One of the biggest challenges your sales and marketing departments face is generating leads.  Sure, you are already familiar with Linkedin, and you probably have an account there (whether you’re active or not is a different story). And, you may already know that LinkedIn is the most effective platform from which to get qualified leads. But it might be a struggle trying to figure out the ins and outs. So let’s dive into best practices for using LinkedIn to generate leads.  

01 / Why LinkedIn? 

Since the pandemic hit, LinkedIn usage has increased dramatically, up 31% since March. Even ad spend is up significantly, increasing LinkedIn’s revenue by 16%. There are over 720 million LinkedIn members across the globe, which is up 50 million since January 2020. Active users are now neck in neck with Twitter’s 361 million. And with no end to the pandemic in sight, it only makes sense these numbers will increase.  

Users are looking to network for a job search, increase visibility, hire new employees, gain leads, and more. Since meeting in person was temporarily off the table, Linkedin was the prime place to connect virtually. 

Sure, Facebook can be used in the same capacity as LinkedIn, and Twitter, too. But, LinkedIn’s lead conversion rate is 2.74%, where the other two sites mentioned are under 1% respectively. And, at the rate it is growing, it just makes sense that leads are on LinkedIn, just waiting for initial contact.  

02 / Optimize Your Profile 

Team personal and business profiles need to be put to work. This means they must be optimized if they are going to help you gain traction getting leads.  

For your business page, include: 

•     Company info 
•     Updates 
•     Company logo, which also appears on your personal page 
•     Use a branded cover photo 
•     Complete the About Us and Recent Update sections 
•     Be sure to add keywords to the Specialties area  
•     Ask your team to add the company page to their profile 
•     Shoot for updating your content regularly 
•     Add a LinkedIn link to your website so users can easily find you 

To learn how to optimize your personal profile, please read this article: How to Use LinkedIn to Market Your Brand [insert link] 

03 / Grow Your LinkedIn Network 

Connecting with people on LinkedIn is simple. You simply enter relevant keywords in the search box and send connection invites.  

You don’t have to send a note along with your invite, that’s optional. However, many people are hesitant to accept cold invite connection requests due to some spam-like profiles on the site.  

04 / Join Relevant Groups 

There are many interesting groups within every industry imaginable. Within these, you can meet more professionals and gain more insight into what is going on in your own industry. Being active within these groups means posting content of your own as well as leaving well thought out answers to other’s questions.  

05 / Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator 

 Sales Navigator is a platform by LinkedIn with a host of features helping the user find leads and build relationships. The tool gives deeper insight into potential leads through more robust search capabilities than just using LinkedIn itself.  

Made specifically for B2B, it is a paid tool with different subscription tiers available.  

Find your ideal client based on: 

•     Location 
•     Industry 
•     Company size 
•     Job title/function  
•     Years in current position and in the company 

You’ll be able to easily find decision-makers and influencers with companies you’re wanting to connect with.  

Once you find leads, you are able to create lists of contacts. From there, it’s about relationship building.