LinkedIn is a powerful lead generation platform for B2B marketing. Here are some tips and tricks to get you started.

 

8 reasons you should be B2B marketing on LinkedIn

#1: The numbers game

There are half a billion professionals with LinkedIn profiles. Today, the majority of professionals across verticals have LinkedIn profiles.

This number is significant because, unlike Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media platforms, LinkedIn is comprised of business accounts. These are mainly people interested in sharing content, offering/seeking jobs and making the kinds of connections that turn into great leads.

If any social media network resembles a business after-hours or networking event, it’s LinkedIn. With so many users, there are few companies that won’t have somebody you can connect with on the platform.

#2: Pinpoint targeting

One of the things that can be frustrating about a business after-hours event is that the connections you make are so random. You work the room and mingle, hoping you’ll find someone who might become a viable business connection.

LinkedIn allows you to be far more targeted. You can isolate your content feeds, connection efforts and paid ads based on a variety of criteria, including:

• Industry
• Company size
• Company name
• Job title
• Job function
• Seniority
• Education
• Degrees
• Fields of study
• Skills
• Age
• Gender
• Location
• LinkedIn groups

As is the case with all digital advertising today, there is no reason to blast content out to large groups when it will be irrelevant for most of them. In other words, no tedious conversations at the business after hours with some sales guy who’s totally outside your lead generation targets.

#3: Example targeting

Say you’re selling a product to contracting companies. You want to target business owners in Colorado only. You could drill down and target companies that only have 20 or more employees.

Like all digital marketing today, the name of the game is targeted segmentation. You need to get the right ad in front of the right people at the right moment — or you’ll probably be ignored.

Here are more tips from Linkedin:

#4: Linkedin lead gen forms

One of the challenges of online lead generation is getting people to take the time to fill out a lead form. People are so impatient when browsing online that just a few fields on a form can discourage them.

This is why lead forms like Linkedin lead gen forms are so valuable.

A lead generation form online does two things. First, it auto-fills information into the form fields automatically, using the person’s Linkedin profile info. Second, it converts the lead without them having to navigate to your website or landing page.

In other words, if someone is interested in your offer, it makes it virtually effortless for them to convert.  Here’s how it works:

We’ve seen high ROI with clients using these forms on Linkedin, showing it’s probably the most effective lead generation tactic on the platform.

#5. Sponsored InMail

InMail lets you send an email native to Linkedin to your target audience. Like regular email marketing, InMail allows you to send a relevant message that appears in the message inbox of your audience. Unlike regular email marketing, you can get very targeted and specific with InMail, greatly reducing the chances of your message looks like spam.

You can track results in analytics and A/B spilt test content to find what’s most effective. You can also track history in your CRM software.  

InMail is effective for getting people to conferences or webinars, as well as downloading infographics, whitepapers or ebooks.

#6: Display ads

Display ads on LinkedIn can be an effective way to spread your brand message to your target audience.

Again, LinkedIn display ads work well for B2B because they’re so good at targeting people based on the type of business they work for. For example, a lot of B2B display advertising targets people who work at companies with more than 1,000 employees.

This strategy works well for driving awareness and keeping your sales funnel at capacity.

#7. Retargeting ads and matched audiences

Retargeting is a powerful tactic across all web marketing and advertising platforms, and Linkedin is no exception.

The process is similar to Google or Facebook. You add a pixel to your website that tracks visitors and segments them into lists. You then create targeted ads that show up in their LinkedIn feed.

You can also use account targeting, where you upload a CSV of company names and match them against all the companies on LinkedIn. With this, you can target decision-makers at your target companies.

Similarly, you can upload your email list and target a campaign to those people.

These follow similar tactics found on Facebook and Google that let you do a better job of segmenting campaigns for people who have already interacted with your brand.

#8. Flexible budgets

Like most digital marketing, it’s easy to dictate your campaign budgets based on the time and reach you’re willing to expend.

The keys to success are also the same. You need to let campaigns run their course and ensure they’ve gotten in front of your target audience. If you’re A/B split testing, make sure you have enough data to inform your decision on what campaign works best.

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In the plethora of online marketing channels, LinkedIn has kept its niche as a strong B2B platform. If B2B is a big part of your strategy, LinkedIn will probably be one of your best places for social media lead generation.

The Marketing 360® Social app helps you stay consistent on LinkedIn by allowing you to schedule your posts for the week or month — all from one place. Learn more and see our plans and pricing.

Originally published on 9/5/17