In the digital age, social media has become an indispensable tool for brand managers to connect with their audience and build a strong online presence. Among the numerous platforms available, LinkedIn stands out as a key player in the realm of professional networking and branded content.
As brand managers at Back2Basics, we understand the significance of LinkedIn as an essential piece of the marketing puzzle for small local businesses.
In this educational article, we delve into why LinkedIn is vital for our clients, who uses it, why they use it, and how Back2Basics helps them create and initiate effective branded content strategies to expand brand awareness and trust.
Why LinkedIn Is Essential for Our Clients
LinkedIn’s unparalleled focus on professional networking and B2B interactions makes it a perfect fit for small local business brands. Back2Basics recognizes the power of this platform in connecting with potential partners, industry leaders, and target audiences. By utilizing LinkedIn as part of their social media strategy, our clients gain access to a vast pool of professionals, decision-makers, and potential customers who actively seek valuable content and meaningful connections.
Who Uses LinkedIn and Why
LinkedIn boasts over 700 million users globally, comprising a diverse audience of professionals, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders. Its user base includes C-suite executives, business owners, industry experts, job seekers, and recent graduates. These users engage with the platform for various reasons:
- Networking: LinkedIn is primarily known for professional networking and allows individuals to connect with peers, potential clients, and industry influencers.
- Business Development: Users leverage LinkedIn to discover new business opportunities, form partnerships, and build valuable industry relationships.
- Job Seeking: The platform serves as a powerful tool for job seekers and recruiters, facilitating talent acquisition and recruitment.
- Knowledge Sharing: LinkedIn’s emphasis on thought leadership and content sharing encourages users to publish valuable insights and expertise, positioning them as industry authorities.
Who Our Clients Can Reach on LinkedIn
One of the key advantages of LinkedIn for small local businesses is its ability to target specific audiences. Back2Basics helps our clients identify and connect with their ideal customers, partners, and stakeholders. Through various filters like job titles, industries, locations, and company sizes, our clients can reach decision-makers and individuals with relevant interests, maximizing their chances of converting leads into loyal customers.
Expanding Brand Awareness and Trust
At Back2Basics, we recognize that brand awareness and trust are crucial for the success of any marketing strategy. By leveraging LinkedIn’s professional environment, our clients can humanize their brands, showcase their expertise, and establish thought leadership. Sharing valuable content and participating in industry discussions foster a sense of credibility and authenticity, leading to increased brand trust.
Best Ways to Use LinkedIn to Reach People
To make the most of LinkedIn’s potential, we advise our clients to implement the following best practices:
- Optimize LinkedIn Profiles: Create compelling, professional, and SEO-optimized LinkedIn profiles representing your brand identity.
- Publish Engaging Content: Regularly sharing high-quality, industry-relevant content establishes authority and engages the audience.
- Engage in Groups and Communities: Active participation in LinkedIn groups and communities relevant to your industry allows you to network and share insights with like-minded professionals.
- Utilize LinkedIn Ads: Leveraging LinkedIn’s advertising features enables you to target specific audiences and promote your branded content effectively.
- Host Webinars and Events: Organizing webinars and virtual events helps you connect with your audience, generate leads, and demonstrate expertise.
Content Tactics Least Effective on LinkedIn
While LinkedIn offers ample opportunities for business brands to excel, specific content tactics may not yield desired results:
- Irrelevant or Salesy Content: Posting irrelevant content to your target audience or excessively promotional content posting can turn off potential connections.
- Overlooking Analytics: Failing to analyze post performance and audience engagement may hinder you from refining your content strategy effectively.
- Inconsistent Posting: Irregular posting can lead to reduced visibility and engagement.
Post Topics Most Consumed by Readers on LinkedIn
To capture readers’ attention and maximize engagement, our research shows that the following post styles are highly consumed on LinkedIn:
- Thought Leadership Articles: In-depth articles showcasing industry insights and expertise demonstrate thought leadership.
- Visual Content: Eye-catching infographics, videos, and images boost engagement and shareability.
- Employee Spotlights: Highlighting your team and their accomplishments humanizes your brand and enhances trust and credibility.
- Success Stories: Sharing real-life success stories and case studies builds trust and confidence in your brand’s capabilities and service expectations.
Post Styles Most Consumed by Engaged Readers on LinkedIn
Based on feedback from numerous LinkedIn experts, the following post format styles are encouraging the most engagement from your readers thus far in 2023:
- Photo Optimized content: We’re seeing anywhere from 1.3 to 1.7 times more reach with content that has been optimized with tagged and titled imagery.
- Video content: If you’re actively using LinkedIn as a part of your brand’s content strategy, then you may want to consider incorporating videos with those posts. It’s been proved that published articles with video content, whether published on your blog or social media, attain 157% more traffic than those with only text. And, regarding LinkedIn specifically, reports show anywhere from 1 to 2.15 times greater reach than those posts that are text alone.
- Carousel posts: These visual, swipeable formats are great on desktop and mobile because they help you squeeze more information into a single post. Most importantly, people can download them directly, making carousel posts one of the most valuable formats for sharing step-by-step guides that your audience might want to save for later. This makes carousel-style posts one of the more favorable of formats in LinkedIn. The recommended sizes for your carousel posts can either be portrait at 1080 x 1350 or landscape view at 1280 x 720
Least Popular and Effective Content Post Styles on LinkedIn
Certain post styles tend to perform poorly on LinkedIn:
- Clickbait: Overly sensational headlines or clickbait content can lead to disappointment and damage brand credibility.
- Unprofessional Content: Low-quality, unprofessional content can deter potential connections and erode brand trust.
- Long Text-Only Posts: Lengthy, text-heavy posts may overwhelm readers and reduce engagement.
In Conclusion…
As brand managers, we understand the value of LinkedIn as a powerful platform for small local business brands. By creating and initiating effective branded content strategies, our clients can leverage LinkedIn’s professional environment to expand their brand awareness, build trust, and connect with a relevant and engaged audience.
Through thought leadership, engaging content, and strategic use of LinkedIn’s features, our clients can establish themselves as industry leaders and achieve remarkable success in the digital landscape.
Want to learn more? Schedule a complimentary brand discovery call when you visit us online at WithThePowerOf2.com/contact today.
