If you feel like Linkedin is just a platform for recruiting, then it’s time to rethink. Almost 45% of B2B marketers make customers through Linkedin. In this guide, you will see the best practices for lead generation on Linkedin so that you can level up your efforts.
If you have not used Linkedin so far, don’t worry, because we will guide you right from creating your business account.
Table of Contents
First off let’s start with the benefits of using Linkedin.
Here is why you should be using Linkedin
Linkedin is one of the largest social media platforms for professionals having more than 500 million users. Over half of the users actively use Linkedin.
Studies show that 92% of B2B marketers use this platform to get leads and market their business. And almost 80% of the leads from social media channels come from Linkedin.
Here is an infographic with some more interesting stats that prove Linkedin to be the best platform for businesses.
But what people might be getting wrong is the way they use Linkedin. So here is a full guide that walks you through how to do marketing on LinkedIn to get more leads.
How to Create a Business Page in Linkedin
You can create a company page for your business for free on Linkedin. However, you need to create a personal profile on Linkedin to set up your company page. There are many advantages of using a Linkedin company page over individual profiles. For lead generation on Linkedin, setting up a Linkedin Page always makes much more sense.
To create a page:
- Click on the Work icon in the top right corner of the Linkedin home page
- Click ‘Create Company Page’.
- On the next page select the type of company page you’d like to create from the options which are:
- Company Page
- Showcase Page
- Educational Institution
- Enter the page details
- Enter the profile details. Upload the logo and enter your company tagline.
- Check the verification box and click ‘Create’ page.
Your page is all set! Now you can start with following the best practices to level up your page and get leads through it.
1. Optimise your company profile
Through your Linkedin profile, you’ll be outreaching many people in your target market. So you need to optimize your profile in a way to impress your potential leads out there.
When you send a connection request to a Linkedin user they’ll find your profile picture, name, title and the start of the message, if you have sent a note along with the request.
So the first step to do is get all these right. You want to get as many invitations accepted as possible.
For a profile photo for Linkedin get a very professional picture of yourself. Try to avoid selfies. Your headshot image in a plain background is perfect for your profile picture. You can check out more tips for getting the best profile picture for Linkedin.
Next is your title. The title is called a ‘professional headline’. You can keep your job title or other impressive headlines for Linkedin profile here.
There are more key things you can do to optimize your profile like adding descriptions with the right keywords, using hashtags, uploading attractive Linkedin background images and many more. Learn more about it by reading this full guide on creating your business profile on Linkedin.
2. Add Connections
Broadening your network is a great way to get leads for your business. You can easily connect with anyone on Linkedin, be it a first-degree, second degree or a third-degree connection. Also, Linkedin offers advanced filters for targeting the right audience for you.
Rather than starting with sending cold requests to your target audience, it is better you start with your old and current clients. Send connection requests to your previous or current customers and check their industry connections. As you might know, referrals are a good way to increase your sales.
Check with your clients and learn how you can connect with their contact on Linkedin that comes under your target section. In this way, they will find you less spammy.
Through this warm outreach method, you will get more qualified leads and iron out your lead generation on Linkedin. But make sure you follow up with them.
There are chances that your messages can be missed by your lead as they might be receiving quite a lot of messages from various social media channels.
Reports show that businesses using automation software find a 451% increase in qualified leads. So, you can use a system like Zenys where you can easily schedule follow-ups and automate the process.
3. Post good quality content
Posting relevant content frequently is crucial for lead generation on Linkedin. You can post different types of content like images, blogs, and videos that are relevant to your target audience which can help you establish yourself as a valuable source.
For publishing blogs, we suggest you post bits of it and redirect to the full blog.
By posting frequently, your connections will most likely get your content on their feed making your business familiar to them. The good part is that if your connection likes your post it will show up on the feed of their connections. This will help you reach out to a larger audience.
4. Join Groups
Linkedin Group is a really powerful feature that helps you connect with the people in your niche. You can have interesting conversations with professionals, post content on relevant topics or even pitch in the services you offer.
The best way to get leads is to join groups where your customers hang out. Find out what interests your potential customers, their pain points so that you can give really targeted value propositions when you reach out to them.
5. Engage
Make sure you always stay engaged with your Linkedin connections. This can be done through messaging them, commenting and engaging with their posts and content.
Congratulating your lead on any accomplishments is a good way to bring yourself in front of them. You can reply to the post with a ‘@’ reply so that the lead gets notified.
Another way to have a consistent presence is by posting relevant posts, links to your articles or any updates in the groups you have joined. When you interact with people make sure you are not dominant and pushy.
You’ll also find a lot of questions posted in groups. Take time and answer them that are in your niche and are relevant to your business.
6. Create your own Linkedin Group
If you want to communicate with your audience about the product or service you are offering, starting a Linkedin group is great. It lets you have full control over the content and also engages your audience. This is great to help you establish yourself as a leader in your industry.
To create a group you simply need to click ‘Create Group’ on the Groups page.
In the pop up fill in the following details.
You can give the group name and add a description for it. Also, set the industry for the group. You can add up to 3 industries.
After that, you can add the location to the group and set group rules. Set the group discoverability to listed or unlisted. Listed discoverability makes your groups visible to everyone while unlisted is visible only to group members.
Once you have set up your group you can invite your connections to join. Check the member list in the groups you have joined and send invites to relevant people. This helps you get a focus group of leads. You’ll be able to place yourself as an authority and build your brand.
7. Use Advanced Search
Targeting is key for lead generation on Linkedin. This can be easily done using Linkedin’s Sales Navigator. Linkedin offers a paid feature for sales that enables you to do advanced searches and send Linkedin Inmails.
Reports show that it is 5x more likely for Sales Navigator users to view profiles of decision-makers and 2.5x more likely to connect with them than non Sales Navigator users. But sadly not many of us are using it to its full potential. Here are some uses of Linkedin Sales Navigator.
Filter your search with keywords, geography, industry, title etc.
Save your customers, collaborate with your team and share your list among them.
Send Linkedin Inmails. You can check out Linkedin Inmail templates to draft your mails to your leads.
For a full guide on how to use Linkedin Sales Navigator check out our blog.
8. Use InMail
InMail is a great way to broaden your network using targeted sponsored messages. Linkedin for sales solutions gives you options to send messages to your target audience who are not already in your network.
The message gets directly delivered to your target’s Linkedin inbox. As Linkedin provides a frequency cap for Inmails, you don’t have to worry about being spammy.
To send Inmails firstly create a Linkedin Inmail template and create a campaign using Campaign manager. You can set the targeting options based on the location, industry, job title or any criteria.
When it comes to creating the Linkedin Inmail template, make sure the content is engaging for the recipient that can get you a reply. Here are some Linkedin Inmail templates that you can use to increase your reply rates.
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9. Use Sponsored content to reach the right audience
You can also use the advertising options in Linkedin for your content to reach the right audience. There are different ways you can advertise your content. The formats include display ads, carousel ads, dynamic ads, message ads, lead gen forms etc.
Using sponsored ads, you can aslo set the audience to whom you want to deliver the ads making it highly targeting. Know more about Linkedin Ads Campaign and boost your lead-generation efforts
Conclusion
Linkedin is one of the best social media channels for you to generate leads. Now that you know how to do marketing on Linkedin, follow the right practices to reach your business goals.
New updates often happen on Linkedin. So make sure you keep an eye on it and update your strategies.
Also, don’t forget that following up with your leads is important. Once you start generating leads, keep proper track of them. You can try Zenys for free and make following up with your leads and clients much organised and easier.