LinkedIn has quickly become one of the easiest and preferred ways to network and market. In fact, the company reports over 660 million users spread out over 200 countries. LinkedIn is not just modeled for the individual user or job seekers. Company pages are also a large share of the pie: over 30 million at last count. Creating an integrated marketing plan should likely include how to maximize the company page features on LinkedIn. Let’s take a look at some of the latest features that will help crush your marketing goals.
Analytics on LinkedIn Company Pages
This stealth addition by LinkedIn (note: “NEW” next to analytics tab) now gives marketers additional insight into who is following your company page, where they are located and engagement trends. This tool allows for better benchmarking and learning more about your page followers – including specific profiles with full names. This is a nice addition as many marketers simply relied on pure follower count info for years with additional analytics.
LinkedIn Live
This feature has been a long time coming and has the potential to be a game-changer for LinkedIn. Live streaming content is in massive demand – Conviva data shows a 57% increase in streaming viewing in Q1 of 2020. LinkedIn enters the space offering companies a platform to apply for LinkedIn Live video broadcasting. This feature gives a huge storytelling voice to a social media strategy, allowing a brand to truly connect with potential customers. The application process is very straightforward (see below) and we expect LinkedIn to invest more into this feature as usage rises and companies start to shift ad dollars to campaigns on LinkedIn Live.
Don’t Forget LinkedIn Groups
One of the lesser-known features of the site is the LinkedIn Groups feature. This component allows a user to interact in two ways: as a participant of a group, or as the leader of a group. You can join a group and network with other like-minded professionals and share status updates and relevant news with others. Recent data has shown those who post or engage in group conversations receive four times as many profile views as those who don’t.
Search for More than Just Prospects
The search functions within LinkedIn seem to evolve in real-time. Keywords remain the name of the game, and the “Advanced Search” feature can also be a treasure trove for your networking strategy. For example, we have seen users search keywords in LinkedIn Groups that they have joined. So a search for “bank technology Austin Texas” can yield some pretty detailed profile results and allows a connection to occur more organically if you’re both parts of the same LinkedIn Group. You can search for Alumni from the exact class year from a college or high school to expand your network as well.
Search for Fresh Content
Want access to fresh content to share with clients and centers of influence? LinkedIn has a relatively new feature dubbed “Pulse.” This feature allows you to search for content across various disciplines, so if you want to share updates on marketing trends, you can follow the marketing channel posts. Doing so gives you immediate access to current content and all kinds of discussion topics to start a conversation on your profile, in a LinkedIn Group, or at your water cooler.
Extend Your Company’s Reach: LinkedIn Showcase Pages
Companies can now create “Showcase Pages” on LinkedIn to focus on a particular business area or initiative. For example, if you are a wealth manager that has a few different focuses such as a women’s practice or a retirement planning division, a Showcase Page is a great way to highlight those specialties and build relationships with the right community. The pages rely heavily on content and status updates, so it’s important to keep them fresh and updated regularly. As you can see in the image below, Microsoft has several Showcase Pages that describe their different range of products.
Take Advantage of New Resources on LinkedIn Learning
This area of LinkedIn provides significant professional development resources at zero cost. We found the library full of resources for online courses geared for new trends like working remotely, coping with stress and leadership training. Since the pandemic, KCD PR has been working closely with many businesses on planning and shifting marketing strategy. LinkedIn now offers small businesses with a variety of online learning courses designed to provide tips on marketing, website adjustments and lead generation techniques. One of our favorites is the Sophisticated Marketer’s Hub, complete with snazzy logo and resources as well. Topics like thought leadership and content marketing dominate the coursework but there are also interesting takes on crisis management and SEO (search engine optimization) tips for gaining more attention online.
The sales and marketing courses are short and informative and are including with various LinkedIn premium subscriptions. LinkedIn is proving that it might just be the B2B marketing king of the hill.
