The golden rules of using LinkedIn to attract new customers

LinkedIn has some 610m users in more than 200 countries and territories (20m-plus in the UK). More than 260m LinkedIn users log into the site every month, with 40% of those being active daily users.

LinkedIn describes itself as the “largest global community of business professionals” who “come to LinkedIn [to] consume professional content”. They have “a very different mindset and intent from [those using] other social media platforms”.

According to LinkedIn, 80% of its users “drive business decisions” and its audience has twice the buying power of the average web audience. LinkedIn says 90m of its users are “senior level influencers”, with a further 63m “decision-makers” and 10m “C-level execs”.

LinkedIn is rated the top social network for lead generation, with “94% of B2B marketers using it to distribute content”. It’s hardly surprising that so many UK businesses are using LinkedIn to raise awareness of their brand, generate new leads and win new customers. However, if you get it wrong, it can have the opposite effect. So, what are the golden rules of using LinkedIn?

1 Use LinkedIn to its full potential

Searching LinkedIn can reveal much valuable information. You can quickly identify target companies and key people. Contacting them may or may not prove successful, but using LinkedIn only in this way offers limited value. In any case, usually it’s harder to get to speak to people who’ve never heard of you.

A wiser, longer-term strategy is to build your LinkedIn network and provide your connections with valuable, relevant content, whether links to industry or business news, insightful features, blogs, engaging facts and figures, or links to your own content, published on your website or LinkedIn. This approach can raise your profile and even result in leads contacting you.

Don’t take a “scattergun approach” to building your network. Find the right people at the right companies – think quality rather than quantity.  Send polite connection requests and a brief thank you message to those who accept.

2 Get your posts and content right

Using LinkedIn simply to broadcast your sales messages or beg for business isn’t recommended. And people see right through any “modest bragging” (ie making a seemingly humble statement to publicise your achievements), although it is OK to occasionally draw attention to your successes.     

LinkedIn has evolved from a jobs/careers platform into a content platform. More than 130,000 articles are created on LinkedIn every week, so, your content has to be up to scratch. Give your connections engaging, valuable information, knowledge with which they can start conversations. Think carefully before commenting, sharing or liking other people’s posts, because it will influence perceptions of your business. Be selective.

As LinkedIn puts it – “Share content that matters”. It recommends sharing behind-the-scenes stories, while always including an image and asking questions as a way to “start conversations”. The site also has a feature called Content Suggestions, which enables users to “discover trending topics and articles to share with target audiences”. Furthermore, you can sponsor your best posts to guarantee that they reach a much larger audience.

3 Be a LinkedIn regular

If you’re using LinkedIn just a few times a month, your chances of success are very limited. “Companies that post weekly see a 2 x lift in engagement with their content,” according to LinkedIn. Better to set aside 10-15 minutes two or three times a week for your LinkedIn activity, commenting on, liking and sharing posts, starting and joining conversations, congratulating your connections on their successes and anniversaries, etc. In tandem with posting your own content, this will ensure that you consistently appear on the site.

Vary the times of your daily LinkedIn sessions, to increase the chances that more of your connections will see your posts. Research suggests that the best days to post are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, early in the morning, at lunchtime or in the early evening. The more active you are, the more visibility you’ll have – but that doesn’t mean spewing out an endless stream of posts. Balance is crucial.

4 Have a winning profile

Whether for your company or yourself, getting your LinkedIn profile right is essential, because you must make a good first impression. You have about 2,000 characters to describe your company, its relevance and what makes it special. Be concise, but don’t leave out key facts. Update your profile regularly, adding to need-to-know information, with key search terms included, so those searching on LinkedIn will find you.

Including a good image on you profile page is believed to attract up to six times more visitors to your page. LinkedIn has published excellent best-practice advice on how to create a good profile page and even has awards for company profile pages, which offers lessons to others.

5 Always be totally professional

LinkedIn is not the same as other social media channels. It’s a professional platform. Showing some personality is good, but always remain professional. Don’t swear in posts nor directly criticise others. Avoid football and politics. If you wouldn’t say something in a face-to-face professional meeting, don’t say it on LinkedIn. Avoid arguments and consider all LinkedIn communication to be public (it can easily be screen-shot and shared).

Don’t be too pushy or bombard connections with sales information as soon as they connect. People hate that. Get to know the person first; build the relationship; find out about their needs, be genuinely interested in them and then explain how you can help. Jumping in too soon with a hefty sales pitch is not advised.     

6 Join the right groups

A good way of ensuring that you’re having the right conversation with the right people is to join the right groups on LinkedIn. There are various groups for UK SMEs. Normally, group managers review requests to join and possibly ask for additional information to make sure that you meet their membership criteria. Membership approval is solely up to the group. Once you become a member, you can make, like and comment on group posts, thereby raising your profile. LinkedIn provides advice on finding and joining groups.

7 Consider getting a LinkedIn Premium Business membership

A free LinkedIn account may be sufficient, but paying a monthly subscription (£49.99) for a Premium Business package can open up many more features, including being able to message many more users, even if you’re not connected. According to LinkedIn: “InMail is 2.6 times more effective than email or cold calls.”

Moreover: “Premium Business [offers] valuable insights [and] complete access to competitor data, industry news and analytics.” Free one-month trials are available. Alternatively, LinkedIn offers a Sales Navigator package, which offers advanced lead and company search. Users can “target the right buyers, understand key insights and engage with personalised outreach”. You can watch a free demo.

And finally…

It’s unrealistic to expect sales straight away from your LinkedIn activity, as with many things in business, you must take a longer-term view. LinkedIn probably won’t provide all the answers when it comes to generating leads and attracting and retaining customers, but if you invest enough time and effort, it could be an important part of your sales and marketing strategy.

• This blog was commissioned by TVC Group/Economist Group and published by Aldermore.

How to design a great business logo

No matter how big or small you business, it pays to have a good logo. The world’s largest and most successful businesses realise this, of course.

As Peter Shadbolt observed in his May 2015 BBC News website piece: “From Nike’s ‘Swoosh’ symbol to Starbucks’ twin-tailed mermaid or siren, the world’s largest companies take great care of their logos,” which, he adds, “connect our minds to the business, without the need to see its name.” He describes this “instant recognition” as “the holy grail for a business.”

In 2000, Shadbolt reports, oil and gas multinational BP spent some £136m researching, creating, protecting and introducing its now familiar sunflower logo (called Helios after the Greek sun god). It suggests “heat, light and nature” says BP, while being “a pattern of interlocking shapes: like BP, a single entity created by many different parts working as one.”

No less a figure than surrealist painter and modern art icon Salvador Dali designed the Chupa Chups lollipop logo

Meaning and power

When it comes to choosing a new logo, “it’s not always love at first sight,” Shadbolt adds, with good logos “gaining meaning and power over time”. And not all new logos are well received. Shadbolt recalls Gap unveiling a radically different new logo in 2010, only to scrap its introduction, following “public outcry.”

Caitlin Jordan’s blog, The Hidden Meanings Behind 50 Of The World’s Most Recognizable Logos is worth reading. You learn many wonderful facts, such as no less a figure than surrealist painter and modern art icon Salvador Dali designed the Chupa Chups lollipop logo.

And you may not know that Portland State University student Carolyn Davidson was paid just $35 for creating the mighty Nike logo in 1971. Later she was given company shares, but on first sight of her creation, Nike founder Phil Knight, said: “Well, I don’t love it, but maybe it will grow on me.”

Did you know that the world famous Coca-Cola logo was created in 1885 by Frank Mason Robinson, the fledgling company’s bookkeeper?

The evolution of the Google logo is interesting. And did you know that the world famous Coca-Cola logo was created in 1885 by Frank Mason Robinson, the fledgling company’s bookkeeper.

Why have a logo?

According to celebrated American graphic designer Paul Rand (1914-1996), creator of logos for IBM, the American Broadcasting Corporation, UPS and many others: “A logo doesn’t sell, it identifies. A logo derives its meaning from the quality of the thing it symbolises, not the other way around. A logo is less important than the product it signifies; what it means is more important than what it looks like.”

Rand’s opinions about corporate logos are absorbing. “If, in the business of communications, ‘image is king’, the essence of this image, the logo, is a jewel in its crown,” he tells us.

“A logo derives its meaning from the quality of the thing it symbolises, not the other way around” – Paul Rand

Rand likens a corporate logo to a flag, signature or escutcheon (a heraldic shield or emblem shaped like a shield).

How to design a good logo

For Rand, the effectiveness of a good logo depends on its “distinctiveness, visibility, usability, memorability, universality, durability and timelessness.” He states: “A well-designed logo is a reflection of the business it symbolises. It connotes a thoughtful and purposeful enterprise, and mirrors the quality of its products and services. It is good public relations – a harbinger of good will. It says ‘We care’”.

“Simplicity is difficult to achieve, yet worth the effort” – Paul Rand

In his 2015 LinkedIn post, Mark Facer, founder of Sheffield-based Neon Thunder Creative, offered his tips on creating good logos. He recommends keeping it simple while memorable (“Great logos can easily be recalled from memory. Who doesn’t picture the magnificent golden arches of McDonalds when they hear the word French fries?”). He advises: “If you’re unsure about your logo, ask others if they can remember it a few days later after being shown it.”

Facer also highlights the importance of versatility. The best logo, he says, “are equally fantastic in colour, grey scale, black and white or reverse”. They work at any size and work well regardless of the environment in which they appear.” Good logos, he says, engage the appropriate audience to “convey the essence of the brand”, while having a timeless quality that gives them staying power.

Last word, suitably, to Paul Rand: “The role of the logo is to point, to designate ­– in as simple a manner as possible. Simplicity is difficult to achieve, yet worth the effort.”

• This blog appeared originally on the HSBC Knowledge Centre website and was commissioned by Atom Content Marketing.

Harness the power of customer testimonials and case studies

Your small business website may look awesome, complete with fantastic colour, image and design choices throughout. It may be rich in wonderful written (or even video) content, which effortlessly showcases your wares. Your website may be easy to find, use and navigate. However, not including any customer testimonials or case studies could seriously limit its success.

What are customer testimonials?

Testimonials are recommendations from satisfied customers, confirming their delight with the products, services and value they’ve received. There are various types of customer testimonials, but even just one or two killer sentences from a handful of happy punters can add much to your website.

As Karisa Egan comments, in her post (The Benefits of Testimonials and How to Do Them Right): “Testimonials work because they aren’t strong sales pitches, they come across in an unbiased voice and establish trust. You’re using real people to show success in your product or service.”

According to Chris Scott from the Digital Doughnut website, customer testimonials can help convert many more visitors to your website into customers, because “they add legitimacy to your website and make people more willing to buy from you”.

“Testimonials can ease customer concerns about buying from a new supplier, because they are perceived to prove credibility, reliability and trust”

Credibility, reliability and trust

Customer testimonials, Scott continues, make people “feel more comfortable [about] making a purchase if they know that other people have made the same purchase for similar reasons and have been happy”. Testimonials can ease customer concerns about buying from a new supplier, because they are perceived to prove credibility, reliability and trust.

Getting first-time visitors to your website to get in touch, let alone buy from you, can be a challenge, but including a few well-chosen customer testimonials can make a big difference. Reportedly, almost three quarters of consumers say positive testimonials and reviews increase their trust in a business.

Some of your most satisfied and loyal customers will probably be happy to provide a testimonial (or sign-off on one you write on their behalf). Aim for two or three sentences from half a dozen of your most satisfied customers. These can be strategically placed on your home page and others, while some dedicate entire website pages to customer testimonials. Quotes can also be reproduced in your other online and offline marketing, of course.

Testimonial length and content

Search online and you’ll find questions you can ask to create glowing customer testimonials. Seek quotes that specifically explain how your products or services satisfied the customer’s needs or remedied a “pain point”. Testimonials should praise the value you provide and even if you sell products, include comment about the service quality that goes with them.

Also include an image of your customer with their testimonial, because it “shows that it’s coming from a real person”, which further encourages trust. Your testimonials should represent the diversity of your clients or customers and your core product/service range.

Authenticity is key, so, never fake any customer testimonials. Normally, such tactics are easy to spot. Get real quotes from real customers and tell readers who they are. Satisfied customers are normally happy to provide testimonials.

“Some 70 per cent of UK marketers use case studies as part of their campaigns. They are believed to be the most effective type of marketing content”

What about customer case studies?

Basically, these are longer customer testimonials. Some prefer to use the term “customer stories” rather than “case studies” (which, admittedly can sound rather dull, academic, etc). Some 70 per cent of UK marketers use case studies as part of their campaigns. They are believed to be the most effective type of marketing content.

Dan Shewan, in his blog – How to Write a Convincing Case Study in 7 Steps, believes that too many marketing case studies are “dull, boring and forgettable”. None of these terms should apply to yours, of course.

Shewan says case studies should be “self-contained stories about how a real customer overcame their problems [by] using your products or services.” And, as regards structure, he adds: “Good case studies have a beginning, middle and end, as well as a protagonist – your customer – overcoming a problem and achieving their objective.”

Case study form and content

Case studies should be persuasive and have a compelling angle. Readers should be able to relate to your customer and their challenge/issue. A well worn but effective website case study structure is to introduce the customer in the opening paragraph, then detail their challenge/issue in 200-300 words.

The following 400 or so words should explain the solution your business provided, before 300 words cover the results and benefits gained. Effective case studies include impressive numbers and are rich in powerful customer quotes, because both carry the most weight. Include some nice images, too, including one of the person you quote.

Marketing Donut provides some useful pointers on how to write your own customer case studies. If writing isn’t your thing, budget permitting, you could hire a freelance copywriter with case study experience.

“Cut out repetition, shorten quotes and make sure everything you write is vital to the story”

Case study length and position

In her blog – The ultimate guide to writing case studies that drive leads – Lauren Lovett says case studies should be no more than 750 words long. “Any more and people just won’t read it,” she warns. “Cut out repetition, shorten quotes and make sure everything you write is vital to the story.” She cautions against using marketing speak or clichés; “keep it human”, accurate and be specific (because “details matter”), she advises.

Writing for Marketing Donut, Sharon Tanton recommends giving your case studies due prominence on your website. “Too often companies stack them at the back of their site, like dusty old volumes on the top shelf of a library,” she observes. “Make them grabby and appealing and stick them in the waiting room. Think glossy mag, not Encylopedia Brittanica.”

• This blog appeared originally on the Manage My Website website.