In the world of social media–the expansive user base of Facebook, the beautifully curated feeds of Instagram, the novel humor of TikTok, the never-ending stream of consciousness that is Twitter–LinkedIn feels like it’s own little island, full of suits, ties, resume links, and tenuous “connections” from people you may or may not even remember.
For many entrepreneurs, it may not even occur to them that this virtual networking platform can be a powerful marketing tool not just for themselves, but for their businesses as well. So how can you leverage this platform to help drive sales for your business?
Know Your Audience: LinkedIn is for Businesses and Professionals
Any smart social media strategy will have a foundational understanding that every social media platform is different–each one has different user demographics, prioritizes different sorts of content, and creates different connections. Of course, LinkedIn is no different.
You’re probably well aware that LinkedIn is explicitly a social media network for business professionals, and it should be approached as such. LinkedIn will probably not be the place to pitch your trendy product to teens, or field questions from customers trying to find your storefront. In fact, LinkedIn will likely not be a major platform for direct-to-consumer selling in any meaningful way, as the user base is so specific to the business community. This doesn’t mean you need to stay off the platform, however–by cultivating connections on the platform, you can draw attention to your business from respected professionals who can help spread the word and bring more eyeballs onto your offerings.
While it won’t be the go-to platform for consumer sales, what you will find is that LinkedIn can be a highly effective platform for Business-to-Business (B2B) sales opportunities. By connecting with other business owners, operators, and professionals on LinkedIn, your business is more likely to be in front of the decision-makers that might actually need your product or service if it could help their own businesses.
Create Your LinkedIn Business Profile–Then Use It
LinkedIn offers both personal member profiles and business profiles, and if you’re on the platform, you need to make sure you utilize both. Setting up a LinkedIn business profile is straightforward and ensures that your business itself has a presence on the platform–rather than relying on your personal member profile to carry all the weight, your business profile can share business updates, new product info, industry information, and more, all while drawing attention to the business itself.
Your business profile also gives you the ability to run targeted ads. Much like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter ads, LinkedIn ads allow you to target niche communities and pay to get your business in front of the people who are most likely to be in your target audience.
Like your business profile on any other social networking platform, you’ll want to make sure that it showcases your business in the best light. That means branding it with professional-quality photos, your business logo and colors, and informative, well-written copy that feels on-brand and consistent with how your business presents itself on all other platforms.
Remember: The Personal is Professional
It’s hugely important to make a profile for your business on LinkedIn, but it would be a mistake to focus entirely on that while neglecting the power of your personal member profile. First of all, make sure that the two are connected–anybody on LinkedIn should be able to see how you and your business are related so that any of your personal posts are helping to bolster awareness of your brand.
Second, you need to make sure that the way you use your personal member profile is in service of building your business. This doesn’t mean your personal posts are nothing but copy lifted from your last email blast; you should still strive to be warm, personable, and yourself, rather than merely a mouthpiece for the business. But it does mean you should present yourself professionally as an ambassador for your brand, and spend some time making sure your activity on LinkedIn is working to build connections that could help you and your business thrive in the future.
Additionally, utilize your personal profile in congruence with your business profile. When you share company updates on the business page, share those posts on your personal profile with an added personal touch. This will give exposure to your company page and help simplify your social calendar.
Don’t Forget to Make Friends: Social Media is Social.
Lastly, like any social media platform, just being present isn’t enough–you need to be active to get the most results. If you aren’t posting, commenting, joining relevant groups, and participating in discussions on LinkedIn, it doesn’t matter how beautiful your business page looks or how many recommendations your personal member profile has; you just won’t see much traction.
Build meaningful relationships with people who are in your field, so that you and your business become known and respected amongst your peers. Not every conversation needs to be (or should be) a sales pitch–ask people questions about their own work-life, answer questions from others, and publish insightful blogs and public posts about your business or your industry. It’s almost a cliché to use this phrase, but LinkedIn is a powerful platform for those looking to become “thought leaders” in their industry, city, or peer group, and leverage that to the benefit of their own businesses.
LinkedIn may be more of a niche social media platform than, say, Facebook, but it remains a powerful marketing tool, especially for B2B sales and building business connections that can benefit your organization. If the LinkedIn user base sounds like your target audience but you don’t have the time to manage yet another social platform, Skol Marketing’s team is here to help. If you’d prefer one-on-one guidance or would like to discuss how our assistance can help you protect your hard-earned Google search rankings, please don’t hesitate to contact the local social media experts at Skol Marketing.
