Guide to LinkedIn Marketing

Your marketing game plan is only as effective as your ability to generate leads. If a website visitor isn't intrigued enough to fill out your form and become a lead, you haven't done your job.

Fortunately for content marketers, many marketers (both B2B and B2C) are turning to LinkedIn as one of their top social networks to find customers. The site boasts over 433 million professionals from more than 200 countries in its network and 160 million professionals that actively use the platform every month.

The beauty of LinkedIn for marketing is that it enables you to create a direct connection with your target customers through a platform where they already spend time. You can build authority and credibility for yourself in the industry, making it easier to market your business (and even better, the leads you receive from LinkedIn will cost you less than most other places).

Here's an overview of all the points covered in the article:

What's LinkedIn?
What are the fundamentals of the LinkedIn platform?
What's LinkedIn Marketing?
How can you use LinkedIn as an effective marketing platform?
What are tips to ace your LinkedIn marketing strategy?
What LinkedIn strategies work for marketing your business?
How to get started with LinkedIn Marketing?
What are the ways to use LinkedIn as a lead generation tool?

What's LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is an online business networking service where users are encouraged to create detailed profiles. These profiles allow users to share details about their education and professional careers. Once your profile is set up, you can add connections to other professionals in your area or even across the world.

This means that you'll be able to see their work history, education, skills, and even recommendations from other professionals who know them well.

These recommendations are critical because they're how you get in touch with people on LinkedIn. If someone leaves a request for someone else, their name will appear at the top of the recommendation, so it's clear where the recommendation came from.

They're also important because they help show that you're a good networker and communicator – this is especially important if you're looking for a job or trying to get clients for your freelance business.

What are the fundamentals of the LinkedIn platform?

LinkedIn is divided into different sections, including:

Network — Using the network section, you can send messages to other members, view their profiles and photos, search for people in your industry or location, etc.
LinkedIn Pulse — This section of LinkedIn displays blogs written by members about various topics. You can share these blogs with your network to receive feedback or comments on them.
Groups — Group features allow you to join groups based on your industry or location so you can connect with other professionals in your area. You can also start your group if you cannot find one related to your interests.
Jobs — The jobs section is designed specifically for employment opportunities or contract work. You can post your resume and search through open positions that match your career needs or skill sets. This section is also great for those looking to hire new employees or contractors.

What's LinkedIn Marketing?

LinkedIn marketing is a form of social media marketing that centers around leveraging the power of Linkedin's network to market your business and create leads for your business.

As a social media platform, LinkedIn is quite unlike any other. It's not just a place for you to share information about yourself; it's also a place for people to find you, interact with you, and potentially do business with you.

Taking advantage of this unique environment helps to understand how Linkedin works from a marketing perspective. Here are three fundamental principles:

LinkedIn is a two-way street: Unlike most social media platforms, it doesn't work as well when you're just broadcasting content. If you're looking to use Linkedin effectively as part of your overall marketing strategy, it helps to remember that all communication on Linkedin happens both ways.

You can post new content or updates on your profile page and then share it with others in your network who might be interested in what you have to say.

How can you use LinkedIn as an effective marketing platform?

LinkedIn is a great platform to increase brand awareness, sales and establish credibility. You really can't go wrong using it to further your business goals. The following tips will help you get more out of LinkedIn if you're starting or you want some additional strategies in your arsenal.

The Importance of Your Profile

Your profile is the first thing people will see on LinkedIn, so it's essential to make an excellent first impression. It should be customized for the industry you're in, but more importantly, it needs to reflect what you do and what value you bring to the table. Ensure that your photo is professional and that your summary statement is clear and concise. Don't forget to add a link to your website or blog where people can find more information about you and your services/products.

Keep It Active

LinkedIn allows you to connect with people in different ways. You can send InMail messages directly to those not associated with you, send invitations to connect, suggest someone as a connection, and view their profile where they can see that they've been recommended by one of their connections. There are also many groups where like-minded professionals share ideas and engage on various topics. By participating in these areas, you'll gain visibility and recognition.

What are tips to ace your LinkedIn marketing strategy?

LinkedIn is an excellent resource if you're looking to find new candidates and make critical connections with influencers and media. But if you're looking to push out a massive amount of content through your company page, it's probably not the best option. If you're looking to use LinkedIn in your marketing strategy, here are some tips for getting the most out of it:

Focus on quality over quantity. Setting up a LinkedIn account and posting updates isn't enough to garner much attention. You need to post valuable content that people want to share, not just promote your brand. This can be a challenge, but it will pay off in the long run as you attract more targeted followers and build your company's reputation
If you have several employees who can handle writing duties, consider rotating through different staff members so that you always have fresh updates coming from various sources. This can help keep your content from falling into a lull and prevent burnout
Use pictures and video whenever possible. They're proven social media draws, so don't overlook them!
Engage with other users regularly. You don't have to respond to every comment or request for connection, but making at least an occasional response lets people know that you care about what they have to say
Use a Professional Profile Photo

Your profile photo is the first thing people see on your page, so it should look professional. Choose a recent photo where you look attractive and well-groomed. Avoid using casual photos like those taken at parties or on vacations. Your goal should be to look professional and trustworthy, not playful or silly.

Make Sure Your Headline Says It All

Your headline is the first thing that people notice on your profile. It is well written and contains an accurate description of what you do and what experience you have with your field.

What LinkedIn strategies work for marketing your business?

LinkedIn isn't just an online business card -- it's the best social platform for marketers to build relationships and drive sales.

Tailored to fit your business - The biggest reason why LinkedIn is an essential marketing tool is that it allows you to target specific audiences or companies with precision. You can connect with decision-makers in industry niches relevant to your business, then reach out to them as you would on Facebook or Twitter. You can even contact them through emails by using some of the best LinkedIn email finders available.
LinkedIn Ads - LinkedIn Ads are a great way to target users based on their professional demographic, job title, and company industry. If you have a B2B company in the technology, finance, or energy sectors, LinkedIn Ads could be a profitable option
Editorial content - LinkedIn also has informative articles designed to help users learn more about themselves and the world of business. You can share these articles with your followers via your company's page or through individual posts on your profile. Sharing insightful content shows potential customers that you're knowledgeable and trustworthy, leading us to our next point
Member engagement - Engaging with other members will only help improve your public profile as an authority in your field. Tapping into this enormous user base can be the key to expanding your own business, making new contacts and getting your name out there in the business community

How to get started with LinkedIn Marketing?

LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network- with 400 million users. If you're not using LinkedIn to grow your business, it's time to get started.

Trying to decide if you should focus on LinkedIn or Facebook for marketing? Check out our guide on the differences between Facebook and LinkedIn.

LinkedIn can be a powerful marketing tool if you know how to use it to your advantage. Here are some tips that will help you leverage the platform and get more results from your time on LinkedIn:

Set up your profile - The first thing you'll want to do is set up an active and professional profile, complete with a great photo and compelling description of your background, skills, experiences, and accomplishments
Before filling in all the sections, spend some time researching the people in your target industry and follow them by visiting their profiles. Then, when filling out your profile, try to anticipate what information people will want to see about you to decide whether to connect with you
Make sure all of the information on your resume is accurate, as well. Use keywords from your target industry to ensure that potential customers find you as they search for other business professionals who fit their need
Leverage groups and company pages. You can also use LinkedIn groups to share blog posts, videos, and images on your LinkedIn updates feed

What are the ways to use LinkedIn as a lead generation tool?

LinkedIn is an excellent platform for generating leads, as long as you know how to use it properly. But many people make the mistake of using it only to connect with old coworkers and college friends—which is not a viable lead generation strategy.

If you're new to LinkedIn, here are five powerful ways to use it for lead generation:

Use the Advanced Search feature (the magnifying glass icon on the top right corner) to find prospects by job title, company, industry, location, and education
The LinkedIn Groups Directory is another great place to find prospects. Use the advanced search options to find groups based on keywords, industry or job title
With the InMail messaging system on LinkedIn, you can send messages directly to anyone on LinkedIn, whether they are one of your connections or not. This feature has its limitations (you can't send more than one message a day), but it's a great way to connect with potential customers and build relationships with them before you ever send an email or make a phone call
When you send messages via InMail, be personal! Don't just send out form letters or sales pitches; dig into their profile and try talking about something you both have in common

Wrapping Up

The bottom line here is that you need to keep the above tips in mind when it comes to using LinkedIn as a marketing tool. Hopefully, this will help you better utilize this platform so that it works for your business.

Key Takeaways

LinkedIn is a powerful social media bastion. But it's not just for students, recent graduates and professionals. Regardless of your career, LinkedIn should be in your arsenal if you want to cast a wide net
There are NO shortcuts in learning how to market yourself and your business on LinkedIn
Tip 1: LinkedIn is NOT a Facebook clone. It's a business network that requires professional etiquette. So leave the "like" button alone and spend time learning how to get the most out of it
Tip 2: Linkedin users are not all looking for friends, but they want to find people with similar interests, expertise, and goals. So don't be offensive or spammy in your approach
Tip 3: Spend at least an hour a day on Linkedin, doing some research on the people you want to connect with and looking at their professional histories and accomplishments. This will make you seem more enjoyable when you connect with them
Tip 4: Don't overdo it! You don't need 50 recommendations on Linkedin to prove that you're a good person or even a good employee. A handful of suggestions from colleagues, clients, vendors and other professionals will help establish your credibility as part of your online marketing strategy
Tip 5: Linkedin profiles should be about YOU, not about the company where you work (unless it's your own company). Your profile should be carefully crafted so that anyone who reads it understands what you do.

LinkedIn is an invaluable platform that serves as a great asset to anyone looking to expand their professional network. It is a social media site that allows users to create their professional profiles, connect with others, and post content about their career and professional interests.