LinkedIn Benefits and Best Practices for B2B Businesses
In the realm of social media, LinkedIn reigns supreme as the ultimate professional playground. With over 756 million members (!!), it’s like the VIP section of the internet – where the smart kids hang out, exchange business cards, and maybe even share a few memes on the side.
But don’t let that intimidate you.
We’ve invested time in our own LinkedIn presence – leading to a few flops among the successes – and are here to pass along our learnings.
This article will discuss the benefits and best practices of using LinkedIn for B2B businesses and executives, plus provide action items so you can confidently glam up your LinkedIn presence.
The Benefits of LinkedIn for B2B Businesses
LinkedIn isn’t just a social media platform; it’s the Hogwarts of professional connections, where magic happens, and dreams come true.
OK, maybe that’s a little dramatic. 😉 But it IS a vast network of professionals that offers myriad opportunities to:
1. Expand Your Professional Universe 🪐
It used to be that industry conferences, alumni groups, or in-person networking events were the only ways to make new professional connections. But now, it’s common to form meaningful relationships that start online. LinkedIn is like your professional “dating” app, opening doors to endless possibilities.
TAKE ACTION: DYK that you can follow hashtags on LinkedIn? Consider following a few to bring new people into your circle. Consider (a) your area of expertise (e.g., #strategicmarketing), (b) what your ideal client talks about (#marketingadvice), or even (c) a core value (e.g., #humor).
2. Boost Your Professional Street Cred 📈
Your LinkedIn profile is your online resume, your digital soapbox, and your personal brand all rolled into one. By sharing your expertise, insights, and the problem that you are uniquely qualified to solve for others, you can establish yourself as a bona fide expert in your field and earn the respect of your peers.
Most of our clients are B2B professional service firms, meaning they sell their expertise. But too often everyone sounds the same.
So how do you stand out? By using your unique voice.
TAKE ACTION: Make a list of 5 (ish) things that make you unique in your field. Consider how to weave those into your LinkedIn presence.
3. Engage Like a Pro 😎
Effective engagement on LinkedIn is like hosting a killer dinner party – it’s all about making connections, sparking conversations, and keeping the wine flowing (metaphorically speaking, of course). Don’t be shy about jumping into discussions, celebrating others’ accomplishments, and maybe even cracking a joke or two along the way.
Engaging with others sets you up as a generous contributor (vs. a creeper or an annoying salesperson), increases your credibility (with real people and the algorithm), and boosts the visibility of your content (i.e., LinkedIn rewards you).
TAKE ACTION: Listen before you talk. Use your first 2-3 minutes on LinkedIn to engage with other content. Try to “like,” “share,” or comment on others’ content before you post anything. LinkedIn’s algorithm especially enjoys it when you comment thoughtfully on another post as your first action, so give it what it wants. 😉
Profile Tips for B2B Businesses and Executives
Now that you’re convinced that LinkedIn is worth your time, it’s time to take it up a notch. If LinkedIn is like a professional “dating” app, then the natural place to start is nailing your profile, right?
Don’t worry, if the thought of “putting yourself out there” makes you break out in hives – we can help.
1. First Impressions Matter
- Header: Don’t miss out on this real estate. And unless you’re selling nature, don’t just put a beautiful landscape. Make it relevant to what you do. Keep it concise yet descriptive, capturing your essence in about 5-10 words.
- Profile Picture: This should be a professional shot that shows primarily your head and shoulders, and it should be consistent with whatever pictures are on your website. How recent should it be? People should recognize you instantly on a video call or in person after seeing your LinkedIn profile picture. A good rule of thumb is 5 years or less.
- Headline: Your job title might be the best thing to put here. Consider what additional information you want to convey about yourself. Does it align with your website and real-life persona? We also love to include a version of the company one-liner to demonstrate authority.
TAKE ACTION: Set aside 15 minutes to move this forward. Even if you can’t complete it all, what can you do? Ask for a referral for a headshot photographer. Update your headline. Create a quick “LinkedIn Background Photo” in Canva using your brand standards.
2. About Section: Tell Your Story
The About section should showcase who you are – regardless of your current role or position. Go beyond listing skills and share the journey of how you acquired them. Make sure it’s clear to prospective clients how they can work with you. Don’t forget that this section is searchable, so be sure to use relevant keywords.
TAKE ACTION: Make this section skimmable, not a big block of text. One way to do this is to use link breaks and symbol emojis liberally (e.g., → or ▶️ or 2️⃣).
3. Experiences: Be Strategically Authentic
- Link to the official pages of the organizations you’ve worked with. The difference between the generic squares and an official logo may seem insignificant to you but speaks volumes to people looking at your profile. Consider the difference in the two examples below:
- Keep it relevant and recent – When detailing your job history and volunteer experiences, focus on the past 5-10 years. Keep it fresh and pertinent to your current brand image. Remember, this is not the history of your professional life – what’s the story you want to tell?
- Remove dates from your Education section. It may unfavorably impact you. Ageism can go either way. It’s a hidden bias. So, let’s not let someone make unnecessary assumptions about you based on your age – older or younger.
TAKE ACTION: Spend 15 minutes auditing this section and make a few simple changes. Remove dates. Officially link to relevant companies or organizations. Delete any irrelevant experiences. If the story of your career was a movie, what scenes would end up on the cutting room floor?
4. Include a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA) 🗣
Make it easy for potential connections to reach out. Clearly state how they can connect with you or take the next step in engaging with you or your company.
TAKE ACTION: Include a clear CTA in each of these sections: Contact Information, About, and Experience (current role).
5. Gather Testimonials
Don’t wait for endorsements to come to you; be proactive. A good baseline? Have at least 5, and collect 2-3 a year. It’s not poor form to share what you want to be known for or even to provide specific language for people to use. Most of us have no problem thinking highly of others, but finding the right words can be daunting.
TAKE ACTION: Want more help getting powerful testimonials? Read our blog post here.
Still need help communicating your brand message on LinkedIn? We’d love to help. We’ve helped dozens of business owners and executives up their LinkedIn game and establish themselves as thought leaders.
Set up a call and let’s talk.
What would you add to this list?
What has helped you find your footing on LinkedIn?
We’re all ears! 👂
For more tips on using LinkedIn to build your brand’s network and credibility, check out this blog post we shared.
