Although most marketing guides talk about connecting with consumers, business-to-business marketing, also known as B2B marketing, should be an important part of your strategy. Fortunately, the Internet provides plenty of methods for B2B marketing. The social network LinkedIn is one method you can use to connect with other companies and to expand your own company.
The structure of LinkedIn also helps businesses connect with others because you can search by industry and location. The improved keyword search in LinkedIn is also helpful when you’re searching for potential hires. LinkedIn also offers SEO benefits because Google indexes content shared publicly on the website.
Groups on LinkedIn are also conducive to making network connections, and there are at least 2 million of them. You can get or give advice to business owners who have similar issues. Providing advice to the community also exemplifies your expertise in the industry, which is beneficial for branding.
LinkedIn is a vast network, and it’s easy to get lost or spend hours on the network, so you’ll want to have a strategy that’s based on more than just advertising your own company and focusing on your own content. Sharing information that your network finds useful will build your brand and expertise, and your contacts may come to you as an authority in the future.
Here are a few tips to get the most out of your experience on the network:
- Post at least once from your personal profile daily.
- Log in to your company page daily to post useful content.
- Remain active in a handful (3 to 5) groups.
- Perform specific searches by industry, location and specialty to expand your network.
- Take time to thank your visitors and contacts.
- Check your profile views on a daily basis for potential new connections.
Being proactive is key to making those connections on LinkedIn. Don’t just check to see who has viewed your profile on a daily basis. Thank them for visiting and extend that olive branch.
Once you develop your routine with LinkedIn and you become part of the dialog, you can find new companies to work with or ideas to build upon your own company. Even if you aren’t in need of a company’s services, someone with whom you network might pass along your information to someone who is in need of your services.
Furthermore, consider your expanded network through your employees. Your staff members may have connections that you don’t have, and these could help your company. Get the whole company active on LinkedIn to leverage the power of B2B marketing.
You’re not alone if you sign up for LinkedIn, either. Large companies such as Samsung and HP have used the social network, too. The focus on business topics means that there are fewer users on LinkedIn, but this also helps you wade through the masses more easily to find your next business partnership or recruit new talent to your company.
Contact us today at: 1.877.847.8473 for help with your Linkedin accounts
