When it comes to B2B marketing, you may feel a little stuck in terms of the social channels you may choose to market on. Instagram and TikTok feel way too B2C, and Facebook seems like a place for people to post pictures of their dogs. While you may feel like you’re getting the likes and comments on those social channels, you’re not getting the leads and customers. This is where LinkedIn comes in. LinkedIn isn’t just a social media platform, it’s a gold mine for B2B marketers. It’s the secret sauce for companies where the audience is a bit more niche than your typical customer-facing gig. LinkedIn is built with professionals in mind and with a growing number of 1 billion members, it’s definitely the place to be. Using LinkedIn as a marketing tool will help you connect with decision-makers from every industry. And LinkedIn’s features and advertising tools make connecting all that much easier. Is your business ready to enter its LinkedIn era? This guide will help you with just that!

Benefits of B2B marketing on LinkedIn:

LinkedIn is a multi-purpose social media for businesses, offering a range of opportunities. You’re not just building brand awareness, you’re forming genuine connections with professionals – no cat videos, family photos, or memes. Just business professionals looking to engage with like-minded people. It’s not just marketing; it’s forming strategic partnerships with the right people at the right companies. Here are a couple of benefits of using LinkedIn as your go-to social platform:

• Set up a company page: Setting up a company page on LinkedIn is like giving your business its own digital personality. Showcase your products, share updates, and all the crucial information that puts your business in the best light. It isn’t just about telling your story; it’s about doing it on a platform with millions of eager users. The trick here is to share insightful content and showcase your company’s achievements to build a professional reputation like no other. Remember: A strong reputation has a huge influence on purchasing decisions. The better your online reputation is, the higher the chance of people purchasing.
• Lead generation: LinkedIn is all about targeting individuals – those decision-makers you want in your corner. According to Hubspot, LinkedIn is a whopping 277% more effective in lead generation than Facebook or Twitter. It is a great tool to generate leads and target people you know are likely to turn into high-paying customers. Especially since many many key decision-makers, turn to LinkedIn before making an important business purchase. You can thank me later when the leads start pouring in! 
• Precise targeting: With the way LinkedIn is set up, you can search for people based on industry, location, job title, and company they work for. Your marketing efforts become laser-focused, targeting the exact people you want to engage with. This method allows you to target much more than just a broad audience; it’s about reaching the right audience. 
• Turn your employees into brand ambassadors: Help your employees optimise their profiles to turn them into brand ambassadors who can put your company in the best of lights. Encourage them to create engaging content based on your industry, product, and business so that when a potential client or business partner happens to stumble upon your employees’ profile, they’re hooked! This method allows you to expand your reach and share deeper insight into your business. It’s a free tool you can use to unleash your business’ full potential.
• Use your own data: Use the data you already have on hand to turn leads into your dream clients. You can upload your email lists, CRM data, or any other customer data you’ve got to create ads that end up in the right hands. This will help you market directly to target that specific audience. You can also create ad campaigns based on this information that you know are likely to convert. And it doesn’t just stop there. LinkedIn Lookalike Audiences is a nifty feature for those wanting to target people similar to your existing customers. This is perfect for those looking to expand their customer base while maximising their ad performance. And, if you’re into tracking website visitors, the LinkedIn Insight Tag is your new best friend. It helps you retarget your website visitors, keep tabs on users, create custom audiences based on their behaviour, and so much more. This handy feature opens up a whole new world to help you succeed in the B2B world.

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How to get leads organically through LinkedIn:

1. Optimise LinkedIn Profile:

First impressions matter. And the way to create a killer first impression is by crafting a profile that stands out. Sure, you can list your services and put out a well-written bio section, but LinkedIn offers more interactive features to elevate your professional business profile. Adding things like a professional logo, cover image, and informative description may seem like small details, but they make a world of a difference. 

You also need to focus on making your page easier to find. The easiest way to do this is by having a snappy summary that captures what you do and includes relevant keywords. This not only makes your page easier to find but is also a good way to let visitors instantly know what your business is all about. 

Make sure your page is up-to-date. Imagine a potential customer stumbling across your page that has an outdated logo or a phone number that’s no longer in use. It makes your business seem outdated and can honestly be a deal-breaker. If potential leads were to call that out-of-service number, they may get put off and might move on to your competitors. Remember: keeping things current is all about customer experience. You want people to feel as if they’re engaging with a business that’s always current with the times. 

2. Post consistent content that is engaging:

Just like any other social media platform, consistency is key. Start by consistently posting on LinkedIn. Regularly share informative content paired with an eye-catching image and a high-quality caption to help keep your audience engaged and informed. Before hitting that ‘post’ button make sure you double-check that you’re adding value. 

Spice things up a bit! No one wants to know about the services you offer or why they should choose you over the sea of competitors. You heard it here first – people want to see the behind-the-scenes scoop and personal side of your business. Go for those team-centric posts that have a touch of personality and humour sprinkled in – they perform really well on LinkedIn. Dial down the sales pitch, and up the notch on creating value and building a community. 

3. Join and Participate in Groups:

Join and participate in groups to increase your networking and increase your reputation as a source of valuable content. It’s all about joining groups that match your interests or industry to make sure you’re in the loop about the recent news in your field. You’re able to be the life of the party in various discussions to connect with the right people. The more you post into these groups, you’re moulding yourself into the go-to thought leader. When you’re engaging with your target market in these LinkedIn groups, you’re not just making connections – you’re reeling in new leads. Some of these connections might just turn into your next loyal customers.

4. Leverage LinkedIn Analytics:

Having a LinkedIn marketing strategy is pretty pointless if you’re not using LinkedIn Analytics. You’ve got to know what’s working and what’s not. And LinkedIn Analytics is the perfect tool for that. It helps you measure the performance of your company page and the content you’re putting out. Here’s a quick breakdown of a couple of analytics that are useful in your B2B strategy:

• Visitor Analytics: Ever wonder who’s stalking your LinkedIn page? Visit Analytics is here to spill the beans. It’s a way to see the total page views, unique, visitors, and custom button clicks. Plus, you can filter this data based on different categories – Time Periods, Job Function, Company Size, Location, etc. This can help you understand your audience and cater content towards them.
• Follower Analytics: Despite follower count just being a vanity metric, many people love to see the amount of followers they’re gaining.
• Update Analytics: Dive into the nitty-gritty of all your posts’ interactions such as comments, likes, and shares. This goldmine of data helps you figure out what posts are working and what’s not.  
• Competitor Analytics: In my opinion, this is LinkedIn’s best feature. You can gain thorough insight into how your competitors are performing on LinkedIn. You can compare follower metrics and organic content metrics as well as the number of total posts each competitor is putting out. If your competitors aren’t posting regularly, that’s your chance to swoop in and fill that content gap.