Before we get started, I’d like to mention that I’ve studied various different approaches for lead generation on LinkedIn. In this process, I studied winning sales copy, personal touch to messaging and algorithms behind how LinkedIn platform works. Some of them worked while others were a waste of time.
The strategy I’m sharing today has been successfully implemented by many B2B tech companies.
Who will benefit from this method:
B2B companies, SaaS businesses, marketing consultancies and professionals and other similar organizations.
But before we jump into the techniques, let's understand why LinkedIn is an important platform to generate inbound leads.
93% of B2B marketers consider lead generation through LinkedIn as super effective
64% of traffic on corporate website comes from LinkedIn
80%+ of social leads for B2B companies come from LinkedIn
For a business looking to generate leads, this is a promising data. The question becomes how to develop an effective lead generation strategy to get consistent leads for your business.
We’ll start with the basics and if you follow these, you’ll have new leads coming to you in no time.
This is a 3-step process
1. Profile Optimization – Set yourself and your company as the authority
2. Outreach Messages – Send messages to your ideal prospects
3. Inbound Profile Traffic – Gather traffic to your profile by producing content
1. Profile Optimization
Optimize your personal profile with cover image, professional photograph in display image, and content in summary and experience which is specific to your niche.
As with your personal profile, make your company profile stand out. Add a photo that accurately depicts your brand, it can be your brand's logo or the tagline or an exceptional photograph with message you want to convey to potential leads.
In the products and services tab, include descriptions, links, and explanations of the products and services you sell. List them in order of importance. You can also ask for reviews on this from LinkedIn members which can then be used on website as testimonials.
2. Professional Outreach
Cold outreach is common on LinkedIn, and it's an effective way to target potential clients. This should not mean to spam your prospects but sending them well-crafted messages about your products and services which are useful in their domain.
You'll need to be a LinkedIn Premium member to use the platform's InMail feature, or you can purchase credits. InMail is 2.6 times more effective than cold email, and it allows you to get conversations started with businesses and potential clients. Also, you can contact connections that you already have for free.
When you reach out to potential leads, find a common ground, introduce yourself and your business, and keep your message short.
Joining Relevant Groups
LinkedIn groups offer you the opportunity to grow your network and reach potential clients. When you search "marketing groups", you'll find thousands of groups active members. The Marketing and Communication network Group, for example, has 400,000+ members and offers a network for marketing professionals.
You'll be able to increase your business' brand while also networking with like-minded professionals and potential leads by joining groups.
Remember to be active in these groups to leverage the network properly.
3. Inbound profile traffic
LinkedIn marketing is huge, and you can use your content marketing to educate and nurture potential leads on the platform. LinkedIn offers numerous content types: images, videos, articles, documents, polls.
You don't want to be over-promotional. Indeed, a good mix of content will be 10% promotional and 90% high-end content. When you start educating your audience, you'll be able to turn yourself into an authority figure, gain potential client trust and increase leads.
Bonus tip:
LinkedIn Ads for Further Engagement
LinkedIn ads may be an option, but I would recommend ads after you know how to use LinkedIn for business. You can advertise on LinkedIn in numerous ways:
Sponsored content - a great way to increase website traffic, drive engagement and also increase follower accounts
Sponsored InMail - help you generate strong B2B leads, engage with prospects and advertise promotions or events
Text ads - great option when trying to attract employees, drive traffic to your landing page and get in front of B2B audiences.
You can use all forms of ads, or you can choose one and adapt based on your conversion rates.
Summary
Content is key to an effective LinkedIn marketing strategy and start generating leads for your business. But finding the best ways to create good content which resonates with your users and then distribute it on LinkedIn has its own learning curve.
Understanding LinkedIn Analytics is necessary because it will allow you to aim and adapt the strategies as industry trends are shaped.
There’s a lot of work involved, but done right, LinkedIn marketing plans can effectively generate leads important for B2B tech companies to grow.