How to Use LinkedIn to Generate Leads

LinkedIn is the largest professional social network in the world, providing users with the opportunity to make new connections and build their professional networks. Beyond being an excellent networking tool for professionals, LinkedIn also offers a tremendous amount of opportunity for businesses.

To make the most of your LinkedIn presence, you’ll need to use both your company page and personal profile strategically. Here are some tips to help you grow your network and generate leads:

Tip 1 | Create A Business Profile

By creating a company page for your business, you can introduce LinkedIn users to your business and establish yourself as an industry leader. You will need to set up a personal LinkedIn profile before you can create a company page for your business. Once your company page has been created, you can start putting it to work for your business.

• Create a Compelling Company Page | Make sure your company page includes accurate, up-to-date information and showcases what makes your business unique. LinkedIn company pages are SEO-friendly, so make sure you are including keywords in your description.
• Share Relevant & Useful Information | When you post updates on your company page, make sure you are sharing content that is relevant to your audience and adds value. Share industry updates, company news, or promote your blog content as a way to encourage engagement and start a conversation with your followers.
• Use Sponsored Content to Reach New Audiences | If you have an important message to share with a specific audience, you may want to try using Sponsored Content. Through Sponsored Content, you can share tailored content with a highly targeted audience. You’re able to choose your ad creative, target audience, and set a budget for your campaigns. You can also measure your campaign performance and make adjustments.

Tip 2 | Use Your Personal Profile

By leveraging your personal profile on LinkedIn, you can grow your professional network and give your business a boost, as well. Being an active presence on this platform will help you build credibility, develop relationships, and build awareness of your business.

• Make Sure Your Profile Stands Out | A strong presence on LinkedIn starts with a strong profile. Before you get to work trying to grow your network, take some time to freshen up your profile to make sure you are sending the right impression to current and potential connections.
  • Update Your Profile Photo | Make sure your profile photo is up-to-date and reflects your personality in a professional way.
  • Keep Things Current | Keeping key details current, such as your position, industry, and location, will help you build relevant connections and make your profile easy for others to find.
  • List Your Skills | Showcase your knowledge and expertise by routinely updating your skills on your profile. Including a list of skills on your profile can help boost your visibility.
• Connect and Interact | LinkedIn provides you with the ability to form connections and grow your professional network. Beyond connecting with a core group of colleagues, spend some time reviewing your list of “People You May Know” for opportunities to build a broader network. You should also set aside a few minutes each day to interact with your connections. Share your thoughts by commenting on their posts, and congratulate people in your network when they share good news.
• Build Meaningful Connections | While it’s important to build new connections on LinkedIn, you should also make sure the connections you are building are authentic. Be sure to only connect to others if you actually know then. If you don’t, reach out to a mutual acquaintance and ask them to introduce you. The quality of your network is far more important than its size.
• Share Valuable Content | When you post an update or share content on LinkedIn, make sure it adds value. Use your updates as an opportunity to start a discussion or share your expertise. Make sure you are also sharing content from your business LinkedIn page to help spread the word about your business within your network.
• Join and Participate in Groups | Through groups, you can join online communities of individuals who are highly interested in a specific topic or industry. Be sure to take the time to look for groups that are relevant to you, and then interact with others in those groups. Sharing your insights with other members in your groups will help you build meaningful connections and also establish your credibility as a thought leader.

Once you’ve started putting your company page and profile to work for your business, remember to keep a close eye on your company page analytics. By seeing who is visiting your company page, and how they are interacting with your content, you can start to adjust your strategy for even greater success.

LinkedIn can be an incredibly valuable tool for your business, so be sure to utilize this platform to the fullest. As a complement to your overall digital marketing strategy, LinkedIn can be used to help you generate more leads and grow your business. If you’d like to learn more about using LinkedIn or other social media platforms to reach new customers online, contact us for a free Digital Marketing Plan!