How to set your social media marketing on fire. No, not literally. But you want some action. You aren’t just doing it for the sake of doing it are you. We all need leads and where better to begin than with some leads found on social media. And yes, it’s achievable.
How to find B2B leads for your business on LinkedIn
If you run a B2B company, the go-to social media platform is LinkedIn. There are over 820 million users on LinkedIn.Â
It’s big.Â
If you hope to win work these days, you not only need to be on the platform, but active.
LinkedIn users are not there to source their bicycle gear or view endless pictures of penguins. It’s the place for B2B company people to be seen and gives you the opportunity to connect on a professional level and, of course, source work.
Here are a few tips to set your social media marketing on fire and help you grow and nourish the quantity and quality of your LinkedIn connections.
See the Bigger Picture
You like the idea of quality connections, not every lame duck. But remember that the more people you know there, the more likely you will receive invitations.
Where to start. Begin building your network with people you know, so after close work colleagues, go for family and friends. Really the most important group to invite are other people who are prospective clients in your business arena – as long as they all can see who you are.
Remember to avoid inviting lots of people you don’t know as you may get reported or your account closed.
Some people you connect with may be in a different field to you now, but this could change in the future. Do not let this be a block to you connecting.
Don’t forget that their connections may indeed be in a similar business arena to you.
LinkedIn works to make your profile more visible and accessible via connections, so every connection could be worth it.
And then continue to increase your network of 1st connections. 30,000 is the limit. Thereafter, the next invite you receive has to follow you.
Repeat the Exercise
Link your LinkedIn account to all your other business places. Your email signature, blogs etc.
Don’t forget a clear note on your LinkedIn profile summary to show you are eager to connect. People will get the message in more places than just on the LinkedIn platform.
Spam, spam, spam… There are a few practices you should deploy to assess the valuable connections.
Spammers are not too difficult to recognise and you don’t wish to be associated with them. So, look out for obviously fake profiles that include e.g. limited info, mismatched job/skills, no profile pic or a stock one/logo only, company name instead of a personal name.
You will soon learn to identify and report them as Spam.
Find out here how to win work on LinkedIn with training from Caroline
Spreading your word
To develop your relationships, you need to upload copy and content. Those following and connecting with you can see your activity.
Timewise, posting early evening is generally thought optimal, although it is consistency that trumps timing.
The gold standard is 4 to 7 times a week, but this is a big commitment.
Make it something your target market want to hear about.
Make it something that you have experience or skills in.
Understand the many different types of copy and content that you can create.
Portray your expertise and experience.
Shuffle the delivery or it can get boring, so give some other interesting info that you see in your daily life. If it’s piqued your mind, then it will do this for others too.
And remember, your content needs to make the viewer understand how what you offer can help them.
Ideally, your own content will drive traffic to your website with those all-important visits.
Start with comments on your post and lead to a lasting relationship via private messaging. This is all part of building that relationship to convert connections to leads and sales.
Focus on the process
There is more than one leap in networking.
Don’t forget that it is a continuous process.
Not only do you need to reach out with that initial connection, you need to build the relationship.
Your content should be of interest to your targets and remind them of your skills. A go-to resource.
But engage with their content too.Â
Comment, share and help them with a problem they’ve voiced, going the extra mile.  It’s all added value to the relationship.
Don’t stop at that first step.
Keep going
Continue to add to your number of connections, and ensure they are of the right quality.
And join Groups. Groups are full of people who share your interests, who are in your industry.
Big v Small ish
Rather than rush around commenting and uploading content, digest for a while and review content you see in your feed.
Identify the key influencers in your industry. Connect and foster relationships. Follow and interact with them.
Their posts will appear on your feed, so your engagement will be seen by their many followers, and these are people who definitely read the influencers’ posts.
It is not always easy to connect with these pros, but don’t miss the opportunity.
Go for it
We are all marketing, it’s just a question of how good you are.
We can all create marketing leverage on LinkedIn.
Connect with Caroline Mitchell on LinkedIn here
