Imagine this...
You walk into a room.
That room is filled with professionals and businesses from different industries and ages.
They are founders, CEOs, directors, recruiters, engineers, marketers... you name it.
They're all networking. Looking for more people who can help their businesses and career in any way.
And that room is like LinkedIn.
If your business is looking for other businesses to cater to, you're in the right room.
You need to walk up to them, introduce your business, and get leads.
And that's what you're going to do when using the actual platform behind your screen.
I compared that room to LinkedIn because it's a social media platform for professionals.
So, if you're operating on a business-to-business model...
LinkedIn should be one of your main platforms to generate leads.
If you're curious, keep on reading. Because this blog is perfect for you, whether you're already using LinkedIn or still figuring it out.
Because in this blog, you'll learn...
- What is lead generation
- What is LinkedIn
- What are the benefits of LinkedIn
- 5 Ways to use LinkedIn to generate leads
So, are you ready?
First, let's talk about...
What Is Lead Generation?
Lead generation is an important sales process in converting your target customers into paying ones.
It means you identify who can be your clients/customers and cultivate or nurture your relationship with them.
For example, I'm a potential customer of Company XYZ. I am a business owner who needs help in solving my problem.
While scrolling through LinkedIn, I saw their company page selling a digital product that could help me.
Since it's my first time hearing about this company, I didn't buy yet.
But yes, I am interested. I am their target user. It's just that... I can't give them my money yet.
Then I saw that they have a free downloadable product. I clicked the link and it took me to their lead generation page or landing page.
They asked me for my name, email, and company.
So, I signed up to see what they could do for me.
Now, it's up to me to decide whether or not I will buy from them.
But I am now one of their leads.
They can send me promotional and transactional emails, give me exclusive offers, and more. They will nurture me until they convert me into a paying customer.
That's lead generation. It’s common for businesses to use B2B lead generation platforms to capture potential customers, like myself, and nurture them at a later date.
But... why LinkedIn? Out of other social media platforms?
What Is LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is the largest professional network online.
It has 830 million users and over 58 million registered companies/businesses.
Mind-blowing stats, right? 🤯
Just think of how many businesses you can reach if you use LinkedIn.
You can think of LinkedIn as a social media platform like Facebook.
Except it's not.
They just almost have the same features.
People can follow and connect with each other, like and react to their posts, upload photos, videos, articles, and multiple images, write their job titles and companies on the "about page," apply for and post jobs, and more.
But of course, LinkedIn is a professional platform. It's career and business-centric.
No one really posts about their Thanksgiving meal or cute puppy videos.
Now, you're probably wondering...
Why You Should Use LinkedIn To Generate Leads?
Before you create your LinkedIn lead generation strategy, let's talk about its benefits first.
When you use LinkedIn, you can...
1. Target Relevant Audience
Since your target customers or clients are business owners, companies, and professionals... LinkedIn is the place to find them.
Because of how LinkedIn works, it's easy to navigate and look for specific people.
If you're looking for founders, you can search for specific keywords and see a number of founders from different companies.
If you're looking for tech companies, you can use certain keywords to find them.
That's the good thing about LinkedIn.
It's easy to find what you're looking for and connect with them to generate leads.
This leads us to the next benefit...
2. Maximize Organic Reach
LinkedIn is a great platform for organic reach.
Why? Because when your connections like, react or comment on your post, their connections will see it.
That's another great thing about LinkedIn. Your 1st up to 3rd-degree connections can see your post if it's set to public.
So, if you're trying to get leads, it'll be easier to reach them.
And of course, the main purpose of LinkedIn...
3. Build Long-Term Connections
Social media marketing is not just for promoting products. And LinkedIn is one of the best platforms to build connections.
Connections are people who can help you along the way.
If you need an in-house marketer, chat them away!
Need a piece of advice from a thought leader? Connect with them.
That's the essence of LinkedIn. Connecting with like-minded people.
And once you have strong connections with your target market, you can turn them into leads.
But how?
5 Ways To Use LinkedIn For Lead Generation
Here are 5 ways to use LinkedIn for your lead generation strategy.
1. Reach Out To Like-Minded Professionals
Before anything else, you need to connect with like-minded professionals who can be your customers or clients.
And LinkedIn has 3 degrees of connection.
- 1st degree. Your connection.
- 2nd degree. Your 1st degree connection's connections.
- 3rd degree. Your 2nd degree's connections.
These degrees can help you have an idea of who to reach out to.
Since they're your target customers, they probably have problems that you need to solve.
But you don't have to be pushy or too sales-y.
To build genuine connections, you can start by introducing yourself and telling what you do. Then you can talk about some things in your industry or business.
Once you nurture that connection, you can smoothly invite them to sign up on your form and get leads.
Or, you can also create a post on your LinkedIn profile about your lead form. Since your connections are your target market, they might sign up for it.
But take note... some people might not reply to you immediately! Especially if it's the first time they hear from you.
And that's okay!
But another thing you can do is...
2. Set Up A Company Page
If you don't want to use your personal profile to reach out and post about your lead form, you can set up a company page.
This is also an excellent way to build the presence of your business on LinkedIn and get more leads.
So, how to set up a company page?
1. Go to the "Work" section on the top right of your home page.
Select "Create a company page," and...
2. Choose the type of page you're creating.
You can select the Company or if you already have an existing page, you can select the Showcase page.
3. Fill in the details you need.
State the name of your company and other company details. You also need to upload your logo and other necessary details for the creation of your page.
Then if you scroll down, there's a Create Page button.
4. Customize your page.
Now, you need to customize it. You need to add a tagline or a short description about the page, upload your logos and cover photo, and more.
Optimizing your LinkedIn company page will make you more credible.
After this, you can start inviting your connection to follow your page. Then, you can post content to build your online presence.
Speaking of which...
3. Create Valuable Content
Before your target market signs up for your lead form... you need to give them a reason to.
Whether you're using either your personal or business page, you can create content that your followers will find valuable.
You can talk about your expertise to position yourself as a "thought-leader" and strengthen your credibility.
It can be your source of leads, too.
Or you can also create a free digital or downloadable product to get them to sign up for your lead form.
Again, organic posts are still good on LinkedIn. As long you create content that your connections will enjoy.
And if some of your connections engage with your posts, you can reach more people.
But you can also...
4. Use LinkedIn Ads
While organic marketing is not dead on LinkedIn, you can still leverage paid advertising on LinkedIn.
This will help you attract potential customers and generate quality leads.
It's easy to set up your ad account.
First, you need to go to the Campaign Manager.
Create an account name, and then you can see the next steps on the left side of the dashboard.
As you can see on the left side, Step 1 is to create a campaign group.
After that, you can select your ad's objective. For this, you can select Lead generation.
Then select your target audience and ad format.
For the ad format, you can choose between a single image ad, carousel ad, video ad, message ad, or conversation ad.
Then associate your LinkedIn page.
Finish setting it up, and now you're ready to launch your LinkedIn ads!
But you need to make sure that your lead generation campaigns are effective by writing compelling copy and adding attention-grabbing visuals.
And last but not least...
5. Join Groups On LinkedIn
Generating leads will require you to exert more effort and try different tactics from time to time.
And joining groups is one marketing strategy that will remain essential.
Why? Because it helps you connect with more relevant people who are interested in the same industry.
Here's how.
First, you need to search for a keyword and filter the results into "Groups." Let's say you're a freelancer looking for other businesses to sign as clients.
You can search for marketing groups or the niche of your target companies to work with.
Next, when you're already in... you can post relevant content in the group to attract their attention and turn them into leads.
But here's the thing...
You can't join a group using your company page. You need to use your personal LinkedIn profile to join.
So, what can you do when you're already in a group?
Again, you can post content based on your knowledge and expertise. You can also encourage them to sign up and give them downloadable content.
You can also share your blog post.
Just consider it similar to posting to your LinkedIn feed.
Remember, groups, are like communities. And communities are nurtured with value and engagement.
Still hesitant if you're going to use LinkedIn to get leads?
Say no more!
Build More Relevant Connections On LinkedIn With These Tips!
LinkedIn is a great platform for content marketing.
You are surrounded by businesses, job seekers, and other professionals who can be your customers or clients.
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Ricky Hayes
