When it comes to LinkedIn, there are plenty of good reasons to consider this platform as your B2B lead generation tool. Essential among them are the cost per lead and the high conversion rate that LinkedIn provides. Additionally, there are some great resources for finding business leads on the platform, making it more affordable and easier to generate a steady flow of quality leads.

But how do you use LinkedIn effectively? This article will provide tips and tricks for best practices in trigger-based marketing and show you how to generate free business leads with LinkedIn.

Is LinkedIn good for lead generation? 

If you are a salesperson, consultant, agency, or B2B company and are looking for new leads, then the answer is a resounding “YES!” 

You can use LinkedIn as a lead generation tool to find people interested in your product or service; in other words, your ideal clients. 

Not many see it that way, however.

Some people believe that LinkedIn Groups are a waste of time, and the platform, in general, has a smaller user base, so you’re better off spending time on other social networks like Facebook. However, those platforms are way too broad. LinkedIn offers a highly targeted user base.

If you have set up a profile for your company, LinkedIn will show you the people you are most interested in targeting. You get much better access to people who have the right expertise and experience and can afford your product or service or invest in your company.

Some also believe that you can only connect with people you have personally met, so it’s not worth it. They can’t be further from the truth. Millions of people use LinkedIn as a lead generation tool. It’s a place to connect with other professionals who have similar interests, values, and ambitions. The key is to understand how it works. 

Let’s take a look at some benefits.

LinkedIn Lead Generation: Benefits

Should you bother yourself with LinkedIn?

Whether or not you think so, LinkedIn is a subject that can be worth your attention. The first thing that will catch your interest is the high number of users – over 700 million. All those people are potential clients. And you know what they are looking for most? They want to learn something – or, even better, they want to use a product and get some help in doing so.

You can be a part of their search. It will do you good. And there is just one thing you need to know about LinkedIn – it’s not that expensive. The basic package, which is unrestricted, covers all the essential features for attracting potential clients and nurturing them into a lead with no additional payments whatsoever.

Everything about lead generation on LinkedIn is profitable yet straightforward. You get a lot of things for free – for example, your profile page. It’s a place where you can present yourself and share what you’ve been doing, where you work, and what kind of a business you run. That’s all it takes to attract potential clients and start the continual process of nurturing leads into clients. The more you share, the more targeted your business leads will be.

LinkedIn is not for accumulating a lot of followers. It’s for potential clients and nurturing your leads into clients. A good number of followers on LinkedIn ensures that your status updates get shown to those followers, which makes it easy to start a discussion. The higher the number of people seeing them, the more likely you are to start a conversation with someone who has similar interests as you do.

In short, LinkedIn is not just good for generating leads; it’s GREAT!

But how does LinkedIn help? 

How can LinkedIn help in lead generation?

The LinkedIn community offers various ways to tap into the exchange of leads, relevant content, and business intelligence.

First of all, you need to recognize that more than 40 million LinkedIn users can make purchasing decisions. What this means is, LinkedIn members are active buyers. And they use LinkedIn as an efficient way to find out about their potential customers’ businesses – which is what you want.

The platform has many highly targeted professionals in the market, regardless of their company size or the industry they work in. Plus, most of them have an engagement over at least 3-4 years, which is a huge success factor for your business to deliver relevant content.

Subsequently, more than 50% of LinkedIn users are active, with many logging into the platform almost every day. That’s a ton of leads that are available to you at your fingertips, with many ready to buy. Chances are high your target market makes up that number. Through LinkedIn, you can learn about your target audience’s likes, dislikes, demographics, geographical location, and more. You can find their email address and other contact info. As a result, you can target them with personalized marketing content.

In addition to that, LinkedIn has higher conversion rates. A lot of this has to do with the fact that users on this network tend to be professionals and have well-established businesses.

So what’s working on LinkedIn right now? And more importantly, how should you use LinkedIn in 2021 for the best results?

What’s working right now, and how should you use LinkedIn for lead generation in 2021?

The fact that LinkedIn is a great platform and marketing tool for generating leads does not mean that you don’t have to do any work to generate leads. There are many opportunities, but you need to follow a few best practices. 

Be specific.

LinkedIn allows you to search and connect with specific business owners in particular industries and companies with information like their job title(s) readily available. This feature is a powerful tool that can help you get in touch with a specific audience. If you know who your target audience is, try to use a personalized message to connect with them and start a conversation. You can even use powerful outreach messages and cold email with success. For best results, try to connect with only people who are directly related to your industry. 

For example, if your ideal client is a software company, try to find people who work with software solutions or IT projects. If you can make a good connection, it will not be hard for you to start a conversation. 

Many make the mistake of sending a connection request without knowing enough about the person. Before you do it, try to find out what their company does, what business they work in, and their role in the company. You’ll be miles ahead of the pack.

Be engaging.

LinkedIn is a social media platform. Like all other social networking platforms, LinkedIn strives to enhance your conversations, and it is the only platform specifically designed for professionals. LinkedIn is a more formal channel, but it still allows you to be as engaging as other social media channels.

The best way to initiate a conversation with someone on LinkedIn is by commenting on their articles, posts, or updates. 

People on LinkedIn feel terrific when someone engages with their content. They know that at least one more person is interested in what they have to share. It makes them feel valued, and it allows them to make new connections. When you react to posts and leave a comment, it helps you too. A well-crafted comment on a prospective client’s post brings you closer to them, and they will probably be curious about who you are. If they like what they see, they’ll start a conversation with you.

Be customer-focused.

People are using LinkedIn to connect with others who have the same interests and priorities as them. Know what your target audience wants, and offer a solution for that on your LinkedIn profile.  

For example, if you sell goal-setting software for personal trainers, show how much social proof you have. Demonstrate that many people are changing their lives with your products or services. Customers are likely to respond to your message if you talk about how helpful your product is. Doing this also gives the impression that you are more likable and more natural.

Most people failing at LinkedIn don’t know who their target audience is and how best to create content that solves their problem. Some don’t even know the issues they want to solve. Think about the issues your customers care about and create content that addresses their concerns. Please pay attention to your target audience’s specific interests, and use that information to find out what they want.

To create high-quality content on LinkedIn, you need to research, plan, and create segments of your target audience. Then, you can create the content that is most likely to appeal to them. You don’t have to write a novel, but you should make sure that you’re providing enough information for people to understand what problem you’re solving and how. Also, remember that it’s best to create short videos and include subtitles when it comes to video content because many people are using mobile applications. 

If you use these tips correctly, you can start benefiting fully from the world’s best professional network.

In short, LinkedIn is the perfect platform for B2B. It is a powerhouse social media platform that’s all about generating leads – and is the only platform specifically designed for professionals. Remember these few best practices to find success on this platform: be specific, be engaging, and always keep your target audience in mind. 

And don’t forget to have fun while you’re at it!