If business professionals understand that no two markets are the same, then why do so many assume that all markets are serviced by the same social media website? Answering this question comes down to understanding the value of LinkedIn for generating business leads versus other social websites.
Unfortunately, a number of companies make the all too common mistake of thinking being present on social media means opening a Facebook page, jumping on to Twitter and becoming ever-present on Pinterest or Tumblr.
In a business-to-business (B2B) marketplace, none of these aforementioned social media websites generate anywhere near as many high-quality business leads quite like LinkedIn does. Here are some of the most important reasons your business needs to get started on LinkedIn right now.
1. It Costs Nothing to Get Started
It costs nothing to get started on LinkedIn. You can start by putting together a LinkedIn profile page and company homepage that clearly distinguishes you value proposition and company-wide core competencies. LinkedIn can be considered a zero-cost marketing outreach strategy that you can take advantage of immediately.
2. Engaging Posts Position You as the Ideal Problem Solver
Business professionals are interested in much more than your prices. They need invaluable insight. They need solutions to complex business problems. You can help them remove long-standing concerns by producing customer-focused content that positions you as a highly-valued problem solver.
Produce content that demonstrates how your products and services remove your market’s most obvious issues. However, don’t over promote your company. Instead, focus on the solution. Rely upon the insight you’ve gained through long-term customer relationships. Business professionals can easily pinpoint when a company is trying to oversell itself so stick to your solutions.
3. Generate Low-Cost Business Leads
Free downloads in the form of business whitepapers, customer case studies and ebooks position your company as a knowledgeable enterprise while also helping you to secure valuable contact details.
You can place these documents beneath a customized banner, one that links directly to your website. In fact, you can create that customized banner for free. However, don’t just leave it all up to a vivid and colorful banner.
Combine your banner with a well-written description about your company, its history, and its products in the “About Us” section. This is where you outline your company’s vision of the future. Finally, use descriptive and motivating call-to-actions (CTAs) in order to invite your customers to contact you directly.
4. Career, Products and Insight Sections on Your Homepage
Your LinkedIn homepage will allow you to promote three new sections. You can promote new career opportunities in the career page, put information about new product launches in the product page, while also including your latest content in the insights section.
You can also add tabs of these aforementioned sections on your homepage’s sidebar, in addition to including product recommendations from customers within your network. Finally, take full advantage of the recent updates feature by promoting your latest offerings.
5. Build a Network of Influential Market Leaders
Make it a point to join as many market-specific focus groups as possible. Be active in these focus groups and engage prospects by answering their questions. This is a simple soft sell approach and one that makes it easier to contact new prospects.
Finally, be sure to spend 45 minutes every day growing your network. However, remain professional and don’t come across as too overbearing. Offer a solution, ask to connect and remain focused on resolving a problem.
Simply put, LinkedIn is a preeminent tool for building valuable networks with high-level business contacts. No other social media website or forum gathers so many key decision makers, engineers, designers and C-level contacts quite like LinkedIn does. Being a part of that network is vital if you want to generate business leads.
Looking to generate more business leads? If so, then download our Download 10 Powerful Charts about How Businesses are Leveraging InBound Marketing.
