LinkedIn Marketing Tips That Actually Work: A Practical Guide from the Trenches

LinkedIn Marketing Tips, I have spent most of eight years and I have assisted the businesses to break the LinkedIn code and what I am going to share with you may well be surprising to you, the majority of what you have read about LinkedIn marketing is either obsolete or simply incorrect.

In 2016, when I began taking LinkedIn very seriously, the platform was simply a digital resume graveyard. Individuals posted their profiles and vanished. Jump to the present and it has emerged to be one of the strongest marketing channels to use particularly when dealing with the B2B enterprises. There is the hooker though, even what worked three years ago may not be working now.

I would like to tell you what I have tried, tried, tried, and experimented with.

The New LinkedIn Algorithm, Explained.

The algorithm is radically different and to be frank, it continues to evolve. Nonetheless, based on what I have seen and heard about people who are obsessed with this stuff, these are the things that are of the most importance at this point.

LinkedIn gives preference to content that retains people on the site. Makes sense, right? They desire interaction, remarks, and dialogues, and not links redirecting users. I got to know this the difficult way when I realized that my posts with external links continued to perform poorly as compared to native content.

The critical one is the first hour after posting. In case your content spreads early LinkedIn displays it to more people. That does not imply that you have to plead with them to engage, but it really does matter when you post your content, so you know when your network is online.

Creating a Profile That Sells.

It is no longer a resume page, but a landing page to your profile. And as any good landing page, it should direct the visitors toward a given action.

Start with your headline. Please, do not continue to list your job title and company. Rather, explain with whom you cooperate and in what way. Something, such as, “Assist SaaS companies in lowering their churn rate by using their data to create retention strategies is much more effective than Customer Success Manager at TechCorp.

The about section must be written in the form of a dialogue, and not a corporate biography. I’ve tested this extensively. Personality Profiles Personality profile writing (in the first person) about particular experiences and beliefs earns a person far more connection requests and messages inbound than a third-person description.

The criminal underuse section is on the featured list. Your best content, testimonials, case studies or lead magnets should be pinned here. Majority of the visitors will not scroll through the rest of your activities feed but will check out what you have highlighted.

Content Strategy Building Authority.

It is at this point that most people fail. They either post too little (once a month does not suffice) or they post all the time but with no strategy.

I suggest that one should think in content pillars. Come up with three or four key themes that are within your areas of speciality as well as the interest of your audience. In my case, these are LinkedIn strategy, content marketing, sales psychology, and infrequent personal development knowledge. Each content fits within one of these buckets.

The style is not as inert as it might seem. Long posts (the type of posts that contain several shorter paragraphs with well-placed line breaks) are more successful in comparison to short updates. The carousels are very popular and they usually yield good interaction. Textual materials that are uploaded as PDF files and placed directly on the LinkedIn site are also effective as they retain the users on the site.

However, here is the point: genuineness is better than refinement. I have written some of my best performing posts when waiting to have coffee on my phone. They served the purpose of being real and covering certain issues encountered by my audience.

Involvement: The Secret Growth Engine.

You can not simply post and ghost. Growth is based on the community component of LinkedIn.

Take time to interact with other people prior to and after posting. Reflect in an intelligent manner on work of your target audience, peers within the industry. Not “Great post!” yet substantive remarks, in fact, that contribute to the dialogue. This will attract attention and create authentic relationships.

My average time pre-post and after is 20 and 30 minutes respectively. It is a big amount but there are high returns. Most of my best customers posted comments, and it was not made through their viewing my posts.

Contacting LinkedIn Prospects Non-Annoying.

Cold reaching LinkedIn is a terrible reputation and it is primarily due to bad people being involved in this. Spray-and-pray in terms of the generic connection request and instant sales pitch kills trust.

What works better? Warm connections. Interact with the work a few times and then make contact with the other person. Cite something specific that they have posted. Connect requesting them to share their experience and not to pitch your services.

When sending a message to the prospects be value-based. Share a knowledge that is applicable in their business. Ask thoughtful questions. It is important to establish a connection first before asking. Yes, this takes longer. But the rates of conversion are much greater, and you will not ruin your reputation.

Measuring What Matters

Vanity measures are deceiving. Impression counts are good and may not necessarily result in business.

Look at profile views by your target audience, the quality of connection requests and the quality of the inbound messages and web traffic by LinkedIn. Track these over time. I have a basic spreadsheet where I track the trends weekly, and it allows me to know what types of content actually result in business outcomes.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don’t automate everything. Robotics could help in saving time yet they usually breach LinkedIn terms of service and could lead to restriction of accounts.

Your current network is something to be considered. Reconnecting with people you already know is one of the best ways of getting some of your best opportunities.

There is no reason to be shy to express views. Disregarded is safe and generic content. When you establish a position, however, in a respectful way, it creates a discussion and sets you as a thought leader.

FAQs

What is the frequency of posting LinkedIn?
The most appropriate number is three to five times a week. It is the consistency, and not the frequency.

What’s the best time to post?
Usually 8-10 AM and 5-6 PM weekdays but experiment with your target audience.

Should I befriend every one who requests me to be his friend?
No. Be selective. A small germane network is better than a big network which remains dormant.

Are hashtags important in LinkedIn?
They assist in some respects in discovery. Insert three to five applicable hashtags in a post.

How long before I see results?
That should be three or six months of solid work before significant traction is achieved.

Is LinkedIn Premium worth it?
Sales Navigator can easily pay off by enabling better prospecting by active marketers and salespeople.