Built for B2B: How LinkedIn Has Remained the Go-To Social Media Platform for B2B Marketers
Why do B2B marketers love using LinkedIn? There are so many reasons: LinkedIn provides a professional network of high quality connections to engage with, including decision makers with influence and buying power. A plethora of lead generating tactics
Effective Lead Generation
LinkedIn is easily one of the strongest and most ubiquitous platforms for B2B marketers when it comes to generating leads. Around 89% of B2B marketers engage in lead gen activities on LinkedIn.1 With a plethora of powerful tactics and tools to use on LinkedIn, such as Lead Generation Forms, Sponsored Content, and Conversion Tracking, it’s not terribly shocking that nearly 62% of B2B marketers report generating leads from these activities.2
LinkedIn also outranks other social platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook, when it comes to visitor-to-lead conversion.3 In a study conducted by Hubspot, LinkedIn’s visitor-to-lead conversion rate was nearly 3x higher than Facebook and Twitter.?
Powerful Targeting and Reach
Getting your content in front of almost any audience is possible using LinkedIn’s audience building capabilities. Linkedin leverages valuable information sourced directly from user profiles allowing for precise and refined targeting. Additionally, you’re able to research these individuals even before you begin your campaigns and approach them.
LinkedIn allows you to customize audiences using the following targeting:
LinkedIn Audience Network
LinkedIn Audience Network can also extend the spend of LinkedIn ads by using LinkedIn targeting to show your ads to professionals off the platform. This may extend reach by up to 25%, according to LinkedIn.?
Robust Analytics → Actionable Insights
LinkedIn provides analytics both regarding your brand’s page, as well as campaign performance within Campaign Manager. Identifying areas of strength, weakness, and monitoring KPIs – like conversions, clicks, impressions, leads, and engagement, is incredibly easy within the Campaign Manager reporting dashboard. These metrics give B2B marketers actionable insights that allow them to optimize their marketing efforts and prove the ROI of campaigns.?
Content that Supports B2B Objectives
LinkedIn is the best place for B2B marketers to promote and share content. LinkedIn users are on the platform actively seeking long-form content to help them solve problems, make decisions, and learn from skilled professionals. According to LinkedIn, nine out of ten B2B decision makers find thought leadership important, with half of all C-suite executives spending at least one hour searching for and engaging with this content weekly.? LinkedIn enables both individuals and companies to easily and quickly publish long-form thought leadership content
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Long-form content refers to pieces of content that are, as the name suggests, longer – typically including a lot of information on a topic, or a much greater depth in topic than short-form content. Examples of long-form content include pieces like white papers and eBooks, in depth articles, and case studies, to name a few. B2B marketers can leverage long-form content to: create thought leadership, increase engagement, establish brand authority, build brand awareness – when and where users are searching to consume information related to their job.
Articles, a unique format to LinkedIn, provides brands a way to author and publish long-form content quickly and easily right within the platform. As an Article author, you can publish articles or a series of articles (aka “newsletter”) directly within LinkedIn. These articles are shared on your feed to all of your connections, which can then share them with their networks. Articles and Newsletters can also be shared anywhere else on other social media channels.?
Document Posts have also become a mainstay organic content format for B2B marketers, allowing users to upload PDF and Powerpoint documents directly to the platform. There are many reasons to post a document to LinkedIn. These help to break up the visual monotony that comes from long-form content – helping prevent content fatigue. Document posts are a great way to leverage content you may already have – such as a white paper or a guide, to engage your following in a compelling and valuable conversation.
Compelling, Credible Conversation
Perhaps the most valuable aspect that LinkedIn provides B2B marketers is its flagship offering – social networking. LinkedIn is first and foremost a professional networking
Brands can post thought leadership, important business updates, customer testimonials, and more, leading to open discourse within the comments and via content sharing. This provides brands with powerful insight and the opportunity to engage directly with clients, other brands, and users in the broader social community.
Because of LinkedIn’s professional focus, comments and discussions are more focused, more helpful, and more credible than discussions on other social media. Plus, user profiles are usually connected with their employer and peers, which may also influence more professional behavior.
As B2B marketers, we shouldn't underestimate the power of LinkedIn. LinkedIn is specifically designed for business, rich with accurate, insightful data. While various social media platforms are emerging, we continue to dedicate a larger share of our marketing budget to LinkedIn. With powerful lead generation and highly focused targeting capabilities, LinkedIn has remained the go-to tool for B2B marketers.
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