The Internet has changed the way B2B professionals do business. Along with generating leads through your firm’s website, email marketing and digital events, you can also use social media for lead generation. This is what’s known as social selling.

For B2B companies, LinkedIn is the ideal choice for social selling. 

Why B2B Companies are Using LinkedIn for Social Selling

More than any other social network, B2B professionals are using LinkedIn for social selling. Here’s why:

Made for Businesses

While Twitter and Facebook may have more users overall, LinkedIn is designed for businesses. It’s the social network of choice for decision-makers (i.e. the people your firm wants to connect with). It’s where professionals and companies go to network, influence and grow.

In fact, 4 out of 5 LinkedIn users influence business decisions. This means that most of your connections are highly valuable prospects. With more than 55 million companies on the social network, there’s no shortage of B2B potential leads.^[1]https://economicgraph.linkedin.com/

While LinkedIn is a great way to find prospects, it’s also a great way for prospects to find you. About a third of B2B decision-makers research their purchases on LinkedIn.^[2]https://hootsuite.com/resources/digital2020-q4-update

There are plenty of social networks out there, but LinkedIn is designed specifically for businesses and professionals. If you’re going to engage in social selling – and you should – then you want to focus your efforts where your audience hangs out, and there’s a very good chance that your prospects are already on LinkedIn.

Effective Lead Generation

With so many influencers and companies on LinkedIn, it’s not surprising that it’s one of the most effective social networks for B2B lead generation.

• More than 80% of social leads come from LinkedIn.
• Visitors from LinkedIn are three times more likely to convert to a lead.^[3]https://hootsuite.com/resources/digital2020-q4-update

Why is LinkedIn so effective for lead generation? Because you’re connecting with people who are already interested in or looking for what you’re offering. 

Your connections are people who are in your target audience. 

Plus, your LinkedIn profile gives prospects a wealth of information that makes it easier for them to take the next step. Testimonials and content give you credibility. Every little detail in your profile helps prospects get to know you and your services. By the time they reach out to you, you’ve already started building and fostering their trust.

Trust plays a crucial role in the buying process, and you’ve already done much of the hard work through your efforts on LinkedIn.

The content you post on LinkedIn is another effective way to generate targeted leads and direct them to your website.

Targeted Outreach

One advantage LinkedIn has over other social networks is that it allows for targeted outreach, particularly through LinkedIn Groups. These are niche groups where industry professionals can share their insights.

Searching for and joining these groups allows you to network with and engage with prospects who are in your targeted audience.

Groups are just one way to connect with your audience. Connecting and engaging with influencers through comments and content can help get your name and face in front of the right people. LinkedIn has a helpful tool you can use to identify influencers in your industry. 

Targeted outreach helps streamline conversions because you’re focusing your efforts on quality, valuable prospects. 

Build Authority

One valuable aspect of LinkedIn’s platform is having the ability to post content. Creating and sharing valuable content improves engagement and helps generate leads, but it also helps you establish yourself as an industry leader and influencer.

Sharing your expertise through helpful and engaging content shows prospects that you have the experience and knowledge to help with their pain points. 

Other LinkedIn members may also share your content, which will expand your reach and influence further. Your authority will grow with each share and comment your content receives. If an industry influencer with a large following engages with your content, this could boost your credibility significantly.

How to Use LinkedIn for Social Selling

Now that you understand why LinkedIn is ideal for B2B social selling, you may be wondering how to use this social network to generate leads.

Here’s how we use LinkedIn for social selling.

Connect

The first step is to connect with potential prospects by sending customized invitations. Connection invites give you the opportunity to tell your story. Think of it as a virtual introduction. Connections are, essentially, potential prospects. The more you have, the greater your chances of converting them to leads.

Don’t underestimate the value of your connections. LinkedIn users saw a 55% increase in connection conversions last year.

With LinkedIn, you can take a targeted approach to connection invites by only reaching out to users in your audience.

Direct Message on LinkedIn

Sending direct messages to your LinkedIn connections is a great way to nurture relationships with new (and old) connections and generate leads.

Messages need to be compelling and concise while triggering the right emotions and directing prospects to take the next step.

Email Marketing

Did you know that you can use LinkedIn to build your email marketing list? This blog diver further into email marketing. Building an email list is something you’ll want to do along side utilizing any social media platform. Email marketing offers an average ROI of 37:1 and is just another avenue to connect with your LinkedIn prospects.^[4]https://www.litmus.com/blog/the-roi-for-email-marketing-the-good-news-and-the-bad-news/#:~:text=Brands%20that%20describe%20their%20email,much%20more%20about%20absolute%20returns

Post Content

Content is another important piece of the puzzle when using LinkedIn for social selling. Decision-makers read content at least ten times before they make a decision. 

And remember that a third of these influencers are using LinkedIn to do their research.

The content you create needs to be purposeful and informative with just a touch of persuasiveness. The ultimate goal is to catch and hold the attention of decision-makers in your target audience, so your topics must address their pain points and offer solutions (i.e. your services).

Adding a strong call to action in your LinkedIn content will help direct readers to your website or landing page for conversion.

These four elements work together to turn prospects into leads and leads into clients. If you aren’t using LinkedIn for social selling, you should be. It’s been a highly effective tool for our clients and continues to be a valuable platform for expanding a firm’s reach and building credibility. 

Ready to take advantage of social selling on LinkedIn? Contact us today to get started!

Desire to learn how to connect with your ideal conversations online and start conversations with them? Grab our guide here: www.leaders-online.com/4cprocess.