Blog Post

Why LinkedIn Marketing is Critical to Your Business

  • By Mark Baker
  • 21 Aug, 2014

B2B Marketing used to be about a company pushing information to prospects and customers when it had something to sell, regardless of whether or not the target audience was interested or in a position to buy. That “push” strategy familiar to so many is now “old school” thinking, having been replaced by the more sophisticated initiatives of inbound marketing in which a prospect or customer comes to the company based on information read or seen online.

Very simply, inbound marketing uses digital tactics to appeal to target audiences with relevant messages, allowing those audiences to then control their contact with the company. But before you get the idea that inbound marketing is a lightweight spectator sport, consider these points. With inbound marketing, a prospect or customer makes contact only when he is ready to engage and make a purchase. Also, the marketer’s efforts are primarily focused on digital strategies, so there is very little financial investment compared to other push initiatives. Think about it. Very little, if any, financial investments and prospects come to you ready to buy. Sign me up, right?

The big kahuna of social media, especially in the B2B space, is LinkedIn, the global networking site for connecting people and businesses. LinkedIn provides members with the opportunity to share their business expertise–the life force of inbound marketing–via various features such as thought leadership articles, sponsored posts, targeted communications, and more.

If you want to start smart on LinkedIn, join groups that have members who will be interested in what you have to say. The idea is not to directly promote your business or service, but rather share your business knowledge via professional posts and articles so that your target audience will be drawn to your content, and ultimately to you. Once you have established yourself in a group, you can look for more direct ways to connect with members, such as responding to a post you have created. The cardinal rule of LinkedIn is no hard sell, but it is perfectly acceptable to make connections that will hopefully turn into mutually beneficial business relationships.

Your business will also benefit from marketing on LinkedIn through creating a business profile and a company page. The profile gives the nuts and bolts of who you are, what you do, and where you do it. This is the place to list your products, any special projects, certifications, awards, etc. When you create a company page, you can provide much of the same information and supplement it with updates such as new product releases, account acquisitions, testimonials, etc. The idea behind these pages is to share information–both functional and business information–so that the people searching for your expertise can find you. Over the years we’ve been managing LinkedIn pages, we’ve learned that the adage of the more the merrier seems to fit. The more content you provide, the better your chances are of being found on LinkedIn, and the sooner you’ll be connected with new buyers.

One of the easiest and most effective ways to stay in front of prospects and customers using LinkedIn marketing is to update your status every day. Just a little effort on your part can have big payoffs. Keeping your business name current and in front of those who want to know more about you will encourage them to engage at some point.

In our experience with guiding customers on inbound marketing, LinkedIn is definitely in the mix not only for its ease of use and super friendly budget requirements, but also for the huge impact and benefits businesses realize every day.


Mark Baker

Mark Baker is a natural artist. Since starting his first business hand painting graphics onto vehicles in high school, Mark gained experience in the entertainment, sports, and retail industries before founding this company in 1993. Honest and pragmatic, Mark knows that anything can be accomplished with a great communication plan and creative thinking. 

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