Promotional giveaways play a huge role in business-to-business marketing, but social media is also becoming an increasingly prevalent factor. For companies in this sector, LinkedIn is arguably the best resource for generating leads and reaching out to clients because it’s the only social network designed exclusively for professional connections. On the other hand, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter are geared more toward consumers than business leaders.
Marketing on LinkedIn is almost a necessity for B2B companies in the modern marketplace. Without a social presence, it can be nearly impossible to find new prospects and strengthen relationships with current buyers. The social network should be a cornerstone in every enterprise’s advertising campaign, so here are a few tips to get started.
Connect with the right people
As with all social media marketing, success on LinkedIn is predicated on developing a strong network. However, there is some temptation to emphasize quantity over quality and connect with hundreds of other users, regardless of whether they’re strong leads or could become partners down the road.
According to the Social Media Examiner, the key to developing a strong network is qualifying potential connections. The news source explains that professionals should ensure that they are looking for users from the local area, members in similar LinkedIn groups, users who share content and people who have similar interests. By searching for connections that meet these standards, a small business owner can ensure that his or her network only features people who may become clients down the road.
Additionally, this strategy helps entrepreneurs find new leads over time. The Social Media Examiner points out that by qualifying connections, a user will eventually start receiving messages from similar professionals. As a result, a small business owner can take a hands-off approach by allowing new leads to come in without actively cultivating prospects.
Integrate LinkedIn and content marketing
Content marketing has become a standard practice in recent years as entrepreneurs look to create an online presence and position themselves as industry leaders. Through blogs, whitepapers, infographics, videos and newsletters, companies are attempting to increase their brand equity on the Internet. Fortunately, all of these resources can be used to establish a marketing presence on LinkedIn and vice versa.
The Content Marketing Institute recommends that small business owners should link to their LinkedIn groups in other content. Entrepreneurs can also place badges on other pages to attract new followers and fans. The advantage of this strategy is that it creates synergy between marketing channels so that a company can find new leads and increase revenue without developing multiple strategies.
Further, LinkedIn and content marketing can be integrated by posting articles to groups. For instance, an enterprise that relies on its blog to convert consumers into customers can repost articles from its website to the social network.
Top search rankings
Search engine optimization is a key to online marketing and is also a crucial element of effectively marketing on LinkedIn. The Next Web notes that businesses should use keyword strategies to ensure that they’ll rank highly when users search for specific queries on the social network. Entrepreneurs should place phrases and terms in the Specialties section in order to capitalize on SEO.
What’s more, small business owners can also use their profiles’ web addresses to their advantage. The source explains that URLs can be customized to include an organization’s name instead of a random collection of numbers and letters. Taking this step can ensure that a company’s profile appears near the top of Google searches to help find new followers and customers.