How To Use LinkedIn To Increase Sales

The number of B2B buyers who make decisions based on the content they see online is constantly increasing. A strong presence on all digital channels and social media platforms is necessary. This is especially true for LinkedIn, the leading sales hub for some time now.

If you're not thinking about your approach and how to make the most out of it, now is a good time to start. Let's go over some ideas that can help you master your strategy and increase sales along the way.

Make meaningful connections

It's true that you constantly need to make new connections to get leads. The process can become more streamlined over time, but it takes effort to get the most out of all steps of communication.

Take your time and review both your approach to LinkedIn prospecting and prospects you're considering:

• Determine what works best ‐ there are always new ways to improve your communication, so take note of those that give the best results. A/B test your opening messages, calls-to-action, as well as follow-up messages. This doesn't mean that you should always go for the same template, but it will give you a better idea of what gets you the highest level of engagement.
• Control the number of requests ‐ if you have an ongoing campaign, chances are you send out a lot of requests daily. No matter how good your openers are, you need to be careful not to engage with too many profiles everyday. If you send out too many messages or requests with a low acceptance rate, this could potentially lead to your account being marked as suspicious or even restricted.

Get the right information

Having relevant data at your disposal is essential. By separating important information from noise, you'll have a better understanding of what your attention should be focused on. It can often seem like there is no structure to conversations on the platform, but there are clear benefits to be had by participating. There are steps you can take to filter out data and use insights to your advantage:

• Create audience personas ‐ before you start exploring the endless pool of information that is on LinkedIn, it is important to have a profile of your ideal prospect planned out. That way, you can narrow your search and spend time engaging with buyers that you have a higher chance of securing.
• Search for relevant insights ‐ besides the obvious intention to get sales, connecting with relevant prospects will allow you to understand their activity on the platform, their interests, behavior and issues they may have. When you gather that information, it will be easier to approach them and similar buyer personas with something that's more than just a template.
• Join LinkedIn groups ‐ use the time between connections to join relevant groups. Interact with other people's content and follow industry leaders. This will provide you with more visibility, bringing more connections, but it will also serve as a good base for planning your approach and having a true understanding of how to assess the issues that your buyers may have.

Expand your toolset

You should always look for ways to prospect smarter, leaving enough time for adjusting your strategy and evaluating results. Consider different formats at your disposal, seek out tools and find out what works the best for your niche. These are some ways to expand your toolset and give you more flexibility when approaching buyers:

• Use video content ‐ videos are a valuable resource that can give you an edge over your competitors. Not only do they make for more compelling openers, but they are also useful in all steps of the sales funnel. Create videos to introduce yourself and your product, share engaging content, or just use simple animations as a way to personalise your messages.
• Employ social listening ‐ this goes further than just LinkedIn. When you establish an overview of the most talked-about topics that come up in your industry, you will have more ideas for structuring your FAQs and coming up with approaches to different relevant groups. 
• CRM integration ‐ when you integrate LinkedIn and your CRM, chances are you will save a lot of time that would be spent on looking up each prospect that you're communicating with. This can also provide you with a better understanding of your audience data, which leads to making smarter decisions with regards to your marketing campaigns and in turn increase sales.

Maintain communication with buyers

After you've implemented adjustments to your LinkedIn strategy and increased your sales, that doesn't mean you should keep going after new connections and forget about converted leads. Of course, you don't need to keep the same frequency, but buyers are a valuable asset in increasing your future sales:

• Nurture the relationship ‐ you've probably got to know the buyer through the process. Use that knowledge to maintain the image you created by sending them relevant content, inviting them to groups, hosting informational webinars and inviting them to join, or even offering to introduce them to people with whom they may have things in common. This way, you're keeping your options open and have an entry point if there is a chance to offer something new.
• Ask for a referral ‐ aside from upselling, good communication with your buyers can land you new prospects and move them through the funnel quicker. Don't hesitate to start this conversation ‐ why wouldn't they want to recommend your product if they were satisfied with what they got?

Keep going

As your sales increase, constantly keep track of what works for you. You should always look for new ways to improve, even when everything seems to be working ideally.

Stay on top of trends and take note of what your competitors do. A personal brand is more important than ever, so think about how you can introduce these ideas to make yourself visible and relevant, and the numbers will follow.

by Stefan Smulders | 27 Sep 23