4 Reasons to Use LinkedIn for B2B Lead Generation

A lot goes into running a successful B2B company, but lead generation has to be right up there at the top.

Obviously, without any leads, you can’t have any sales.

However, without a sufficient amount of leads, it’s almost impossible to effectively test your funnel and make sure you’re seeing as many sales as possible.

So, while there are countless avenues you could take, this is why every company needs to invest in LinkedIn B2B lead generation.

4 Reasons to Focus on LinkedIn for B2B Lead Generation

With all of the options out there, why does LinkedIn B2B lead generation deserve a spot in your budget?

There are actually dozens, but if you’re on the fence, these four reasons should convince you it’s time to start looking for leads on LinkedIn right away.

1. LinkedIn Is the Best Social-Media Platform for B2B Lead Generation

For years after its inception, social media was a four-letter word among B2B marketers. An easy way to make sure no one took you seriously was by advocating the use of sites like Facebook and Twitter for advertising purposes.

Obviously, a lot has changed since then. Plenty of companies use social media for B2B marketing and have seen incredible results.

With that being said, while there is no shortage of social media platforms to choose from, none are as good for lead-generation as LinkedIn, and it’s not even close.

LinkedIn B2B lead generation represents 80% of successes among companies that use social media. Twitter is in second place with just 12.73% and Facebook trails by almost half that at 6.73%.

So, while every B2B company is different and you should test out all of your options, it’s best to begin your investment with LinkedIn.

2. LinkedIn’s Membership Is Increasing Dramatically

There’s more good news, too: LinkedIn’s users are increasing. Again, it’s by no small amount, either.

In 2016, the company reported that they were at 106 million active users every month. A year later, that number more-than-doubled, reaching 260 million active monthly users.

That, alone, is a substantial statistic. It means that, if you begin focusing on a LinkedIn B2B lead generation strategy now, there’s no reason to think that it won’t pay off for years and years to come.

Furthermore, this isn’t a matter of simply more people becoming Internet users all around the world or a global surge in social-media users. In fact, many reports claim that social-media giant Facebook is actually losing users and the same goes for Twitter, making LinkedIn’s staying power all the more impressive.

3. LinkedIn’s Active Users Are Really Active

The term “active user” can be a vague one as there’s no one definition accepted across every platform. Even “monthly active user” could mean someone who simply signs in once and then never returns.

However, in the case of LinkedIn, 40% of their monthly users are actually using the site every single day. That equates to roughly 134 million people logging into LinkedIn on a daily basis. Do you think any of them might be your leads?

Keep in mind, too, that unlike, say, Twitter or Facebook, there’s most likely a lot less mindless meandering happening on LinkedIn. People are on there for professional reasons, not arguing politics or sharing family photos. So, those 100+ million active users are extremely valuable.

4. Current and Future Decisionmakers Are on LinkedIn

Finally, LinkedIn seems to be especially popular among a very important cross-section for B2B companies. Not only are decision-makers – the most valuable leads possible – on LinkedIn, but Millennial decision-makers especially love the site. Of the 82 million Millennials using LinkedIn, more than 11 million of them are decision-makers. Lock them in now, and you could enjoy their companies’ business forever.

Increase Conversions from Your LinkedIn B2B Lead Generation Efforts

As you just saw, placing a bigger emphasis on LinkedIn B2B lead generation is a phenomenal way to increase the ROI on your marketing budget. Better still, it could also reduce how long you have to wait to see conversions.

Both are big wins.

However, we can actually take your LinkedIn B2B lead-generation efforts and supercharge their results. At Hushly, we created a platform specifically for B2B companies that often face high costs-per-acquisitions.

Best of all, you don’t have to change any part of your site, landing pages, or ads. Just add our platform to your current strategy and we guarantee an increase to all lead-gen and ABM conversions of at least 51%.

Ready to see how?

Just contact us today for a free demo.

B2B vs. B2C Social Media Marketing

B2B vs B2C

In the last few years, social media marketing has gone from a method that almost no one in B2B was using to a strategy that’s been proven across almost every industry.

As just about everyone in the world uses at least one social media platform, B2B companies have an opportunity to engage their leads directly.

Still, widescale adoption hasn’t necessarily coincided with a widescale understanding of how to use these platforms for best results. Far too many don’t understand the difference between social media for B2B vs. B2C companies, which results in lackluster results.

B2B vs. B2C Marketing on Social Media Platforms

We’ve talked about B2B vs. B2C marketing before because it’s a persistent problem on this side of the fence.

Here are some of the main differences between B2B and B2C companies when it comes to using social media.

1. Understanding the Consumer Mindset on Social Media

When Facebook first introduced the idea of being able to use their platform to run ads, most marketers scoffed. They pointed out that people weren’t in a purchasing mindset when they visited Facebook. Google Ads was still the best bet, they contended because people use the search engine when they want to make a purchase.

Obviously, we now know that Facebook marketing works for most businesses, but much of that sentiment should still be considered.

B2C companies that use social media marketing can often get away with linking directly to product, service, or landing pages. They can literally advertise what they’re offering in a post and then funnel the resulting interest to a page where leads can make purchases.

The same can’t be said for most B2B companies. As you probably know, yours has a much longer buying cycles compared to B2C buyers. An average of 6.8 decision-makers are involved in each buying decision, as well.

All of this is to say that your social media presence needs to involve sharing content – not just your own, either – and building authority. As you do this, your prospects will be more comfortable with converting.

2. There’s No Need to Be Boring

In recent years, there’s been a push for B2B companies to put a little more personality in their copy. Traditionally, it’s been acceptable – even expected – for B2B companies to create fairly boring copy, no matter the industry.

Even though that’s begun to change among blogs, the same can’t necessarily be said for social media posts.

In this way, B2B and B2C companies should be on the same page. It is “social” media, after all. It’s okay to adopt a more informal tone and have a bit of fun. Boring social media strategies won’t just fail to garner leads. Given the way these platforms put your company right next to others, it can actually position your business in a rather unflattering light.

So, while you still need to take the above advice into consideration, that’s no reason to risk putting your followers to sleep. The best way to earn those followers in the first place is by adopting a fun, engaging tone with your posts.

3. Invest in LinkedIn

Maybe one of the biggest differences between B2B and B2C social media marketing is LinkedIn. For B2C companies, it’s almost never a good investment. However, LinkedIn is amazing for B2B businesses. Your prospects are definitely waiting for you there.

Instead of just direct messaging them, though, see if you can’t first grab their attention by sharing helpful posts.

With that being said, B2B companies can find success on other social media platforms, too. It would be a real shame if you missed an opportunity on, say, Twitter only to let one of your competitors enjoy it uncontested.

The key is doing your due diligence. Don’t just assume you have prospects on a certain platform. Don’t think you’ll be able to lure them over to one, either.

Instead, find out where they’re already congregating. Search for topics related to your field and see how much engagement they get. Otherwise, you run the risk of investing in a social media strategy that may have never had a chance of succeeding.

B2B vs. B2C: Converting Social Media Leads

When you understand the difference between B2B and B2C social media marketing, you should also find it much easier to attract leads to your website who are ready to convert.

Still, it’s usually not that easy.

That’s why so many B2B companies from across multiple industries rely on our platform. At Hushly, we’re so sure that our software will get you more leads and conversions that we guarantee it. We’re that confident that our platform will increase your lead generation and ABM conversions by no less than 51%.

Of course, we’d be more than happy to show you how.

Just contact us today to schedule a demo.