Social media news is often centered on Facebook data collection or Instagram influencers, but some of the most important brand engagement is happening on a different, fast-growing platform. LinkedIn has become much more than a tool for job searching and recruiting. Content from thought leaders and meaningful conversations between all kinds of professionals have made the platform fertile ground for businesses. So, how can you take advantage?
Know Your Business
Of course, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook are going to continue to drive conversation for consumer-facing brands, like everyone’s favorite hamburger-slinging Twitter account, Wendy’s. However, LinkedIn is starting to make manufacturers, distributors and other B2B companies more accessible. Business-to-consumer models can find success on LinkedIn in hiring and promoting company culture, but the medium is a bit more central to B2B marketing. If we go by statistics from the LinkedIn marketer’s guide in 2019, 80% of B2B social leads come from LinkedIn.
Make Connections
As the platform has turned toward user engagement, people liking, commenting and posting have increased year over year. Organic engagement is still strong. Regularly posting on your profile and sharing articles will keep your page fresh, and users will be notified when an article of yours is published. When you have a steady stream of content, page views and interactions will follow, as well as visits to your website when you strategically include links. On top of organic content, paid posting has allowed for incredibly precise targeting. On Facebook, you may be able to target followers of similar pages in a certain location, but LinkedIn gives marketers the opportunity to reach people specific to their target market. For example, a company selling pipeline and drilling equipment can solely reach decision-makers at petroleum businesses.
Another opportunity lies in the ability of individual users to have their content seen by their networks. A well-placed thought leadership article on an executive’s personal profile can lead to productive, personalized conversations while starting up or contributing to a LinkedIn group can establish your presence within a particular industry. It’s important to note that posting through personal accounts and groups should be focused on providing insight and value rather than hard-selling.
Generate Leads
While companies duke it out to get their posts seen on Facebook, paying for ads and boosted posts, organizations using LinkedIn get to enjoy the best social network for generating leads. According to Hubspot, LinkedIn is 277% more effective at generating leads than Facebook and Twitter.
Whether you’re on this platform or not, now is the perfect time to build out your organic, paid and employee presence. There are valuable connections waiting to be made, and you should be asking, “Where can LinkedIn take my business?”
If you have questions about LinkedIn or overall social strategy, please feel free to contact us.