LinkedIn for B2B Marketing: Master the basics

You probably have an online LinkedIn profile, but do you also have a company page for your insurance agency? And if so, when is the last time you looked at either? Is LinkedIn an active part of your business-to-business (B2B) social network?  While Facebook is a great place to build online relationships within your local community, LinkedIn is a “must” to build your professional image and reach out to commercial prospects.

This is particularly true if you have a specific niche in your commercial customer profile, such as truckers, contractors, municipalities, etc.  More than 630 million professionals gather on LinkedIn and a huge percentage are senior execs:

  • 50% of B2B web traffic originating from social media comes from LinkedIn
  • 80% of B2B leads generated on social media come from LinkedIn
  • InMail has a 300 percent higher response rate than email

 

Source: 16 LinkedIn Statistics That Matter to Marketers in 2019 and 48 Eye-Opening LinkedIn Statistics For B2B Marketers In 2020.

chart showing LinkedIn b2b influence

Build out your profile.  Chances are, you already have personal profile, but you haven’t updated it or polished it since you first opened an account. When’s the last time you updated your photo or polished your agency’s description? Does your account include any mention of the specific commercial businesses that you have expertise in or that your agency is targeting? Here’s LinkedIn’s advice on building out your profile completely.

Connect with people you know. The more people you connect with, the more likely it is that you will be found and the more useful LinkedIn will be in helping you accomplish your business goals. As your network grows, so does your opportunity to invite those you would like in your network to “connect.” Who to connect with? Your current commercial clients. Businesses in your community that you would like to do business with. Key community influencers. Key industry influencers.  Make it part of your routine to request connections, at least a few every week. Here’s some information from LinkedIn on growing your network.

Build a company page. It’s not enough to just have a profile, you need a LinkedIn company page for your insurance agency.  It should follow your brand in look and feel as well as in key messages. It’s a page to make your contacts aware of what you are doing and why your agency is the place to buy insurance.  Be sure to emphasize your service differentials and any niche markets. It’s also a place where you can post content from your blog or fresh content that is targeted to your commercial followers. Here’s LinkedIn on creating a company page. Also view the Best Practices and help page on this topic.

If you get stuck at any point, LinkedIn also has a very good “Help” library your disposal. Like all social media, LinkedIn requires patience and consistency before you see results.

More related LinkedIn resources:

See more posts on Digital Marketing from our blog:

 

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