Section 4
LinkedIn for Lead Generation
You can and should use LinkedIn to keep in touch with colleagues and contacts, but LinkedIn's value doesn't end there. It can also be used as a way to generate new leads for your business. The goal of all this is simple: to engage an audience and build a network. Do this by demonstrating your expertise and thought leadership. Don't sell your services, but feel free to drive people to relevant and valuable content on your website or blog.
HOW TO GENERATE LEADS ON LINKEDIN
- Create a LinkedIn Group. Use the group to demonstrate thought leadership in your market, then promote the group and grow the community using the tips mentioned above.
- Use LinkedIn's DirectAds. This is a new feature on LinkedIn that is still in beta. It allows you to push relevant ads to LinkedIn subscribers targeted by profile demographic information. This is very similar to ad targeting on Facebook or Google AdWords.
- Answer Questions on LinkedIn. Ask and respond to relevant questions in the LinkedIn "Answers" section. Have your colleagues engage the LinkedIn audience in a similar way. Anytime you ask or answer a question it shows up in the Network Updates feed for all your connections. Best of all, you gain expertise points in your category if your answer is chosen as the best answer for a particular question. LinkedIn users tend to trust experts in their subject categories and are often contacted directly. When answering a question, you can leave links to relevant articles, landing pages, or blog posts on your website. We generate a good amount of leads at HubSpot as a result of this activity.
- Integrate LinkedIn Into Your Marketing. Anytime you do a webinar or present at a trade show or thought leadership event, invite your audience to network with you or join your group. You can also notify all the members of your group about an upcoming promotion or event and drive them back to your site or blog to convert them into leads.
- Don’t Spam. Trying to directly message or reach out to your LinkedIn contacts could be considered spam. Make sure that people you contact want to hear from you and that your message is relevant.
