There are massive opportunities on LinkedIn right now.
It’s available for everyone but especially for those in B2B – here’s why I think it’s probably the most important marketing channel in 2019:
LinkedIn started as a site for people looking to get a job or to fill a job. People used it for posting resumes, connecting with people they already knew, and finding jobs through people they knew.
Then, things started to change.
People started reaching out to make connections with people they didn’t know. It became a way to meet new people.
Now, LinkedIn is a content platform. This huge shift from one-to-one interactions to content publishing is pretty new for the platform.
And the organic reach is incredible right now.
The best way to grow on LinkedIn by 1) engaging with people and 2) publishing more content.
1. Engage
Engaging with other people puts you in a position where you become part of the community. There are a couple of ways to do this.
The $1.80 Strategy
Every day, find 90 LinkedIn posts that are relevant to your business and leave your “two cents” in the comments. 90 x .02 = $1.80.
The key here is that the comments can’t be bullshit spam. You need to actually consume the content you’re going to engage with, put some thought into it, and comment with enough substance that it will get someone’s attention.
Finding posts to engage with is easy.
First, follow people, influencers, and publications that are relevant to your space. You’ll start seeing their posts in your feed.
You can also search hashtags related to your industry and check out the posts that are attached to them.
The third way to find content to engage with is looking at the “today’s news and views” section, in the top right of your LinkedIn home page. If you click through those, you’ll see trending posts on each of the respective topics. You can then share your own POV, a relevant article, ask a question, or whatever—just get involved in the conversation.
The more thoughtful engagements you put out there, the more you’ll put yourself in a position to succeed. It’s not quick or easy in execution, but if you hit 90 engagements a day, I promise you will be flabbergasted by the upside you’ll see.
The High School Party Strategy
Think back to high school.
You probably knew someone who wasn’t quite one of the popular kids originally but managed to rise the ranks of popularity. One common way to do that was to throw a party.
The same strategy can work for B2B marketing on LinkedIn.
Host a small in-person event for people similar to the types of clients you’re targeting. You can fill the room by reaching out to people individually, targeting an ad to specific locations, or posting organically to leverage that reach we talked about. The important thing is that everyone gets together and they remember you as the one who organized it.
You will have a much easier time converting those people, and all of their connections, to clients in the future.
2. Publish And Promote
Producing and publishing content on LinkedIn right now is a huge opportunity – especially right now with the way LinkedIn’s organic reach is through the roof. Let’s talk about some of the best ways to do that.
Create And Publish A “Hero” Video
This is one of the best, most efficient things you can do for your business.
A hero video is a signature video that’ll play a key role in defining what people think of your company. And if done right, it could change the trajectory of a business.
Dollar Shave Club is one of the best examples. Their “anchor” video went viral on social media, and resulted in 12,000 new signups in the first 48 hours after the debut.
Purple mattress did something similar with their video:
Check out this article for a full guide on how to create one: Why Every Small Business Should Have A Super Bowl Commercial.
Start A Niche Podcast
This is almost a virtual version of the “high school party” strategy and it has a few amazing benefits.
Number 1… if you’re putting out valuable content, you’ll build your reputation as a leader in the space. Everyone wants to do business with the top dog.
Second, you can actually invite the executives of the companies you want to work with to be guests on your podcast. They’ll be flattered. You get a valuable guest, and you’ll be stunned by how much easier it becomes to get their business down the line.
You can film the podcast and distribute it as a video on LinkedIn, just share the audio link in a text post format.
Be The “TV Show”, Not The “Commercials” On The TV Show
What this means is… instead of trying to sell people on your product or business, bring them value through either entertainment or education.
Think about the type of content you like to consume. Chances are, it’s either entertaining you or educating you in some way.
There are just way too many people out there immediately trying to sell their products, especially on LinkedIn with spammy messages.
The way to stand out in 2019 is to start the process of building a relationship by providing value in the form of entertainment or education, build your reputation, and let people come to you instead of you chasing them.
