Do Most Businesses Have an Overarching Audience Data Strategy?

Most businesses are trying to develop an overarching strategy for their audience data, but few have managed to actually implement a strategy, according to recent research from Winterberry Group and and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). Read the full article at MarketingProfs

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How to Jumpstart Your LinkedIn Lead Generation Strategy

If you’re in B2B, now’s the time to iron out your LinkedIn lead generation strategy.

Why now, though?

For starters, recent social media statistics note that 45% of B2B marketers have already won customers through LinkedIn.

The same stats also highlight that the platform generates nearly 300% more B2B leads for marketers versus the likes of Facebook.

From attracting new customers to raising awareness for your brand, LinkedIn is a staple of any B2B marketing funnel.

That said, LinkedIn lead gen doesn’t happen by accident.

The rapid growth of the platform means that competition for your customers’ attention is fiercer than ever.

As a result, it pays to understand the best practices of LinkedIn and what you can do to stand out from the crowd.

9 proven LinkedIn lead generation strategies to consider

Listen: there is no “silver bullet” for attracting LinkedIn leads.

Instead, we recommend a combination of strategies to establish yourself on the platform and get in front of your target audience.

Below are nine tips to help you do exactly that.

1. Optimize your professional profile for engagement

“Looking the part” is a top priority on LinkedIn.

After all, the platform primarily consists of professionals attempting to flex their influence and highlight their accomplishments.

The more you fill out your LinkedIn profile, the better. Optimizing your profile means not only making it search-friendly to the platform but also capable of grabbing the attention of your leads.

Let’s start with what’s above the fold, which should ideally include a combination of the following:

• A clear and friendly headshot
• A title which defines your company role and area of expertise
• A high-res background image that highlights your company, branding or a lead magnet

Moving on, your 2000-character “About” summary provides a place to showcase your expertise, work results and accomplishments. Bear in mind that you don’t need to rattle off your résumé here (that comes later).

We recommend an elevator pitch summary of who you are as a professional, coupled with relevant keywords that make your profile discoverable via search. Leads can then find you organically from your profile alone.

Below is a great example of an “About” section that attracts attention, finding a balance between optimization and personality.

LinkedIn recently launched a new “Featured” section which is actually useful for lead generation.

This space allows you to highlight major projects and publications, not limited to your blog, landing pages or lead magnets that you might want to point your leads to.

Next, your “Experience” section where you should reinforce your work experience and showcase the companies you’ve worked for. These blurbs are traditionally about more “suit and tie.”

Last but not least for your profile, recommendations and skills are important pieces of social proof that confirm to leads and prospects that you’re legit. Don’t be shy about asking clients, colleagues and co-workers for ’em: offer to return the favor and they’ll likely be more happy to help you out.

Taking the time to fill out each section of your profile is totally worth it for the purpose of lead generation. Again, anything you can do to make yourself stand out on the platform is a plus.

2. Identify the right decision-makers to connect with

Let’s say you want to be proactive about finding and nurturing leads on LinkedIn.

While LinkedIn’s native search function can honestly be a bit awkward, it’s actually pretty easy to spot decision-makers and relevant contacts.

Start by typing the name of a specific role [“social media manager”] (with quotes) and/or a company [“Sprout Social”], or simply search the terms separately if you’re casually browsing for outreach candidates.

But let’s say you’re trying to find someone in a role at a particular company but you’re not 100% who you’re looking for.

Simply go to the “People” tab of any given company page. You’ll then be presented with a list of potential contacts with job titles and relevant connections front-and-center.

Before blindly sending connection requests, double-check those titles prior to outreach. Also, consider connecting first with folks whose shared connections are actual coworkers or colleagues versus a friend-of-a-friend. While connections via friends are valuable, connections via colleagues or coworkers is a better place to start, as they know how you work best.

Bear in mind that you’ll likely want to “follow” a profile of an outreach candidate rather than connecting outright (yes, there’s a difference).

Following someone will send them a notification akin to a connection request minus your contact having to accept it. This is seen as less in-your-face and is a subtle way to introduce yourself to a lead or prospect without bugging them.

3. Don’t “spray and pray” your LinkedIn outreach

We get it: you want to step up your LinkedIn lead generation. You want more contacts and customers.

Unfortunately, this had led to an unfortunate phenomenon of marketers spamming the platform.

As a result, many managers and C-level executives are being swarmed with cold messages left and right. Some professionals are downright ignoring their LinkedIn InMail for the time being.

LinkedIn is becoming next-to-useless to me. Are you seeing the same thing? 9 out of 10 requests are people who want to sell me something. While I don't blame any given salesperson for trying to connect, the volume is turning LinkedIn into my new "spam folder." #wth pic.twitter.com/VQudysj1WB

— Lance Walter (@lancewalter) February 20, 2020

Bummer, right?

That doesn’t mean that you can’t conduct outreach on LinkedIn. Not by a long shot.

The takeaway, though, is that you can’t just “spray and pray” when it comes to your outreach. Instead of approaching people cold, focus on relationship-building, sharing content and engaging in conversations on posts.

Recent research notes that B2B buyers on average consume 13 pieces of content before making a decision. B2B outreach means playing the long game rather than searching for instant gratification. Not only that, but you could get labeled as a spammer in your space if you get too aggressive with your outreach.

Ideally, you should personalize each and every one of your outreach messages and likewise offer something in return to your contacts (think: a blog mention, a newsletter shout-out, a quote, etc).

Also, consider that you can discover and nurture leads on LinkedIn and then reach out to them elsewhere (think: on Twitter, an on-site contact form or email address).

There is a massive digital wall btwn Twitter and LinkedIn.

DMs on Twitter are timely, relevant and personalized to my current thoughtcycles.

DMs on LinkedIn are not personalized/relevant and mostly just cold outreach.

Huge arbitrage opp for recruiters/sales on Twitter.

— Amanda Goetz (@AmandaMGoetz) February 17, 2020

Doing so proves that you’ve researched your prospects and understand the challenges and frustrations of receiving so much InMail these days.

4. Maximize your profile’s visibility through posts and interactions

To ensure that your profile is seen by as many people as possible, it’s crucial to understand how the LinkedIn algorithm works.

The short of it is this: the best way to rise in the algorithm is to be an active participant on the platform.

That means publishing content, posting comments and reacting to posts on a regular basis.

The upside of LinkedIn is that you don’t have to write walls of text or spend hours on the platform to be considered “active.” Even something as simple as saying “congrats” or giving a post a thumbs-up is enough to increase your profile’s visibility to people who aren’t following you yet.

What else can you do to boost your visibility, though? Posting updates and content during peak times is a good idea. Weekdays during the mornings and early afternoon (think: traditional work hours) are a safe bet for most professionals.

Another way to increase both the visibility and searchability of your LinkedIn content is through tagging. For example, tagging a colleague or company in an update will result in a notification to anyone mentioned. Additionally, if anyone mentioned reacts or comments on your post, those actions will make your post visible to followers of those people or companies.

Tacking on a couple of hashtags (between two and five, typically) is also a smart move for any given post. Doing so can help your content trend for a particular hashtag which, in turn, will result in more notifications for your followers.

5. Funnel followers to your landing pages and lead magnets

Unlike Facebook, LinkedIn doesn’t restrict the reach of posts that lead people off of the platform.

Translation? Don’t pass up opportunities to promote your latest blog posts, lead magnets and webinars.

The only caveat here is that LinkedIn isn’t about the hard sell. Instead, frame your updates and promotions as being educational first and foremost.

Also, note that LinkedIn prioritizes video as part of its algorithm. Considering that video is among the most-shared content on social at large, it should most definitely be part of your LinkedIn lead generation strategy.

For example, think about how you can couple your latest report or post with a quick, off-the-cuff video.

6. Consider running a LinkedIn lead generation ad

As noted by our earlier social statistics round-up, a staggering 65% of B2B marketers have already run a paid promotion on LinkedIn.

That’s because LinkedIn ads are quite literally made with lead generation in mind. Marketers can target specific professionals based on specific parameters such as industry, job title and company size.

Note that many LinkedIn lead generation ads center around downloadable reports and other lead magnets.

And as it should come as no surprise, video is among the most popular ad types on LinkedIn.

Of course, putting together an ad campaign is something that can be done on behalf of your company rather than on your own. Once you’ve succeeded in acquiring organic leads or can create personas based on your conversations with leads, running ads may be worthwhile for your business down the line.

7. Participate in LinkedIn Groups discussions to grow your following

Scoring more connections, either actively or passively, is a way to signal that you’re an active participant on LinkedIn and not just an empty suit.

Groups are a fantastic place to connect with others in your space and attract new connections. If nothing else, private Groups allow you to build your influence within niche communities and learn a thing or two from other players in your space.

As a side note, make sure to review Group rules regarding content sharing before recommending your site or service.

8. Let your colleagues and coworkers give you a boost (and vice versa)

Another big benefit of LinkedIn is that you can instantly increase the reach of your content with the help of some friends.

This is especially useful if there are others in your company assisting you with LinkedIn lead generation.

Through employee advocacy, you can boost the content of your colleagues and company. For example, check out this company post from vCita.

 

And then see how the company’s employees showed the post some love shortly after it went live.

This support is a win-win for marketers attempting to grow on LinkedIn. In short, greater reach means more opportunities to gather leads.

9. Identify your top performing content via LinkedIn analytics

Finally, digging into your data is a must-do to assess your LinkedIn performance and lead generation efforts.

For example, do you know which types of posts gain the most traction? Which pieces of content score the most clicks to your lead magnets and landing pages?

To figure out what’s working and what’s not, look no further than your numbers. For those flying solo or as part of a small team, social media analytics tools like SHIELD are awesome for LinkedIn. The platform breaks down your updates by clicks, reach and other engagement metrics.

And if you’re looking for a LinkedIn lead generation tool for your company page, look no further than Sprout.

For example, Sprout’s suite of LinkedIn management tools is equipped to break down your company’s performance data. Tracking clicks and engagements, you can make the connection between your organic content, LinkedIn ads and new leads.

And with that, we wrap up our guide!

What are you doing to generate leads on LinkedIn?

It’s true that LinkedIn is experiencing a B2B boom.

And the platform is unique in that you can approach leads directly and publish content that pushes people directly to your promotions.

But that doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed leads by virtue of just being on the platform.

Scoring leads from LinkedIn requires a strategy. The tips above can poise your profile and company pages to maximize their visibility and help make your brand more recognizable to your target audience. And if you’re looking for more resources to evaluate your LinkedIn lead gen efforts, consider using our social media toolkit to inspire you.

We want to hear from you, though! What does your LinkedIn lead generation strategy look like? Does the platform result in high-quality leads for you? Let us know in the comments below!

This post How to Jumpstart Your LinkedIn Lead Generation Strategy originally appeared on Sprout Social.

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How to Analyze Your LinkedIn Ad Performance

Are you running LinkedIn ads? Wondering how your ads are performing against industry standards? In this article, you’ll discover how to assess your LinkedIn ad campaigns. 4 Important LinkedIn Ad Metrics Explained One of the biggest challenges with running LinkedIn ads is knowing whether your performance measures up. Competent marketers ask me all the time, […]

The post How to Analyze Your LinkedIn Ad Performance appeared first on Social Media Marketing | Social Media Examiner.

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Soapbox: What if I told you PDF’s biggest moment is yet to come?

Opening PDFs in-browser has become the new norm, offering new ways to target and measure using this format.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Soapbox: Brand authority is the most underrated marketing goal

A customer will nearly always choose a brand they’ve consistently seen as an authority over a brand that impressed them once.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Amazon and digital commerce top traditional retailers in satisfaction scores

However most “internet retailers” in the study also operate brick-and-mortar stores.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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TikTok, the internet’s shiny new toy

Problems abound when it comes to monetizing TikTok in any sort of substantial way.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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MarTech Minute: DocuSign buys Seal Software, Sidecar updates, Intercom’s Resolution Bot

A quick round up of the latest marketing technology news and announcements.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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From reporting to analysis: How storytelling with data helps secure executive buy-in

Your comments and likes are up month over month, and your new campaign hashtag has been used over 1,000 times, but what do the numbers mean?

And, once you figure that out, how do you convey it to stakeholders?

If you’re asking these questions, you’re not alone. According to the Sprout Social Index: Empower and Elevate, 71% of social marketers agree they are able to provide helpful insights to other departments, yet only 12% of social teams say their primary function is to do so. Social and bottom-line business metrics continue to exist in a state of disconnect.

To bridge this gap, we need stories. We need to translate the raw data, which lacks context, to a holistic vision that helps everyone understand the impact social has on an organization. This is where storytelling with data comes in.

As the name implies, social media relies on human networks, open communication and connections. What better way to express its impact than with one of our most social practices? As a social expert, you already have storytelling skills. Let’s talk about how to incorporate them into your approach to reporting and analysis.

Start with the numbers: quantitative data

In social media, quantitative data refers to the numbers behind social media metrics such as engagement, awareness, share of voice, ROI, and customer care. These numbers focus on the “how many” of social media, as in how many:

• new likes, comments, or shares your content received this week
• impressions you’re achieving
• posts you’re mentioned or tagged in compared to the competition
• purchases driven by a social media referral
• comments and questions about your brand that your team responds to

And so many more. Executives and other stakeholders like this kind of data. They especially enjoy seeing a translation of social media numbers into revenue dollars, or at least growth in metrics that correlates with an increase in conversions.

Literally made it one of my performance goals to educate…used data, our own successes, fails, etc. more than anything being Real about KPIs and what really matters.

— Jen Hartmann (@jenalyson) January 11, 2020

However, numbers can be deceiving. One viral post or brand crisis can skyrocket your numbers for a month (for better or worse), which could set unrealistic expectations for KPIs like impressions or engagements if you don’t put the data in context.

Comparing data month-over-month or year-over-year is meaningless without the story behind the trends. There needs to be an explanation for changes over time. This is where qualitative data comes in.

Then give the numbers meaning: qualitative data

Commenting is way up this week—that’s awesome!

Or is it?

Qualitative data looks at what those comments actually say. If they’re all positive, that’s great. If they’re all negative, that’s a problem.

This kind of data gives numbers context. Your interpretation of what it all means gives both types of data a narrative. If influencers are posting about you, what are they saying? Are mentions raving about your products, or are they pointing out a serious customer service issue? If comment threads are accumulating, what’s driving the discussion, and what’s the overall sentiment?

You can use social listening tools to analyze trends in overall discussion about your brand, which can be particularly helpful if you’re seeing a major spike. This can show you what people are talking about, sentiment, keywords and trending topics.

But even without social listening tools, you can look at your results and start to dig into the “why.” Look at individual messages to identify what people mentioning you are talking about the most, what they’re saying, and so forth. Those specific examples will help you craft a report that puts your numbers in context, and allows you to identify future opportunities. This is where your story begins to develop.

Social & digital has made us impatient as marketers, but the foundational things matter more than ever. Values, vision, focus, storytelling & connection. A brand's why. These things build & come to life over time.

— Jess Smith (@WarJessEagle) November 3, 2018

Bring data and analysis together: how to craft a story with data

Creative writing workshops abound, but few cover the artistry behind presenting numbers in an elegant, comprehensible way. If you’re not sure where to begin, here’s a step-by-step guide with a data storytelling example:

1. Identify the most interesting points.
   You should already have a main objective in mind, whether it’s relaying campaign status or justifying a bigger budget. What pieces of quantitative and qualitative data most support the main idea you want to convey? What data points directly contradict what you thought was going to happen? Perhaps the amount of website traffic driven by social has risen in conjunction with sales. Even if you aren’t tracking your social efforts all the way through to purchase (more on how to do that here), understanding which content drives traffic (and what kind doesn’t) will provide some insight into what’s fueling the fire.
2. Start with your second most interesting piece of data.
   You don’t want to show your whole hand, but you do want to demand attention right at the beginning. “As you already know, sales are up this quarter. What you may not have seen until now is that this trend correlates with our increase in traffic from social.” Include any other interesting points after this, but don’t use your best one yet.
3. Leverage visual aids as you go.
   “As you may already know, sales are up this quarter,” (graph of this quarter’s sales appears). “What you may not have seen until now is that this trend correlates with our increase in social media traffic,” (second graph of traffic by social platform appears as an overlay to first graph). Can you visualize the impact?
4. Predict questions or challenges.
   Naturally, your audience will independently analyze what they are seeing. In the example we’ve used so far, they may ask themselves, or even you, something like, “How do we know sales are up because social traffic is up, and not the other way around?” Depending on whether you’re presenting data to a group live or emailing a written report, incorporate slides or bullet points that answer the exact questions you expect your audience to ask. These questions are good: they keep your audience engaged long enough to deliver your final blow.
5. Share the most interesting piece last.
   “We considered that correlation might not indicate causation, so dug a little deeper and looked at the shares, social referrals, and conversions. We were able to trace 33% of our new customers this quarter to one particular influencer’s post,” (screenshot of post here) “in which she raved about how our product helped her. She has over 700,000 followers, many of whom also shared the post and clicked through to our site from it.”
6. Get to your next steps and the “so what.”
   Just because you’ve shared the data doesn’t mean your analysis is over. Round out your presentation with why this matters to your overall social goals and business goals. Then share how you may be using this data to inform new ideas moving forward. For example, because this one influencer post did so well, we’re looking to partner with other influencers who have similar audiences.

Boom. Mic drop.

Is that example a dream situation we can all hope to live one day? Sure. But more importantly, the flexible format can be repeated as needed and applied to just about any medium from presentations to reports or emails. Even if you’re just sending a quick Slack message, a single sentence can cover it:

“Sales and social traffic are up this month, so we looked into it and learned that 33% of our new customers came from this post (link/image).”

It is important to note the common data point threaded throughout this story: social traffic. While additional data points might help if sandwiched in between, one of the most powerful ways to get your point across is to use related data as the slices of bread on the top and the bottom of the story.

You may have lots of data (hopefully!) to comb through to find the right points to cover. That’s why the first step is picking out the most interesting ones. It’s up to you to gather the data that best illustrates your main idea and use it to focus your audience on your key message. Here’s how Lindsay Bruce, Marketing Manager at Twitter Business, approaches using data to both understand her target audience and create more impactful reports (serious reporting pro tip at 1:13).

To tell a story with data, you need insights

Social media platforms offer their own native analytics tools that provide plenty of data to work with. However, strong storytelling comes from a big-picture view that takes all of social media marketing into account at once. Compiling that information takes a lot of work!

Fortunately, software like Sprout can alleviate the workload. Sprout pulls all of your metrics from various social media platforms and puts them in one place. It even provides presentation-ready reports and analytics and allows you to compare your metrics to your competitors’ and benchmark your own metrics.

This bird’s-eye view displays what content is working, who is talking about you, and whether what they are saying is positive. It also uncovers audience demographics, the best times to post, and which platforms give the highest ROI.

When quantitative data is already pulled together into one place, it leaves you with more time for strategic storytelling.

Ready to get started? Check out our free social reporting and analytics toolkit, complete with templates and worksheets you can use for your best social performance analysis yet..

This post From reporting to analysis: How storytelling with data helps secure executive buy-in originally appeared on Sprout Social.

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How to Easily Analyze Facebook Ad Results With 3 Custom Reports

Want to save time analyzing your Facebook ads results? Looking for an easy way to create custom reporting in Ads Manager? In this article, you’ll discover three custom reports in Ads Manager to help you quickly analyze your Facebook ad performance. Why Create Custom Reports in Facebook Ads Manager If you’re anything like me, you’re […]

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