4 Tips on How to use LinkedIn for B2B Marketing

An important part of online marketing is about being social, finding your customers or potential customers and engaging with them.  Of course, the Internet has many places to connect and share information, from the best known ones, like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and so on to small groups catering to every and any imaginable interest under the sun.

In a previous post, Emerging Trends in B2B Social Media Marketing, I discussed how B2B marketers are using social media today and how LinkedIn is the social media method used the most.

Of course, it is not surprising, as LinkedIn is THE business related networking site, as the numbers speak for themselves:

• More than 120 million users worldwide, in more than 200 countries
• Almost 50 million unique monthly visitors
• And, most importantly, all these people are there for business.

So I believe it is quite obvious that a B2B marketer cannot ignore LinkedIn and I would like to share 4 tips on how to get started for the best results.

• Create an account and a good profile, and by this I mean to take advantage of all the features on offer.  Put as much information as possible to your personal account, from adding a picture, to listing the schools you went to and your work experience.  Give it a personal touch, but also most importantly add a detailed description of your company, including products and services, with links to any websites or blogs.
• Build a network and start by building a solid core, adding the other employees and, very importantly, reach out to customers and partners and ask them to write recommendations for your company, which in turn will attract other customers.  Join groups of interest and promote your message, attracting more connections.
• Get involved.  Just creating your profile and your network is not enough, update and engage constantly, post news, answers and questions in your groups, start discussions, promote blog posts and other important content your company may want to share.  The more active you are, the more visibility your company will achieve and the easier will be to find and attract prospects.
• Promote your profile. Like with everything else, a holistic approach works best and your LinkedIn profile can and should be promoted in other channels, including a link in your emails, website, blog, business cards and so on.

This is just the way to get started.  As always, the most important part is to persevere and keep being engaged, going where your customers and potential customers are and connecting with them.  Answer their questions, even and especially those not yet asked, and including LinkedIn in your online marketing mix will certainly be beneficial.  And as always, asking for advice and help from a professional agency can only improve your results.