Gone are the days when LinkedIn was just that site you used if you were looking for a job. Now, companies, brands and individuals are using the platform to expand their reach, build their notoriety, and connect with clients.
In short, users are learning how to use LinkedIn to promote their businesses.
Content creation on LinkedIn increased by 60% in the last year, according to Hootsuite. People are using the site to connect, convert and capitalize on the dramatic shift in business that the pandemic certainly brought about.
In the same report, Hootsuite also reported that 33% of B2B (business to business) decision makers used LinkedIn to research their purchases?
Your ideal client could be part of that third of all users scouring the platform for their next company buy.
To make a long story short: you need a LinkedIn content marketing strategy that converts your connections into clients.
Lucky for you (and lucky for us), our CEO Shama Hyder has been one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Marketing four times over. As the founder of an award-winning marketing and PR firm, she knows what she’s doing, to say the least, and she engages with more than 640,000 subscribers on the LinkedIn platform.
Here are six elements of a bulletproof LinkedIn content marketing strategy for you and your business.
Six Steps to a Bulletproof LinkedIn Content Strategy
1. Be a human: Use your personal profile in your LinkedIn strategy
Being a human is a great life philosophy (no kidding), but specifically on LinkedIn, know that people are more likely to connect with other people versus brands, companies or corporate identities.
So, be a human and optimize your individual identity to connect with potential clients.
More than 300,000 people viewed our CEO’s post about how she learned from her mistakes as a boss. This post alone has received more engagement on LinkedIn than any others, and all because it showcases the human side of being a leader in your industry.
Personalized posts, where users get a glimpse behind the scenes, offer two means of connection: they solidify your status in your industry (like in this case, as an entrepreneur) and they expand your realm of impact by appealing to issues that transcend industry (like learning to be a good boss).
Even if you’re creating a LinkedIn marketing strategy for b2b, you still need that human component.
A successful LinkedIn content strategy balances what you do in your work with who you are in your industry. Develop your personal voice and share posts that convey the person behind the product, innovation, company, or industry.
2. Say yes to connections: Building a network is essential to a successful LinkedIn marketing plan
This is a no-brainer that’s often, well…neglected. Say yes to connections! Accept invitations on LinkedIn and broaden your reach, audience, and engagement.
While you may not have the visibility of 600k followers (because that itself is a rarity), take advantage of the visibility you do have access to. If you want to use LinkedIn for marketing, you need to expand your reach — and you’ll do that by forging connections.
Take the connections that come your way and don’t dismiss them as “just sales people.”
3. Converse in the comments: Make sure your LinkedIn content strategy is an ongoing conversation
Publishing B2B content on LinkedIn without responding to comments on your posts is like fixing the front of your hair, but forgetting to take care of the back. You don’t think people will notice, but oh how they will.
Don’t have a metaphorical Alfalfa (from “Little Rascals”) moment, take care of your whole presentation. Converse in the comments and keep the discussion going.
If you’re only sharing posts, but not interacting, you’re showing followers you don’t value connection. And, you’re teaching your audience that interacting with you won’t get a response.
This, in turn, bumps down your ranking in the algorithm.
So, bottom line, make your posts conversational and follow through with the comments, like our CEO does here. As you build an audience by commenting — both on your posts and on others’ posts — the LinkedIn algorithm will recognize that behavior and give you a boost.
Related read: Hack the LinkedIn Algorithm in 4 Easy Steps
4. Seize the moment: Tie current events into your LinkedIn marketing strategy
Take a current event and put your own spin on it. How does it apply to your industry? What would you change about x, y or z that happened in a specific time frame?
Media literacy is vital, and when you post about something current, you’re contributing to a larger narrative with a larger audience.
Take, for example, this post about the 2020 Goya boycott. You don’t have to dive into the specifics, or even give your opinion on an issue — just show how it applies to your industry. Even if something is as humorous as that ever-popular Bernie Sanders meme, it’s worth jumping on board and joining in on the trend.
Following current events, news and trends is vital for remaining relevant. Seize the moments and join the discussions that are happening globally, like Shama does here with her post about GameStop and the power of Reddit users.
5. Add value to the discussion: Make sure your LinkedIn strategy offers something new, valuable or insightful to your followers
Consider your industry, and add value to the discussion by sharing statistics, observations and data that you find relevant. Your best bet is to drive traffic to a blog, perhaps where you’re showcasing a successful project or case study. Tease the information in your post online, and direct readers to where they can find more (like your website).
A shorter, more direct post is valuable too. Perhaps you read a statistic you found insightful, share that with your own observations added.
If you read an article about your industry, share the link with your thoughts in the text of the post.
Add value to the discussions in your industry by showing your connections not only that you, as a company, are succeeding in your work, but also that you understand your place in the broader landscape of the industry.
6. Elevate others and promote community: Who can you collaborate within your LinkedIn marketing strategy?
Forgive the cheesiness, but it’s true: we’re nothing without each other. That message is even more true when it comes to digital connection, and it’s important when pursuing LinkedIn marketing, too.
As you’re speaking into your industry, elevate others who are contributing in a similar fashion. Who do you think adds to This Discussion or That Discussion, and why do you find their content valuable?
Related read: 5 Secrets the Pros Use to Win Over Influencers
Elevating others in the community does two things. First, it shows that you’re aware of the market and that you’re engaged. And second, when you tag others in the post, they’re likely to reshare the post with their audience — therefore expanding your connections once again.
Using LinkedIn for marketing doesn’t seem so out-of-reach now, does it? Let us know how you plan to implement these tips. And, while you’re at it, take a look at our post about the significance of B2B social media marketing.
Or, if you like all of this but just want someone else to do it for you — well, we’re your people. Give us a call.
