How to Use LinkedIn for Business, Marketing, and Networking

LinkedIn can be invaluable to your digital marketing strategy, helping generate leads and boost brand awareness. Unlike Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, LinkedIn is a professional platform designed to help you establish and reinforce business relationships.

We'll explore LinkedIn’s marketing value and share 15 LinkedIn marketing hacks to help you find new customers and partners to grow your business.

What is LinkedIn Marketing?

Many people use LinkedIn personally and professionally to grow their networks and enhance their careers. However, LinkedIn is also an excellent tool for growing your business. The platform exposes you and your company to millions of connections, helping you build relationships with individuals and other businesses to boost your brand.

At its core, LinkedIn is a professional social network focused on career development, professional connections, industry discussions, and other business-related activities. You can find customers, employees, and partners on LinkedIn.

Did You Know? LinkedIn isn't the only game in town for job seekers. Effective LinkedIn alternatives include Indeed, Glassdoor, Mediabistro, and ZipRecruiter.

How to Set Up Your LinkedIn Business Page

A LinkedIn business page is just as crucial as a company website. You can build a LinkedIn business page for free if you have a company name and email address.

Here’s how to create a LinkedIn business page:

1. Visit LinkedIn’s page creation page and select "Company." (You can also create a Showcase page or a page for an educational institution.)
2. Enter your company details and upload a company logo.
3. Check the verification box to confirm that you’re authorized to act on behalf of the organization.
4. Select "Create page." Note that you can have two LinkedIn company pages. After creating your page, you can customize it further and start making connections.

LinkedIn Marketing Tips to Grow Your Business

We contacted business leaders and expert marketers to learn the best ways to use LinkedIn marketing to grow your business. Here’s what they had to say:

1. Find Highly Targeted Customers and Connections on LinkedIn. "The targeting on LinkedIn is unparalleled in the realm of digital advertising. Small businesses can zero in on the exact industry, company size, and job role [of the people] that they know typically would buy their product or service." – Tim Peters, Global Demand Generation and Marketing Leader at Enghouse Systems Limited
2. Use LinkedIn to Stay on Customers’ Radars. "We help small businesses generate leads on LinkedIn. Clients tell us what kind of people make high-quality customers for them. We search on LinkedIn for people who fit their criteria and then introduce them." – Manjunath, CEO of Religh Technologies
3. Grow Your Email Marketing List Using LinkedIn. "I highly recommend writing a letter to each connection thanking them for being connected on LinkedIn, and inviting them to join your email marketing list." – Bradford Hines, founder of YumDomains.com and HungryKids.org
4. Use LinkedIn’s Sponsored Updates. "With sponsored updates, businesses pay to push their post onto an individual’s LinkedIn feed. This 'pay-per-click' or 'pay-per-1,000' impression feature offers demographics similar to other social platforms." – Jeremy Durant, business principal at Bop Design
5. Post High-Quality Content on LinkedIn. "Good content can be highly targeted and should teach others how to solve a problem or do their job better, establishing you as a thought leader in that space." – Michael Riley, co-founder of Boxter
6. … and Go Viral. "Posting directly on LinkedIn is the most powerful tool available on LinkedIn today. If a post begins to gain some momentum, LinkedIn will spotlight it in one of their categories." – Lavie Margolin, author of The LinkedIn Butterfly Effect
7. Give a Face to Your Employees on LinkedIn. "Get as many of your employees as possible to create and complete their profiles on LinkedIn, including appropriate photos and relevant job history." – Tam Frager, marketing and communications consultant
8. Join LinkedIn Groups – and Stay Active. "Join LinkedIn groups relevant to your target demographic. It’s a great way to 'listen in' on what your audience is talking about and interact or offer advice when appropriate." – Lauren Covello, senior manager at External Communications at Workiva
9. … and Create Your Own LinkedIn Group. "Create your own LinkedIn group and invite prospects to join. This allows you to share valuable content and demonstrate your expertise without overt sales pitches." – Ali Liaqat, marketing automation manager at Fonterra
10. Make Your LinkedIn Company Page Matter. "Ensure your LinkedIn company page is updated regularly with consistent imagery, colors, and content that align with your website and other social media profiles." – Carrie Booher, digital content editor at WWOZ 90.7 FM
11. Claim Your Custom URL on LinkedIn. "Everyone should claim their custom URL to include their name. This makes it more likely your LinkedIn profile will rank at the top of search results." – David Erickson, principal at e-Strategy Media
12. Complete the Summary Section on Your LinkedIn Profile. "The summary section is often overlooked. Use complete sentences, write in the first person, and address your audience’s pain points. Include your contact information at the end." – Susan Tabor-Kleiman, consultant, speaker, and owner of Your Professional Writer
13. Think of LinkedIn Marketing as a Numbers Game. "LinkedIn marketing is more science than art. It’s a numbers game, where consistent outreach leads to responses and clients." – Greg Taylor, owner of Telecom Law Attorney
14. Avoid Hard Sells on LinkedIn. "Treat LinkedIn like any other form of marketing, and get clued in on the latest trends. Apply content marketing and inbound marketing strategies to this network." – Nikki Hammett, content marketing specialist, Altair
15. Start with Connections, Then Build Relationships on LinkedIn. "Connect with prospects, strategic partners, and other business owners. Then nurture specific connections to grow the relationship." – Charlene Burke, CEO of Search by Burke

Key Takeaway If you're in search of work, try proven LinkedIn job-hunting tactics like adding in-demand career skills to your profile, following the companies that interest you, and adding a professional profile photo.

Importance of a LinkedIn Marketing Strategy

LinkedIn is less about selling or marketing your products and services than other social platforms. On LinkedIn, the obvious hard sell is less successful and can even be off-putting. A marketing strategy specific to the platform is crucial. Because the network consists of a different audience, LinkedIn marketing requires a different approach to get the results you want.

To ensure you’re getting the most out of your LinkedIn presence, consider the audience thoughtfully and speak directly to them, using available demographics and business roles to direct your message to your best target. Then solve their biggest problems, ease their significant pain points, and offer insights that help them do their jobs better.

LinkedIn for the Results

If you’re not yet using LinkedIn, the time has come. Examine your current marketing plan and determine where LinkedIn can add value. Then create a specific plan that leverages the power of a platform where users are already in a work mindset. Engage authentically and purposefully with contacts and customers, and compare your results to marketing efforts on other social media platforms.

LinkedIn says it’s the leading platform for lead generation. According to Super CRM Analytics, 82 percent of B2B marketers see their best return with LinkedIn compared to other social platforms. Surveyed B2B marketers also said LinkedIn accounts for 80 percent of their social media leads. Used appropriately, LinkedIn is a powerful marketing tool that can take your business to the next level.