An audience numbering more than 900 million in 2023, representing a year-on-year increase of over 11%. That’s the power of LinkedIn. For B2B marketers, LinkedIn is the holy grail for finding relevant prospects.
You would assume that most marketers would have leveraged every possible angle to stand out on the platform. Wrong. Despite 96% of B2B marketers sharing their thoughts and insights on the platform, their LinkedIn strategy leaves a lot to be desired.
A Universal Platform – But you need to stand out
The networking behemoth is more like a watering spot where your target audience congregates. A place where clients, customers, vendors, prospects, colleagues, thought leaders and referrals—a mind-boggling variety of roles—get to know each other.
The first thing you need to do is to go back to the basics.
Quick-Fix 1
Ensure your organization’s page is up-to-date without any gaps.
This includes industry vertical, market region and company size at the very least. Don’t forget to add your logo. You may be surprised to know that the first thing that draws attention on LinkedIn is the photo or logo.
The next thing that’s checked is the description or “About Us” section. Be sure to add industry-specific terms, prompts and keywords. Yes, SEO is as relevant for LinkedIn as it is for your website.
Engage with Immersive Content
A number of marketers think that Meta (Facebook!), X (Twitter?) and Instagram are the social media platforms of choice when it comes to multimedia. Not exactly. About 60% of LinkedIn users fall within the 25 to 34 age bracket. And guess what they prefer to view on LinkedIn?
Quick-Fix 2
Add images, photos, infographics and videos to your LinkedIn content.
The engagement level is five times higher for dynamic content as compared with static text. LinkedIn’s business analytics show that decision-making in business is directly proportional to the number of interactions. Out of sight, out of mind is indeed applicable in this context.
Share what’s gaining traction
Most marketers are strangely reluctant to share their organization’s posts, which are getting more views and clicks. Don’t be shy to make your company’s content go viral.
Quick-Fix 3
Go out of your way to invite people to follow your organization and highlight what your company does.
Let your imagination go a bit wild to give your brand a distinct identity. LinkedIn is not a place where you have to always conform to a rigid corporate image. Be open to including analogies from popular and mainstream areas. The freshness helps break the monotony and boosts engagement, as long as it’s nothing controversial.
Stick to a schedule for best results
Have a routine for updating your content. LinkedIn will push your company’s profile to more organizations and people in your domain if it detects that you are posting regularly. What can you post? Don’t sweat on coming across as a thought leader.
You can follow the giants to start off, while adding your own two bits to the discussion.
Quick-Fix 4
Look for trends and events that you can piggyback on to join the conversation and reuse to craft your own content.
This puts you squarely in the box seat to come of age in due course of time.
Be tech-savvy to be a savvy marketer
Don’t ignore the data and analysis tools that LinkedIn offers. Tools such as automated A/B testing are a great way to test your audience’s preferences.
Quick-Fix 5
Personalize your messaging and tailor your strategies to resonate with your target audience’s job profile.
A risk management and compliance person would be interested in certifications, while somebody from finance would be more concerned about budget and cost.
LinkedIn’s analytics will tell you what’s working and what’s not. You can use the insights to tweak your marketing strategy if you find something that needs to be emphasized or ignored.
And while you are at it, do incorporate LinkedIn Ads in your strategy. Here’s a statistic to chew upon. The ad revenue from the platform totaled $5 billion in 2022. Not just from a financial perspective but also from a predictive angle, tracking LinkedIn Ads is a great way to collect intent data from your audience. What’s more, the financial analytics part of LinkedIn lets you align your ads with your brand and overall business goals for maximum conversions.
LinkedIn is a powerful platform with immense potential for B2B marketers. To make the most of it, you need to stand out in the crowd of 900 million users. We should start by ensuring your organization’s page is up-to-date and engaging with immersive content. Add images, photos, infographics, and videos to your LinkedIn posts to increase engagement. Don’t be shy about sharing your organization’s posts to attract and invite people to follow your company.
Additionally, maintain a consistent posting schedule, join relevant conversations, and leverage LinkedIn’s data and analysis tools. Personalize your message and tailor your strategies to resonate with your target audience. LinkedIn’s analytics will provide valuable insights for refining your marketing approach.
For a deeper dive into the financial aspects of building a data-driven enterprise through LinkedIn, I highly recommend exploring the insights in the whitepaper titled “Harvard Business Review Analytic Services: Finances’ Key Role in Building the Data-Driven Enterprise.” This whitepaper delves into the crucial role of financial analytics in enhancing your LinkedIn strategy, aligning with your brand, and achieving maximum conversions.
Your LinkedIn strategy should encompass brand awareness, advertising, and networking, so explore the whitepaper for a comprehensive understanding of how financial analytics can elevate your data-driven journey. By incorporating these valuable insights, you can further enhance your engagement, connect with better prospects, and boost conversions on LinkedIn.