Did you know that 80% of B2B leads are generated through LinkedIn? The social media platform was initially designed as a resume builder. Still, professionals in all industries use it as an effective marketing strategy that continues to grow their businesses.

Are you looking to expand your business with LinkedIn lead generation? Keep reading below for more information.

Content Optimisation: Your Profile

First impressions are lasting. It is in our nature to make snap decisions within seconds of meeting someone. The same is true for social media.

That is why it is important to create a professional profile that showcases your skills immediately. We will discuss below how to achieve an optimised profile on LinkedIn.

First Looks

Take a look at your profile. Many people do not complete their LinkedIn profiles, and it is a crucial step to take. If yours isn’t complete, start today.

There are five levels of competition and profile strength. You should aim to be at least in the top three. 

  • Beginner
  • Intermediate
  • Advanced
  • Expert
  • All-Star

The first things you should add are your profile picture, your header image, and your headline. When you are looking for profile optimisation, you might see advice that tells you to smile bright and face the camera. While this is excellent advice, it will not get you a lead.

Instead, you should focus on keywords, links, and URL optimisation. 

Keyword Optimisation

You may have heard the terms SEO, local SEO, search optimisation, and other related words. But how does that help you with social selling?

You should avoid keyword stuffing, but a strategically placed keyword that summarises your abilities can make or break LinkedIn leads. However, we don’t recommend using keyword tools as it may show up generic phrases you want to stay away from.

Instead, you can do your own research by looking at similar profiles on LinkedIn. For example, search through the “Jobs” section of LinkedIn and look at the job descriptions of your industry. What are some words that stand out in all descriptions?

These keywords are the ones you will want to use in your headline and any other places that will be useful.

Link Optimisation

Another similarity between SEO and LinkedIn lead generation are backlinks. Google trusts sites that have multiple links from trusted sites. It shows that the site is an authority on the subject. 

However, the same can be said about your profile. If you have a website, have a link to your profile. Add links on other social media platforms, and whenever your post on other sites, make sure to add a link in your bio.

Make sure to add keywords to your images and customise your URL.

As mentioned above, linking to your profile will allow search engines to recognise you as a trusted source. This is also the case for your content. So whether you are creating an infographic, a blog post, or a video, you will need to add links.

It drives up the engagement, comment rate, and share rate.

Content Optimisation

Your summary, headline, and other content should all have keywords in them as well. However, they need to be easy to read without having too many awkward sentences because of said keywords.

Remember that your summary will be cut off at a certain point. After the first two lines, your audience will need to click the “See more” button to keep reading, so you need to grab the reader’s attention in those first two lines.

Make sure that your content is easy to read. If you stuff in a lot of jargon, the audience will quickly lose interest. Instead, make it sweet, short, and snappy. 

You may have heard of “show, don’t tell.” The term means that instead of telling people you will offer benefits, you need to show them. So instead of writing that you offer benefits, whatever they might be, show them by giving them a solution that works.

For example, instead of writing that you have a degree in such and such field and that you are the leading expert in the industry, connect with your reader by showing that you are an expert. Offer them a little taste of what it will be like to work with you. 

You can use this formula for all the content you create, from written posts to infographics, videos, and blog posts.

Finally, a clear call to action is a must with every post. This is the most important part of generating a lead, as it will get your audience to take, you guessed it, action!

Other Considerations

You will also need to consider your endorsements, skills, and recommendations. As you build your network, you can ask your connections to endorse you. 

You will likely need some time to get endorsements. However, don’t be afraid to endorse others and ask them to return the favour. You are building a network, after all. 

LinkedIn Lead Generation: Engagement

That brings us to engagement. To generate leads, you need to be active on LinkedIn.

Activity on your part leads to activity in your network, which generates leads. 

However, random activity can actually hurt your profile. You will need to produce quality content that shows you have authority within your field. But we will touch on that later.

How can you generate leads with the content and engagement of your platform?

The general rule of thumb is that you need to give to get. And that goes the same with content creation. To create valuable leads, you need to create valuable content.

Look at what your audience is asking, what problems they are facing, and how you and you alone can answer those questions and solve those problems.

Since you are an expert in the field, your audience will expect quality. 

However, the work does not end once the content is posted. You will need to check for regular comments, shares, likes, and interact with the audience of that specific post.

Images

We live in a visual world. In education, teachers see an uptick in information retention due to the use of visuals. 

In the business world, images are eye-catchers and will promote more activity on your account. Even a simple like can generate a lead.

For example, let’s assume that the people in your network are just as professional as you, with their own network, mentors, and peers. If those professionals like your content, it will likely show on their feed, therefore opening your account up to an entirely new network.

Images can do three things. They can:

  • Share knowledge
  • Spread awareness
  • Build authority

With the right visuals, you can achieve all three in one image. Images can include infographics, personal pictures, or several pictures for maximum effect.

Make sure to add keywords to your images and posts when you add them to your profile. 

Videos

Some believe that videos are the solution to lead generation. That is why platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube are becoming increasingly popular, even among businesses.

These platforms either allow you to post short and sweet videos, while others allow you to create longer and more meaningful content.

LinkedIn allows users to post videos for up to 20 minutes. With this in mind, there are several ways you can create quality content.

As with most content creation, you need to understand your audience and cater to them. A simple tip is to look at what your competitors are creating. 

Ask yourself these questions:

  • What is the tone?
  • What information are they providing?
  • What is the CTA?

Most importantly, is it working? If you see that your competitors are creating a buzz, you can take a few pages out of their book. However, make it unique and personal, and gear it towards your audience, not theirs. 

Become an Authority

So how do you build authority? How do your potential clients know that they can trust you?

There is plenty of good advice out there, but sometimes you can get lost in the vast amount of information. When you are establishing authority, keep the following items in mind:

  • Value every individual
  • Serve your community
  • Lend a helping hand
  • Network outside of your industry

These items will lay the groundwork, but the above steps mentioned in this article are equally important.

Social Selling: Start Today

LinkedIn can become a lead generating machine if you put in the work. However, you likely have a business to run, so these steps might seem overwhelming. 

Luckily, we have a LinkedIn automation tool that can do the work for you. 

Are you looking for a solution for yourself and your company? Contact us today, or request a demo to see if our solutions will work for you.