Effective online business to business (B2B) marketing on LinkedIn can prove that LinkedIn is more than a job hunter tool. It’s a job keeper tool too. 250 million active users in this business community makes LinkedIn the social media platform for professionals in countless industries. Business opportunities happen everyday between LinkedIn professionals to solidify jobs and created new jobs. These four steps for successful internet B2B marketing on LinkedIn will help you make new contacts, generate new leads, and grow your online reputation.
Give Bread-n-Butter of Internet B2B Marketing: High-Quality Content
There’s a reason why 70 percent of business-to-business marketers report producing more content in 2015 than in 2014. Business knows the quality content is the bread-n-butter of online B2B marketing. But producing a lot of content for LinkedIn is only one component to successful B2B marketing. A steady stream of content to share with LinkedIn contacts might get you impressions but quality content gets you the engagement. Creating high-quality content provides factual and relevant information that compliment your business services and products.
Schedule LinkedIn Messages Strategically
While sites like Facebook and Twitter facilitate somewhat open-ended communication with followers, LinkedIn takes a far more structured approach. B2B marketing on LinkedIn requires careful planning to ensure maximum effectiveness. Research shows that the 60 percent of B2B marketers who use a defined content marketing strategy significantly outperform 32% of B2B marketers with a verbal strategy. Schedule posts and messages to coincide with peak LinkedIn hours like 7-8 am, 1-2pm and 4-5 pm.
Say Less and Mean More
The peak length for a LinkedIn post in terms of user interaction is between 40 and 49 characters. With few words to use, successful B2B marketers make them count. Impress followers by linking to fresh, original content with concise yet personable descriptions. Try writing content that is designed to spark user interaction. Don’t be afraid to share a mix of your own content as well as content from other relevant authorities. Ask a question or two to spark a discussion. The most successful LinkedIn pages are abuzz with conversations from all different kinds of professionals, making lead generation that much easier.
Examine The Patterns
Trial and error is the best teacher for successful B2B marketing on any social media platform. While there are some tried and true concepts, link LinkedIn user’s preference for pictures over words, others require more investigation. Utilize LinkedIn’s analytics system to determine which posts your audience seems to respond best to. Some posts may do surprisingly well, while others struggle to gain traction despite their intriguing subject matter. The most important thing to remember when marketing to other businesses on LinkedIn is that trends change. A successful marketing campaign always stays focused on what the target demographic is looking for at any moment. By collecting data and experimenting with new strategies, the effective ones will rise to the top.
These five B2B marketing strategies can help you get your brand noticed and build a solid following on LinkedIn. But the platform provides as much as you are willing to make of it. From timing posts to sharing high-quality original content, LinkedIn provides an unique opportunity to reach other professionals in a meaningful way. A rich content sharing system and high brandability make LinkedIn the most effective social media platform for B2B professionals.
Let’s discuss how Thrive can assist you in developing a social media strategy for your business. Call Thrive @ 817-642-9686 or contact us online.
