How LinkedIn Social Selling Can Help You Build Relationships and Generate Leads
As a B2B marketer, you know that building relationships and trust with potential clients is essential to closing deals. However, traditional marketing tactics like ads and cold outreach can only get you so far. To truly succeed in B2B marketing, you need to take a more personalised and relationship-based approach. This is where LinkedIn social selling comes in.
What is LinkedIn Social Selling?
LinkedIn social selling is the process of building relationships with potential clients on LinkedIn to generate leads and close deals. It involves using your personal LinkedIn profile to create a personal brand and engage with your target audience through content, messaging, and other interactions.
Renier Lombard, Managing Director of Flance Directive Creators, explains that LinkedIn social selling takes the individuals at a company and creates personal brands around them. This is because company pages on LinkedIn are static, and individuals are more inclined to engage with the leader of a company than the actual advert that they put out. Your LinkedIn profile is a landing page, and it is the only place on the internet where you can see itemised traffic that comes to that landing page. You can see who views your page, how long they view it, their name, their title, and their business, and you can use that data to start a relationship, conversation, and drive them into a sales funnel.
Why LinkedIn Social Selling Works
LinkedIn social selling works because it allows you to build trust and credibility with your target audience over time. By sharing valuable content, engaging with your audience, and building relationships, you can establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry and a trusted advisor to your potential clients.
Renier recommends that clients publish content on LinkedIn, as only 1% of LinkedIn’s population actually posts content, and that engagement is what you use to establish warm connections and start generating leads. It is essential to create an authentic voice behind your brand, which creates the ultimate credibility that you really want. Renier advises that businesses should refrain from having professional videos made to promote on LinkedIn, as this will take away from their authenticity. It is better to have a video that is raw on a cell phone with bad lighting and imperfections because it shows you are human, and people can relate to that humanity.
Case Study: Ocean Basket
A great example of successful LinkedIn social selling is Ocean Basket, a seafood restaurant franchise. While Ocean Basket is primarily a B2C business, the success of its LinkedIn strategy highlights the importance of B2B marketing for all types of businesses.
The CEO of Ocean Basket, Grace Harding, has a strong presence on LinkedIn and uses the platform to build relationships with potential franchisees and investors. Through her authentic and engaging content, she has been able to attract investors and franchisees from around the world, leading to the expansion of the Ocean Basket brand in various countries.
How to Get Started with LinkedIn Social Selling
If you’re new to LinkedIn social selling, Renier shares the following tips to get you started:
Optimise your LinkedIn profile: Make sure your profile is complete and optimised with relevant keywords and a professional headshot.
Share valuable content: Post regular updates and share content that is relevant and valuable to your target audience.
Engage with your audience: Respond to comments and messages and engage with your audience on a regular basis.
Build relationships: Use LinkedIn to build relationships with potential clients and referral partners. Reach out to them with personalised messages and start a conversation.
Measure your results: Use LinkedIn’s analytics tools to measure the success of your social selling efforts and make adjustments as needed.
Final Thoughts
LinkedIn social selling is a powerful tool for B2B marketers looking to build trust and credibility with potential clients. By creating a personal brand and engaging with prospects through authentic content and relationship-building, businesses can generate warm leads and increase their chances of success in the B2B market. With the right strategy and consistent effort, LinkedIn can be a valuable asset for any business looking to expand its reach and build meaningful connections with potential clients.
iLEAD et al is proudly partnered with Flance. Listen to Renier’s sage advice on the official Mastering Digital with ILEAD et al podcast. Alternatively, send us an email at hello@ileadetal.co.za for any further questions or assistance.