AS A COPYWRITER at Creative Co-op in Exeter, NH, I blogged on a variety of topics. Here’s an example that can help energize your business-to-business efforts.
When businesses look up other firms online, what do they find? Too often, just a bland website or Facebook page that was never intended to fan that initial spark of interest into a red-hot B2B lead. But your LinkedIn company page is perfect for generating responses from potential clients and partners, connecting you to more than 500 million professionals. Just take this 5-step journey and your LinkedIn page can become a highly engaging B2B marketing tool.
STEP 1: Make your page dynamic, not static.
There are more than 19 million company pages on LinkedIn, and many offer nothing but recycled “About Us” content from their websites. Big mistake. Business pros are constantly on the lookout for fresh content, and 74% of buyers choose the company that was first to bring them new value and insight. So commit yourself to becoming the place that prospects return to and apply these tips consistently:
Boost your following by posting updates daily – news, videos, a quote or stat, employee stories or linked content can help boost engagement by up to 45%
Effective company updates should be under 150 characters, with a clear call to action and an eye-catching image (1200x627 pixels) that includes your brand
Endorsements and recommendations validate your brand, so ask customers if you can share their testimonials and make it a regular practice to add new ones
Encourage engagement by immediately providing helpful responses to questions and comments
Change your page’s header image every six months to signal an active presence and prompt return visits
STEP 2: Involve employees and promote your culture.
LinkedIn automatically makes your employees into followers of your company page, so encouraging staff members to join is an easy way to extend your reach. In fact, personal connections typically outnumber company followers by a 10-to-1 ratio. Employee postings, photos and recommendations also bring new people to your page, helping potential customers and hires learn if they want to work with you.
STEP 3: Use content strategically.
Whether your primary objective is brand awareness, leads, event signups or some other goal, your LinkedIn page can help support it. For example: if you need qualified leads, try posting content offers for varied stages of the buying cycle – articles, tip sheets, eBooks, case studies, third-party references or product how-to’s. You can include links with embedded tracking codes, so it’s easy to see where traffic is coming from and identify repeat inquiries for personal attention. LinkedIn’s “Target Audience” feature also lets you segment post recipients by language, job function, seniority, industry or other characteristics.
STEP 4: Spotlight key segments or offerings.
B2B marketing is rarely one-size-fits-all, so LinkedIn’s “Showcase Page” feature lets you spin off new pages with their own distinct graphics, followers, content and analytics for specific aspects of your business. They’re ideal for building relationships with a particular customer segment, establishing a presence for company divisions or product lines, or for calling attention to signature events that might be overlooked on your company page.
STEP 5: Track and test to maximize engagement.
Your company page features an analytics tab with a variety of insights about visitors, updates and followers:
Reach and engagement of individual posts
Trends across key metrics
Follower demographics and sources
Traffic metrics, page views, unique visitors and more
Using this data, you can identify high-performing content and pin it so that new visitors always see it atop your updates. It’s also easy to capture inquiries and leads by tracking clicked links with embedded codes. Plus, you can test the best times and frequencies for posting, evaluate the most effective graphics and more. Downloading LinkedIn’s mini eBook of A/B testing ideas can show you even more ways to optimize results.
If you really want to get down to business and connect with B2B prospects, we have decades of experience serving Fortune 500 clients on two continents. Just email Creative Co-op today or give us a call. | DC |