It’s no secret that LinkedIn is the most popular network for B2B brands.
And recent social media demographics highlight the platform’s growing (and high-earning!) user base.
But as more professionals take to the stage, it’s a challenge to stand out from the crowd.
Consider how more than half of American marketers are now marketing on LinkedIn. If you want to keep more eye on your personal account, it is not going to happen by accident.
This post breaks down the building blocks of an effective LinkedIn marketing strategy. We will also highlight best practices and ideas for personal accounts and brands alike.
How Businesses Use LinkedIn for Marketing
First things first: There is no “right” way to use LinkedIn for business.
Some companies see the platform as a branding tool. Others use it as a hiring hub.
Understanding the big picture activity of brands on LinkedIn is the key to building a presence on the platform. Below is a snapshot of how majority of Businesses take advantage of LinkedIn.
content delivery
Anything B2B brands can do to squeeze more out of their content strategies is a plus.
LinkedIn has exploded as a B2B content delivery platform. Specifically, content that helps the brand establish itself as an industry authority. For personal accounts, content delivery is all about establishing your expertise.
This means sharing any of the following combinations, for starters:
- blog posts
- Study the matter
- Reviews & Testimonials
- customer success stories
- Videos (think: interviews, webinar snippets, tips)
Company news and notable wins announced
Consider that LinkedIn doubles as both a social platform And A type of news source.
If you want to find the latest happenings for any company in your industry, they’re likely to be front and center on LinkedIn. Brands and personal accounts can break their own news by announcing:
- launch of new products or services
- Major company milestones (think: # of employees hired, # of years in business)
- Financial wins (think: going public, getting funded)
- Previewing highlights of upcoming content (think: case studies or annual surveys)
- rebrand
Positive press and PR still matter to brands and LinkedIn marketing is a popular way to spread the word. The platform is a prime place to be exposed to B2B influencers, journalists and other players in your industry.
highlighting company culture
For positioning and recruiting purposes, many brands center their LinkedIn strategies around culture.
This is another way for companies to stand out from the crowd. Not to mention attracting new talent. Some popular ways to highlight culture include:
- celebrating new employees
- taking a stand on social issues
- “Day-in-Life”-Style Company Post
- Company event recaps (think: retreats, conference “behind-the-scenes” posts)
For example, the Chilean Piper regularly shows his staff in the woods. The company also allows employees to handle the company’s account from time to time.
These types of posts humanize brands and likewise highlight how the platform is less “suit and tie” than before.
lead generation
Food for thought: LinkedIn exceeded $1 billion in ad revenue last year, while organic engagement also grew.
The platform’s status as a B2B selling hub is well documented. That said, generating leads on LinkedIn is a balancing act. Brands and professionals alike need to take care How They nurture and sell leads. Having too much on your face will do you no good.
For example, LinkedIn marketing is massive for SaaS companies that want to acquire more users. This can be done through:
- Promote company events such as webinars (see below)
- Announcing new products, product plans or pricing tiers
- running linkedin ads
Why Personal Accounts Are So Valuable to LinkedIn Marketing
Although the platform is virtually all about business, personal accounts are even more valuable on LinkedIn.
This is true whether you are an employee, a sole business owner or someone at the C-level.
In addition, personal accounts can serve as an extension of business accounts for promotion.
Let’s take a look at why employee advocacy is so important to brands on LinkedIn. Similarly, we’ll explain why personal accounts have so much power over the platform.
Earn as many engagements as possible on the company page
Like it or not, “idea leadership” content is a staple of B2B social media and marketing on LinkedIn. It also includes:
- story telling post
- Direct Tips and Experience
- discussion and thread
Ever Notice How Much Every Viral LinkedIn Post Comes From A Personal Account,
This is no coincidence. Personal stories and anecdotes are among the most compelling content on the platform.
As a result, employee content generally earns Way More engagement and reach than is possible from a personal page. It shows how platforms like Instagram or TikTok prefer personal accounts rather than brands.
Get the most out of your LinkedIn content marketing efforts
Piggybacking on the above point, brand accounts are limited when it comes to accessibility.
But through employee advocacy, brands promote updates with the help of their internal teams.
Doing so means that increasingly more people see your content. Plus, it means that employees can spice up their posts and give a personal touch to their captions.
Support your recruiting and recruiting
You don’t have to work hard to know how much hiring happens on LinkedIn.
Consider how employees can serve as the biggest cheerleaders in any company. Empowering employees to highlight the benefits of working for a brand is a great way to attract top-tier talent.
5 LinkedIn Marketing Tips to Strengthen Your Strategy
LinkedIn is apples and oranges versus other social platforms.
And so finding your footing on the platform may require some trial and error.
If you want to earn more engagement and get in front of your audience faster, here are some LinkedIn marketing tips.
1. Post Original Content (Hint: Don’t Just Dump Links!)
You can’t just drop links and expect engagement on LinkedIn.
Massive social platforms don’t want you to bounce users off-site if they can help it. This explains why content repurposing is a major part of LinkedIn marketing.
For example, many brands will break down or consolidate blog content into smaller, text-only LinkedIn posts. Others will create a slideshow or infographic as an alternative to external links.
and when someone does Post a link, they usually display it on the first comment instead of in their actual post.
Spend two minutes on LinkedIn and pay attention to all the text-based posts. When in doubt, post content that keeps people on stage.
2. Refine Your Publishing Frequency (And Participate More!)
Frequency and consistency matter on LinkedIn just as they do on any other platform.
For brand accounts, we typically don’t see more than one post per day (or even daily). People who post regularly see the most engagement in the mornings and early afternoons of the workday.
However, posting multiple times per day is completely fair game for individual accounts. Some testing is needed to find out what is “optimal”.
But what is more important than frequency is to be an active participant on the platform.
This means engaging in discussions, sharing resources, and answering questions. By doing this you can come in front of the players of the industry and likewise raise the profile of your company.
That’s where a tool like Sprout Social really comes in handy. With Sprouts Smart Inbox, you get a comprehensive view of your LinkedIn presence. This includes tags, comments, shoutouts from employees, and more.
3. Don’t Be Totally “Suit-and-Tie”
As mentioned earlier, LinkedIn can be a professional network but that doesn’t mean your presence should feel stuffy.
Remember: LinkedIn marketing must be engaging and relatable. For brand and personal accounts, focus on your marketing message and brand voice.
Prioritize meaningful suggestions and experiences over jargon. Don’t be afraid to show your sense of humour.
4. Empowering Employees to Promote and Engage on Your behalf
For brand accounts, employee advocacy is the make-or-break in terms of content delivery and reach.
although you could Ask your peers to share your links and promos by hand, doing so is largely impossible without a dedicated platform.
This is again where the sprout clutch comes in. Sprout’s employee advocacy features let brands promote and track the performance of company content.
Comment: Brands should be mindful of how employees position themselves on LinkedIn. They should have 100% autonomy and independence. That said, take steps to avoid potential social PR problems. Chances are you’ve seen your share of the pile-ons on LinkedIn directed at insensitive or downright offensive statements. Make sure your employees are on the same page when it comes to how they represent your brand.
5. Let LinkedIn Analytics uncover the top performing content ideas
Because LinkedIn offers so much creative freedom, you’re spoiled for choice in terms of what you can post.
But it also highlights the importance of regularly assessing the performance of your content. Looking at your LinkedIn analytics, you can understand by the numbers:
- What type of post gets the most engagement
- Is there any timing or frequency that affects performance
- How your employees and individuals affect your company’s reach
- Is your LinkedIn content generating traffic and leads
Beyond a basic analysis of the platform, tools like Sprout Social can be of great help in answering all of the above.
What does your LinkedIn marketing strategy look like?
Growing up on LinkedIn doesn’t happen through random comments and answers.
The best accounts on the platform provide meaningful support And Has a strong sense of individuality. Once you signify yourself as a consistent and reliable resource, you might be surprised at how quickly you can increase your presence.
Not 100% sure where to go next on LinkedIn? Double-check our LinkedIn for Business worksheet that you’re doing everything you need to do to grow your presence!
LinkedIn Marketing: How To Use It And 5 Tips To Improve Your Strategy appeared first on Sprout Social.
