LinkedIn – The Rainmaker’s #1 Research Tool – Part 1

For the next 3 weeks, we will take a look at LinkedIn as a research tool, go over some tips on reaching out to prospects, and then offer strategies on effectively using LinkedIn to research prospective clients.

 

Research has shown that companies do use social media platforms for lead generation purposes. The question that a company needs to ask themselves is: which platform is the most effective to use for business? Is it LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, Periscope or all of them together? Different companies take different approaches in implementing their marketing strategy. What works for one company might not work for your business in your particular industry. Companies and individuals in the building materials space are becoming more visible on social media, with the development of company pages and executive profiles. This is a step in the right direction, but there is definitely room for more activity and involvement.  Find out why LinkedIn as a research tool is something you should not ignore.

Why is LinkedIn the Rainmaker’s #1 research tool?

Business2Community recently conducted some insightful research. It proves that LinkedIn is leading with 80.33 % when it comes to lead generation. The graph below shows clearly that even if you sum up all the other platforms it would just amount to 19.67 %.

linkedin-1

Researching Potential B2B Clients?

The best way to get started is to upgrade to a LinkedIn premium account. The business or sales navigator basic account can give you the following advantages: reaching out to a higher number of clients by sending 8-10 InMail messages on a monthly basis, conducting advanced searches for leads, having a more detailed insight with regard to who viewed your profile in the last 90 days and seeing other peoples’ profiles without any limit.

If you decide to upgrade to the sales plan, you will receive lead recommendations and you will be able to view decision makers at companies. You can also import your contacts from Salesforce, you can send InMail messages and have monthly access to 25 locked accounts outside your network.

Creating a great corporate LinkedIn page is of paramount importance when using LinkedIn as a research tool. Make sure your company’s page on LinkedIn shows your prospects what you offer, and what benefits they can expect when doing business with you. Consider using language that can easily be understood and explain what makes your company and products/services unique. Also, make it visually appealing by providing pictures of your premises, your products, team members/clients, etc. Remember to include keywords in the speciality section so that clients can easily find your type of business. This is especially important for building materials manufacturers, dealers and distributors. There are so many niche products and markets within this industry, that a strong company and product page with the appropriate keywords goes a long way toward making connections.

We will continue our look at the value of LinkedIn as a prospecting tool in our next two blogs, with guidance on researching prospects, and tips on reaching out to prospects.