As the largest professional social media platform, LinkedIn is in a category all its own. Where although Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are all social media platforms that can work for your business, LinkedIn is the best choice for reaching professionals.<\/p>\n
The majority of LinkedIn\u2019s users range from ages 30-49<\/a>, and 18-29 year-olds make up another 22%. A mere 8% of LinkedIn users are below the age of 18.<\/p>\n So why use LinkedIn for B2B marketing, well this can tell us valuable information about the overall demographic of LinkedIn. Rather than being a platform that is also used by younger users, like Twitter or Instagram, LinkedIn is almost entirely made up of young adults to 60-somethings that are at the start or peak of their professional careers.<\/p>\n This makes LinkedIn a great place for B2B marketers to generate leads from other business professionals.<\/p>\n Before you start generating valuable leads on LinkedIn, you have to have the optimal profile to attract those leads. Think of your profile as the cover of your book. It\u2019s crucial to make it the best it can be in order to get your potential leads interested.<\/p>\n To generate leads, you have to make connections and to make connections, you have to have a profile that shows the best side of you or your company.<\/p>\n A professional profile includes the following: Use the rest of your profile space to tell the LinkedIn community about past jobs and positions you\u2019ve held and what you did at each job. This helps to build your legitimacy.<\/p>\n Before connecting with potential customers, you have to know who you are targeting. Making a list can make this process a lot easier.<\/p>\n LinkedIn is equipped with a built-in search function that allows you to search for specific groups of people. In this case, you\u2019ll be searching for leads.<\/p>\n By entering the advanced people search, you\u2019ll be able to fill out different fields to show LinkedIn what kind of people you are looking to accommodate. In this search, you should start by filling out the location you serve and the industries you serve to.<\/p>\n If you are looking for B2B sales on LinkedIn, it can also be helpful to fill out the title category.<\/p>\n This is helpful because you likely won\u2019t generate a lead with the marketing consultant at a company. You\u2019d be much more successful if you target the company\u2019s CEO and other decision-makers.<\/p>\n Keep an excel sheet with all of the contacts you\u2019d like to connect with. This allows you to search through different options in the advanced people search while keeping track of everyone you\u2019re interested in from the previous search.<\/p>\n Include the business they are associated with and their position in your excel sheet to better craft your invite message.<\/p>\n Now that you have the perfect LinkedIn profile and you\u2019ve considered who you want to target, it\u2019s time to reach out!<\/p>\n The excel sheet you created in the previous step will allow you to easily copy the name and paste it back into the search bar to connect.<\/p>\n Your message should be short and to the point, but show a point of commonality. For example, if you see that the person is located close to you, you could craft your message to highlight the fact that you have something in common.<\/p>\n This tends to make your message more personal and make the person more likely to connect.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t worry if you don\u2019t have a common thread, though. Potential leads will still connect with you if you are professional and concise.<\/p>\n While we\u2019re talking about connections, one of the most important things to remember is to not connect with every person you see on LinkedIn. Though it\u2019s impressive to have a long list of connections, are they quality connections or simply there to improve your quantity of leads?<\/p>\n Only connect with people who you think could become a quality lead, someone that you could benefit from connecting with or someone that could benefit from your connection. Connecting with the CEO of a car production company when you\u2019re the CEO of a home design firm would be useless. Just because they are a CEO like you are, doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that you will each benefit from connecting with the other.<\/p>\n Not only is it important to create connections with potential leads, but it\u2019s also important to prove why you are a leader in your industry or one of the best in your field.<\/p>\n To do so, you should update your status every few days to allow your connections to see that you are present. However, keep in mind that LinkedIn isn\u2019t Facebook or Twitter and doesn\u2019t need to be constantly updated.<\/p>\n LinkedIn is much more appropriate for updating your connections on professional accomplishments rather than social accomplishments.<\/p>\n LinkedIn\u2019s status as a professional network makes it a great place for B2B marketers to connect with potential leads.<\/p>\n By following these few guidelines, your company can expect to generate professional leads for your company.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re ready, we\u2019re ready to help. At WebFX, we have a dedicated team of social media specialists that can help you achieve the leads you desire using LinkedIn.<\/p>\n Contact us<\/a> today for a free quote! We can\u2019t wait to hear from you!<\/p>\nWhere do I Start?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/h4>\n
Optimizing your Profile<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n\u2022 A professional profile picture<\/strong>: When choosing a picture for your LinkedIn profile, you want to be sure that the picture shows you as a professional. All too often, people choose a selfie or a low-quality image from 4 years prior.
\nThe picture should be professionally taken and current, but you can get away with a clear picture of yourself dressed nicely against a plain background.
\nAnd whatever you do, make sure you have a profile picture! You\u2019ll look less than legitimate if your profile picture is the default image.
\n\u2022 Your full name<\/strong>: Using the shorthand form of your name doesn\u2019t exactly come off as professional. Though you might like to be called Tom, using Thomas for your profile is a more appropriate choice.
\nIn addition, using your middle initial in your profile is especially necessary when you have a common name. For example, if your name is John Smith, there are bound to be a few more of you in the world.
\nOf course, using an initial won\u2019t make you the only John P. Smith on LinkedIn, but it will ensure that you\u2019re in a smaller pool of duplicate names.
\n\u2022 Your title<\/strong>: Your title is part of your profile that allows others to see the roles that you have held in different companies. This is also the place to show your legitimacy as a professional. Your title will show up when you request to connect with other professionals, so be sure to fill out this field!
\n\u2022 Your story<\/strong>: Filling out the rest of your profile is crucial to generating great leads. LinkedIn has created a template that you should fill out in its entirety to ensure that other professionals are learning everything they need to know before connecting with other professionals.<\/p>\nConsidering Potential Leads<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n
Reaching Out<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n
Proving your Expertise<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n
Generating Professional Leads<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n
Are you Ready to Generate Leads Using LinkedIn?<\/strong><\/h2>\n