If you are B2B brand a great place to expand reach and generate quality leads is LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a business focused platform that can help cultivate business relationships and keep up with industry news as well as share current expertise. Research by the Content Marketing Institute indicated that 93% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn for lead generation over other major social media platforms to generate qualified leads. 77% of these same marketers also ranked LinkedIn as the best channel for B2B LinkedIn lead generation. Here are 7 tips to help you utilize LinkedIn for lead generation and potentially gain new clients for your business:

1. Optimize Your Business Profile 

Your profile page should also act as a landing page. People and companies don’t usually except connection request without checking out your business profile to make sure you are legit. Make sure you have 60px X 60px logo file that is easily recognizable at a small size. Your cover image should be well designed and demonstrates your company’s brand. If you can fit services and contact info even better! The headline section should have your company name, industry, and a small summary of the services you provide. Your “About” section should demonstrate your expertise and include any accomplishments or awards you have. Remember to keep the summary brief and to the point. Here is checklist to help: 

✅ A brief overview of your business

✅ Awards and accomplishments

✅ Description of your business’s products and/or services

✅ Data and numbers to prove your expertise

✅ Use relevant keywords to improve search discoverability

✅ Add a call to action

2. Post Relevant Content

It is important to be active on the platform and post regularly. If you a limited-on time only post on certain days or hire a digital marketing firm that has social media management as one of their services. Content should be relevant to your target audience and useful to solve their problems or challenges. A quick content marketing research strategy: 

• Define your ideal reader/customer 
• Set your objectives based on their problems 
• Identify the important metrics to track success 
• Define your brand’s editorial layout 
• Create the type of content that appeals to your target users or solves a problem they have
• Measure results with social media analytics tools

3. Prioritize Articles 

Articles are very popular and favored on LinkedIn. Try to treat content like a mini blog. Some article tips to help you get started:

• Create a catchy headline and write in a clear, concise style
• Use images, infographics, and videos to break up your text and add visual interest
• Make sure your articles are well-researched and sources are easy to find 
• Use keyword-rich tags to help your articles get discovered
• Update content on a regular basis

4. Interact on the Platform to Boost Visibility

Treat LinkedIn as a networking event. Set aside at least 15 minutes to leave a comment or reaction to show support for the clients you’re aiming for. Try to avoid spamming them with a sales pitch. Remember you want to build a healthy relationship with the potential client or business you want to partner with. On your own page, you can host webinars, polls, events, and other interactive media that encourage others to leave a comment. 

5. Drive Users to Your Lead Material and Landing Pages

You can add links to your LinkedIn posts to promote your website, blog posts, webinars, and other lead materials. The platform does not a limit on how many people it can reach unlike other social media platforms. Add relevant hashtags and hashtags targeted at the audience you want to attract. Have a call-to-action and contact info include in graphic or post. Make sure your posts, updates, ads, and promotions are educational and provide some value to your readers. Most regular ads are ignored or missed. Videos are also gaining popularity so consider adding motion to graphic or converting a blog post into an informational video.

6. Participate in Groups

LinkedIn also allows professionals to join groups for conversations around specific topics. If you are on Facebook, it is like a Facebook groups. Look for groups within your niche or industry. You can trade knowledge and skills with each other. Make sure to review the rules and regulations before joining a group. Sensitive topics, like mental health, medical information, and political topics can get you kicked out fast. If you must talk about these topics because you are in field related to the topics, keep it practical and triple check your sources. Avoid aggressive self-promotion or sales pitches. Respect others and avoid de-humanizing languages (slurs & cussing). Appreciate notable contributions from other members in the group. Everyone is there to benefit from each other. 

7. Leverage Ads on LinkedIn

Paid ads can drive traffic to website and increase sales. Use this technique strategically, especially if you are a small business on a budget. LinkedIn has a variety of products that put your content in front of your target market. You can target users based on job title, industry, and company size. A native ad that appears in the LinkedIn feed. LinkedIn outreach messages that are delivered straight to the target users’ LinkedIn inboxes. Make sure you have specific content related to your product or services. Check spelling and grammar. Due to scams people are a little cautious when it comes to messages they don’t know. 

Need help coming up with a winning LinkedIn Strategy? Call 248.528.360