 7624 e [email protected] w difysocial.com.au
8.
OpDmising Your LinkedInCompany Page (Workshop)
Your company page should reinforce your brand and values.
ā Review these areas:
Logo, banner & tagline (consistent with other pla_orms)
Overview (include your āwhy,ā mission & services)
Call-to-ac:on (contact, website, learn more)
Regular posts (showcase exper:se, client stories, culture)
Invite employees, partners, clients to follow
š¬ Workshop ac#vity:
ā Open your company page ā what ļ¬rst impression does it make?
ā Note one update to make this week
7
Optimising your LinkedIn company page
(workshop)
7
DIFY Social [ABN 39875722968] Steve Hubbard, CPM MMktg
a 43 Hewitt St, Footscray VIC 3011 o L4 / 301 Hampshire Road, Sunshine VIC 3020 (iHarvest workspace)
t 1300 DO SOCIAL +61 1300 36 7624 e [email protected] w difysocial.com.au
9.
LinkedIn is allabout relaDonships, not random adds.
ā Tips for quality connec:ons:
Connect with clients, colleagues, partners, and peers
Personalise your connec:on requests
Follow local business owners, referral partners, and associa:ons
Engage with their posts before connec:ng
š¬ Workshop ac#vity:
ā Iden:fy 5 people you could connect with today to expand your trusted network
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Building your LinkedIn network (workshop)
8
DIFY Social [ABN 39875722968] Steve Hubbard, CPM MMktg
a 43 Hewitt St, Footscray VIC 3011 o L4 / 301 Hampshire Road, Sunshine VIC 3020 (iHarvest workspace)
t 1300 DO SOCIAL +61 1300 36 7624 e [email protected] w difysocial.com.au
10.
Building Your LinkedInBusiness Following (Workshop)
Grow your company page audience intenDonally.
ā Strategies:
Invite your personal connec:ons to follow
Tag your page in your own posts
Encourage your team to share company updates
Join local and industry conversa:ons
Post regularly (1ā2x per week minimum)
š¬ Workshop ac#vity:
ā Brainstorm 3 ways you can increase visibility of your company page this month
9
Building your LinkedIn business following
(workshop)
9
DIFY Social [ABN 39875722968] Steve Hubbard, CPM MMktg
a 43 Hewitt St, Footscray VIC 3011 o L4 / 301 Hampshire Road, Sunshine VIC 3020 (iHarvest workspace)
t 1300 DO SOCIAL +61 1300 36 7624 e [email protected] w difysocial.com.au
11.
Consistency beats intensity.
ā Content types:
Educa:onal (āhow toā :ps, FAQs, insights)
Inspira:onal (quotes, milestones, achievements)
Conversa:onal (ques:ons, polls, reļ¬ec:ons)
Promo:onal (oļ¬ers, events, case studies ā in modera:on)
ā Frequency:
Personal proļ¬le: 2ā3 posts/week
Company page: 1ā2 posts/week
Commen:ng: daily, if possible
š¬ Workshop ac#vity:
ā Drak one example post idea for your personal or business pag
10
Activity and content plan ā what to say and
how often? (workshop)
10
DIFY Social [ABN 39875722968] Steve Hubbard, CPM MMktg
a 43 Hewitt St, Footscray VIC 3011 o L4 / 301 Hampshire Road, Sunshine VIC 3020 (iHarvest workspace)
t 1300 DO SOCIAL +61 1300 36 7624 e [email protected] w difysocial.com.au
12.
Visibility on LinkedIn= engagement.
ā The algorithm loves:
Though_ul comments within 60 minutes of pos:ng
Reac:ons (š š¬ š” ā¤) ā but comments count more
Reposts with your own take, not just a share
Consistent engagement builds familiarity and trust
š¬ Workshop ac#vity:
ā Open your feed. Comment genuinely on 3 posts relevant to your business
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News feed interactions, comments and reposts
(workshop)
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DIFY Social [ABN 39875722968] Steve Hubbard, CPM MMktg
a 43 Hewitt St, Footscray VIC 3011 o L4 / 301 Hampshire Road, Sunshine VIC 3020 (iHarvest workspace)
t 1300 DO SOCIAL +61 1300 36 7624 e [email protected] w difysocial.com.au
13.
ā Start withyour āwhy.ā
Your purpose and values shape how you show up online.
š¤ OpDmise your personal proļ¬le.
Be clear, credible and human ā tell people what you do and why it maHers.
š¢ Strengthen your company page.
Show your business personality; post consistently and authen:cally.
š Build your network with intent.
Connect with people who ma{er ā clients, collaborators and local peers.
š£ Create & share valuable content.
Educate, engage, inspire ā aim for connec:on, not perfec:on.
š¬ Engage in the news feed.
Comment, react and repost though_ully ā be part of conversa:ons.
š Plan, measure and improve.
Track what works; focus on rela:onships and ROI, not vanity metrics.
š” Remember:
LinkedIn is about people ļ¬rst, plaJorm second. The more genuine you are, the more
opportuni:es you a{ract.
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Thatās a wrap on āmaking the most of LinkedInā
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DIFY Social [ABN 39875722968] Steve Hubbard, CPM MMktg
a 43 Hewitt St, Footscray VIC 3011 o L4 / 301 Hampshire Road, Sunshine VIC 3020 (iHarvest workspace)
t 1300 DO SOCIAL +61 1300 36 7624 e [email protected] w difysocial.com.au
ā Start with āwhyā
Your purpose and values should shape how you show up online
š¤ Optimise your personal profile
Be clear, credible and human ā tell people what you do and why it matters
š¢ Strengthen your company page
Show your business personality; post consistently and authentically
š£ Create & share valuable content
Educate, entertain, engage ā aim for connection, not perfection
š¬ Engage in the news feed
Comment, react and repost thoughtfully ā be part of conversations
š Plan, measure and improve
Track what works; focus on relationships and ROI
š” Remember LinkedIn is about people first
The more genuine you are, the more opportunities you attract