In addition to guest posting on the UpCity blog, Belkins is featured as one of the Top Lead Generation Agencies in the United States. Check out their profile!
There are only two types of LinkedIn social network users:
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Those actively engaged, posting daily, and contributing to the community on a weekly basis.
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Those logging in once a quarter to check for connect requests.
If you fall in the former category, you know how powerful the platform has come to be.
If you’re in the latter group – it’s time to wake up!
In all fairness, there are a ton of marketing tools and social media platforms that can contribute to a positive social selling strategy: Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, etc. LinkedIn, however, has become a B2B haven to connect with both like-minded business owners and customers. Whether you are in sales, marketing, ops, or partaking in any kind of start-up, the benefits to be gained are incremental.
We’re not just talking about LinkedIn ads either; LinkedIn’s organic content algorithm can be a powerful tool to help reach potential customers and decision-makers. Just like your content marketing strategy needs an effective mix of SEO and paid ads, your social media marketing strategy must consider both paid and unpaid sources of traffic as well.
What are the core benefits of leveraging Linkedin’s various outlets for your business?
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Differentiating yourself from competitors
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Capturing 3rd party news and PR
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Staying up to date with the latest trends and topics
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Testing new messaging and product launches (without risking ad spend)
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Leveraging customer research from a new perspective
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Building authentic relationships with complementary businesses, prospects, and customers
How Are B2B Businesses Using Linkedin Today?
There’s no right or wrong way to implement a B2B Linkedin strategy. Some businesses take a minimal approach–posting monthly or quarterly updates on their LinkedIn profile. At its origin, LinkedIn was used as a talent-sourcing platform where small businesses could post job openings. This company-centered approach has since evolved. Pictures of a recent company outing, employee highlights, or milestones achieved are all great ways to raise brand awareness. Either way, it’s an impactful way for businesses to demonstrate their values and give employers a strong sense of community.
Yet, a more recent wave of businesses is taking a daily approach to their LinkedIn marketing strategy. Using LinkedIn as a key platform to educate clients, share media resources, and repurpose their most valuable marketing assets. The ones that are making real noise? They’re finding creative ways to post out-of-box content and in doing so, attract more customers. We’re seeing creators push past what B2B marketing has always been—a little boring.
Four Strategies to Get You Started with LinkedIn Lead Generation
1. Develop Business Page Strategy
Start by establishing your objective. Promoting products and services won’t cut it. Do you want to educate your clients and pass along valuable insights? Do you want to use LinkedIn as a platform to distribute your media assets? What types of content will you create? Will the voice have a professional or relaxed tone?
The most important question you can ask is, what do your customers care about most?
Tips:
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A digital marketing strategy is useless without KPIs. Consider impressions and LinkedIn company page visits from each post and use an editorial calendar to measure daily outputs.
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Utilize LinkedIn lead forms so prospects can fill out forms directly without ever having to leave their browser.
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Linkedin is a professional network and a hub for building mutually beneficial partnerships with forward-thinking marketing and sales leaders. Consider unique ways to partner with solopreneurs or other businesses to cast an even wider net.
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2. Employee Distribution and Personal Branding
Employees with an active presence on Linkedin present the perfect win-win scenario. Businesses benefit as employers share their thought leadership and expertise, while employees are able to establish their credibility, furthering their own careers.
Tips:
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Influence matters. Who has a deep network? Who’s willing to spend the effort making genuine connections?
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Employees should set aside time on a weekly basis to connect with prospects, customers, and other thought leaders. Create a calendar with an easy checklist. Post, engage, connect. Repeat x 10.
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Most employees don’t have the bandwidth to post every day. Utilize your content team and make it a collaborative marketing effort.
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Work smart, not hard. Redistribute content, and pull out memorable moments from podcasts, webinars, blogs, and emails. Find creative ways to say the same thing over and over again–just keep it valuable. (It’s part of building a brand).
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Don’t be afraid to get personal. Your employees aren’t robots, and frankly, the world doesn’t need any more generic content. Moreover, business is all about relationships. Why not share unique personal stories that open the doors to truly connect with one another?
3. Build a Consistent Webinar Calendar
Webinars are a great opportunity for audiences to interact with you live, and a Linkedin audience was built for it.
Tips:
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Plan at least 4 weeks in advance before the date of your webinar. You’ll want to post 1-2 times a week in various creative formats to build hype.
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Utilize your employees to optimize attendance. Once registered for an event, anyone can invite their connections to attend as well.
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Use Linkedin groups (be weary of promotional guidelines) to post your webinar if there is relevant content.
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Look for similar events and invite those attendees to your event. Mention in a friendly message that they may similarly get value out of your event.
4. Launch a Monthly Newsletter
Newsletters are the perfect ‘formal’ opportunity to showcase your company’s achievements, share recaps, and updates, and tell your target audience what’s next!
Tips:
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Be an advocate for your clients at all times. Share their wins, new strategies, or products implemented. Feedback and testimonials are beneficial for everyone.
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Provide real metrics. Did your company meet its Q4 objectives? What are you learning along the way? Spill the beans, be real. The ‘build-it-in-public approach’ is favored among B2B leaders.
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Don’t be afraid to recommend resources out of your scope of work. Anything that benefits your clients or followers gets a green light.
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Keep it entertaining!
How Do I Generate Results?
Always lead your content strategy with your customer’s interests at heart. Keep your finger on the pulse of your industry, and don’t be afraid to play the crystal ball. What are customers dying to hear about, read about, and what will help them conquer their mountain? Stay consistent, and you’ll find yourself on top of it.
Last thing to remember. You’re battling for attention – that’s not new news. Observe those who have a loyal following but don’t fool yourself into thinking you can follow the same strategy and achieve dramatic results. Originality matters. Figure out what makes your brand exceptional and worth following. Don’t get stuck on the hamster wheel of LinkedIn content creation. While it’s no easy feat, creating something that’s worth sharing is so worth it.