For a B2B business, there are reasons aplenty for having a strong presence on LinkedIn:
- 84% of salespeople are active on LinkedIn
- 4 out of 5 people on LinkedIn drive business decisions
- 33% of B2B decision-makers use LinkedIn to research purchases
Plus, 82% of B2B marketers enjoy their greatest success with LinkedIn compared to other social networking channels.
In this article, we’ll dispel the myth of overnight success for businesses on LinkedIn by highlighting the importance (and benefits) of investing in and nurturing your company’s presence on LinkedIn over time.
Stay top of mind
At any one time, an estimated 95% of companies aren’t looking to change B2B providers. This highlights the importance of nurturing your relationships with prospective customers over time, so you remain in the mix once they’re ready to make a purchase.
Developing relationships and building trust can’t happen overnight. That’s why your approach to LinkedIn should be more of a marathon than a sprint. Take the time to plan long-term campaigns that keep customers and prospects engaged with content that adds value and positions your business as a thought leader or ‘one to watch’ in the industry.
The importance of engagement
Businesses that post weekly on LinkedIn enjoy a 2x higher engagement rate. The key is to think of your LinkedIn interactions as ongoing conversations with your community.
A reciprocity mindset – engage with me and I’ll engage with you – is far more effective than talking at people. This applies to both existing customers and prospects. It’s about ensuring a positive customer experience pre-sale, at point of sale, and post-sale.
Get everyone involved
One way to help build trust and engagement for your business on LinkedIn is to ensure you have a complete presence. Businesses whose LinkedIn pages are complete and active see 5x more page views.
As well as focusing on your company page, it’s also beneficial for key members of your team to be active on LinkedIn. After all, people prefer to buy from people.
For this reason, link your company LinkedIn page to your employee LinkedIn pages and vice versa. This will make it easier for your target audience to interact with you and put a face to a name.
Communicate your strengths
88% of B2B customers only buy when they regard the salesperson as a ‘trusted advisor’. That’s why you should take the time to communicate what makes your business different and the reasons why people should care about it.
Over time, a strategic content strategy on your company’s LinkedIn page can help boost your brand presence, build a community, and position your business as a trusted company.
Embrace LinkedIn features
There’s much more to LinkedIn than connecting with prospects and posting updates. Staying on top of – and using – the latest technology, such as LinkedIn’s recent newsletter feature, will help to widen your exposure and present you as an on-trend innovator.
Another effective LinkedIn service to consider is LinkedIn live streams, which get 7x more reactions and 24x more comments than regular video.
Want to join the 58 million companies using LinkedIn to reach their customers and prospects but not sure where to start? We’d love to help. Discover more about our social media marketing know-how here.
