Businesses have a number of options with which to set up a content marketing campaign. One that isn’t often thought of is using LinkedIn. However, not using the site can be a missed opportunity. LinkedIn is the most popular organic social network for business-to-business marketers, with 80% of companies running content ads on the site. Whether you intend to target high-lever professionals or just drive awareness to your site, using LinkedIn can be a crucial part of your overall marketing strategy. Here are some of the best practices to consider.
Set Up a Profile
Before you develop a content strategy for LinkedIn, you need to have a page for your company. The good news is that setting one up is similar to the process for other sites. You can add a banner image identical to Facebook, in which you have the option to include text promoting events or new products. The update field allows you to post links, share images, ask questions of your followers, and include videos.
Find the Right Target Audience
With most social sites, you have the ability to focus your posts based on certain demographics. LinkedIn lets you hyper-focus content based on areas such as company roles, industry, city, and the business itself. Once you have the segment of your followers you want to reach, you can draft a message to target them. For example, creating an ad designed for marketing copywriters in Florida. Doing this increases the chances that the ad will have higher engagement and return on investment.
Have Compelling Content
After you have an idea of the audience you want to reach, you want to ensure that the content you want to promote is engaging for them. This means having ads with clear, compelling language. You can also highlight items such as free trials, product demos, or the unique benefits of your service. In addition, you should add relevant images as well as a strong call to action.
Test Your Ads
Depending on what you want to highlight, there may be different variations of your ads that you can use. For these, you can do A/B testing to determine which ads are the most effective. During these tests, you have the ability to modify individual elements, such as images, ad text, and bids if necessary. The key is not to make changes all at once, as it will prevent you from having an idea of which elements work best for each ad.
Incorporating LinkedIn as part of your marketing plan can be beneficial for businesses. By knowing how to target the core audience you want to reach and tailoring content towards them, you are able to increase engagement for your brand.