If you’re trying to promote your services to other businesses, you’ve probably tried LinkedIn marketing. LinkedIn is similar to other social media sites in many ways, but it has unique features and a more professional atmosphere.  Be sure to read Laura Farkas’ tips to make the most of your LinkedIn activities.

While LinkedIn started off as a professional network for jobseekers, it has grown into one of the largest B2B social media platforms. You can literally connect with anyone from anywhere, and you will if you are active on LinkedIn. Below you will find five ways you can increase your visibility and master B2B marketing on LinkedIn as a professional office organizer or productivity consultant. None of these ways will give you instant leads, but persistence pays off and you can build your personal brand – even for free.

1. Personal Stories

As the old saying goes, people will only buy from those they know, like, and trust. You can get your personal story out there, share your background, insights, the milestones in your career, and your greatest achievements. However, baby pictures are a no-no on LinkedIn, even though many people use them to get engagement. You have to appear professional. Nothing’s wrong with one or two family photos, but you have to remember that you are not on Facebook.

An example personal story can be about your journey as an entrepreneur, detailing where you started and what you achieved so far. You can also talk about the difficulties and how you managed to overcome them, therefore educating your audience.

2. Outbound LinkedIn Marketing

There is a misconception that B2B marketing on LinkedIn is a numbers game. Many LinkedIn coaches will tell you that you just have to be sending out a lot of cold messages and you will close a few new deals. Unfortunately, that’s not the way people do business. Unless you have an irresistible offer, they will not buy, and might even remove you as a connection.

One of the best ways of building relationships with your network (or just the segment that fits your ideal client avatar) is to ask questions. Whether you are doing your market research or just want to show genuine interest in the person, you will have to reach out in a friendly manner. Ask about them, instead of bombarding them with your offer. After all, people love talking about themselves, don’t they? Ask them how long they have been working in the position, what their main challenges are, what they like and dislike about their job, and so on. You are more likely to get a reply than if you send a sales pitch straight away.

3. Slideshows

We have recently conducted research into the best types of content to post on LinkedIn, and slideshows have come up high on the list. They get a lot of engagement, compared with videos (animated) which don’t really do well these days.

LinkedIn has had a strange relationship with slideshows. In 2012 they acquired SlideShare, and it did well for a while. Then in 2020 they sold it to Scribd. However, presentations that are valuable for your audience are great for educating them and establishing yourself as an expert. Not to mention that it is much easier to put together a few slides than to write a LinkedIn article. It is also easier for your network to consume the content, therefore, you will get much more engagement from a slideshow than from a Linkedin article.

One of the best ways of uploading a slideshow is by adding a document. The platform will automatically convert the PowerPoint (or Google Slide) into a slideshow. Don’t forget to add your contact details, as your network will be able to download the presentation in a PDF format.

4. LinkedIn Analytics Features

If you would like to know who is looking at your profile, you might want to use LinkedIn’s own analytics tool that is available even on a free account. While the details are hidden – unless you are a premium member, you will still see the trend and the type of accounts you reached.

Remember: you can’t improve what you don’t measure (you might already know this).

If you would like to check how strong your profile is, you can also check your social selling index for free. It is a great tool that is a part of the sales navigator package, but available for free to anyone.

5. Polls

I left this tool of B2B Marketing on LinkedIn to last, as it is a low hanging fruit for anyone. We recently created a test and polls got 10-15 times more views and engagement than simple image posts. This confirms our theory that people like talking about themselves instead of listening to others’ bragging or musing. It is one of the 15 types of content that are recommended to be included in your social media mix.

It’s child’s play to create a poll on LinkedIn. You just have to ask a question that is relevant to your target audience and give them two to three options. All they need to do to submit their vote is click a button on the mouse. Make sure that you avoid political and controversial topics and reply to every single topic.

Now you have it: five B2B Marketing LinkedIn tips that will help you boost your visibility, connect with your target audience, and establish yourself as an expert. Which one are you going to try first? Leave a comment below.

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