LinkedIn is a powerful networking platform but to make sales is normally necessary to direct traffic from LinkedIn to your website, where you can nurture your leads through email marketing and close the deal on your own terms. In this article, we look at seven lead generation tactics for developing your presence on LinkedIn and using the platform to drive traffic to your website.
1) Optimise your LinkedIn profile
No one is going to leave the platform to visit your website unless you have professional credibility on LinkedIn as a business owner, so the first step to driving traffic is to solidify your LinkedIn presence in a way that that highlights two things:
- The mission and connections of your company.
- The professional/s behind the company – i.e. you if you are the business owner, as well as your senior team.
You can do this by creating both a branded company page and a personal profile. Creating a company page is the first step to build brand recognition on the platform and increase your visibility and searches. The basic elements a company page should include are:
- The company’s logo, which should be the same image you use on your website, emails, and stationery.
- A clear overview of what your company does and who your clients are.
- Company information, like your address, website URL, how many employees you have, and what’s your industry sector.
- A call-to-action button like “Visit our website” or “Contact Us”. The button doesn’t just tell visitors what to do, but it also provides you with useful analytics on website traffic and click-through rates.
- Links to e-books or your best-performing blog posts.
Your personal profile should reflect who you are in relation to the company but also go beyond this to explain your personal skill set and experience. Use a professional photo your profile picture, and highlight any pertinent achievements, education, and involvement with the community.
On both profiles, it’s important to provide as much relevant information as possible to create a sense of transparency and authenticity. According to LinkedIn, complete profiles attract 30% more views than incomplete ones. Complete profiles help viewers get an accurate idea of who you are and what you do, so your name is more likely to stay at the top of their mind. Taking time to fill out the complete profile also shows that you care about LinkedIn, building your credibility as an active user who is worth connecting with.
2) Update your profiles regularly
LinkedIn’s search algorithm gives preference to active and recently updated profiles. So, if you want the platform to show your profiles prominently in search results and drive traffic to your site, update your profile weekly or monthly.
The updates can include company news, links to your blog posts, links to other articles, etc. But don’t overdo it, or your audience could feel you’re spamming them.
3) Establish a network
LinkedIn is the ideal platform to build connections with other business decision-makers. The easiest way to start networking is by connecting with existing contacts from among your suppliers, colleagues, and existing customers. This brings you one step closer to potential contacts of theirs who may become valuable connections in time. You can upload your email contact list to LinkedIn to find people who are also on the platform. Since you already know these people, they’re likely to accept your invitation to connect.
Then, think about business cards, flyers, or emails you collected in conferences or other business meetings. Even if you only interacted with the person once, it pays off to re-connect.
4) Establish targeted connections
You also want to expand your network beyond people you already know. Since one of the keys to driving LinkedIn traffic to your website is targeting a specific audience, you want to be strategic about your networking. LinkedIn has thousands of targeted groups, which can be industry or location specific. Search for ones that are specific to your sector and the type of buyer you want to attract to your site. Many LinkedIn groups are inactive, so if possible choose one with an active membership and regular activity. It’s better to be actively involved with a few select groups than to be a non-contributing member of many. If you can't find a group that’s relevant to you, why not create it yourself? This helps establish you as an authority and influencer in your sector, and may encourage people to check out your website.
5) Keep networking
Effective networking depends on your ability to cultivate strong ties among your target buyer personas. Schedule time every week to engage with your network and stay active in group discussions or answering questions. Don’t forget to follow the top influencers in your industry on LinkedIn and make note of the people in their connection list as potentially relevant to your business.
6) Contribute valuable content
LinkedIn allows you to publish blog post-style content directly on the platform. So set aside some time every week or month to write engaging and interesting content, or engage with a content marketing agency if you don’t have the time to do this, or if you’re not confident writing. Don’t publish obvious sales pitches on LinkedIn.
Create value by writing posts that address common pain points for your customers, or that answer their most frequently asked questions. You don’t have to promote anything directly, but always end the post by directing readers to your website and blog to find out more.
7) Make your content shareable
Make your content shareable by including other users with the @mention feature and #hashtag references to get people’s attention and improve your search visibility. People appreciate being valued, and if the content you publish resonates with them, they will re-share it with their audience on LinkedIn and even outside the platform, which can drive traffic to your profile and to your website. Add a LinkedIn and WhatsApp share button to all your blog posts.
Next steps
At JDR, we help business owners develop their presence on LinkedIn as part of a personalised digital marketing strategy that uses multiple channels to increase website traffic, conversions, and sales. To find out more, please call one of our marketing team today on 01332 343281.
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