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Transcript of NEW FOR 2017 - LinkedIn · PDF fileThat’s because social media marketing is no longer...
CHAPTER 3: Optimizing yOur prOfile
9–10
CHAPTER 7: expand yOur targeted reach
25–37
•CHAPTER 4: expand yOur netwOrk Of influencers
11–14
CHAPTER 8: measure the impact and Optimize
38–41
CHAPTER 5: easily keep yOur finger On the pulse
15–17
CHAPTER 9: unlOck the pOwer Of linkedin’s partner prOgram
42–43
CHAPTER 6: Build yOur Brand and cOmpany presence Organically
18–24
25 sOcial media experts yOu need tO knOw
44–45
a nOte tO the sOphisticated marketer
why shOuld yOu read this guide?
CHAPTER 1: why dOes yOur Business need linkedin?
CHAPTER 2: market tO whO matters
1 2 3–4 5–8
table of contents
1
WhatisaSophisticatedMarketer?It’ssomeonewhounderstandsthefundamental,unchangingprinciplesofmarketingbuthasabsoluteconfidenceapplyingthoseprinciplestonewtechniquesandplatforms.
TheSophisticatedMarketerishungrytotrynewthingsandlearnnewskills—butequallycommittedtotestingeffectiveness,optimizingaroundwhatworks,anddemandingrobustdataandROI.Theyrecognizesocialmediaandcontentmarketingasthreadsthatrunthroughouttheirintegratedmarketingstrategies—
a note to thesophisticated marketer
fundamentaltothetaskofbuildingabrandandgrowingabusiness.Theycrafthybridstrategiesforachievingtheirgoals,graspingtheopportunitytolearnnewskillsalongtheway.
Theyhavefun—andLinkedInistheirplayground.
ResearchreleasedbytheContentMarketingInstitute(CMI)atthestartof2017showsmorecontentmarketersfindingsuccessonLinkedInthanonanyothersocialplatform.That’sbecauseLinkedInisthenaturalenvironmentforaSophisticatedMarketer.Astheworld’slargestprofessionalcontentplatformitembodiesthepotentialofsocialandcontentcombined—butitcandoalotmorebesides.
OnLinkedIn,youcantargetaudienceswithprecision,deliveringinnovativedisplayadsandmailmessageswithguaranteeddeliverabilityandexceptionalresponserates.Youcantailorcontenttoyour
differentaudiences,testdifferentcreativeapproaches,keepexperimentingcreatively,anddriveROIbydoublingdownonwhatworks.Youcanmixorganicandpaidactivity,buildinfluencerbrandsacrossyourbusiness,dovetailmoreeffectivelywithsales,andkeepexploringnewwaystogrow.
We’veupdatedthisGuidefor2017,withallofthelatestLinkedInfeatures,tipsandtacticstohelpSophisticatedMarketerslikeyougetmorefromourplatform.It’sbothaninstructionmanualandastrategicguide—aone-stopshoptothevastopportunitiesforincreasingawareness,influencingperception,drivinghigh-qualityleads,andgrowingrevenue.
Let’sgetstarted,shallwe?
Jason Miller Group Manager, Content Marketing LinkedIn Marketing Solutions
2
ThisguideisalaborofloveforushereatLinkedIn.Wecreatedittobeaone-stopshopforeverythingyouneedtoknowaboutgettingthemostvalueoutofLinkedInforyourselfandyourcompany.It’snotjustaninstructionmanual,butastrategicguidewithlotsofinputfromtopthoughtleadersandLinkedInmarketingexperts,combinedwiththeexpertiseoftheLinkedInMarketingSolutionsteam.
Andit’sallabouthowtotrulytapintothepotentialandpowerofsocialmediamarketing.That’sbecausesocialmediamarketingisnolongeranice-to-have.It’sanecessarypartofasuccessfulintegratedmarketingapproachfordrivingawareness,leadsandultimatelyrevenue.
Wecallthis"TheSophisticatedMarketer'sGuide"becausewefeelit’stimetotakesocialmediamarketingtothenextlevel,movingbeyondtheorytoenlightenedpractice.It’stimetogetrealresultswithyoursocialmarketing,andthisguidewillhelp.
linkedin has products that impact every stage of the purchase process. the goal of this guide is to provide the absolute best, most up-to-date, definitive guide for marketers to learn how to market to who matters on linkedin as part of their integrated approach to marketing.
why should you read this guide?
3Why Does Your Business Need LinkedIn?
The world’s largesT professional neTwork
(in millions of members)
CHAPTER 1
ProfessionalsarenotjustcomingtoLinkedIninhugenumbers;they’reengagingwithahugepurpose.They’recomingspecificallytoconnecttonetworks,brandsandopportunitiesbyengagingwithhigh-qualitycontentacrosstheLinkedInplatform.Thisisaverydifferentmindsetandintentfromothersocialmediaplatforms;we'redrivenbyourmembers’professionalaspirations.
Theworld’sprofessionalscometoLinkedInfor:
• Industrynews
• Expertadvice
• Careertraining
• Peerinsightsandrecommendations
• ContentpublishedbyLinkedIn’s500+Influencers
LinkedIniswhere,byfar,thelargestnumberofprofessionalsgathertostayconnectedandinformed,advancetheircareers,andworksmarter.Morethan467millionprofessionalsareonLinkedIn.Thesearethedecisionmakers,influencers,andleadersoftodayandtomorrow—thepeopleyouwanttotarget,allinoneplace.
OnLinkedIn,wehave:
• 61millionsenior-levelinfluencers
• 40milliondecisionmakers
• 10.7millionopinionleaders
• 6.8millionC-levelexecs
• 3millionMBAgraduates
these days in the business world, relationships matter more than ever. people tune out irrelevant or promotional messages. But they do want to engage with companies that focus on sharing useful and relevant information and content. the companies that inform and engage aren’t just selling — they’re building relationships.
why does your Business need linkedin?
The World’s Professionals Come to LinkedIn for Knowledge
there are 2 million publishers posting fresh content on linkedin — along with peer posts in the feed, long-form content, linkedin groups and 7 million brand-managed company pages. linkedin is the definitive professional publishing platform, where our members come to learn, share and get inspired.
Source:“LinkedInAnnouncesFirstQuarter2016Results,”LinkedIn,2016
467
Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
218238 259
277296
313332
341
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3
350
380
396413 430
450
Q12013 2014 2015 2016
4Why Does Your Business Need LinkedIn?
CHAPTER 1
Whyaretheworld’sprofessionalsnowgatheringinthisoneplace,onLinkedIn?Becausethepeopleyou’relookingtomarkettoarejustlikeyouandme.We’reallsearchingfortherightdestinationstofindthebestinformation,andthereareactuallyfewerplaceswherewe’regatheringinlargenumbers.
WithLinkedIn,you’rereachingaquality audienceinaprofessional context.And,youcanengagetheminaverymeaningfulway:bysharing valuable contentwithproductstailoredtohowprofessionalsengage.Bydoingso,youbecomepartofyouraudience’sconversationsandeducationontheplatform.
Allittakesisasophisticatedmarketerwhoseizestheopportunitytoengagethem.
Whatdowemeanbyasophisticatedmarketer?Theideaofbeingasophisticatedmarketercomesfromthetransitionofsocialmediamarketingfrompuretheorytoeffectiveuse.Butmarketerscan’tjust“do”social.Nowtheyneedtoproduceresultsandactionableinsightsinordertoprovethevalueoftheirefforts.Fortunately,wearenolongerforcedtotakeaspray-and-prayapproachtogettingourmessagesheardinthenoisyworldofsocial.
Thetechnologyisinplacethatallowsustoadoptamuchmorerefinedapproach—sophisticatedifyouwill—tosocialmediamarketing,usingtheworld’slargestprofessionalnetwork.
linkedin is a platform enabling sophisticated marketers to forge relationships with these professionals. in fact, this is the first time in the history of media you can engage with the world's professionals in one place. it’s no wonder linkedin has quickly become the go-to content publishing platform for marketers.
Sources:"B2BMarketing2016Benchmarks,Budgets,
andTrends—NorthAmerica,"ContentMarketing
Institute/MarketingProfs.Webbiquity,2013."LinkedIn
forB2BLeadgeneration"infographic,Oktopostas
sharedbybusiness2community.com,2014.
LINKEDIN IS THE #1 CHANNEL TO DISTRIBUTE CONTENTB2B marketers who use various social media sites to distribute content:
LINKEDIN DRIVES MORE TRAFFIC TO B2B BLOGS & SITES90% of social traffic was driven by the big three networks, with half of it coming from linkedin.
94%
80.33%
89%
12.73%
77%
6.73%
77%
0.21%
61%
LINKEDIN CONSIDERED MOST EFFECTIVE FOR B2B LEAD GEN80% of social media B2B leads come from linkedin.
linkedin by The numbers
EXECUTIVES RATE LINKEDIN HIGH ON VALUE GAINEDFROM THEIR SOCIAL MARKETING INITIATIVESlinkedin is the number one choice for professionally relevant content.
Online news sites
google+
91%
64%
29%
27%
16%
oth
ers
5
CHAPTER 2
as a sophisticated marketer, grasp the reality of today’s purchase process: Buyers are up to 90% through the purchase process before they make direct contact with your sales team. that means the onus is on you to attract and engage these buyers by delivering content that helps them narrow down their options.
That’swheretheLinkedplatformdeliversvalue,by:
1. TargeTingCreatingawarenessofyourbrandandproductsearlyinthepurchaseprocess
2. engagingPositioningyourbrandasathoughtleaderandengagingaudiencesmoredeeplywithcontentasthey’reformingperceptionsanddecisions
3. opTimizingDrivingtherightaudiencestotakeaction,helpingyougeneratequalityleadsandnewbusiness
market to who matters: achieve your marketing goals
Market to Who Matters: Achieve Your Marketing Goals
Our innovative products help marketers navigate the complex B2B buying process, where multiple touchpoints influence every sale.
“ linkedin is the only platform that the majority of B2B marketers consider to be effective.”
— "Content Marketing Research Report," Content Marketing Institute, 2016
geT To The righT professional audience Withyourspecificendgoalnowinmind,ourtargetingisthecoreofwhatenablesyoursuccessonLinkedIn.Theauthenticmember-generated,firstpartydataonLinkedInismoreaccurateandhighlydifferentiatedinthemarketnoiseofaudiencedata.Wemakeiteasyforyoutosegmentandreachyouraudiencebyoffering:
• rich demographic daTaJobFunction,Seniority,CompanyName,Geo,Industry
• inTeresT-based TargeTingGroupMembership,Skills,FieldofStudy
• persona TargeTingJobSearchers,OpinionLeaders,MassAffluent,BusinessTravelers
• your own audience daTa TargetAccountLists,ExternalDataIntegrations
engage your audience wiTh conTenTBasedonyourgoalsandthemetricsyou’llusetogradethesuccessofyourprograms—andgivenhowmembersengageontheplatform—youcantakeadvantageofamixoforganiccontentandpaidadvertisingopportunities.
6
CHAPTER 2
1. your company pageCompanyPageshaveevolvedfromanice-to-havetoaneed-to-have.ThroughaCompanyPage,youcanmarketyourbusinesstotheLinkedIncommunity,tellingyourcompany’sstoryandgivingcustomersandprospectsaplacetolearnaboutyourbusiness,youremployees,andyourbrand.
2. showcase pagesByusingShowcasePagestocreatededicatedpagesforyourmoreprominentbrands,businesses,andinitiatives,youcanextendyourLinkedInpresence.
3. long-form posTsUsinganintuitivebloggingtoolthatseamlesslyintegrateswithyourprofileonLinkedIn,youcanpublishnewandpreviouslypublishedcontentonLinkedIntoquicklygrowyouraudienceandnetwork.
4. conTenT uploaded To slideshareSlideShareisnotjustarepositoryforyourslidepresentations.It’sasocialchannelwhereyoucanestablishyourbrandasathoughtleaderandauthorityaroundtopicsandkeywords.
here are strategic marketing opportunities to better reach and nurture prospective buyers. we’ll explore these in greater detail in chapter 6 and chapter 7:
8 WAyS TO TAP INTO THE POWER OF LINKEDIN
ORGANICYoucanbuildyourbrandandcontentpresencethrough:
Market to Who Matters: Achieve Your Marketing Goals
7
CHAPTER 2
8 WAyS TO TAP INTO THE POWER OF LINKEDIN
5. linkedin sponsored conTenTDeliveringyourcontentdirectlyintotheLinkedInfeed,thisallowsyoutocapturepeople’sattentionwherethey’remostengaged:whileconsuminginformationsharedwiththembytheirprofessionalnetwork.SponsoredContentisfoundationalandarguablyLinkedIn’smostversatileproduct;youcandesignyourprogramtoservebrandingandawarenessobjectives,alongwithdirectresponseandlead-generationgoals.
7. linkedin TexT adsTheseareapowerfulwaytomakesureyougetontheradarearlyandbuildyourbrandwiththerightaudiences—inthepremiumcontextoftheworld’slargestprofessionalnetwork.
8. linkedin dynamic ads DynamicAds(e.g.,FollowCompany,Spotlight)empoweryoutoaccuratelytargetyouraudiencewithhighlyrelevantandcustomizablecreativeonLinkedIn.com.BecausethisdynamicallygeneratedadformatleveragesinformationfromLinkedInmemberprofiles,itishighlyengagingandveryeffectiveatdrivingtraffictoyourwebsiteorCompanyPage.
PAIDAsyoustartbuildingyourorganicpresence,inparallel,youcanbegininvestinginarangeofpaidopportunitiestoreachtherightpeopleonLinkedInandengagethematscaleonmobileanddesktop:
• IntheLinkedInFeedandbeyond(SponsoredContent)
• IntheLinkedInInbox(SponsoredInMail)
• Earlyinthepurchaseprocess
• Throughothernativeadformats(DynamicAds)
6. linkedin sponsored inmailThemostdirectwaytoengageyourprospectsonLinkedIn,thisisagame-changerintermsoftakingemailmarketingeffectivenesstothenextlevelanddrivingtangiblemetricsincludingleads,cost-per-lead,andpipeline.Youdothatbydeliveringtargeted,personalizedmessagesandcontentrightintoprospectivecustomers’LinkedIninboxes.
Market to Who Matters: Achieve Your Marketing Goals
extend the quality traffic of linkedin professionals to your own branded sites. embedding calls-to-action in your creative on linkedin ensures the flow of influential, affluent and educated professionals to your own online properties.
8
CHAPTER 2
Founder and CEO of Copyblogger Media
li: do you regulary check your pulse feed? if so, how do you use it?
BC:I’vejuststartedfollowingtheMarketingStrategiescategoryonPulse,andit’satreasure-troveofcontentallinoneplace.Thishasbecomeagreatresourcenotonlyforstayingup-to-dateonthelatestideasfromothers,butitalsofuelsourowncontent-sharingonothersocialnetworks.
ask the expert: Brian clark
li: what’s your best advice for writing a compelling company page update?
BC:Tellastory.Andmoreimportantly,relatethatstorybacktoyouridealprospect’sproblemsordesires.Evenifthestoryfocusesonthefounding,evolutionorgrowthofyourcompany,makesurepeopleunderstandthatallofthosegreatthingshappenedbecauseofthevalueyouprovideyouraudience,customers,andclients.
li: how can a business best take advantage of linkedin for lead generation?
BC:LinkedIn,unlikeFacebookandTwitter,isallaboutbusiness.Themindsetandintentarenaturallymorereceptivetosolvingbusinessproblemsthanthekindofsocializingandsharingthathappenselsewhere.
Thatsaid,youstillhavetoleadwithvaluetogeneratequalifiedleads.LinkedIn’sfocusoncontentmarketinghasprimedthe
audiencetoexpectinformationandinsightfirst,andthenacalltoactionthattakestherelationshiptothenextlevel.Forthosewhohavebeendoingcontentmarketingfromtheirownsitesforyears, LinkedInbecomesanessentialoutpostforthatcontent,mixedwithin-personengagement.
li: where do you see linkedin in 5 years?
BC:LinkedInappearstobeallinonbecomingatruemediacompany.I’veheardsomegrumblingsfromearlyLinkedInfansthatthecompanyandsitearelosingthesingularfocusitstartedwith,butIseeitdifferently.AbusinesseducationhubofthesortLinkedInisbuildingcanonlyincreasethevalueoftheecosystem.
li: what’s something that’s not in your linkedin profile?
BC:I’vemadenomentionofthefactthatIusedtopracticelawinmyLinkedInprofile.Somepeoplemaystillholdthatagainstme.
Market to Who Matters: Achieve Your Marketing Goals
9
CHAPTER 3
Optimizing Your Profile
Whethersomeoneissearchingforpeople,jobs,companies,orgroups,weprovidethemostrelevantresultsbasedonyourprofessionalidentity,yournetwork,andhowthepeopleinyournetworkengagewithLinkedIn.Plus,oneofthefirststepsmanymemberstakewhenreceivingcontentfromacompanyoranothermemberisclickingthroughtothepersonalprofileorCompanyPagetolearnaboutthesender.That’swhyit’scriticalforyouandyourcompanytomaintaincompleteandoptimizedprofiles.
how you can benefiT from an opTimized profileAsamarketer,youcanuseLinkedInfornetworkingandtofurtheryourprofession.Afterall,thesedays,veryfewpeopleendupworkingforasinglecompanytheirentirecareer.Sowhetheryou’reactivelyseekinganewpositionormaximizingthejobyouarealreadyin,it’swisetomakesureyourprofileissetupformaximumexposureandengagement.Inaddition,addingrichmediacontent—suchasSlideSharepresentations,videos,andinfographicstoyourprofile—isafantasticwaytoshowcasevisualassetstoprofilevisitors.
how your company can benefiT from an opTimized profileItgoeswithoutsayingthatyourcompanyandallofitsemployeesshouldoptimizetheirLinkedInprofiles.Afterall,anoptimizedprofilecanboostthevisibilityofyourcompanyanditscontentinthesearchresults—bothonandoffthenetwork.That’sbecausesearchengineslikeGooglescourpagesandURLsforkeywords,andLinkedInprofilesoffermanyopportunitiestoembedkeywords,suchaswithintheLinkedInURL,otherURLsyoulistwithinyourprofile,jobtitlesanddescriptions,andcontentlinksyouinclude.Soifyourcompanyanditsemployeeshaveoptimizedtheirprofiles,youcouldverywellgainanadvantagewhenprospectivecustomersaresearchingforcompanies,productsandserviceslikeyours.
every day, we see millions of professionals find others and get found through linkedin search.
Optimizing your profile
this infographic highlights all the opportunities for getting the most from your profile.
10
CHAPTER 3
CEO of POSSIBLE
li: what factors are most important to you when considering advertising channels for your clients?
SA:Ourtoponesincludeaudienceconcentrationandrelevance,segmentationandtargetingfunctionality,andtheabilitytoextendoramplifychannelcontentacrossotherownedandearnedproperties.Wealsoleverageoursociallisteningandmarketingsciencestechnologiestoidentifyopportunitiesforthebrandwithineachchannelandwitheachaudience.
ask the expert: shane atchison
li: what types of clients should be leveraging linkedin more than they currently are?
SA:IthinkthatclientswithinvestmentsincontentaremissingamassiveopportunitytoleveragetheirLinkedInpresence.TheycoulduseLinkedInincombinationwiththeirownedpropertiestopreciselytarget,share,andthenrealizereturnontheircontentinvestments.Butforthis,theyneedacomprehensivestrategythatintegratestheLinkedInplatform,theircontentandtheirCRMefforts.
li: what is the risk of a client not having a company presence on linkedin?
SA:Thebiggestrisk,especiallyforB2B,isalossofdiscoverability.LinkedInisbecomingthedefactostartingpointwhensearchingforpartnersandevaluatingsolutions.AthoughtfulLinkedInpresenceisnotonlyagreatopportunitytoincreaseyourvisibilityasanindividual.Corporationscanalsouseittoturnboththeirworkforceandfollowersintobrandambassadors.
li: how are your clients’ marketing objectives different on linkedin compared to other social networks? how does that impact your clients’ content strategy?
SA:Mostsocialnetworksonlyserveopportunitiesatthetopofthefunnelandprovidelimitedwaystoengage.YoucantailortheLinkedInplatformtoeachclient’smarketingobjectivesanduseitaspartofalargercontentstrategy.Theplatformmakesiteasierforbrandstoserveaudienceswithcontenttailoredtotheindividual—bothintermsofdepthandtiming.Thismakescontentsmarterandrelevantatscale.Asaresult,itcandriveengagementlifecyclesratherthanone-offopportunities.
li: how do you compare the audience-targeting capability of linkedin with other social networks?
SA:TherearethreemajorwaysLinkedIndataisbetterfortargeting:Recency,authenticity,andstandardizationofdata.RecencymeansthatpeopletendtokeeptheirLinkedInprofilesuptodate—somethingtheyrarelydoonothernetworks.Authenticitymeansthatthey
arewhotheysaytheyare.Youcan’tputafakejobtitleuponLinkedIn.Andthestandardizationofuser-generateddatamakesiteasiertoanalyzeandintegratetheplatformintoyourcontentstrategy.
li: how are marketers getting it wrong with linkedin?
SA:Theythinkofitsimplyasahiring,prospecting,orone-dimensionaladvertisingplatform.It’sactuallyaversatilecontentplatformwithprecisedatathatcanbeintegratedintoavarietyofprogramsonandoffthesite.Forexample,B2CbrandsoftenmisstheopportunityLinkedInprovidestoenhanceorexpanddistributionnetworksorchannelpartnercommunicationplans.TheyalsomisstheopportunitytobuildprogramsaroundLinkedInthatleveragecontenttodriveengagementlifecyclesandstimulateorganiccommunity-building.Theplatform’scapabilitiesinthisareaareunmatchedandunderutilized.
Optimizing Your Profile
11
CHAPTER 4
Expand Your Network of Influencers
Inlate2012,wemadeitpossibleforanyLinkedInmembertofollowanexclusivegroupofInfluencersonLinkedIn.FromC-levelexecutivesandentrepreneurstoworldleadersandphilanthropists,theseInfluencerscontributeuniquebusinessinsightsandsparkthought-provokingdiscussionsonarangeofissues.DisplayedviaPulse,theInfluencersprogramisasourceoftrulyoriginalcontent.Butmoreimportantly,it’smeanttoinspire,inform,andmakeyouabettermarketer.
TheInfluencerprogramnumbers500ofthemostinfluentialthoughtleaders.PoststhatourInfluencerswriteonLinkedIngarneronaveragemorethan25Kpageviews,morethan300likes,and100comments.AndyoucandirectlyengagewithanyoftheseInfluencers,eitherby“Liking”apostorjumpingintoaconversationaboutapost.Moreover,throughthreadedcomments,youcanreplytoapostbyanInfluencertostartconversationsanddebateswithotherswhoarereadingthatpost.Youcanmentionotherpeopletodrawthemintoadiscussion,andgetnotifiedwhenyourcommenthasreceivedaresponse.
expand your network of influencers
“ it thrills me to see linkedin gaining ground as an interesting place to hang out. i’ve long held that linkedin is the dark horse of the social media platforms — or, at least, it’s the workhorse of the bunch. if twitter is where you go to meet people you don’t know and facebook is where you go to talk with people you already know, then linkedin is where all of you can meet up to get stuff done together.”
— Ann Handley, Author of content rules, Chief Content Officer at Marketing Profs
12
CHAPTER 4
Inadditiontojoininginrichconversations,youwillseewhichInfluencersandtopicsaredrivingthemostinterest—perhapssparkinganideaofyourownforapostorcontentasset.PlustheabilityforLinkedInmemberstolikeandshareInfluencercontentletsyouquicklyfindoutwhatthepeopleinyournetworkarereadingandreactingto,helpingyouunearthnewideas.Wanttobroadenyourhorizons?TakeadvantageofdiscoverymoduleswithinLinkedIntohelpyoufindmorerelevantcontentbasedonthepeopleyou’refollowingandthepostsyou’rereading.
Bill gates is an influencer with over 6,836,041 followers. One of his posts garnered over 1.9M views, more than 11K thumbs up, and over 4000 comments.
the average influencer post garners nearly
49% of influencer followers are director-level and above.
22% are entry-level professionals.
Joe pulizzi, a speaker, entrepreneur, author, and founder of content marketing institute, has over 188,000 linkedin followers. One of his posts pulled in 138K views, 800 thumbs up, and over 200 comments. it’s easy to be part of such a rich discussion!
6,000,000+
30,000
188,000+ FOLLOWERS
VIEWS
FOLLOWERS
Follow Influencers Without Being Connected to Them
consider These examples
Expand Your Network of Influencers
13
CHAPTER 4
LinkedIn Expert & Author: "LinkedIn Marketing: An Hour a Day," International Keynote Speaker, Forbes Top 20 Most Influential
li: what type of content best connects with audiences on linkedin? is there a specific type of content you prefer to consume on linkedin?
VR:That’skindofanapplesor orangestypeofquestion,whenitcomestoLinkedIn.I’mafruitsaladgalmyself!
LinkedInInfluencersandPulse:Firstofall,LinkedIntrulyunderstandstheimportanceofgoodcontent.Rightnowit’stheonlysocialmediasitetohaveitsownbloggingplatformfueledbytheworld’sthought
ask the expert: Viveka Von rosen
leaders(LinkedInInfluencers).Thesepeople,mostofthemhouseholdnames(best-sellingauthors,Fortune500CEOs,headsofstate)createcontentspecificallyforLinkedIn.YoucanfollownotonlytheseInfluencers,butalsochannelsofcontent(thankstoPulse.)
Infact,LinkedInrecentlyupdatedthePulseapptointeractmorefreelythroughtheLinkedIninterface,sothatyourPulseapponyouriPadoriPhonewillactuallymonitorwhatyoudoonLinkedInandmakesuggestionsforyou.YoucanalsoveryeasilysharethiscontentthroughPulse.
IthinkPulseisagreatplacetofindrelevantbusinesscontenttosharenotonlyonLinkedIn,butothersocialsitesaswell.WhenaclientneedsagoodbusinessarticletoposttotheirFacebookpageorTwitter,IcanoftenfindsomethingrelevantonPulse—quicklyandeasily.SoPulsegetsmoreofmyattentionthananyotherRSSfeedornewsaggregatorIuse.
LinkedInUpdateMentions:Aslongasyouareconnectedtoapersonorfollowingacompany,youcansharetheircontentandmentiontheminanupdate.
IwishIhadthetimetocheckonmyhomepageeveryhourandreadalltheupdatesfromeveryoneofmy29K+connections,butIdon’t.(Andtobehonest,Iwouldn’twantto!)Chancesare,youdon’teither.SoIrelyonLinkedInStatusUpdatementionsandLinkedIn’snew(ish)Notificationstabtoseewhatpeoplearesayingaboutme,whatcontentofminetheyaresharingandtheircommentsonmyupdates.SowhileIdon’tlistentoALLupdates,Ilistentotheonesthatinvolvemeinsomeway.
group conTenTFor(soft)marketresearch,considerLinkedInGroups.Groupsarefulloflike-minded,targetedaudiences.Askquestions.Askforhelp.Occasionallyshareanarticleyoulike.IlovethecontentandinteractiononsomeofmyGroups,andIknowIcanalwaysgotheretogetquickanswerstomyquestionsandfindoutthelatestandgreatestinthesalesworld.
Itjusttakessometimetofindthesegoodgroups.Irecommendaskingyournetworkwhatgroupstheylikeandwhy.(Forinstance,IamaravingfanofJillKonrath’sGroup,FreshSalesStrategies,becauseitalwaysoffersfabulousingestiblecontent).
li: how do you make sure personal time spent on linkedin is productive? how does this differ from other social networks?
VR:LinkedInisprobablylesslikelythansomeoftheothersocialsitestosuckyouintotherabbitholeofsingingcatsandsurfingdogvideos.Butmessages,updates,Groups,andPulsecancertainlysuckyouin.It’susuallyallgoodstuffandrelevanttoyourbusinesswhichmeansyoumightevenspendmoretimetheresinceit’s“allowed.”IrecommendschedulingyourLinkedIn(andother“social”)timetomakesureyouhaveastartandstoptime.IalsosuggestyoucreateachecklistthatcoverseverythingyouneedtodoonLinkedIn(monthly,weekly,anddaily).
li: how are marketers getting it wrong with linkedin?
VR:Basicallymarketersdothesethreethingswrong:
• Sellingtoomuch
• Notmakinguseofthetools
• Notrealizingitspotential
Expand Your Network of Influencers
14
CHAPTER 4
sellingIalwaystellpeopleyouwillneversellyourstuffonLinkedIn.Thelikelihoodofsomeoneseeinganupdateyouhavepostedonhowyousellthebestgadgetandthenbuyingitisunlikely.LinkedInisaboutcreatingrelationshipswithpeople.Onceyouhaveestablishedaconnectionandaremovingfromthe“know”eachothertothe“likeandtrust”eachotherlevelofengagement—onlythendoyouhaveagoodchanceofsharingyourproductsandserviceswithsomeonelikelytopurchasethem.Buttheserelationshipstakeeffortandnurturing.Establishingthatsenseof“likeandtrust”mightseemlikealotofwork,butthepayoffcanbemonumental.GettingpeopletobuyfromyouonLinkedInmeansatimeinvestment,buttomeitiswellworthit.
ToolsLinkedInhassomanycoollittletools.Myfavoriteistheir“SharingBookmarklet.”TofindtheSharingBookmarklet,youjustcomedowntothe“Tools”linkandthenontherighthandsideclickonthetabthatsays“SharingBookmarklet.”DragtheBookmarkletbuttonuptoyourbrowserbar.Thennomatterwhatwebpageyou’reon,allyouhavetodoisclickonthe‘shareonLinkedIn’linkandyoucaneasilysharethatpage.
ask the expert: Viveka Von rosen
NotallwebsitesareLinkedIn-centric.Soifyoufindawebsite,blogpost,orarticlethatdoesn’thavetheLinkedInsharebutton,youcanstillshareitbyclickingonthe“ShareonLinkedIn”button.Youcanpostthepageasanupdateorasatweet.YoucanpostittoyourGroupsbyclickingtheGroupoption,thentypinginthenameoftheLinkedInGroupsyouwishtosharethepostwith.Youcanevensendittoanindividual.
Thisisaveryquickandeasywaytoposthelpful,useful,andinterestingcontentwithyournetwork.Theseupdateswillshowuponyourconnection’shomepageaswellasinyourprofileunder“Activity.”
poTenTialHopefullysomeofthethingsIhavementionedwillopenafeweyestothepotentialofLinkedIn.Thereisjustsomuchyoucandowithit.Itisacompletelyunder-utilizedtoolfromGroupstoCompanyPagesandbeyond.ButIguessthat’swhyIhaveajob!Ifyouhavequestionsabouthowitcanhelpwithprospecting,leadgen,relationshipbuilding,andtopofmindawareness,pleasefeelfreetoreachouttome!
www.LinkedIn.com/in/LinkedInexpert
Expand Your Network of Influencers
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CHAPTER 5
Easily Keep Your Finger On the Pulse
Infact,likemostmarketers,youprobablyfindit’sincreasinglydifficulttofigureoutwhatmattersmostwhenreadingnewsacrossmultiplesources.MillionsofprofessionalsinvesttheirtimeonLinkedIn,stayingontopofindustrynewsthroughPulse,thenewsappandcontentbrandforLinkedIn.
PulseoffersamorerelevantnewsexperiencewithcontenttailoredtoyourprofessionalintereststhroughoutLinkedIn.It’sthemainvehicleforoursocialnewsexperienceacrosswebandmobile.Andit’sakeywayformarketerstostaycurrentonallthelatestinsightsandtrends.
access more relevanT conTenTWiththeLinkedInPulseapp,youcanaccessfullarticlesandrichgraphicsfromawealthofresources,throughourpartnershipswithmorethan750publishers,suchasHarvardBusinessReview,TechCrunch,andFastCompany.
Pulsemakesitpossibletoaccesstailorednewsbasedonyourinterests.Specifically,youasamarketercaneasilyleverageallthegreatbusinessknowledgeflowingthroughLinkedInintheformofnews,Influencerposts,industryupdates,discussions,comments,andmore.Andbecauseyoucancustomizecontentbasedonyourpreferences,youcanzeroinonwhatmattersmosttoyou.ThinkofPulseasyourdaily“newspaper”—onethatletsyoustayuptospeedwhetheryou’reonyourdesktop,mobilephone(AndroidoriOS),ortablet.
with all the news websites, blogs, and newsletters out there, staying in the know can be time-consuming.
easily keep your finger on the pulse
Discover New Professional Content we’ve not only improved the overall search functionality with faster auto-complete suggestions, but we’ve also made it easier for you to find “what’s new” across timely world events and what’s trending among professionals like you worldwide.
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delivering smarT recommendaTionsWedisplaystoriesbasedonaproprietaryalgorithmthatweighsyourinterestsandthestoriestrendingamongprofessionalsworldwide.
organize your daily readsListsinthePulseappallowyoutoorganizeyourchannelsintotopicsofyourchoice,suchasTechnology,Sports,Favorites,orMustReads.AnyChannelsorInfluencercontentthatyoufollowonLinkedIn.comwillautomaticallysyncwiththePulseapp,andyoucanalsoaddanyblogornewsfeedviatherobustsearchfunctionalityonPulse.Asaresult,yougaininstantaccesstothemostrelevantandpersonalizednewscontentthatmapstoyourprofessionalinterests.
Andhere’sasuggestionforaChanneltofollowrightawayforfreshinsightsonmarketingfromLinkedInInfluencersandtopsourcessuchasTheWallStreetJournal,AdWeek,Mashable,andmore:theMarketingStrategiesChannelwww.LinkedIn.com/channels/marketing_strategies
share wiTh your neTworkWe’vemadeiteveneasierforyoutosharenewsandinsightsfromyourPulseapp.Withthenew,enhancedsocialfeatures—easilyaccessiblewithineverypieceofcontentatthetopofthescreen—youcanseewhatotherprofessionalsaretalkingaboutandinstantlylike,comment,orshareanarticlewithyourprofessionalnetworkonLinkedIn.
Jump-Start Your Pulse Experience when you download the new pulse app on iOs or android, you will be prompted to sign in using your linkedin profile. Once you’ve done this, we will automatically bring in the channels, influencers, and linkedin content you follow into your pulse experience. additionally, pulse will offer personalized content recommendations that are customized to your linkedin preferences and professional interests.
Easily Keep Your Finger On the Pulse
17
andbrandthoughtleadership,andconnectwithothergroupslikeindustrymediaandprospectiveemployees.Whetherit’stargetedadvertisingorcuratingamixofindustryandcompanynewsonthebrandpage,companiesthatwanttoattractandengageotherbusinessesneedtobeonLinkedIn.
CHAPTER 5
CEO @TopRank Online Marketing, Author: "Optimize," Public Speaker: Integrated Search, Social, & Content Marketing
li: do you regularly check your pulse feed? if so, how do you use it?
LO:IcheckLinkedIndaily,includingthePulsefeed.Ifollowanumberofthethoughtleadersandalsolookforthenewsstoriesmynetworkisengagingwith.ThefeedofferscontentthatIcaninteractwiththroughliking,commenting,sharingonLinkedInorcuratingtoourbroadercommunity.
li: what’s your best advice for writing a compelling company page update?
ask the expert: lee Odden
LO:Thismightseemlikeacartandhorsesituation,butit’simportanttohaveanaudience.UpdatingaCompanyPageto2followersvs.200justisn’tthesame.Aswithanyotherpublishingplatform,thinkofwhoyournetworkisandwhatthey’reinterestedin.Whatdotheyexpect?Givingpeoplewhattheywantintheformofusefulcontent,tips,andinformationaboutchangesatyourcompanyisagreatwaytoattractmorefollowersandbetterengagethoseyoualreadyhave.
Fromawritingstandpoint,writesnappy,compellingtitles.Checkubersuggest.ioforpopularkeywords,andconsiderusingspecificphrasesinthetitleanddescription—butonlyiftheymakesenseandaddvaluetothemessage.YoucanattractmorefollowerstoyourLinkedInCompanyPagethroughsearchonLinkedInaswellasorganicsearch.
li: how can a business take advantage of linkedin as part of a content marketing strategy?
LO:Contentparticipationonanysocialnetworkorwebplatformshouldbeinformedbyacompany’sbusinessandcontent
marketingstrategies.Arecustomersthere,andwhataretheydoing?Whataretheyinterestedin?Whatopportunitiesarethereforthebrandtobevaluabletothoseprospectivecustomers?
Formostcompaniesthatsellintothebusinessmarket,participatingonLinkedInshouldbeano-brainer.ThespecificwayLinkedInisuseddependsonthecompany,industry,andproductmix.Italsodependsonwhatkindsofopportunitiestherearetobe“thebestanswer”onLinkedInforthethingscustomersareinterestedin.
aT a minimum:• EnsureexecutiveLinkedInprofilesarefilledoutandoptimized.
• MakesuretheCompanyPageisrobust.
• CurateusefulnewsasstatusupdatesandontheCompanyPage.
• UseLinkedInasafollowupaftermeetingpeopleonlineandespeciallyatofflineeventswherebusinesscardsareexchanged.
Beyondthat,LinkedIn’ssocialnetworkplatformprovidesmanyopportunitiestoengagewithprospects,supportindividual
Easily Keep Your Finger On the Pulse
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CHAPTER 6
Build Your Brand and Company Presence Organically: Content Marketing On LinkedIn
Bydeliveringrelevantcontent,youcanorganicallybuildyourbrandandcompanypresenceandyourrelationshipswithtargets.LinkedInprovidesthefollowingsolutionsfordeliveringrelevantcontenttoourmembers:
• YourLinkedInCompanyPage
• ShowcasePagesforproductorthoughtleadershipcontent
• Publishlong-formposts
• SlideShare
CompanyPagesarewhereyoucancatchtheeyeofprospectivecustomersbyfeaturingthoughtleadershipcontentoranythingelsethatwouldberelevanttoyourtargetaudience,includinglinkstoyourlatestandgreatestwhitepapers,e-books,casestudiesandhow-tocontent.Bydeliveringusefulandengagingcontent,you’llfosterengagementandhelpyourmessagespreadfaster.
Andremember:Integrationwithcommonsocialmediamanagementvendors—includingAdobe,Hootsuite™,Percolate,Salesforce,Shoutlet,Spredfast,andSprinklr—makesiteasierforyoutomanageyourCompanyPage.
% 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Source:B2BMarketing2016Benchmarks,Budgets,andTrends—NorthAmerica,
ContentMarketingInstitute/MarketingProfs
linkedin continues to be the #1 channel to distribute content.
Build your Brand and company presence Organically: content marketing on linkedin
linkedin: a key plaTform for b2b conTenT delivery
Mobilize Your Employees to Amplify Your Message Best-in-class companies encourage their own employees to share content on linkedin with their networks, significantly increasing content reach. this is especially powerful for companies whose sales reps are connected to the right decision makers.
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Likemanycompanies,youlikelyconsidermanypartsofyourbusinessasimportant.Andtogiveeachitsdueattention,youlikelyhavemorethanone“voice.”WithShowcasePages,youcanbuildapresenceandpresentauniquevoiceforeveryimportantpartofyourbusiness.Bycreatingdedicatedpagesforyourmoreprominentbrands,businesses,andinitiativesusingShowcasePages,youcanextendyourLinkedInpresence.
Inotherwords,youcancreateadistinctplatformforeachaspectofyourbusinessthathasitsownmessagetosharewithitsowntargetaudience.It’sauniquewaytodirectlyengagetherightpeopleintherightcontext.AndjustaswithCompanyPages,youradministratorswillbeabletomonitorperformancethroughdedicatedanalyticstoolswithintheShowcasePageexperience.
Showcase Pages: Demonstrate Thought Leadership with Specific Audiences
5 Steps to Engaging Followers on LinkedIn:
1. establish your presence
2. attract followers
3. engage followers
4. amplify through the network
5. analyze and refine
“ when i ran marketing at a mobile startup, we routinely compared the impact of each channel at each funnel stage. we plotted channels along two dimensions: volume of names and cost per lead. linkedin topped all other lead sources, across both dimensions, and at every stage of the funnel. when it came to content distribution and lead generation, linkedin quickly became the first dollar budgeted each quarter.”
— Joe Chernov, VP of Marketing at InsightSquared
Build Your Brand and Company Presence Organically: Content Marketing On LinkedIn
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Themorethemerrieronthesocialmerry-go-round.Herearesomesimple,effectivestrategiesforattractingmorefollowerswithyourcompanyupdates:
• Engageyourcolleagues.AstudybyBrightEdgefoundthat9ofthetop10brandswiththemostfollowersonLinkedInhaveatleast60%oftheiremployeesonLinkedIn.
• Cultivatealargerfollowingwithamulti-channelapproach.EncourageyourteammatestoaddalinktoyourCompanyPageintheiremailsignatures.Ifneeded,askyourdesignerforhelpcreatingacustomizedbannerorbutton.
Attract More Followers Did you Know?
there are more than 2 million unique publishers actively using the linkedin share button on their sites to send content to the linkedin platform.
“ content marketing is the planning, creation, promotion, and measurement of content to a target audience with the goal of satisfying customers and affecting a business outcome. linkedin offers an incredibly useful platform for research, ideation, and the amplification of content to specific interest groups from your target customers to the influencers that inspire them to take action. linkedin is essential for achieving content marketing results.”
— Lee Odden, CEO @TopRank Online Marketing, Author: Optimize, Public Speaker: Integrated Search, Social, and Content Marketing
Build Your Brand and Company Presence Organically: Content Marketing On LinkedIn
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PublishingonLinkedIngivesallprofessionalstheabilitytosharetheirexpertisewiththeworld.OncesolelyfortheuseofanexclusivegroupofInfluencers,nowallmembersareinvitedtopublishlong-formcontentonLinkedIn.
UsinganintuitivebloggingtoolthatseamlesslyintegrateswithyourprofileonLinkedIn,youcanpublishnewandpreviouslypublishedcontentonLinkedIntoquicklygrowyouraudienceandnetwork.ArticlespostedwiththetoolaresearchablebykeywordinLinkedIn’spostsearchbox.Ifyourpostisviewedenoughtimes,itcangetpickedupbyPulse,LinkedIn'snewsappandcontentbrand—whichmeansyoucangrowviews,comments,andsharesbyleapsandbounds.
TherealpowerofpublishingonLinkedIncanbeunleashedwhenyoucombinesubject-matterexpertise,CompanyandShowcasePages,employeeamplification,andSponsoredContentforanalways-onthoughtleadershipengine.Forexample,yourCMO/CEOpublishesathoughtleadershippieceonLinkedIn.YoupublishitonyourCompanyPage,ShowcasePage,orboth,askingyouremployeestosharewiththeirnetworks,andfinallyextendthepost'sreachusingtargetedSponsoredContentandDirectSponsoredContent.
Take Advantage of Publishing On LinkedIn
Build Your Brand and Company Presence Organically: Content Marketing On LinkedIn
3 Reasons to Go Long on LinkedIn: 1. the content you publish is attached to and becomes a part of your
linkedin profile, positioning you as an expert and thought leader.
2. you can create an always-on strategy with your c-level team, subject-matter experts, and employees by delivering your message with credibility and authenticity.
3. your posts have the potential to be featured on linkedin pulse and recommended to a much broader group of members.
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Weareallvisualthinkers.Infact,75%ofthesensoryneuronsinourbrainsprocessvisualinformation.Visualcontentcanhelpsetyouapartfromtext-heavycompetition,andSlideShareistheperfectchannelforyourvisualcontent.
SlideShareisnotjustarepositoryforyourslidepresentations.It’sasocialchannelwhereyoucanestablishyourbrandasathoughtleaderandauthorityaroundtopicsandkeywords.
Through slideshare, you can: • Sharepresentations,videos,infographics,andotherdocumentswithyourLinkedInnetwork
• Uploadportfolios,conferencetalks,PDFs,marketing/salespresentations,andmore
• Embedvideosinpresentations,andaddaudiotomakeawebinar
Eachmonth,morethan400,000newpiecesofcontentareaddedtoSlideShare,whichhosts70millionuniquevisitorsmonthly.Onanaverageday,nearly4millionpeoplevisitSlideShare(justondesktop!).ThatmakesSlideSharetheworld’slargestprofessionalcontent-sharingcommunity.Andthat’ssomethingyoucan’taffordtooverlook.
SlideShare: Tap into Visual Tendencies“ it’s almost not fair to ask for my take on slideshare. i consider it one of the top three ‘plays’ in my own content marketing efforts. i contribute to the slideshare blog. i recommend it to every one of my clients, and am hired often to write and design the presentations. however, i’m biased for many reasons. atop the list: slideshare — and its integration with linkedin — accounts for a massive chunk of my website’s traffic, has a lot to do with the authority i’ve gained in content marketing and copywriting for the web, and is helping to bring me all kinds of opportunities including new business, partnerships, and speaking engagements. if you’re not using slideshare to distribute your content, you’re missing out on, what, 60 million eyeball opportunities a month? and if you are, you know exactly how the service can align with your marketing goals.”
— Barry Feldman, Feldman Creative
Build Your Brand and Company Presence Organically: Content Marketing On LinkedIn
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CHAPTER 6
have i goT a sTory for you!
1.Keepyourpresentationsshortandsweet:Between10–30slidesisoptimal.
2.Bevisual:Shootforanaverageof19imagesinyour10–30slides.
3.Gettothepoint:Aimforanaverageof24wordsperslide.
4.Betheauthorityonyourtopic:Chooseatopicandownit.
5.Focusondesign,andtellastory:Designyourdecktopullthereaderfromoneslidetothenext.
6.RevuptheSEOforeachpresentation:Includekeyword-richtitles,descriptionsandtagsinordertogiveyourpresentationsafightingchanceintheworldofsearchenginesaswellasinsidetheSlideSharesearchresults.
7.Integrateyourpresentationsintomultiplechannels:SlideShareeasilyembedsintolandingpagesandblogsandrendersbeautifullyinTwitter.
8.Repurposeyourpresentations:Sliceanddicethemintoblogposts,infographics,webinars,andvideos.
9.MakeSlideSharepartofeverycampaign:AddaSlideSharecheckboxtoyourcampaignchecklist.
Ifyoudon’thaveaSlideShareaccount,signupfromLinkedIntoshareyourpresentationsworldwideanddrivemoreviewsandtraffic.
9 Tips to Help Ensure Content Domination on SlideShare:
a good story captivates an audience. think about your favorite book, tV show or movie; the plot and way it is told hooks you in. now what if every presentation you sat through or gave was that spell-binding?
Did you Know?
more than 30 million pieces of content are uploaded to slideshare. (february, 2016)
Build Your Brand and Company Presence Organically: Content Marketing On LinkedIn
“ in a recent conference, i was asked my opinion on what is the biggest opportunity in B2B content marketing. without hesitation, i answered 'slideshare.'”
— Michael Brenner, Vice President of Marketing Insider Group, Speaker, Blogger and Social Business Marketing Leader
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The4-1-1RulewascoinedbyTippingpointLabsandJoePulizzioftheContentMarketingInstitute.WhileitwasoriginallycreatedwithTwitterinmind,itcansuccessfullybeappliedtoyourcompany’scontentmarketingstrategyusingLinkedIn.
The rule sTaTes:“Foreveryoneself-servingtweet,youshouldretweetonerelevanttweetandmostimportantlysharefourpiecesofrelevantcontentwrittenbyothers.”
It’sbasicallysayingtosharethelove.Insteadofconstantlybombardingyourfollowerswithdemos,webinarsandwhitepaperdownloads,createacadenceofhelpfulinsightsrelevanttoyouraudience.Mixinabitofindustrythoughtleadercontent;newsandtrendsareagreatwaytobuildrelationshipswithprospectswhilekeepingcurrentcustomersintheknow.
You’llauthenticallyengageinconversations,buildawarenessandinteractwithLinkedInmemberswithoutgivingtheimpressionthatyou’reaself-centeredknow-it-all.It’sallpartofmovingtothenewmarketingmindsetof“alwaysbehelping”insteadoftheoutdated“alwaysbeselling.”
Consistentposting:Createaneditorialcalendarofupdateswithinyourcompany,andhighlightrelevantthird-partymaterial.Thenshareitwithcompanyfollowers.Buildingacadencearoundthe4-1-1rulewillcontinuallyaddvalueforyourfollowers.
Follow the 4-1-1 Rule
Source:TippingpointLabs.www.tippingpointlabs.com
4 New Tweets 1 Self-Serving Tweet
“ sell something, get a customer for a day. help someone, get a customer for life.”
— Jay Baer, Digital Marketing Strategist, Speaker, Author and President of Convince & Convert
Build Your Brand and Company Presence Organically: Content Marketing On LinkedIn
1 Retweet
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CHAPTER 7
Expand Your Targeted Reach: Paid Advertising On LinkedIn
Bycombiningmassreachwithaccuratetargeting,LinkedInadvertisingsolutionsenableyouto:
• Engageyourtargetfromamongthemostaffluent,influential,andeducatedaudienceonsocialmedia.
• Increaseawareness,credibilityandimpactthroughthepowerofsocialproof.
• Drivetrafficandleadstoyoursite.
HerearetheLinkedInadvertisingsolutionsatyourdisposaltohelpyouachievethoseresults:
• SponsoredContent
• SponsoredInMail
• ProgrammaticBuying
• DynamicAds
• TextAds
expand your targeted reach: paid advertising on linkedin
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CHAPTER 7
Ourmembersarealreadyengagingwithhigh-qualitycontentfromnewssites,thoughtleaders,theirconnections,andbrands.WithSponsoredContent,youcanjointheconversationandappearalongwiththatcontent.YoucanpublishSponsoredContentwithrichmediaandensurerelevancewithrobusttargetingfunctionality.Andthatmeansyoucanreachtherightpeopleattherighttimewithyourbestarticles,images,infographics,PDFs,presentations,andvideos.Plus,SponsoredContentistheonlywaytoreachLinkedIn’smobileusersatscale,sincetheyappearinthefeedondesktop,tablet,andsmartphone.
sponsored conTenT is a powerful Tool To:• Raiseawarenessandshapeperception.SendSponsoredContenttoyourtargetaudiencetorapidlyincreaseawarenessandshapetheperceptionofyourbrand,products,andservices.
• Drivequalityleads.Generatequalityleadsbysharinginsightsthatprofessionalsseek.WatchthatcontentspreadviathepeersharingthatoccursnaturallyonLinkedIn.
• Buildrelationshipswiththeworld’sprofessionals.PublishyourcontentwithSponsoredContenttocreatevalueandestablishtrustthatsparksongoingconversationsanddeepercustomerrelationships.
TargeTing opTionsSponsoredContentallowsyoutoreachatargetedaudiencebeyondyourCompanyPagefollowers.Youcandefineyouraudienceusingcriteriasuchaslocation,companysize,industry,jobfunction,andseniority.Remember,there’salwaysatradeoffbetweentargetingandaudiencesize.Ifyoutargettoospecifically,yourcontentmayreachaverysmallaudience.
performance TrackingYoucanpromotecontentin20languagesacrossthe200countriesandterritorieswherewehavemembers.Withinaminuteortwoofpublishingyourupdate,you’llseeimpressionandengagementmetrics—andreportingonyourpostwillbeupdatedinnearrealtime.Thatmeansyoucantrackhowwellyourpostshitthemarkandfine-tuneyourstrategyinstantly.
Sponsored Content: Appear in the LinkedIn Feed and Beyond
Think of Targeted and Sponsored Content as Native Advertising
sponsored content is native to the browsing experience, incorporated directly into the member’s feed so as not to interrupt the stream of content. that said, be sure to keep two to four sponsored content campaigns live at all times — that way you can appeal to members who are in the evaluation stage and still interested in high-level content, as well as those that are closer to a purchase decision.
alteryx, an advanced analytics software company, generates quality leads at lower cost, using sponsored content to engage with targeted, premium audiences.
“ with sponsored content we get the right kind of leads who are interested in relevant content we've created and in learning more about our product.”
— Rick Schultz, Senior VP of Marketing
Expand Your Targeted Reach: Paid Advertising On LinkedIn
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how sponsored conTenT worksGettingaLinkedInCompanyPageisthefirststeptousingSponsoredContent.AllSponsoredContentmustfirstbecreatedasorganicCompanyUpdates.
Similartoanadunit,aSponsoredContentpostcanbeviewedbymemberswhentheyvisitLinkedIn.SponsoredContentisclearlydistinguishedfromorganiccontenttomakesureourmemberscandifferentiatebetweenorganicandpaidcontent.Currently,theyarelabeledas“Promoted.”LinksinSponsoredContentcandrivetrafficwhereveryou’dlike,includingyourcontentportals,relevantnewsorarticles,YouTubeorSlideSharechannels,whitepapers,andeventregistrationforms.
SponsoredContentispurchasedthroughasecond-priceauction.Here’showitworks:EachtimethereisanopportunityforSponsoredContenttobeshown,LinkedInrunsanauctiontodeterminewhichposttoshow.Foranygivenauction,therecanbemanybidsfromcompetingadvertiserslookingtoreachthatmember.Thatmeanswhenyousponsorcontent,yourcampaignentersanauctiontodeterminewhetherit’sshowntoyourtargetaudience.SponsoredContentinventoryisnon-guaranteed,butyoumayadjustyourbidandcontenttoperformbetterintheauction.Remember,becauseLinkedInrunsasecond-priceauction,ifyouwinyourbid,you'llonlypayonecentmorethanthesecond-highestbidder.
Expand Your Targeted Reach: Paid Advertising On LinkedIn
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Author, Maximize Your Social, Trilingual Social Media Strategy & Social Business Coach, Consultant, Trainer & Speaker
li: what type of content best connects with audiences on linkedin? is there a specific type of content you prefer to consume on linkedin?
NS:ThecontentthatbestconnectswithaudiencesonLinkedInisundoubtedlythetypethatmakesusdoourjobsbetteraswellasinvestinourprofessionalbrand.Withoutadoubt,therecentlyaddedInfluencercontentisofthehighestquality,butthereisothergreatcontenttobefound
ask the expert: neal schaffer
inNetworkUpdatesaswellasrelevantGroups.Itallcomesdowntocontentthatisbothrelevantandtimely—butdeepaswell.li: how do you make sure personal time spent on linkedin is productive? how does this differ from other social networks?
NS:IspendmypersonaltimeonLinkedInin2ways:1)Keepingup-to-dateandengagingwithmynetwork,and2)Businessintelligencelookingforinformationonpeople,companies,ornewsinmyindustry.Ilimitmytimeandremainclearonmyobjectives.
li: what recommendations do you have for marketers looking to connect with target audiences on linkedin?
NS:LinkedIn,likeanyothersocialnetwork,isaboutpeoplethatareusingsocialmediaforcommunicationwithothersaswellasinformationgathering.Professionalsarenotlookingtobesoldto,buttheyareseekingoutinformationthatcanhelpthemdotheirjobsbetter.ThebestapproachthatIwouldrecommendformarketerstoconnectwiththeirtargetaudiencewouldlooklikea
combinationofthefollowing:
• EstablishrobustprofilesthatmakeyoudiscoverableinLinkedIn'sprofilesearch.
• Sharerelevantcontentconsistentlyfromyourpersonalprofile.
• Reachoutandconnectwiththosefromyourtargetaudiencethatyouknowbuthaveyettoconnectwith.
• ProactivelyutilizeyourLinkedInnetworkforintroductionstokeypeopleinyourtargetaudience,usingLinkedInInmailswhenanintroductionisnotpossible.
• Engageinrelevantgroups.
• Createagrouptorepresentyourcompany.
• PromoteyourLinkedInCompanyPage,buildupafollowerbase,andengagewiththem.
• UtilizeTextAdstohelppreciselyconnectyouwithyourtargetaudience.
Expand Your Targeted Reach: Paid Advertising On LinkedIn
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UsingSponsoredInMail,youcanreachhigh-value,targetedprospectsonLinkedInwithattention-grabbingmessagesthatspeakdirectlytotheirinterests.Youcandesignaterecipientsbygeography,jobrole,groupmembership,companysize,andothercriteria.
ThesenotificationsareprominentlydisplayedontheLinkedInhomepageandinmembers’inboxesforhighvisibilitythatcutsthroughtheclutter.DiscoveranewwaytoincreasetheeffectivenessofyouremailmarketingeffortanddriveleadsfromLinkedIn.ReachmembersonlywhentheyareactiveontheLinkedInsitetoboostengagement.
sponsored inmail is ideal for: • Boostingconversionswithtargetedproductandservicepromotions.
• Promotingcontentyouraudiencewantstosee,suchasinfographics,whitepapers,andreports.
• Personalizinginvitationstoeventsandconferences.
TheflexibleformatmakesitsimpletointegratecontentandmessagingfromacrossyourLinkedInecosystem.Accuratetargetingensuresyoureachthemembersthatmattermost,fromacrossournetworkofover467millionprofessionals.
Sponsored InMail: Deliver Directly to Members’ Inboxes
sponsored inmail leverages the credibility of the linkedin platform so that they are more likely to be opened, read, and acted on — unlike conventional email campaigns.
engage your key target audiences across desktop and mobile.
drive conversations by delivering personalized messages within the uncluttered linkedin inbox environment.
send a personalized message directly to a member’s inbox.
“ with so many competitors going after the same customers, VistaVu knew it was time to rethink its strategy. Our goal was to break away from the crowd by really demonstrating our industry focus and unique value proposition. for us, it was about getting our message and differentiated product offerings to the right audience. not only did we receive more leads, but the quality and the promise of the leads was unmatched.”
— Nicole Baron, Marketing Manager, VistaVu Solutions
Expand Your Targeted Reach: Paid Advertising On LinkedIn
a unique producT in an uncluTTered environmenT• Mobile-optimizeddesignforeasyclicks:Persistentcall-to-actionbuttonremainsontopofcontentwhileuserscrolls.
• Real-timedeliveryensurestimelyreach:SponsoredInMailmessagesareonlydeliveredwhenmembersareonLinkedIn.
• Unclutteredprofessionalcontext:Strictdeliveryfrequencycapsensureyourmessagegetsmaximummindshare.
• Flexibilitytotailoryourcontent:Sendapersonalizedmessagethatwillresonatemostwithyourtargetaudience.
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DukeUniversity’sCrossContinentMBAprogramoffersauniquevaluepropositionthatcanbedifficulttoconveythroughtraditionaladformats.“Recruitingworkingprofessionalsintoourglobalprogramshasalwaysbeenachallenge,becauseourconceptisthatyoucontinueinyourrolewhileearningaworld-classMBA,”saysElizabethHogan,associatedeanforglobalmarketingatDuke.“Yetwhenhigh-potentialprofessionalsinemergingmarketsthinkaboutbusinessschool,theyassumeitinvolvesquittingtheirjobstodoanMBAprograminanothercountry,orattendingalocalschoolintheeveningsoronweekends.”
Themajorityofapplicantstotheprograminthepasthadcomeinfromword-of-mouthreferrals.However,Dukewantedtopromotetheprogramtonewprospectsindiverseglobalregionswhowouldnothavelearnedaboutitotherwise.
HoganrolledoutSponsoredInMailstargetedbyseniority,geography,anddegreeresultinginanopenrateof68 percent,a400 percentincreaseinconversions,andasalespipelineclosurespeedincreaseof300 percent.
Duke University Sees Sky-high Conversion Rates with Sponsored InMail
" One of the extraordinary things about this inmail campaigns is that we have two students starting in august who had never heard of this program when they received our inmail in march. in the history of my marketing experience at his school, i've never seen us convert that quickly."
— Elizabeth Hogan, Associate Dean, Global Marketing, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University
Expand Your Targeted Reach: Paid Advertising On LinkedIn
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LinkedIn Account Targeting: Tailor your Sponsored Content or Sponsored InMail Campaigns to a Priority List of Accounts
LinkedIn'sprofiletargetingcombinedwithLinkedInAccountTargetingwillallowyoutomarketproductsandgenerateopportunitiestotherightpersonaswithintheaccountsthatmattermosttoyourbusiness.LinkedInAccountTargetingisavailabletocustomerspurchasingSponsoredInMailandSponsoredContentthroughaLinkedInaccountrepresentative,andweplantoexpandthistoourself-servecustomersovertime.
3 Characteristics of a Top-notch Account Based Marketing Strategy
sales and markeTing are in syncInABM,marketingfocusesontheaccountsthatmattermosttothesalesteam,insteadofcastingawidenetwiththeirleadgenerationefforts.Thatmeansmorecommunicationbetweentheteamsthanmostorganizationsareusedto.It’susefultothinkofsalesandmarketingworkingtogetheraspartsofan“accountteam.”
Thatmeansmarketingfocusesitsbudgetontheaccountsthatsalesdeemsmostimportant,creatingcontentspecificallyforthesekeyaccounts.Salesandmarketingagreeonasharedvocabulary,commongoals,andmetricsusedtoevaluatesuccess.
markeTing reaches verTically and horizonTally across TargeT accounTsThetraditionalB2Bsalesapproachistofocusonafewkeydecisionmakers.AstheB2Bbuyingprocessbecomesmorecollaborative,thatapproachislesseffective.Ourresearchshowsthatanaverageof3-5departmentsareinvolvedinpurchasingdecisions,dependingontheindustry.
ForABM,thegoalistotargetmultipledepartmentswithintheaccount,withpersonalizedcontentforeach.Individualcontactsareimportant,butneedtobeviewedinthecontextoftheentireaccount.
Expand Your Targeted Reach: Paid Advertising On LinkedIn
Customer list
Companies on LinkedInLinkedIn
Account Targeting
InthenewB2Bbuyerjourney,vendorsneedtobeknowncompany-widetohaveanimpact.ABMaccomplishesthisbytargetingamessageatscaletothebroaderbuyinggroup.
conTenT develops TrusT and shares knowledgeBuildingandnurturingrelationshipsiscentraltoasuccessfulABMprogram.Ourresearchshowsthatbuyersaremorelikelytoformarelationshipwithvendorswhoprovidevaluableconsultation,education,andtools.
Soit’simportantthatyourcontentplanhasamplethoughtleadershipcontent.Therearethreeimportantconsiderationsforcreatingcontentthatdemonstratessubjectmatterexpertise:1. Understandwhatstakeholdersbelieve.Startwithresearchintotheexistingstateofthe
conversation,soyoucanmeetyourreaderwheretheyare.2. Developandarticulateawell-informedpointofview.Makeastrongcaseforyourposition
—makeitclearthatyouhavetheauthoritytotakeadefinitivestand.3. Frameyourstoryintermsofvaluedelivered.Backupyourviewpointwithreal-world
examplesthatdemonstrateyourideasinaction.
Ideally,youshouldhaveauniquevaluepropositionandrelevantcontentforeachdepartmentthatinfluencesabuyingdecision.
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Agency Partner Manager at Pinterest (Formerly Agency Lead at AOL)
li: what types of clients should be leveraging linkedin more than they currently are?
NS:BecauseoftheassociationofthecontentonLinkedIn,aswellaswiththeaudiencethatgoestothesite—anycategorywhereaclientisaimingtomakeheadwayfromaleadershipperspective.Ifyou’relookingtomakealeadershipstatementand/orbeseencuratingapointofviewwithcontent,thereisalotofupsidetotheLinkedInproposition.
ask the expert: nate stricker
li: how do you compare the audience targeting capability of linkedin with other social networks?
NS:WithLinkedIn,withcontentgeneration,there’sanopportunitywithnativecontenttobeabitmoresurgicalwiththedatayouhave,andthekindofcontentyoudeliver—theholygrailoftheaudienceandthecontentequationtogether.Ithinkthat’sdefinitelyanareawherethereisopportunitybecausenoonenetworkisespeciallynailingitrightnow.
li: how are marketers getting it wrong with linkedin?
NS:There’sstillsomeeducationrequired.Evenbeforebeingthoughtofasamediaopportunityforadvertisers,LinkedInisviewedasamarketer’sin-housePRfirm—thePRmechanism,ifyouwill.Ithinkthefirststepisrecognizingthatithasquiteabittoofferfromanadvertisingperspective.ThesecondthingisthattherearealotofcategoriesthatcouldbenefitfromLinkedInbeyondtheobviousones.It’snotjustanenvironmentfortheWellsFargosandtheBankofAmericasandtheUniversityofPhoenixesoftheworld,buthashuge
valuefortheGEsandtheGeicosandtheChryslers,etc.Ithinkthat’sastorythatcanbebetterflavoredinthemarketplace.
li: how would you advise a marketer looking to create more “shareable” content? are there specific strategies or specific tools you would recommend?
NS:Fromatoolstandpoint,areallygoodsociallisteningservicecancoverawideswathofsources.Itcanalsoprovideaccesstoothermedia,searchtrends,andsearchbehaviorssoyouhavearichtapestrytodrawfromintermsofwhatisrelevantforconsumers,particularlyyourtargetaudience.Goodlisteningisthefirststep.You’renotgoingtocreateshareablecontentifwhatyou’rebuildingisnotrelevantandintriguingtoconsumers.Sometimesit’sabalanceofwhattheadvertiserwantstogetacrossversusthepassionsthatignitetheinterestoftheconsumer.
Thesecondpartishavingcompellingcontentthatleveragesthingslikesight,sound,andmotiontousethelisteningplatformtofindtopicsthathaveacurrencytothem.Thenfinallymakingiteasytoshare,soausercanchoosetoshareinwhicheverplatformtheyaremostcomfortablewith.
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Expand Your Targeted Reach: Paid Advertising On LinkedIn
“ from a marketing standpoint, the targeting is unprecedented. for marketing campaigns, linkedin can identify who to send it to and when to send it, but with precision we have never seen before. the success stories are still building, but we will see more B2B marketers drive success via linkedin over the next couple years.”
—Craig Rosenberg, The Funnelholic www.funnelholic.com
Programmatic BuyingWe'vealsolaunchedprogrammaticbuyingasawaytoaccessLinkedInDisplayAds.ThismeansyoucannowworkwithyourpreferredbuyingplatformtobuyhighlyvisibleadsthathelpyoureachandengagetherightbuyersandbuildyourbrandinthepremiumcontextofLinkedIn.
Ourgoalwithprogrammaticbuyingistogiveyoumoreflexibilityinhowyouworkwithus,andexpandthewayswecanpartnertomeetyourmarketinggoals.
how iT worksYouhavetheoptiontopurchaseourdisplayadsprogrammaticallyeitherthroughanOpenAuctionorviaLinkedInPrivateAuctions.BothgiveyoutheflexibilityandcontroltoreachyourtargetaudiencesonLinkedIn.Ifyou’realreadybuyingprogrammatically,OpenAuctionisthefastestwaytobuyLinkedInDisplayAdsprogrammatically.Foradvertiserslookingforadditionaltargetingcapabilities,thePrivateAuctionisagreatoption.
WhenusingyourownfirstorthirdpartydatalikewebsitevisitorsandCRMcontacts,ourPrivateAuctionofferstheabilitytoexplicitlytargettheLinkedIn.comhomepageasaplacement.Asanotherbenefit,ourPrivateAuctionpurchasingoptionallowsadvertiserstotargetselectLinkedInaudiencesegments(e.g.,target“ITdecisionmakers”)ifyoudon’twanttouseyourownfirstorthirdpartydata.
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Asasophisticatedmarketer,youknowthatmessagerelevancyiscriticaltosuccessfullyconnectingwithtargetaudiencesanddrivingdesiredactions.AndLinkedInDynamicAdsmakesitpossibletoaccuratelytargetdecisionmakersanddealinfluencerswithhighlyrelevant,dynamicallygenerated,customizablecreativeonLinkedIn.com.UsingDynamicAds,youcan:
• Targettheaudiencesthatmatter.Selecttheaudiencesyouwanttoreachbasedonawiderangeofprofessionaltargetingoptions,includingcompany,workexperience,groups,andinterests.
• Customizeyourcreative;personalizeyourmessage.Craftyouradcopy,chooseyourcalltoaction,andleveragedynamicallygeneratedimagesfromLinkedInmemberprofiles.
• Growyourcompanyfollowercount.EncourageLinkedInmemberstofollowyourcompanyandbuildbetterrelationshipswithyourtargetaudiencewithone-click“FollowCompany”callstoaction.
60% of marketers say personalizing the customer experience is their top marketing objective.
Expand Your Targeted Reach: Paid Advertising On LinkedIn
Dynamic Ads for Personalized Targeting
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Expand Your Targeted Reach: Paid Advertising On LinkedIn
LinkedInTextadsisanintuitive,self-serviceadvertisingsolutionthatenablesyoutocreateeasily(inminutes),thenmanageandoptimizecustomizedcampaignstargetingapremiumprofessionalaudienceanddrivehigh-qualityleadstoyourbusinessonabudgetthatworksforyou.
WithTextAds,youhaveatyourfingertipstheabilityto:
• Easilycreateandlaunchwell-targetedcampaignswithcustomizedcreativeinjustminutes.
• Fine-tuneyourtargetaudiencebasedonlocation,demographics,skills,interestsandworkhistorytoachievetherightmixofvolumeandprecision.
• Gainmeaningfulinsightsintoyourcampaignandcreativeperformancewithpowerfulaudiencesegmentationanalytics.andsocialengagementmeasurementtools
• Intelligentlyoptimizeyourbudgets,bidsandcreativetoachieveyourbrandingandcustomeracquisitionobjectives.
Text Ads: Generate Quality Leads with an Easy, Self-serve Solution
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Expand Your Targeted Reach: Paid Advertising On LinkedIn
LinkedInConversionTracking—asetofcapabilitiesbuiltdirectlyintoLinkedInCampaignManager—enablesyoutoeasilymeasureleads,sign-ups,contentdownloads,purchases,andotherdesiredactionsonyourLinkedInSponsoredContent,InMail,andTextAdscampaigns.Withconversiontracking,youcanunderstandmoreaboutthespecificadsandeventheuniqueLinkedInaudiencesthataredrivingyourconversions.LinkedInConversionTrackingallowsyoutoidentifytheseniority,industry,jobfunction,locationandcompanysizeofthepeoplewhoarebecomingleads.
WithLinkedInConversionTracking,youcan:
• Trackthemetricsthatmattermost:TrackwebsiteconversionsfromyourLinkedInprogramsdirectlyinCampaignManager.Ataglance,youcanunderstandyourLinkedInadvertisingROI,conversioncount,cost-per-conversion,conversionrate,andreturnonadspend.Youcaneventrackwhichaudiencesegmentsaredrivingthemostconversions.
• Recordeveryconversion,everytime:Trackconversionsonyourwebsitefromdesktopandmobile,whethermembersconvertedafterclickingon—orevenafterjustviewing—oneofyourads.
• Optimizeyourcampaignstodriveevenbetterperformance:Monitorthespecificcampaigns,ads,andthenatureoftheaudiencesthataredrivingconversions.ThenusethisinformationtoimproveyourSponsoredContentandTextAdstargetingandcreative,andmaximizethedownstreamimpactofleadandopportunitypipelinegoals.
LinkedIn Conversion Tracking: Easily Measure and Optimize the Business Impact of your LinkedIn Sponsored Content, InMail, and Text Ads
With conversion tracking, you can: 1. track leads from your linkedin ad campaigns.
2. understand the rOi of your spend.
3. Optimize for the results that matter most.
MarketingQualified Leads
CostPer Lead
SalesQualified Leads
MarketingImpacted Pipeline
RevenuePer Opportunity
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Chief Product Officer at LegalShield Official
li: what factors are most important to you when considering advertising channels for your clients?
CD:Italldependsonthegoalsofthecampaignorwhatwearetryingtoaccomplish.MyfocusisonaglobalcampaignthattranscendstheUSandEurope,soalotofwhatwearedoingisbranding.Welookatplatformsas"howcanwebestutilizeourmoneytogetinfrontofasmanypeopleaswecantoconvincethemwe'reabrandforthem?"Questionnumberoneisalways,"Canwebuildthebrandonthisplatform?"
ask the expert: chris d'alessandro
li: what types of clients should be leveraging linkedin more than they currently are?
CD:Anyorganizationthatneedstodoabetterjobofgettingthebrandinfrontofaffluentpeopleorjusttherightprofessionalpeople.LinkedInisagreatplatformfortargetingthistypeofaudience.TheothertypeofclientthatneedstobeonLinkedInisanyorganizationthatneedstorecruittoptalent.
li: how do you compare the audience targeting capability of linkedin with other social networks?
CD:Thebiggestthingthat’scometoourattentionisthatwecantrusttheresultsfromLinkedIn.PeoplearelessapttoelaborateonLinkedInthantheyareonothersocialnetworks.Sometimesyoudon’tknowifyou’reactuallygettingthepersonyou’retargeting,andmypersonalversionofwhyIpreferLinkedInoverothersocialnetworksisbecauseIknowwhoI’mgetting.ItrustLinkedIndatanotbecauseothersocialnetworksarelyingabouttheirdata,butratherbecauseconsumersaremoreapttoelaborateonothersocialnetworks.
li: how are marketers getting it wrong with linkedin?
CD:Theyareseeingitasanadvertisingplatform,andtheyarenotleveragingitasacontentplatform.Advertisersaretryingtodrivelowerfunnelactivitiesinsteadofparticipatingintheconversation.IseeLinkedInasawaytocontinuethedialogueinawaythatnaturallypromotesthevaluepropositionofthebrand,andIthinkmanybrandsarestillusingitasanadplatformbecausemostmedia-buyingagenciesfollowthepathofleastresistanceandbuywhatiseasy.Gettingthecreativeandcontentdevelopmentteamsinvolvedmakesitharderforthemtobuy.Theycansimplyputanadonthepageinsteadofengagingthecreativeagencyandbuildingaplanthatwillbebetterinthelongrun.
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• Fromthereachandshareofvoiceasyoulooktocreateawareness,shapekeyLinkedInaudiences'perception(targetedimpressions,percentageshareofvoice).
• Aretherightpeopleengagingwithyourcontent(socialactions,clickintelligencebyaudience,contentmarketingscore,click-throughrate,costperclick,costperthousand)?
• Areyoupromptingthemtotakeaction(costperlead,actionsbyaudience)?89%
88%
85%
29%
30%
42%
australia
united states
united kingdom
closing The conTenT markeTing gap
Sources:ContentMarketingintheUK:2015Benchmarks,Budgets,andTrends:Content
MarketingInstitute/DMAUK,ContentMarketinginAustralia:2013Trends—ContentMarketing
Institute/TheAssociationfordata-drivenmarketing&advertising(ADMA),2016B2BContent
MarketingTrends—NorthAmerica:ContentMarketingInstitute/MarketingProfs
DESPITE USING CONTENT MARKETING TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS, GLOBAL MARKETERS DON’T FEEL THEy’RE BEING AS EFFECTIVE AS THEy COULD BE.
using content marketingfeel they’re being effective
Measure the Impact and Optimize
depending on your goals and the kpis you use to measure performance, linkedin gives you clear visibility into your programs' impact throughout the purchase process.
measure the impact and Optimize
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Your Overall Content Marketing Score By Target Audience and Topic
250
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
CLIENT
CM
S Sc
ore
Best in class influence
Weaker content influence
10 7 of
WHO: Audience = Decision Makers WHAT: Topic = Leadership
Blackrock Microsoft Dell CapgeminiOracle Citi Amex Accenture Salesforce
Peers:
benchmark your conTenT performance ThinkoftheContentMarketingScoreasabarometerthathelpsyourcompany,product,andbrandunderstandtheimpactofitscontentmarketingeffortsonLinkedIn.ByattributingaContentMarketingScoretoyourcontent,itquantifiestheinfluenceofyourcompany,product,andbrandonLinkedIn.
TheContentMarketingScoreprovidesthisinsightby:
• Highlightingtheaudience(s)consumingyourcontentonLinkedIn
• Quantifyingyourcompany’scontentpresenceandengagementonLinkedIn
Inotherwords,ittellsyouifmemberswithinyourtargetaudienceareengagingwithyourcontent.Anditcanshowyouhowyoustackupagainstyourcompetitors.Youcanevenseeabreakdownofhowyou’reperformingacrossthedifferentareasofLinkedIn—whetherbyGroups,updates,orposts.
Turn insighTs inTo conTenT goldAllthatinformationisvaluable,butweknowinsightsareuselessunlessyoucanactuponthem.TheContentMarketingScoremakesthatpossiblebyprovidingspecificrecommendationsondefiningandadjustingyourcontentstrategytoachievethebestresultspossible.ThesemayincludesuggestionstoexperimentwithnewwaystoincreaseyourfollowerbasebyutilizingSponsoredContent,encouragingemployeestopublishmoreposts,orfocusingonyourcontentrelevance.
A Dynamic Duo unlike trending content, which gives you insight into the hottest topics across linkedin, the content marketing score is specific to your company, product, and brand.
Measure the Impact and Optimize
quanTify your conTenT markeTing efforTs on linkedin Asasophisticatedmarketer,youknowyouneedtoproveyourcontentmarketinginitiatives'impact.Ideallyyouwantto:
• Understandthecontentandtopicsthatresonatewithyouraudience.
• Measuretheeffectivenessofyourcontent-basedcampaigns.
• Benchmarkyourprogramsuccess.
• Seehowyoustackupagainstyourcompetition.
• Rankyourbrandwithacomprehensivescore.
Likethemosteffectivecontentmarketers,youprobablyreachyouraudienceinmultiplewaysacrossLinkedIn,viaemployeeposts,SponsoredContent,andinfluencerposts.LinkedIn'sContentMarketingScoretiesallofthisoutreachtogethersoyougetanintegratedviewofhowyoureffortsarepayingoff.
Inanutshell,theContentMarketingScorefromLinkedIn:
• Analyzeswhoengageswithyourcontent
• Comparesyoutoyourpeers
• Suggestshowtoimproveyourscore
ToreceiveyourcustomContentMarketingScore,pleasecontactyourLinkedInaccountexecutiveoraccountmanager.
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be Trendy (wiTh your conTenT)YourtargetaudienceisonLinkedIn.Nowit’sjustamatterofdeliveringthecontentthatattractsandengagesthem.Buthowdoyouknowjustwhichtopicswillcatch—andkeep—theirattention?Andhowdoyouknowwhichmemberswillbemostinterestedinyourcontent?Whetheryou’renewtocontentmarketingorlookingtodriveevenmoreengagementwithyourexistingcontent,TrendingContentfromLinkedIncanhelpyoufocusonthetopicsthatmatter.
Onadailybasis,LinkedInmembersactivelyengagewithcontentfromfourprimarysourcesofinspiration,insights,andinformationonournetwork:
• Newsfrompublishers
• PeersonLinkedInGroups
• Thoughtleaders
• Brands
WHAT’S TRENDING
The Topics ThaT maTTerYour Target Audience is on LinkedIn
Next-LevelContent
Marketers face a challenge in knowing exactly who's
consuming their content and whether it's reaching their
desired audiences. For more engagement, reach and virality
marketers need to tune their content strategies to the types of
content trending for their target audiences.
The Topics That Matter
Who Shares the Most*Audiences sharing the top 15 most shared articles on LinkedIn, Dec. 2013–Jan. 2014
Entrepreneurs
Financial Advisors Venture Capitalists
Young Upwardly Mobile
Retirement
Women
Career Changers
Small Business Owners
What’s Trending *Top trending topics on LinkedIn, Nov ’14-Jan ’15
3 4 5
6789
1 2
10 sem Social Media EmployeeEngagement
Self-Esteem
IntegratedMarketing
Online Advertising
Web MarketingMarketingSocial MediaMarketing
Recruiting
Source:LinkedInInternalData
align your conTenT calendar wiTh your audienceWithLinkedIn,youcanseetrendingtopicsacrossallthosesources:LinkedInGroups,newsposts,thoughtleadershippostsanddiscussions,andCompanyPages.
You’llseewhichtopicsmatterandwhichmembersaresharingthemostcontentonanygivensubject.You’llevenbeabletopinpointwhichtopicsaregoingviral.Howdowedeliverthisinvaluabledata?Weevaluateinfluencerarticles,networkupdates,andSponsoredContenttounderstandwhichcontentmembersaresharing.Usingacomplexalgorithmbuiltbyourdatascienceteam,weputeachpieceofcontentintooneormoreofover17,000topiccategories.Wethenlayeronmemberprofileattributestounderstandwhoissharingthecontent.Withallthatinsight,youcanfine-tuneyourstrategytoalignwiththelatesttrends.ThatmeansyoucanincreasethelikelihoodofyourowncontentgoingviralandreachandengagemoremembersonLinkedIn.ToreceiveyourcustomTrendingContentanalysis,pleasecontactyourLinkedInaccountexecutiveoraccountmanager.
ThesetoolsarecurrentlyavailableforLinkedInMarketingSolutionscustomerswithanAccountExecutive.YoucancontactyourAccountExecutiveforyourscore.
Measure the Impact and Optimize
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CEO at The Engine Group (Formerly President of Global Digital Data and Analytics at Starcom MediaVest Group)
li: what factors are most important to you when considering advertising channels for your clients?
LW:Oneofthethingswesayisthatit’saboutbehavior,notchannels.Fromourperspective,whenyoustartwithconsumerbehavior,youusuallystartwithdata.Wereallybelievethatdatahelpstocreateexperiences,andweusethephrases"createdbydata"and"creatingitsowndata."Youcanusedatatounderstandconsumerbehaviors
ask the expert: lisa weinstein
onaplatformlikeLinkedIn.Then,astheconsumerisengaged,heorshecreatesnewdatatohelpyouoptimizethatexperience.Itstartswithbehavior,whichisinformedbydata,whichwethenusetoinformcontent.
li: how are your clients’ marketing objectives different on linkedin compared to other social networks? how does that impact your clients’ content strategy?
LW:IwouldarguethattheobjectivesofaplatformlikeLinkedInshouldnotbedifferentfromothersocialnetworksandthatallnetworksshouldadduptotheclients'overallmarketingobjectives.AsyoudrilldownintotheusecaseforLinkedIn,itcouldabsolutelybeleveragedforsomemoretacticalandspecificinitiatives.Butifyou’retalkingaboutmarketingobjectivesbroadly,I’dliketothinkthateverythingwedoandallthesethingswecreateladdersuptobiggerobjectiveslikesales,topoffunnel,etc.Tooofteninsocialmedia,marketersgethunguponchasingthesocialnetworks’specificmetrics.Attheendoftheday,whathastomatteristhatamarketer’sinvestmentsaremovingthe
needleagainstthecoremacroobjective.LinkedInhasproveneffectiveforclientswholeverageitacrossthespectrumofobjectivesrangingfrombrandliftandconsiderationtoROIanddirectresponse.LinkedInworksagainstkeymeasures,whethertheyareatthetoporbottomofthefunnel.
li: how would you advise a marketer looking to create more “shareable” content? are there specific strategies or tools you recommend?
LW:Webelievesharingisanindicatorofvaluableconsumerbehavior.We’vespentalotoftimeontoolsprovidedbycompanieslikeShareThis,whichprovidepowerfulindicatorsofthetypesofcontentthataremostsharable.We’vebuiltaplanningtoolthatallowsourplannerstobuyadsagainstcontentthatismorelikelytobeshared.We’veactuallyspentalotoftimeinthespacelookingattrendsoftopicsandkeywordsthatareanotherindicatorofthingsbeingshared.
WepartnerwithcompanieslikeVisibleMeasuresonthevideoside.Itcanbedifferentwithvideo,andtheyhaveyears'
worthofdataonthetypesofvideocontentthatwillmostlikelydrivecertainearnedresponses.Wealsosharethatparttoplanhowourvideocontentcandrivegreatershares,becausewethinkit’sastrategicquestion.It’svitaltoourstrategytothinkabouttheintersectionofpaid,owned,andearnedcontent.
Measure the Impact and Optimize
42unlock the power of linkedin's partner programs
CHAPTER 9
ads parTnersManageandoptimizeyouradvertisingcampaignsleveragingindustry-leadingtechnologyandexpertstrategists.
conTenT parTnersAccesshigh-qualityprofessionalcontenttopoweryourcontentmarketing.
company page parTnersEasilymanageyourLinkedInCompanyPagesandothersocialpropertiesusingoneunifieddashboard.
linkedin’s partner programs are designed to work with companies that share our goal of serving our members’ needs. from entertaining promotions to targeted multi-channel messages, linkedin’s platform can significantly increase your consumer engagement beyond linkedin.com. strengthen your customer relationships, campaign performance, and company presence using the powerful technology and expertise of our partners.
unlock the power of linkedin's partner programs
“ partnering with linkedin has enabled us to deliver robust audience demographics, content analytics, and publishing capabilities to today’s biggest brands across every industry. Brands are using this context and capability to deliver great experiences that make professionals more productive and successful, and as a result, are building valuable and lasting relationships.”
— Jim Rudden, CMO Spredfast Inc.cusTom apps parTnersBoostbrandengagementandcreateuniqueexperiencesthroughcustom-builtmarketingsolutions.
compliance parTnersLeveragetrustedtechnologytokeepyourLinkedInmarketingcompliantwithregulationsinfinancialservicesandotherindustries.
analyTics parTnersGetmarketinginsightsthathelpyoubuildbetterLinkedIncampaignsandplanyourmediastrategies.
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LinkedIn Marketing Expert, GetLinkedInHelp.com
li: how are your marketing objectives different on linkedin compared to other social networks?
KJ:IdonotdoanythingonFacebook,asmycompletefocusisonCEOs,C-levelmarketingandsalesexecutives,andsmallbusinessownersinB2Borganizations.Twitter,Iuseasatooltobroadcastmydifferentmessages.
IuseLinkedIntodirectlyconnectwithandbuildrelationshipswithkeydecisionmakers(myprospects),keyprofessionals
ask the expert: kristina Jaramillo
thatinfluencebusinessmarketingdecisions,andpotentialreferralsources/whitelabelpartners.
li: what type of content best connects with audiences on linkedin? is there a specific type of content you prefer to consume on linkedin?
KJ:ThebesttypeofcontentthatIfoundiscasestudiesandreal-lifeexamples—thisdemonstratesyourrelevance.MostbusinessleadersandB2Bmarketers’LinkedInprofilesdonothavecasestudies.Theytalkabouttheirskillsandexpertisebutthereisnocontentfortheirtargetedprospectstoseewhytheyshouldconnect.WithinthedifferentLinkedInGroups,youshouldalsocreatediscussionsonreal-lifecasestudies.ThisgivesB2Borganizationsachancetoshowcasetheirexpertiseandatthesametimeeducateprospectsonthechallengescompaniesarehavingandthestepstheyneedtotaketoovercomethechallenge.
HerearesomeotherformsofcontentthathaveworkedwellformeandformyGetLinkedInHelpclients:
Radio show interviews:IhostaB2Bmarketingradioshowatwww.blogtalkradio.com/b2bmarketingradioshowwhereguestexperts,includingLinkedIn’sSeniorContentMarketingManagerJasonMiller,sharetheirinsights.
SlideShare presentations and videos that support your case study and result-based LinkedIn profile:Someofourclients'most-readdiscussionswerebasedontheirSlideSharepresentationcontent.
Blog posts and articles that change the way people think and act:Ipersonallylovecontentthatismeanttostartadebate.ThegoalistochangehowpeoplepresentthemselvesonLinkedInandhowtheymarketonLinkedIn.
li: how do you make sure personal time spent on linkedin is productive? how does this differ from other social networks?
KJ:YoucreateaLinkedInstrategythatincludesidentifyingyourgoals,(leadgeneration,brandawareness,thoughtleadership,strengtheningstrategicalliances,communitybuilding,gettingmoreVAR,etc.)—definingyourtargetaudience,locatingtheGroupsyourtargetedaudiencesbelongtoandidentifyingthetypeofcontentthatyouraudiencewillrelateto.Withinyourstrategy,youhavetoalsomapouttheactionsneededtotakeonLinkedIn(webinars,webcasts,whitepapersandemailmarketing).
li: how are marketers getting it wrong with linkedin? KJ:MarketersaregettingitwrongwithLinkedIninanumberofways.They’rebasicallycompletingbrandmaintenanceactivitiesinsteadofusingitasatoolforleadgeneration.Theymaydosomeupdatesandsomecommentingondiscussionsbutthereisnostrategybehindtheirefforts.Theyarejustconnectingwithanyoneandeveryone.
unlock the power of linkedin's partner programs
44
1. Jay BaerSpeaker,Author,ConsultantBlogs:jaybaer.com,convinceandconvert.comTwitter:@jaybaerLinkedIn:in/jasonbaer
2. Michael BrennerSeniorDirector,GlobalMarketingatSAP,PresidentandCo-FounderofBusiness2CommunityBlog:b2bmarketinginsider.comTwitter:@BrennerMichaelLinkedIn:in/michaelbrenner
3. Michael BritoGroupDirectorMediaandEngagementatWCG,aW2OCompanyBlog:britopian.comTwitter:@BritopianLinkedIn:in/michaelbrito
stay in the know with tips and advice from the leading social media experts. here’s a list of some of our favorites, representing the best of the best in social media marketing.
4. Jeff BullasConsultant,Speaker,BloggerBlog:jeffbullas.comTwitter:@jeffbullasLinkedIn:in/jeffbullas
5. Brian CarterVPofMarketingatInfinigraph,Author,SpeakerBlog:briancarteryeah.com/blog/Twitter:@briancarterLinkedIn:in/briancarterms
6. Brian ClarkFounderandCEOofCopybloggerBlog:copyblogger.com/blog/Twitter:@copybloggerLinkedIn:pub/brian-clark/8/606/b5a
7. Heidi CohenColumnistBlog:heidicohen.com/tag/blog/Twitter:@heidicohenLinkedin:in/heidicohen
8. Steven FarnsworthChiefDigitalStrategistatJoltDigitalMarketing,Author,SpeakerBlog:stevefarnsworth.wordpress.comTwitter:@steveologyLinkedin:in/stevefarnsworth
9. Barry FeldmanOwneratFeldmanCreative,SpeakerBlog:feldmancreative.com/blogTwitter:@FeldmanCreativeLinkedin:in/feldmancreative
10. Ann HandleyHeadofContentatMarketingProfs,AuthorBlog:marketingprofs.comTwitter:@annhandleyLinkedIn:/in/annhandley
11. Matt HeinzPresidentatHeinzMarketingIncBlog:heinzmarketing.comTwitter:@HeinzMarketingLinkedin:in/mattheinz
25 social media experts you need to know
12. Doug KarrChiefMarketingOfficeratCircuPress,AuthorBlog:marketingtechblog.com/author/douglaskarr/Twitter:@douglaskarrLinkedin:in/douglaskarr
13. Jason KeathCEOofSocialFreshBlog:socialfresh.comTwitter:@jasonkeathLinkedIn:in/jasonkeath
14. Nichole KellyCEOatSocialMediaExplorer,SMEDigitalAuthor,SpeakerBlog:socialmediaexplorer.comTwitter:@Nichole_KellyLinkedin:in/nicholekelly
25 social media experts you need to know
45
15. Dave KerpenCEOLikeableLocalAuthor,SpeakerBlog:davekerpen.com/blogTwitter:@DaveKerpenLinkedin:in/davekerpen
16. Stephanie SammonsFounderofWiredAdvisor™SpeakerBlog:blog.wiredadvisor.comTwitter:@StephSammonsLinkedin:in/stephaniesammons
17. David Meerman ScottMarketingStrategist,Speaker,AuthorBlog:webinknow.comTwitter:@dmscottLinkedIn:in/davidmeermanscott
18. Jason Miller GroupManager,ContentMarketingBlog:rocknrollcocktail.com/Twitter:@JasonMillerCALinkedin:in/jsnmiller
25 social media experts you need to know
19. Lee OddenCEOatTopRankOnlineMarketingAuthor,SpeakerBlog:toprankblog.comTwitter:@leeoddenLinkedin:in/leeodden
20. Joe PulizziFounderatContentMarketingInstituteAuthor,SpeakerLinkedin:in/joepulizziTwitter:@JoePulizziBlog:contentmarketinginstitute.com
21. Viveka Von RosenLinkedInExpert,AuthorBlog:linkedintobusiness.com/Twitter:@LinkedInExpertLinkedIn:in/linkedinexpert
22. Neal SchafferAuthor,SpeakerLinkedin:in/nealschafferBlog:maximizeyoursocial.com/Twitter:@NealSchafferLinkedin:in/nealschaffer
23. Koka SextonGlobalIndustryPrincipal,SocialSelling,HootsuiteBlog:kokasexton.com/word/Twitter:@kokasextonLinkedin:in/kokasexton
24. Mike StelznerFounderofSocialMediaExaminer,AuthorBlog:socialmediaexaminer.comTwitter:@Mike_StelznerLinkedIn:in/stelzner
25. Todd WheatlandVPofMarketingatKellyServicesAuthor,SpeakerBlog:slide-guidebook.com/Twitter:@ToddWheatlandLinkedin:in/wheatland
25 social media experts you need to know
LinkedIn Corporation © 2017
Relationships MatteR With LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, brands build relationships with the world’s professionals by using accurate targeting to deliver relevant content and communications.
As today’s connected professionals seek out ideas and insights from the people and brands they trust, marketers use LinkedIn to target advertising and publish relevant content in a professional context. Brands extend reach through the social sharing that occurs naturally on LinkedIn.
For more information, visit marketing.linkedin.com.
about us LinkedIn members number more than 467 million professionals. That’s over half of the 600 million professionals on the planet. This represents the largest group anywhere of influential, affluent and educated people.
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Our evolution into a professional publishing platform drives increased engagement on LinkedIn. Compared with other professional publishers, content on LinkedIn works differently. The rich data on our platform means we can deliver the most relevant content to our members.