LinkedIn Marketing Strategy: The Basics

Get Started on your LinkedIn Marketing Strategy with the Basics

When it first launched nearly two decades ago, LinkedIn was perceived mainly as a professional networking site. Now, with over 706+ million users in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, LinkedIn has become a powerful marketing platform. Developing a LinkedIn Marketing Strategy can help you cultivate professional relationships, build brand awareness, and even generate leads. In this article, we will walk you through some of the basics building a LinkedIn marketing strategy so you can start leveraging more value today!

Create a Compelling Profile

The first step of your LinkedIn marketing strategy is to finesse your profile. Below are all the necessary fields for you to fill out plus tips on how to optimize them: 

• Profile Picture: Opt for a sharp, hi-res, and up-close picture of your face. If it is a company profile, choose a clear logo without any distractions. 
• Cover Photo: Choose a crisp image that showcases your business. Recommended size is 1584 (width) x 396 (height) pixels.
• Headline: A LinkedIn headline is the section at the top of a LinkedIn user’s profile where they can describe what they do. This brief description should be concise, enticing, and no longer than 120 characters. 
• About/Description/Overview Section: This appears further down in the profile and gives users the opportunity to provide more detail about themselves. This section can include a mission statement or description of products/services. Google results preview up to 156 characters of your page’s text—so make your description SEO friendly by including keywords.
• Hashtags: Up to three hashtags can be added to make your profile more searchable. Choose hashtags that are popular in your industry and are relevant to your business.
• Custom Button: Add a button to your profile so visitors have a clear call to action. Options include visit website, contact us, learn more, register, and sign up.

Show off your Profile

Once your profile is set-up, show it off! Send a company-wide email encouraging employees to follow the page. Additionally, ask them to include their position at your organization on their personal profile. This creates exposure for your company profile across many other pages. Promote your page externally, too. Use your social media channels, website, and newsletter to ask for follows. Make sure to set up Page Admins to manage all on-page activities.

Post Rich Content

Unfortunately, it’s not enough to simply post consistently on LinkedIn. To really make an impact, you have to publish compelling and creative content to your page. Below are a couple suggestions as to what kind of material you should be including into your LinkedIn marketing strategy:

Video

A few years ago, LinkedIn went all in on B2B video. Video creates an excellent way for LinkedIn users to interact with your page. The fact that video increases session times is also a big plus for your profile. If you want to dip your toe into live video, Sprout Social reports that it can grow your engagement rate 25x higher.

Custom Images

Create eye-catching original media to add visual appeal to your LinkedIn marketing strategy. Adding custom images can even get you twice as many comments on your posts! Get creative with Canva, an online graphic design platform. It’s free, expansive, and super user-friendly!

Run LinkedIn Ads

To give your LinkedIn marketing strategy an extra boost, consider utilizing its advertising program. LinkedIn ads allow you to connect with your ideal audience within the professional community at any budget. It’s pretty easy, too. To kick off your campaign, you’ll first select which type of ad you desire: sponsored content, text ads, sponsored messaging, dynamic ads, and ad placements off LinkedIn. Next, define your objective: increase brand awareness, collect leads for potential customers, etc. Then, define your ideal audience by the follow characteristics:

• Location
• Job function or title
• Fields of study
• Years of experience

Another way to get your ad in front of relevant users is by targeting your Matched Audience. This feature allows you to retarget people who have already visited your website. The thought is that since they have already shown interest in your company, you’re more likely to convert them.

Keep your Eye on the Data

If you’re just starting out with your LinkedIn Marketing Strategy, you’ll find that trial and error is your best friend. They’ll be a learning curve at first, and you may not have a clear idea on what your audience wants. That’s why you have to keep your eye on the LinkedIn analytics. Every day—especially after making a post, or if you’re running an ad—check in on your data. Here, you can get an in-depth look at how your page is performing. You’ll be able to see what’s working, and what you need to throw out with last week’s trash. Informed marketing is successful marketing! 

Get Help with your LinkedIn Marketing Strategy

You may be reading this as a Facebook early-adopter, or even an Instagram guru. But, LinkedIn may seem like foreign soil to you. Don’t worry! Just think of it as a vacation from your normal platforms. Just remember to stay consistent with your LinkedIn Marketing Strategy—the results are sure to follow. And if you need a hand along the way, we are always here to help. IDS specializes in Online Marketing including Search Engine Optimization, Email Automation, and Branding. Let’s discuss your marketing goals today!