How LinkedIn Company Page Followers Help in Lead Generation
LinkedIn has become one of the strongest tools available for B2B marketing, as well as for networking and growing your company. Because there are over a billion professionals on the platform all over the world, LinkedIn offers organisations a unique opportunity to connect directly with decision-makers, industry influencers, and potential customers. One of the most important assets that your Company Page can provide is its followers.
Many businesses spend most of their time on building connections through personal profiles, so their Company Page cannot provide an important source of leads. We will examine how having followers on your LinkedIn Company Page can be the key to developing high-quality leads from LinkedIn and growing your business over the long-term.
When you post content to your Company Page, it will show up in your followers' feeds. Thus, the more followers you have, the larger the organic reach of your Company Page will be.
Increased visibility means:
- More and more professionals will find out about your services
- Increased recognition for your brand within your industry
- More chances of your content being shared
As the potential audience for your content continues to get larger, the number of interested potential leads that see your content will increase.
Credibility on LinkedIn is paramount. Having a large number of followers on your Company Page gives your business an experienced, reliable image. If a potential client visits your Company Page and sees thousands of followers, it creates an instant impression of social validation.
Trust is a fundamental element in generating new business. When decision-makers are searching for a company to partner with, they will choose to work with those businesses that display professionalism and engagement. The combination of regular posting and building your follower base, provides an indication of credibility in your particular industry.
LinkedIn is fundamentally different than other social media platforms in that it is focused on professional data. Individuals who follow your Company Page are typically interested in your industry, product, or expertise.
When you have targeted followers who fit your ideal customer profile (e.g., CEOs, decision-makers, HR professionals, marketers), your content is delivered directly to people who are more likely to take action.
Quality followers provide a greater return on investment than random visitors.
Establishing a strong presence on LinkedIn helps develop an employer brand. Talented professionals will tend to follow companies that they admire - even though this may not seem relevant to generating new business. Having a talented team creates an environment of credibility and increases the reputation of your brand.
Having a brand that has credibility is very attractive to potential employees as well as companies that prefer to do business with reputable organizations.
Generating leads doesn't have to be an instantaneous process; most prospective leads will require many touchpoints before finally deciding to buy from you.
An effective way to stay connected with potential leads and clients is through growing your followers on your company’s LinkedIn Company Page—this way, you have established a continual communication channel with your audience through regular posting. When your followers are ready to purchase what you sell, they are much more likely to reach out to you than if you have not established a presence in their feeds.
Long-term lead nurturing through LinkedIn is one of its greatest advantages; in order for you to get the most benefit out of lead generation, you should:
- Post regularly and add value;
- Use keywords to optimize your Company Page;
- Encourage your employees to share the company’s posts;
- Use LinkedIn Ads in a strategic way;
- Share testimonials and success stories; and
- Focus on attracting relevant professionals rather than just adding follower numbers to your page.
Your Company Page followers on LinkedIn are not just a number; they represent potential clients, business partners and advocates for your company. Building a large amount of followers on LinkedIn creates more opportunities for businesses to become visible, credible, engaged and to nurture leads over the long-term.
Strategically increasing and engaging your audience on LinkedIn places companies well-positioned to consistently generate leads and grow in a sustainable way in a competitive B2B environment.
In addition, your Company Page can be a highly effective lead generation tool on LinkedIn if you use it correctly—your Company Page can be used as more than just a profile.
FAQs:
1. Why is it important for future clients (i.e. customers) to follow your LinkedIn Company Page?
More followers will allow you to reach more people and increase the possibility that your posts will be seen by people you want to connect with.
2. Will a larger follower base (i.e. more followers) lead to an increase in leads?
Not always. While the number of followers you have may be a factor in generating more leads (as you may have more people to solicit), relative quality of followers is far more important than follower quantity. If a follower is relevant to your business and fits the description of your ideal client, that follower is more likely to become a lead.
3. Does having a large amount of followers help to build trust (i.e. credibility)?
Yes. A large number of followers will create social proof, thus making your business appear trustworthy/established to potential future clients.
4. Will having LinkedIn followers provide additional support for paid-ads?
Yes. As individuals who follow your LinkedIn Company Page can be considered a warm audience, thus leading to higher engagement rates and better ad results.
5. What can companies do to attract the right type of followers on LinkedIn?
By posting/having valuable post content, having an optimized Company Page, utilizing employee advocacy/encouragement, and posting/sharing industry-related content on a consistent basis.
6. Is LinkedIn a better B2B lead generation source than other social media platforms?
Yes. LinkedIn provides the ability for B2B marketers to connect with decision makers/professionals directly.