LinkedIn is the premier social media site for business to business marketing. Many businesses, however, don’t get nearly as much as they could from LinkedIn. If you only have a profile and a few contacts, consider amping up your efforts and using this resource in more creative ways. The following are some strategies for increasing B2B sales with LinkedIn.
Optimize Your Company Page and Profile
Your company page and profile are the foundation of your LinkedIn marketing strategy. When people connect with you they’ll tend to navigate to your page to find out more about you and your business.
- Complete your profile. To optimize your profile, make sure you fill it out completely. Include a detailed description of your business, a professional photo, and contact information. A good way to make your profile stronger is to include a link to a video that introduces you and your business.
- Use keywords. Words on your profile and page can come up on searches, both within LinkedIn and Google and other web searches. It’s important, therefore, to use as many relevant keywords as possible.
- Create Showcase pages. LinkedIn lets you create Showcase pages that highlight different aspects of your business. This is useful if your business has a variety of products or services that attract distinct audiences.
Publish Content Consistently
One of the simplest ways to differentiate yourself from the majority of LinkedIn users is to regularly publish content. Many users don’t take advantage of this opportunity to get their posts and articles to a wide audience. Since LinkedIn changed its format a couple of years ago, it’s easier than ever to post. You have a choice of publishing images, articles, and videos. Think of this as a way to build your authority rather than as a promotional platform. You can incorporate LinkedIn into your existing content marketing strategy. If you aren’t ready to create fresh content, at least post links to your blog, videos, podcasts, or other channels.
Use LinkedIn Groups
LinkedIn groups are another powerful way to make and solidify connections with people in your industry. Groups can be found under the Work category where you’ll see a list of any groups you’ve joined. Click on Discover to find suggestions for groups to join based on your industry, interests, and connections. Another option is to create your own group. This is a good way to take initiative and brand yourself as a leader. Of course, then you have the responsibility of growing your group and starting discussions. Once you join (or start) a group, it’s essential to be active. You can set up notifications to stay current on the latest discussions. If you want to build relationships, it’s important to add value. Asking questions is another way to start conversations. Never use groups to directly pitch people or post links to your business.
Join LinkedIn Premium
To be clear, you can get plenty of benefits from LinkedIn as a free member. If, however, you want to get the maximum leverage from this B2B site, consider upgrading. There are several tiers of Premium with the main difference being the number of InMail messages you can send to other members. Being able to contact anyone on LinkedIn is a huge advantage. It lets you reach out to influencers and business owners in your niche and make important connections.
The ability to send InMail is even more effective when combined with another Premium feature: enhanced search function that lets you target people by location, industry, job title, and more. As a business professional, you can choose between Premium Business and Sales Navigator. Another option, Premium Career, is primarily for job seekers. Sales Navigator gives you additional InMails each month and adds features such as Lead Lists and Lead Recommendations. You can join LinkedIn Premium free for 30 days to try it out. If you’re serious about using LinkedIn to make new connections or find more leads, you’ll probably find that it’s worth the cost.
Expand Your Connections
Many of the above tips, such as optimizing your page and profile and participating in groups will help you grow your contacts on LinkedIn. Here are a few other suggestions:
- Send out invitations. LinkedIn provides recommended contacts to all members. You have nothing to lose by sending out invitations to these people.
- Link to your page. Remember to post links to your company page in your emails, blog, and other social media pages. You can also put your URL on business cards and other printed materials.
- Recruit your employees. Encourage your employees to create profiles that link to your company page.
- Add a follow button to your website. This makes it easy for your website visitors to follow your page.
- Advertise. Like joining LinkedIn Premium, this is a strategy that’s optional and depends on your budget. When you invest in ad campaigns, you can also add Follow buttons to your Sponsored Content.
These tips will help you get the most out of LinkedIn and connect with influencers and potential employees, partners, investors, and clients.
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