A beginner’s guide to using LinkedIn for sales prospecting (part 2)

As with most social networks, LinkedIn also offers paid ad services. One of the good things about advertising on LinkedIn is that it’s specifically a B2B platform, meaning you can focus your budget to target specific professionals. There’s a whole host of formats available, from video ads and text ads to sponsored content and InMail adverts so you have scope to try a range of formats and experiment with different strategies. 

Because LinkedIn is a network for professionals, it’s a great place to share some of your best content. Writing an article or thought piece with the specific goal of sharing it on LinkedIn rather than your own blog means you aren’t relying on traffic coming to your own site to read your piece – your LinkedIn connections will see it on their feed or in their notifications bar when they log in. There is also the chance for your posts to be recommended by Group admins, giving you an even bigger platform for lead generation and networking. 

As with any social network and the rules of sales and networking, you also need to give a little something back. Don’t approach LinkedIn purely with the mindset of pushing your own services. Instead, get into the habit of scrolling through your own feed and liking posts from connections, adding supportive comments or chiming in with your own opinions and useful information. This act of engaging allows you to develop stronger relationships with your connections, which can in turn lead to more sales and interest in your own business. What’s more, liking and commenting means you’ll show up to all of the original poster’s connections, giving you a broader visibility on the platform.