Audience. Engagement. Trust. The three key drivers of the social media platform LinkedIn. This social media app is a location for all things professional networking. Whether that’s job seekers, businesses wanting to promote their services or researchers wanting to gain industry insights.
It’s a hub for educational content and innovative brands. If you operate in the manufacturing industry and you’re not utilising the benefits of LinkedIn, you’re missing out. They’re 706 plus million members, three professionals sign up every second and it’s rated No.1 as the most trusted social media platform.
If you’re keen to generate leads, create brand awareness, increase traffic to your website and MORE then you’re in the right place. In this post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about how manufacturers can benefit from this diverse platform. It’s time to lean on LinkedIn for incredible growth!
We’ll cover:
- Why B2B manufacturers will grow on LinkedIn
- Brand awareness
- Generating leads
- Thought leadership
- Audience and industry insights
- Traffic building
- Targeted ad opportunities
Why B2B manufacturers will grow on LinkedIn
LinkedIn has grown in popularity over the years and now it's one of the most used social media platforms around. It's a valuable platform for building connections with other businesses and professionals. It has a niche advantage, there's a huge focus on creative content marketing and it can offer several advantages for B2B manufacturers.
55+ million companies are currently on LinkedIn and there are two point nine million business groups on the platform. It's clear that this platform is favoured by MANY businesses because they're polar focused on growth and connection and we can't blame them.
ONE BILLION interactions happen on LinkedIn pages every single month. Meaning there's always opportunities to be had, there's conversations your business should be a part of and there's room for every business to make a remarkable impression. It's proven, LinkedIn works - it's trusted by businesses across the globe, it spans the breadth of B2B audience segments and it's the WORLD'S largest online professional network.
If you're ready to find your audience on LinkedIn, build connections and leverage your brand in a new way... Here are the key advantages you need to know about this platform.
Brand awareness
One of the biggest challenges B2B manufacturers face is getting the word out there about their business, products and services to contribute to brand awareness. If you know you've got the great products and offerings available, then you're halfway there to utilising the dynamic platform.
LinkedIn offers a full suite of technology capabilities to help companies gain relevant visibility and recognition in their targeted audiences and industries. Whether that's using the paid marketing functions, utilising LinkedIn groups for engagement or connecting with other businesses for increased reach - there's SO many ways to use LinkedIn for brand awareness.
A great way to increase brand awareness through LinkedIn is using content marketing. 97 percent of B2B marketers utilise this platform for their content marketing efforts. LinkedIn helps businesses achieve specific objectives through organic and paid content with sophisticated targeting. If you're consistent on the social media platform and you're focused on producing quality content, it's guaranteed you'll build on your brand reputation too.
Generating leads
Although it might not seem that direct sales can be achieved through LinkedIn, it is a huge lead generation driver. LinkedIn is a robust network that generates more leads for B2B companies than Facebook, Twitter or blogs - 80 percent of B2B leads come from LinkedIn versus 13 percent on Twitter and seven percent on Facebook.
If you’re utilising the capabilities of LinkedIn, you know who your target audience is and you're passionate about delivering top quality content then you’ll be on your way to reaping the benefits of LinkedIn. There are consumers everywhere on LinkedIn but you and your content need to arrive at their screens in the right place at the right time because 33 percent of B2B decision makers use LinkedIn to research purchases.
The good thing about LinkedIn is that you can personalise your content and messaging, you can engage with potential leads and you can answer questions - helping transform leads into paying customers. 59 percent of B2B marketers say LinkedIn generates leads for their business. Because of the professional nature of this network and the diversity of functions available, when potential leads land on your website through LinkedIn, they're more likely to convert to a paying buyer.
Thought leadership
If you're passionate about a particular subject, you've got expertise in a particular industry or you're keen to position your business as a trusted brand then LinkedIn is the perfect location to establish your thought leader presence.
There are several features on the LinkedIn platform that can position individuals as thought leaders in their ideal industry. Whether that's being active within networking communities on the platform, updating personal profiles, producing high-quality content or collaborating with other thought leaders for exposure - this is THE platform for thought leadership.
Showcasing your brand on this platform is the perfect chance to demonstrate your expertise and it doesn't have to cost a penny - you can do it organically if you wish! It just requires consistency, audience knowledge, content development, and profile optimisation.
Audience and industry insights
If you're wanting to position your business and yourself as a thought leader in your industry then it's important to have your finger on the pulse. After all, if you're missing out on vital communications in your industry and your audience, then you're also missing out on vital sales opportunities and connections.
LinkedIn is not only a platform for connection but it's a useful tool for education and learning too. This platform can help you expand your horizons and seek ALL opportunities. You can ask questions, answer questions and gain insights into opinions and comments.
You can follow your favourite companies and brands for industry insights, you can connect and network with people in your industry and you can stay up to date with interests and valuable industry research. You'll be one step ahead of your competition and most importantly, your insights will ensure your services are positioned for the problems of tomorrow.
Traffic building
LinkedIn is a traffic builder - FACT. Your business profile and daily activities on the platform can lead to new connections, increased engagement and more visitors to your website and blog. But how do you cut through the noise and use LinkedIn to its greatest capacity?
Create a thought-led business profile, increase your connections and engage in your networks, update your content consistently, join targeted groups and overall, be active on the app as much as possible. The more active and consistent you are, the more connections you'll reach.
LinkedIn has all the capabilities for you to increase traffic to your website you've just got to be committed to the outreach, content creation and engagement. LinkedIn generates approximately half of all traffic to websites, blogs and web destinations. So it's proven that this social media platform needs to be considered for all manufacturers adapting their marketing outreach.
Targeted ad opportunities
LinkedIn is the top-rated paid social media platform and 76 percent of B2B marketers reported it’s their primary paid social media channel to use. Using LinkedIn paid ads is a great way to drive traffic and engagement both on and off the platform. Advertisements can include image ads, video ads, carousel ads and MORE.
The paid elements of this platform certainly offer diversity and customisation to whatever your goals and aspirations are. If you're running ads then you can also make use of the LinkedIn reporting interface that allows advertisers to measure and optimise campaigns - tracking leads, conversions, engagement and more.
Targeted ads on LinkedIn are a perfect way to circulate in the ideal networks for your business. You'll be able to customise your demographic and goals accordingly and you'll reach completely new niche audiences than any other social media platform. Remember, this platform is for professionals so the leads are reliable.
Utilise LinkedIn to drive leads and sales conversions
LinkedIn is more than a professional network, it's a hub of sales opportunities. If you're keen to learn more about LinkedIn and start generating sales then our FREE downloadable is for you!
In our downloadable, you'll learn everything you need to know about LinkedIn for B2B Manufacturers and how there are key strategies for increased sales and conversions. Download your copy today and start engaging your audience and building trust with your consumers.
However, it's not quite ready yet - we're just adding the finishing touches. So, for more information on how LinkedIn can help propel your business forwards, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our expert team with any questions or queries. We look forward to hearing from you!