Research shows that LinkedIn generates 3x more conversions than Twitter and Facebook. In fact, it has the highest conversion rate out of all the social platforms, with a visitor-to-lead conversion rate of around 2.74%.
It’s a hotbed of qualified leads who are ready to buy. Not only do more people visit your website through LinkedIn, but they’re more likely to buy from you too.
This social channel is especially useful for B2B businesses who may struggle finding leads on other social platforms. While users on Linkedin, they are in a business-focused mindset making this a great place for B2B brands to reach their target audience. But this doesn’t mean this isn’t a great place for B2C brands to market their services or product. Most B2C brands are extremely active on other social channels, making Linkedin less noisy and cluttered. This means a person is far more likely to see your B2C marketing-related content on this channel.
If you’re not leveraging the power of LinkedIn, now’s the time to do so.
Why LinkedIn?
Unlike Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, users on LinkedIn are in work mode. It’s a professional networking site that’s geared towards promoting businesses, connecting with industry professionals, and finding top talent.
This means that people using LinkedIn are in a certain mindset. They’re not looking for funny videos of animals; they’re on the hunt for professional information, products, and services.
As a result, LinkedIn users are the most qualified leads you’ll find on social media because they’re in the right headspace to buy.
The hard part is getting eyeballs on your LinkedIn posts and profile to encourage leads to convert. One of the most effective tactics for generating more views is to engage with other people’s content on LinkedIn.
Engagement is important for a number of reasons.
Firstly, it helps you build connections in your industry and, secondly, it boosts your visibility on the platform.
Think about it:
If you’re regularly engaging with top-name individuals in your industry and responding to LinkedIn posts with juicy nuggets of information, more people are going to come across your name.
And, if you keep appearing with valuable advice and useful additions to the conversation, people are going to be inclined to click through to your site to see what you’re all about.
Essentially, engagement leads to visibility. And, more people seeing your name across LinkedIn means more people to potentially convert into customers.
Value is the key word here. Showing up and writing short, one-word comments that don’t add to the conversation won’t do much for your reputation. Instead, when you interact and engage with other people’s content on LinkedIn, you should be looking to add value to the conversation.
You probably see a lot of users in LinkedIn groups sharing short comments just to get their name out there and get themselves some visibility. But, while this might grab them a temporary dose of visibility, it’s not a sustainable long-term strategy. One-word comments aren’t going to be remembered by potential leads and customers. Instead, they’re going to remember comments that were insightful and added something to the conversation.
When you do the latter, you’ll see an uptick in the number of conversions.
Here’s how engaging with other people’s content on LinkedIn is the key to more conversions:
Engaging on LinkedIn Raises Awareness of Your Brand
The more you put your name out there in comments and conversations, the more people will come to know your name. If you’re consistently showing up in relevant conversations, you’re going to quickly raise awareness of your brand and ensure target customers remember who you are.
This will help keep your brand front-of-mind so that when potential leads need a product or service like yours, you’re going to be the first brand they think of.
Engaging on LinkedIn Helps Showcase Your Expertise
Customers will only convert if they trust a brand. They’re not going to invest their money in someone or something they don’t know much about and who hasn’t proven themselves yet.
This is why engaging on other people’s content is so important. Adding valuable, insightful comments to posts and statuses will position you as an expert on your subject matter which, in turn, will increase trust levels with your audience and make it more likely that they’ll convert.
Engaging on LinkedIn Builds Your Brand Reputation
The biggest brands seem to be everywhere on social media. This is because they work hard to build and maintain their solid reputation.
Having a reputation like this – where customers are coming across your brand every single day in their feed – not only means leads are more likely to remember you when they need something you’re offering, but also encourages more referrals.
Word-of-mouth marketing is still one of the most powerful forms of marketing and it’s rife on social media. You’ve probably been in a LinkedIn Group at some point and seen somebody ask recommendations for a product or a service provider.
Most of the time the people or brands they tag are businesses that show up regularly in that group. They’ve spent time nurturing relationships and building their reputation so that others feel comfortable recommending them to their colleagues and peers.
Engaging on LinkedIn Helps Nurture Customer Relationships
Customers are more likely to buy from brands they know and love. Working on building strong customer relationships is a vital part of business, particularly if you want customers to keep coming back for more.
Engaging on the posts of your customers and fellow industry professionals works to build solid relationships and show your human side. When you make yourself accessible like this, people are more likely to interact with you, start conversations, and check out what it is you’re offering.
Increase Conversions on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is an incredibly powerful tool and should be a pivotal part of every brand’s marketing strategy. When used correctly, it can be a huge traffic driver which, in turn, leads to more conversions.
Make yourself known in relevant circles, join LinkedIn Groups filled with fellow industry professionals and potential customers, and get talking. This builds trust, establishes long-lasting relationships with potential leads, and puts your brand in front of so many more people.
About the author
Ryan Gould, Vice President of Strategy and Marketing Services at http://www.elevationb2b.com/. From legacy Fortune 100 institutions to inventive start-ups, Ryan brings extensive experience with a wide range of B2B clients. He skillfully architects and manages the delivery of integrated marketing programs, and believes strongly in strategy, not just tactics, that effectively aligns sales and marketing teams within organizations.
Get in touch on LinkedIn
Nick Stamoulis says
Engaging with other people’s content is a good strategy for increasing the clout of your own brand on Linkedin. If people see you as someone who wants to interact with them, they are more likely to respond in kind by interacting with you, as well.
varpho.net says
For example, when I comment on my friend Dale s status, Dale s post appears in the feeds of some of my first degree connections with James Carbary commented on this above the post. My comment appears directly under Dale s post (regardless of how many other comments there are).