Retargeter

LinkedIn for B2B Lead Generation

Potential buyers are constantly scouring the Internet for information. By the time someone has filled out your lead form, chances are they’ve done a lot of research and are much further along in the buying process than you might expect. LinkedIn’s ability to provide potential buyers with information about you, your product, your brand, and your business has the social network at a visitor-to-lead conversion rate that is 277% more effective than Facebook and Twitter. Give visitors the data they need to make an informed decision with these LinkedIn optimization tips for lead generation:

LinkedIn Company Pages

Have you filled out your company page? Companies are best served approaching their LinkedIn company page in the same way as a personal profile. You want to describe your products and services and request recommendations for each. As simple as this step is, most companies are not properly utilizing their profiles, missing an opportunity to inform potential buyers of what you offer. If your LinkedIn page is filled out and adequately describes your products and services, potential buyers will quickly find the information they were looking for, direct from the horse’s mouth, without having to search elsewhere.

Are you leveraging status updates? In addition to branding your company page with your logo, messaging, and a cover photo, you can utilize your page as a knowledge sharing platform. Share relevant status updates with links to valuable content. This is one medium where broadcasting your latest content, news, and product updates is encouraged. Updates with information that is useful to both current and potential buyers will help you to slowly build a positive reputation in the LinkedIn space and attract quality followers.

Finally, remember to incorporate LinkedIn anywhere you’re promoting your social media presence. Do you have a “Follow Us On LinkedIn” button on your website? Like any social media channel, you want to integrate LinkedIn into all of your marketing activities.

LinkedIn Employee Profiles

First, ask your employees to complete their profiles. Make sure there is uniformity in how your company is listed and described on each individual employee page. Help your employees boost their visibility on LinkedIn by providing targeted keywords for your company and industry to use in their profiles. The higher the ranking of your employee profiles, the greater your credibility as a company.

Ask employees to regularly share content from your Company page. When you’re posting great content, you want to do what you can to make sure that content reaches the largest audience. Employees are an excellent resource for spreading knowledge and ensuring your brand is top of mind. I’m always more inclined to look at an update or read an article when I have a personal connection to the person the post came from. Leverage the power of employees’ personal networks by encouraging sharing.

LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn groups provide you with access to the professionals in your target market, and the ability to communicate with the exact market you’re trying to reach is an opportunity that should not be missed. Here are a few ways to leverage LinkedIn groups for lead generation.

First, your employees can join the groups that are related to both their professional profile and to your company’s industry and products. Second, they can start to engage with these groups. How? Connect with group members, comment on articles posted, and most importantly for your company, share your great content. The focus of each group enables you to post the right content that group members will find most valuable and interesting. As you become a regular contributor and provider of answers, you will build brand awareness and attract qualified leads.

LinkedIn Answers

As is the rule with all social media, you want to be an active participant. It’s not always about instant gratification; instead it’s about helping out a community where you can. Your company has knowledge. Your employees have knowledge. Get out and share! LinkedIn Answers are a great place for you to start participating in the conversation. Regularly monitor questions and see where you can add value.

Answer as many questions as you can for which you can provide useful answers. This is not about self-promotion; it’s about establishing yourself as a helpful, knowledgeable, thought leader in the industry. If you’re answering a question that requires you talk about your company, include a disclaimer. For example, when we answer retargeting questions, we always mention that we work for ReTargeter. We’re not participating to be sneaky or self-promote. We’re there to provide the best, unbiased answers we can in order to add value and help a person find the right answer. Do this and you’ll be sure to win some followers, fans, and potential leads.

When it comes to LinkedIn, first make sure your company page and employee profiles can serve as a united front for your brand and messaging. Once this is done, you and your employees can start participating on the platform. Add value by sharing relevant content and answering questions. Support others by sharing their content. And lastly, stay active with regular status updates. A strong and reliable LinkedIn presence will give buyers confidence in you and your product, as well as eliminate their need to research further before filling out your lead form.