By Isabella Markert
While 59 percent of B2B marketers say that LinkedIn generates leads for their business, the other 41 percent aren’t getting leads from the business platform. With 675 million monthly users, LinkedIn is a crowded space. So if you’re not getting leads by using it, should you bother?
We’re here to tell you that yes, you should be using LinkedIn, even if you aren’t getting leads directly from the platform. LinkedIn builds your credibility, helps you build genuine and useful connections, and, yes, helps generate leads (even if indirectly). Keep reading to learn how.
Build Credibility
When you’re thinking about choosing a brand or hiring a company, what do you want to see? You want to see that others have good things to say about the company, that customers recommend the company, and that experts appreciate what the company does. These pieces of social proof give you the confidence you need to move forward.
You need to provide that same social proof for people who are thinking about working with your company. On LinkedIn, you can create shareable content that benefits your audience, improve awareness of your company, and engage with others to show off your expertise. LinkedIn is the perfect platform for creating professional social proof.
Even if most of your clients come to you from word-of-mouth referrals, you can be sure they are checking you out on LinkedIn. According to GlobalWebIndex, “71% of all decision-makers say social media is influential when they’re researching or considering a new product for their company.” Your LinkedIn presence can be a stepping stone that establishes your credibility, differentiates you from your competitors, and gives future clients the confidence they need to choose your company.
You can use LinkedIn to share news, expertise, and social proof all at once.
Gain Insights and Genuine Connections
LinkedIn is a place to foster mutually beneficial relationships. Through business conversations, helpful recommendations, and introductions, you can find new employees, leads, and partners that are the perfect fit for your business. If you’re concerned that your posts don’t get a lot of likes or comments from these potential relationships, don’t panic.
“Your LinkedIn network isn’t a numbers game; having a large number of connections doesn’t necessarily give you the edge,” says Lizabeth Li at FastCompany. “All of your connections should add value to your network–and vice versa. . . . Being a helpful, available connection is the best way to make sure your network is strong and to drive a shared sense of professional enrichment.”
Remember, LinkedIn is a social media platform—emphasis on social. Don’t post into the void and then never follow up; dedicate a few minutes each week to respond to comments and leave comments and questions on others’ posts. Whether you generate leads or not, approaching LinkedIn this way can give you invaluable business insights and relationships that can improve your business practices.
LinkedIn is the perfect platform for sharing insights and building genuine relationships.
Generate Leads
Speaking of relationship-building, take a look at these stats from a LinkedIn Sales Solutions survey of B2B buyers or influencers: While only 4 percent “had a favorable impression of a salesperson who reached out cold,” 87 percent “had a favorable impression of a salesperson who was introduced to them through someone in their professional network.” In other words, using LinkedIn to strengthen your own professional network can actually improve your salespeople’s chances for success when you introduce them to new contacts.
Another way LinkedIn can help you generate leads is by driving traffic to your website. As you write relevant blog posts or create useful landing pages, you can share these links through posts on LinkedIn. When viewers click on these links, they’re in the belly of the beast!
Or, you know, they’re a potential lead, with one HubSpot study of over 5,000 businesses finding “that traffic from LinkedIn generated the highest visitor-to-lead conversion rate at 2.74%, almost three times or 277% higher than both Twitter (.69%) and Facebook (.77%).” Plus, publishing links to your website also improves your search engine rankings.
You can use LinkedIn to drive traffic to your website.
How Often Should You Post to Get These Results?
Building credibility, gaining insights and relationships, and generating leads are all desirable results from using LinkedIn. And getting these results starts with posting to the platform regularly. But how regularly?
Follow these general guidelines: Don’t post more than once a day, but post at least once a week. Your posts can include original content you create and curated posts from other business leaders who are sharing content relevant to your audience. Post at around 10 to 11 a.m. in the timezone of your primary audience.
Once you’ve settled on a rhythm that works for you, take a look at your metrics. Are you getting as many comments and clicks as you would like? Are there certain posts that do better than others? How could you improve? Experiment with other posting schedules to see what generates the best response.
There are a lot of inspiring business leaders sharing their thoughts on LinkedIn, and you should be, too. LinkedIn builds your credibility, helps you gain insights and connections, and generates leads. Keep a good posting schedule, and you’re well on your way to LinkedIn success.