LinkedIn can help get your business in front of potential buyers. LinkedIn gives you the online real estate to promote your products, services, press, and user reviews in front of a highly targeted audience.
The social network boasts a visitor-to-lead conversion rate that is 277% more effective than Facebook and Twitter. Capitalize on this high quality traffic by utilizing the following LinkedIn features:
1. LinkedIn Profiles
Make sure your company page is 100% complete. If a prospect is already spending their time on LinkedIn, a completed company page will allow them to find the information they’re looking for, without having to leave to go to your website.
You can approach your LinkedIn company page as an extension of your website. It can be branded with your logo, colors, and messaging. This is your opportunity to highlight your best products and services with video, peer recommendations, and supporting content. An incomplete company page is a missed opportunity to showcase your value proposition.
Don’t make the mistake of ignoring the LinkedIn audience; fill out every part of your page.
In addition to your company page, employee profiles are a powerful resource to garner greater visibility in the social sphere. While you can’t control all employee activity on LinkedIn, you can have guidelines for how your company name and description are represented. Ensure your company description contains your high performing keywords.
When a user performs a keyword search in LinkedIn, you’ll benefit from having your company and employees in the top results.
2. LinkedIn Groups
LinkedIn Groups give you access to highly targeted communities. You have the ability to reach the people that most perfectly match your target market. Sponsoring an event? Published a new article? Find the group that is best aligned with your activity and share. It’s important, however, not to use LinkedIn Groups as a fully self-promotional tool.
You can join groups to learn and add value. Monitor posts and questions to see where you can contribute in a helpful way. You shouldn’t only post information about your own business. You can share networking events, interesting articles, and other tools that you’ve found to be useful.
Once you have established your reputation within various LinkedIn groups as a quality member, you can intermittently include posts that promote your own business or product, when applicable. Self-promotional posts out of nowhere are never welcome. But, if someone needs help and your business offers a solution, this is an excellent forum to share that information.
In addition to building brand awareness, your helpful participation in LinkedIn groups will set your business apart from the competition.
3. Status Updates
Status updates are a powerful way to attract more viewers and build brand visibility. While this is not the case with LinkedIn Groups, it is perfectly acceptable to use LinkedIn status updates for self-promotion. As a professional network, this medium is designed for you to share the latest news, events, and press about your business.
In addition to posting from your company page, you can also ask your employees to share your company’s updates to expand your reach. If you’re lacking in original content, you can contribute interesting articles, interviews, and industry related content.
Use LinkedIn as a knowledge sharing platform. Like with most social networks, you get what you put in. Sharing relevant and interesting news will get you noticed. Don’t forget to comment and like posts from people in your network, as well, in order to show your support.
When you are active on LinkedIn, you’re building a stronger online presence for your business. A filled out company profile and uniform employee profiles will increase your visibility in search results. LinkedIn Groups not only help you to stay on top of industry trends, but also keep you in front of a highly targeted audience.
And lastly, status updates ensure you stay visible. Make it easy for potential buyers to find you by utilizing LinkedIn to its full potential.
LinkedIn Photo via HubSpot
I think this is a really important article. It is about putting social media first. So many times you here the same old excuse “I just havent got time”. So corners are cut (linked in profile is only filled in minimally. Its time we all accepted this is the market place of the future. Make time for your marketing.
Ilana Bercovitz
Thanks for reading, Nick. You’re very right. It’s time we accepted LinkedIn and other social media as viable marketing tools.
Ti Roberts
These are some great tips. I rarely ever use LinkedIn although I know it can be great for making connections, building relationships and bringing in more business. LinkedIn is a platform I can’t seem to really get into. I may attempt to delve deeper into it’s inner workings sometime soon. Thanks for sharing.
Ti
Ilana Bercovitz
Thanks, Ti! Yes, it’s a great platform when you need to reach the professional world. I especially recommend it for B2B companies.
Joel Libava
Ilana,
I’ve been thinking of ways to double my marketing efforts on LinkedIn, so your post is very timely.
I’m going to have to double-check my company page-see if my content is being shared from that page of not.
Thanks!
The Franchise King®
Ilana Bercovitz
Joel, thanks for reading! Glad you found the post helpful.
I would also add that LinkedIn is developing a very robust PPC platform. You can target by Job Title, Job Function, Industry, Geography, Age, Gender, Company Name, Company Size or LinkedIn Group. While it costs more, the ability to ensure your message is getting in front of exactly the right people is very valuable.
Ilana Bercovitz
Great point, Robert. The highly targeted nature of LinkedIn’s PPC platform allows for quality over quantity with your campaign. My only complaint is that the metrics are barely there and I don’t find the ads to be very visible or engaging. I know they’re working on this!
Great overview of the key areas on LinkedIn. Participation in relevant groups is so valuable to your prospecting strategy.