The Ultimate LinkedIn Marketing Strategy for 2024

Did you know LinkedIn is 277% more effective for lead generation than any other social media platform? LinkedIn success is at your fingertips. You just need a thoughtful LinkedIn marketing strategy. Here are our 12 tips for LinkedIn marketing, with bonus advice on how to create content for LinkedIn pages. The success guaranteed!

Nowadays, it’s almost impossible to lead a business without social media as a critical component of marketing strategy, especially if you rely on a solid digital presence.

Among the main social networks, LinkedIn has become the most powerful tool for connecting professionals worldwide.

There are so many good reasons to start a LinkedIn marketing strategy, especially if you are a B2B business.

But you don’t need to take my word for it. Let me convince you with some statistics:

• 65 million LinkedIn users are business decision-makers.
• 78% of B2B marketers said LinkedIn was the most successful social media platform.
• In B2B sales, 80% of social media-related quality leads come from LinkedIn.
• 46% of social media traffic to B2B company sites comes from LinkedIn pages.

As you can see, LinkedIn presence is something you should take care of to grow your business. Read further to learn how to incorporate LinkedIn into your marketing strategy.

Table of contents:

• What is LinkedIn marketing?
• Why should you be on LinkedIn?
• LinkedIn marketing tips
  • 01 Know what you need out of LinkedIn
  • 02 Understand your audience
  • 03 Create a LinkedIn marketing strategy
  • 04 Set up LinkedIn business page
  • 05 Curate your LinkedIn page
  • 06 Invite LinkedIn users to your page
  • 07 Don’t just connect – engage
  • 08 Monitor your performance
  • 09 Get your ideas out there
  • 10 Join LinkedIn groups
  • 11 Leverage direct messages
  • 12 Consider LinkedIn ads
• Bonus: Boost your content marketing on LinkedIn
• Build a successful LinkedIn marketing strategy today!
• FAQ

What is LinkedIn marketing?

LinkedIn marketing strategically uses the platform’s distinctive features to boost businesses, products, services, and personal brands.

Beyond being a unique stage for expanding professional networks, LinkedIn serves as a powerful tool for engagement, establishing thought leadership, lead generation, and driving conversions.

In essence, it’s about creating meaningful connections, enhancing brand visibility, generating leads, and fostering valuable partnerships through LinkedIn.

Especially prevalent in B2B marketing strategies, LinkedIn marketing has proven efficient in the realm of professional networking.

Why should you be on LinkedIn?

Being on LinkedIn isn’t just about having a professional profile; it’s about positioning yourself at the nexus of opportunity. LinkedIn is your backstage pass to a world of possibilities in this dynamic digital landscape.

It’s not just a platform; it’s a bustling marketplace of ideas, collaborations, and career milestones.

Whether showcasing your expertise, building a personal brand, or exploring avenues for professional growth, LinkedIn is the virtual arena where careers take center stage.

It’s the place where connections transform into collaborations, and you’re not just part of a network; you’re part of a vibrant professional community where the next ample opportunity could be just a click away.

LinkedIn marketing tips

Below you will find some LinkedIn marketing efforts you could pursue to build brand awareness, generate leads, and improve other tactics. Here are our top 11 tips for LinkedIn marketing strategy.

01 Know what you need out of LinkedIn marketing

After signing up, most folks on LinkedIn connect with those in their personal and professional networks only. Others treat LinkedIn exclusively as their online resume, staying largely inactive unless they are between jobs.

While LinkedIn is widely used for recruitment and networking, there are certainly better ways to leverage your LinkedIn page.

Keep up with the latest news through your LinkedIn page by following companies and influencers in your industry. Join LinkedIn groups to add sales leads for your product or service.

Seeking a mentor? Tracking sources for a business story? Starting a fundraising drive for your non-profit or seeking capital for your start-up?

Use LinkedIn’s Advanced Search tools to identify potential mentors, sources, donors, and investors.

LinkedIn even offers Premium packages for various business needs: Job Seeker, Business Plus, Sales Navigator Professional, and Recruiter Lite. All four packages have features that help professionals make the most of LinkedIn.

Examples of these are credits for their direct messages service InMail, more specific search results filters, unlimited access to LinkedIn profiles, and valuable insights on your profile activity.

02 Understand your audience

For this purpose, you can use the analytics provided by LinkedIn or harness an external LinkedIn monitoring tool & social listening.

The former offers a quantitative approach. You will learn the dynamics of your followers (how many you lost and gained in a certain period) and their demographics. It includes basic information about your audience, like job titles, cities in which they are based, etc.

The alternative or completion to LinkedIn analytics is Brand24.

With this media monitoring tool, you get both quantitative and qualitative insights into your audience. Brand24 will track your keyword across the internet and all social platforms, including LinkedIn.

Mentions are a valuable source of knowledge about your audience.

People often won’t tell you what they really think about your company or services in your face. Instead, they will share their thoughts on their personal profile without tagging you.

By monitoring your company’s strategic keywords, you can successfully track your online reputation and mitigate PR crises before they escalate.

Besides the Mention tab, you should take a look at the Quotes tab, which offers the selection of the most significant of your mentions.

Enter the Analysis tab for quantitative data, the most popular public profiles mentioning your brand, countries of origin, and many, many more priceless insights.

03 Create a LinkedIn marketing strategy

It’s crucial to have a plan. Decide on the goals of your LinkedIn activity.

Does your company page aim to get LinkedIn connections, reach prospective clients, enhance lead generation, or get new website visitors? Maybe you want to boost brand awareness or build relationships with your target audience?

You need to reflect on it thoroughly while shaping your LinkedIn messaging.

04 Set up LinkedIn business page

If you are a business owner or the person in charge, you should definitely set up business profiles besides your personal account.

That’s a straightforward yet vital step. Thanks to the LinkedIn business page, you appear more professional, and the LinkedIn algorithm will know you are a business owner.

Fill in all your LinkedIn data. The platform suggests providing information in all the fields and categories. This way, you can easily boost your LinkedIn presence and reach your target audience better.

Another significant aspect of professional LinkedIn accounts is that they provide relevant content suggestions. On your business page, you will find valuable content from other authors and sources in the Trending Articles tab. You can share it with your audience or use as an inspiration for your own LinkedIn post.

Okay, now you are almost ready to post valuable content, customer success stories, and any other type of LinkedIn posts you want to appear in the users feeds.

Before that, you should do 2 things. Take care of your profile and get yourself an audience.

05 Curate your LinkedIn page

More than any other social network, LinkedIn is all about building trust and credibility. The best way to do this is to keep your personal and company profiles complete and updated.

Good LinkedIn marketing means showing people who you really are, as well as the why and how of what you do.

Here are a few tips on how to set up and manage your LinkedIn page.

Profile picture

Use professional headshots for both individual and company profile. After all, LinkedIn profiles with photos are up to 11 times more likely to get views and LinkedIn connections than those without.

LinkedIn, in one of their articles, shared this fun equation explaining what your photo should be like:

YOU + TALENT = OFFER/OPPORTUNITY

They further explained that, for instance, if you are a cook, you should have a profile picture in your whites took in a kitchen. Photos taken while you are in the middle of doing your job are also appreciated as they show authenticity and a real picture of you at work.

Profile headline

For individuals, use the professional headline field on your profile to your advantage. Don’t just fill it in with your job title and present company. Instead, put the 120-character limit to good use with words highlighting your skills and role in the industry.

To illustrate, I belong to the marketing team of a board portal solution used by executives and directors in over 20 countries. I could have labeled myself a “Junior Marketing Associate for Azeus Convene,” but my professional headline reads “B2B Digital Strategist reporting on the intersection of Productivity, Business, Technology, and Corporate Governance.”

This simple phrase more effectively summarizes my focus as a marketing professional – digital marketing in a business-to-business context – and related fields I have written about in the course of my work.

“About” section

We follow the same rule of thumb for the profile of Convene. Instead of copy-pasting our product description from the company website, we used bullet points to show profile visitors what Convene does, why we developed it, and how it benefits our users.

Share your location

Fill in the information about the country/city you are based in. This way, you have better chances to find business LinkedIn users from your area and stumble upon industry insights from your region.

Use all sections possible to your advantage

Education, Skills, Volunteering, Projects, Licenses & certifications, you should fill in all these categories on your personal LinkedIn profile.

A personal profile is your business card, and as other social media platforms should show what kind of person you are.

06 Invite LinkedIn users to your page

You can invite people to follow your LinkedIn page. That’s what you should do if you want your future posts to be seen.

You will have 100 credits for inviting people; one invitation costs you one credit. However, with every accepted invitation, the credit comes back to you.

Thus, before using all your credits, take a second to think of a LinkedIn strategy regarding the following requests.

07 Don’t just connect – engage

More than being a virtual record of your professional accomplishments, think of your LinkedIn profile as your ticket to a 24/7 networking event with professionals from any field imaginable.

But when inviting an industry influencer as a LinkedIn contact, how do you stand out from the crowd?

For one, ditch the default template (i.e., “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn. – <your name>”). Using it only paints a picture of your invitation as run-of-the-mill at best and unoriginal, insincere, or lazy at worst. Personalize your message by mining your prospect’s profile for common ground – be it mutual contacts, affiliations, job experiences, skills, causes, or interests.

Read something they wrote recently on LinkedIn or elsewhere. Drop a line about how you enjoy their posts or how you apply their tips to your own career experiences. Add 10-20 new contacts daily, following up each accepted invitation with a quick thank you message.

However, maximizing LinkedIn continues beyond adding contacts.

Make it a habit to leave skill endorsements for every new connection and to get in touch whenever there are milestones in their careers.

08 Monitor your performance

To keep track of happenings on LinkedIn, a good trick is to employ a social media monitoring tool, such as Brand24. These tools scan the internet, including platforms like LinkedIn, to spot instances where specific keywords are used.

Inside the Brand24 tool, you will find many useful features:

• Mentions tab with filters
• Sentiment analysis 
• Engagement metrics
• Most popular mentions
• Trending links and hashtags
• Top public profiles that talk about your brand
• Most active sites that talk about your brand
• Reputation score
• Presence score
• E-mail alerts

Plus, in the Lab24 section, you will find adveanced analytics:

• Topic Analysis
• Geo Analysis
• AI Insights
• Influencer Analysis
• Emoji Analysis
• Emotion Analysis
• Metrics Analysis

Here’s a how to find LinkedIn mentions with Brand24 in 3 easy steps:

1. Set up a media monitoring project with the keywords you want to monitor. At this point, you will have access to mentions in public LinkedIn posts. 
2. To monitor your posts and comments, you need to integrate your LinkedIn page with the Brand24 tool.
3. Then, in the Mentions tab, you can filter mentions by tapping “linkedin.com” in the search bar.

After setting up the integration, you can also track social media posts and comments from the LinkedIn page on which you are a super administrator.

09 Get your ideas out there

A long list of contacts is of little value unless these connections help you grow personally and professionally.

Some professionals remember to use LinkedIn only when they receive a notification in their e-mail inbox.

Don’t fall into this trap – it’s a waste of an excellent resource for building not only your network but also your personal brand. You’ll need to come across as someone who adds value to do that.

Join LinkedIn groups to participate in discussions relevant to your interests. Write engaging content that inspires and informs.

The most featured articles on LinkedIn’s premiere publishing platform usually fall under the following categories:

• Career advice,
• Entrepreneurship,
• Marketing,
• Women in business,
• Technology and innovation.

Improve the quantity and quality of your connections by emulating the kind of person you want to meet offline and online. After all, the best way to engage with influencers is to become one yourself.

10 Join LinkedIn groups

Incorporating groups into your LinkedIn strategy can be a game-changer, offering a plethora of benefits for networking and brand visibility.

You tap into a community of like-minded professionals by joining relevant groups within your industry or niche, fostering meaningful connections and opportunities. Active participation in discussions and sharing valuable insights positions you as an industry thought leader, enhancing your professional reputation.

Moreover, LinkedIn groups serve as a knowledge hub, providing access to the latest trends and industry news. Engaging with group LinkedIn members, exchanging ideas, and staying abreast of discussions expands your network and keeps you well-informed and connected within your field.

What’s more, you can also start your own LinkedIn group and gather LinkedIn users around it to grow your business and build relationships.

11 Leverage direct messages

Unlock the power of LinkedIn direct messages to elevate your marketing strategy. These messages are your secret weapon for cultivating meaningful connections with potential leads.

The key is personalization — forget the one-size-fits-all approach. Dive into your prospect’s LinkedIn profile, decode their interests, skills, and capabilities, and craft a tailored message that resonates.

Brevity is your ally, as shorter messages with up to 400 characters boast the highest response rates. Timing is equally crucial; avoid the Friday and weekend slump and aim for weekdays when response rates soar.

Mastering the art of LinkedIn DMs can be your golden strategy for opening doors to valuable conversations and opportunities.

12 Consider LinkedIn ads

When seeking to accelerate results and elevate the visibility of your LinkedIn company page, consider integrating LinkedIn advertising into your marketing strategy. The platform’s dedicated advertising solution proves highly effective for connecting with professional audiences and powering B2B campaigns.

While traditionally associated with B2B endeavors, LinkedIn ads extend their prowess to benefit B2C companies, nonprofits, universities, and organizations.

Leveraging sponsored content, you can effortlessly direct traffic to your site and boost brand awareness by seamlessly integrating your ads into your target audience’s LinkedIn feed.

Opt for message ads to foster engagement in the dynamic realm of LinkedIn messaging, where meaningful professional conversations unfold.

Dynamic ads present a captivating avenue, allowing you to seize attention through personalized advertisements enriched with each professional’s LinkedIn profile data, encompassing elements like photo, company name, job title, and more. This multifaceted approach offers a versatile toolkit for diverse marketing objectives.

Bonus: Boost your content marketing on Linkedin

Content is the king, remember?

That’s why you should ensure your LinkedIn content is informative, valuable, and well-optimized for your target audience.

Use the below tips to generate leads from LinkedIn marketing and get new connections to your network.

Two first sentences are the key

People are impatient, and LinkedIn is no different.

In the first few seconds, a reader decides whether your post is interesting or not. Thus, write your core message in the first two sentences.

This way, a user knows whether to continue reading and interact with your post.

Plus, if you put enough time into thinking about a catchy beginning of your post content, you have a high chance of encouraging readers who would normally skip your LinkedIn post.

You can think of a captivating summary of the text and start your post with it or begin with an intriguing statement with an explanation in the further part of your post.

Use hashtags

LinkedIn will automatically suggest relevant hashtags when you’re writing a post. Add them if they seem a fit with your post and company page.

Knowing what hashtags your audience uses and including them in your LinkedIn content marketing is also valuable.

How do you do that?

You can check it in your Brand24 dashboard!

Enter the Analysis tab and scroll down to find a rank of Tending hashtags detected for your company.

Emojis

Many people wonder if they should include emojis in their LinkedIn content.

The answer is: it depends!

In the past, emojis were seen as a rather unprofessional and informal way of communicating.

However, it has been changing a lot lately.

So what should you do?

Think about the industry you’re in, the message you’re trying to convey, and the audience you want to reach. You can also conduct a competitor analysis to see how other companies in your niche do LinkedIn marketing.

Remember to look at the Emoji Analysis in Brand24 to inform your emoji marketing strategy.

If you ask me, emojis can add a friendly human touch to your message, but be careful to add too many emojis as they may look unserious, childish, or unprofessional.

Post regularly

As a rule of thumb, post at least once a week and try to do it on the same day and time.

If you have more content to share, you can post on LinkedIn up to 3 times a week. Generally, it is not recommended to publish more LinkedIn posts. Too high a frequency of posting can lead to audience fatigue and lower the response rate in turn.

Find the right time to post content

Of course, this depends on your audience, but there are some general rules you should follow.

First of all, remember that LinkedIn is a professional platform. Thus, it is a good practice to post within working hours, from around 9 AM to 4 PM.

You can narrow down this range by closely analyzing your performance and your audience’s response.

You posted on Friday at 4 PM and got a low response rate? That’s a clear sign it’s not the optimal time for your target audience to receive your message.

Build a successful LinkedIn marketing strategy today!

As you can see, there are many ways you can improve your LinkedIn marketing strategy.

It’s worth doing as you can connect your brand with over 660 million professionals across the globe on the platform!

Remember that there are ordinary people just like you and me on the other side of the screen.

Embrace media monitoring and social listening to make sure your LinkedIn strategy is informed with the best insights and audience data. It’s also good to keep LinkedIn influencers and sponsored content options in mind.

Keep in mind my tips, and I guarantee your company LinkedIn profile will generate more leads and attract more potential clients. Now, sit down with your team and mastermind your marketing strategy for LinkedIn.

Good luck!

FAQ

Is LinkedIn marketing expensive?

As reported by various sources, LinkedIn marketing often comes with a higher price tag than other social media platforms, typically between $5 and $6 for cost-per-click (CPC).

Nevertheless, it’s crucial to weigh this cost against the quality of the audience reached and the potential return on investment for your brand. If your target audience is highly engaged on LinkedIn and your ads yield significant results, reallocating your advertising budget to LinkedIn might be a strategic move.

How to use the LinkedIn search bar effectively?

Thanks to optimized LinkedIn search, you can connect with people from specific niches and industries or with certain job titles.

Unlocking the full potential of LinkedIn’s search capabilities requires understanding and utilizing various modifiers. Incorporating quotation marks allows you to find an exact phrase, as demonstrated by searching for “Head of Marketing.”

In all capital letters, the AND modifier facilitates searching for profiles containing multiple terms, such as “Head of Marketing” AND “Automotive.”

Conversely, the “OR” modifier broadens the search, providing results from profiles with either term, like “Head of Marketing” OR “Marketing Manager” OR “Marketing Specialist”

To further refine searches, parentheses can be used for combination, as seen in the example “Head of Marketing AND (“Automotive OR Transport”).”

Additionally, in all capital letters, the “NOT” modifier excludes specific terms, exemplified by “Head of Marketing” NOT Marketing Specialist.

Mastering these modifiers enables a more precise and practical search experience on LinkedIn. This way, you can connect with the exact people your LinkedIn group or page aims at.

What data does LinkedIn analytics offer?

LinkedIn analytics is a section in your business LinkedIn profile where you can check data about your LinkedIn group and its audience.

In the Followers section, you get the lowdown on who’s into your content. It tells you not just about numbers but also about the kinds of people following you, how your followers are growing, and even what jobs they have. So, if you’re trying to connect with marketing managers in tech, you can see if your content is hitting the right notes.

LinkedIn Analytics isn’t just numbers; it’s your backstage pass to the party. Want to know who’s liking your latest LinkedIn post, how many visits your company page is getting, or where your fans are hanging out? It’s all there, from jobs to the cities they’re in.

In short, it’s your personal LinkedIn command center, helping you up your social media game.

Are there influencers on LinkedIn like on other social platforms?

Yes, LinkedIn has influencers, just like other social platforms. These individuals have significant expertise and a large following in their respective industries. They share insights, contribute to discussions, and their content often gets wide visibility.

What is the best way to find potential customers on LinkedIn?

Finding potential customers on LinkedIn involves a strategic approach.

One effective method is to use the platform’s search function smartly. You can narrow down your search by using specific keywords related to your industry or products. Also, joining and actively participating in relevant LinkedIn groups can help you connect with potential customers who share common interests or needs.

Another powerful approach is leveraging advanced filters like company size, job role, and location to target your ideal audience. Don’t underestimate the power of engaging content – regular posting and sharing valuable insights can attract potential customers to your profile.

Utilizing Ads is another avenue to consider, allowing you to target specific demographics.

Brand24, a media monitoring tool, can complement your strategy by providing insights into what your potential customers are discussing and sharing on the platform. This way, you can tailor your approach more effectively.

Check also: How to Track LinkedIn Mentions?

About the author:

Angel Britanico is Junior Associate at Azeus Convene. She is a marketer by profession, a journalist by education and a storyteller by passion. Read more tips on management, corporate governance and technology at Azeus Convene’s blog or follow them on Twitter for weekly industry updates.