The marketing landscape has changed dramatically in recent years. In the past, marketers could rely on organic search to drive website traffic and leads. However, changes in Google's algorithm and the rise of AI-powered search engines have made it more difficult to reach potential customers through organic search alone.
As a result, technical and industrial marketers are increasingly turning to multichannel marketing strategies. While there are a variety of channels engineering companies can use to reach and engage potential customers, one stands out…LinkedIn.
We see it year after year in our State of Marketing to Engineers research. LinkedIn consistently ranks as one of the most valuable social media platforms for engineers and technical buyers.
The professional networking giant was once just about static profiles and job postings. However, in order to compete with the ever-growing engagement of social media platforms, LinkedIn has undergone a significant evolution. This transformation goes beyond simply being a digital resume; it's about fostering a dynamic online community where professionals connect, learn, and stay informed.
As a company page admin, you may have begun to notice that LinkedIn wants users to stay on the platform (an important facet of building an online community), and they’ve implemented several strategies to achieve this:
- Algorithm Focus on Engagement: Unlike some social media platforms prioritizing virality, LinkedIn prioritizes content that keeps users engaged within the platform. This means posts that spark discussions, get comments, and replies are more likely to be seen.
- De-emphasis on Outbound Links: LinkedIn's algorithm actually downplays posts with outbound links. So, while you can share external articles, it's generally more effective to summarize the key points or discuss them within the platform itself.
- Content Type Preferences: LinkedIn favors native content formats like text posts with images and videos uploaded directly. Long-form content is also encouraged through features like LinkedIn articles and newsletters. This keeps users engaged in reading and interacting within the platform rather than directing them elsewhere to view the content.
So how do you use this to your advantage?
By understanding these algorithm tweaks, you can tailor your LinkedIn content to be seen by a wider audience, establish yourself as a thought leader, and ultimately get the most out of the platform.
Whether you’re posting on your personal LinkedIn page or for your engineering company, the same tactics apply.
6 LinkedIn Tactics to Leverage in 2024
Tactic #1: Empowering Employee Advocacy with the Recommend to Employees Feature
LinkedIn recognizes the power of employee voices in shaping a company's brand image. To bridge the gap between companies and their employee networks, they introduced the "Recommend to Employees" feature. This feature allows companies to curate and share targeted content directly with their employees on LinkedIn.
How the Recommend to Employees Feature Works:
- Company Admin Control: Admins can leverage the "Recommend to Employees" option within the company's content creation menu. Similar to creating a regular post, admins can include text, images, videos, or documents.
- Content Curation: This feature empowers companies to create a content "bank" of relevant industry news, company announcements, blog posts, or even celebrate employee milestones.
- Employee Amplification: Once "recommended" by the company, the content appears within the employee's LinkedIn feed. Employees can then easily share this curated content with their own professional network.
Benefits for Businesses:
- Enhanced Brand Advocacy: Employees become brand ambassadors, promoting the company and its work to their established networks.
- Increased Content Reach: By leveraging employee connections, companies can significantly expand the reach of their content beyond their own company page.
- Improved Employee Engagement: Recommending relevant content fosters a sense of connection between employees and the company, keeping them informed and engaged.
The "Recommend to Employees" feature is a win-win for both companies and employees. Companies gain a powerful tool for employee advocacy, while employees can easily share valuable content that strengthens their professional brand. Here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to use the LinkedIn Recommend to Employees feature.
Tactic #2: Stay in the Conversation with Brand Monitoring
LinkedIn is more than just a professional networking platform; it's a vibrant hub of industry discussions and conversations directly relevant to your business. To stay ahead of trends, address customer concerns, and build stronger brand relationships, actively searching for your brand on LinkedIn is essential.
How to Search for Your Brand on LinkedIn:
- Basic Search: Use LinkedIn's search bar to input your brand name. This will bring up company pages, employee profiles, and discussions mentioning your brand.
- Advanced Search: For a more granular approach, use LinkedIn's advanced search options to filter results by specific keywords, location, and time frame. This helps you focus on the most relevant conversations.
- LinkedIn Alerts: Set up alerts for your brand name to receive notifications whenever your brand is mentioned. This ensures you never miss a crucial conversation.
Benefits of LinkedIn Brand Monitoring:
- Customer Insights: Discover how customers perceive your brand, what they like and dislike, and identify potential areas for improvement.
- Reputation Management: Quickly address negative comments or misinformation to protect your brand's reputation.
- Opportunity Identification: Uncover potential partnerships, collaborations, or business opportunities through conversations related to your industry.
- Content Inspiration: Find out what topics resonate with your audience and use this information to create engaging content.
- Competitive Analysis: See how your competitors are positioned in the market and identify opportunities to differentiate your brand.
By actively monitoring your brand on LinkedIn, you can turn passive conversations into valuable insights and opportunities. It's a proactive approach that demonstrates your commitment to customer engagement and industry leadership.
Tactic #3: High-Engagement Post Types to Captivate Your Audience
LinkedIn offers a diverse range of post formats for company pages, each catering to different engagement styles. Here, we explore the most effective options to maximize audience interaction:
Content that Sparks Conversation:
- Text Posts with Questions: Pose thought-provoking questions related to your industry. Encourage discussion by asking for opinions, experiences, or predictions. This sparks conversation and keeps users coming back to see what others have said.
- Industry Polls and Surveys: Leverage interactive polls and surveys to gather audience insights and opinions on current industry trends. Sharing the results fosters a sense of community and positions your brand as one that values user input.
- Live Q&A Sessions: Host live Q&A sessions with industry experts or company leaders. This allows users to engage directly, ask questions in real-time, and gain valuable insights.
Content that Grabs Attention:
- Document Slides: Uploaded as a PDF, these highly visual posts encourage users to click through multiple slides. We’ve seen the highest engagement rates on these types of posts.
- Images and Infographics: Visuals are powerful tools. Share data-driven infographics, industry statistics, or company culture snapshots to grab attention and simplify complex information.
- Short-form Videos: Incorporate bite-sized video content like employee testimonials, product demos, or quick industry tips. Keep them concise and visually appealing to capture attention in fast-scrolling feeds.
- Live Video Events: Host live webinars, product demonstrations, or company culture expos. Live videos create a sense of urgency and exclusivity, encouraging viewers to tune in for the real-time experience.
Content that Builds Relationships:
- Employee Spotlights: Showcase your company's talent! Feature employee achievements, celebrate work anniversaries, or share employee stories about their career journeys. This humanizes your brand and fosters connections with potential hires.
- Customer Success Stories: Highlight successful customer partnerships and the positive impact your company has made. This builds trust with potential clients and showcases the value you deliver.
- Industry News and Analysis: Share curated industry news articles or offer your own analysis of current trends. This positions your company as a thought leader and demonstrates your expertise within the field.
Remember, the key to high engagement lies in a strategic mix of content types. Don't be afraid to experiment and track your analytics to see what resonates best with your audience. By providing valuable, interactive, and visually appealing content, you can transform your company page into a thriving hub for engagement.
Tactic #4: Cultivate Brand Loyalty with LinkedIn Newsletters
LinkedIn Newsletters are a strategic addition to any company's social media toolkit. They function as curated content feeds delivered directly to subscribers, offering a unique opportunity to nurture brand loyalty and engage a targeted audience. Here's a breakdown of how they work and the benefits they bring to businesses:
How LinkedIn Newsletters Work:
- Curating Compelling Content: As a company page admin, you curate content relevant to your industry and target audience. This can include blog posts, industry news, employee insights, or even exclusive content for subscribers.
- Building Your Subscriber Base: When you create your first newsletter, every follower on your page will be invited to subscribe.
- Publishing and Distribution: Schedule your newsletter and LinkedIn automatically distributes it to your subscriber base directly within their LinkedIn feed, through email and notifications.
Benefits for Businesses:
- Targeted Content Delivery: Unlike public posts, newsletters reach a pre-subscribed audience who have already indicated interest in your brand. This allows for focused communication with a higher chance of engagement.
- Thought Leadership Cultivation: Regularly delivering valuable content positions your company as a trusted source of information and a thought leader within your industry.
- Exclusive Content and Previews: Offer exclusive content or sneak peeks at upcoming product launches or events within your newsletter. This incentivizes subscriptions and rewards your most loyal followers.
- Employee Spotlight: Showcase employee expertise by featuring employee-written articles or industry insights. This leverages employee thought leadership and promotes a collaborative company culture.
An example of a LinkedIn Newsletter invitation, notification, and email sent via LinkedIn
Tactic #5: Unveiling the Power of Specificity Using Showcase Pages
While your main LinkedIn company page offers a broad business overview, Showcase Pages allow you to delve deeper. They function as targeted microsites within your main page, enabling you to tailor content and messaging to specific audiences or business units.
How Showcase Pages Work:
- Targeted Content Delivery: Create a Showcase Page for a particular product line, department, initiative, or even a regional branch. This allows you to share content highly relevant to that specific audience segment.
- Building Focused Communities: Each Showcase Page fosters its own community of engaged followers interested in that particular niche. This enables more targeted interactions and discussions.
- Leveraging the Power of the Network: Showcase Pages are linked to your main company page, benefiting from its established network and audience reach.
Benefits for Businesses:
- Enhanced Audience Targeting: Reach specific demographics or industry segments with laser focus. Showcase Pages allow you to cater content and messaging directly to their needs and interests, leading to higher engagement.
- Brand Storytelling and Differentiation: Showcase Pages provide a platform to tell unique brand stories specific to different product lines or initiatives. This allows for a more nuanced brand portrayal and avoids overwhelming your main page with diverse content.
- Lead Generation and Campaign Management: Showcase Pages can be optimized for lead generation by including targeted CTAs (calls to action) and capturing leads directly interested in a specific product or service.
- Employee Advocacy: Encourage employees from relevant departments to follow and engage with the corresponding Showcase Page. This leverages their network for wider content reach and brand amplification.
- Performance Measurement: Track the performance of each Showcase Page with built-in analytics. Gain insights into audience demographics, engagement metrics, and content performance, allowing you to refine your strategy for each targeted segment.
Showcase Pages empower businesses to tailor their LinkedIn presence for maximum impact. By creating targeted content and fostering niche communities, businesses can achieve deeper audience engagement, brand differentiation, and ultimately, achieve their specific marketing goals.
Tactic #6: Cultivating Connections through LinkedIn Groups for Businesses
LinkedIn Groups transcend static company pages, offering a dynamic space for businesses to connect, engage, and build relationships with a targeted audience. Here's a breakdown of how LinkedIn Groups function and the advantages they offer businesses:
The Group Ecosystem:
- Industry-Specific Communities: Join or create groups focused on your industry or niche. These groups bring together professionals with shared interests, fostering discussions, knowledge sharing, and networking opportunities.
- Active Participation is Key: Engagement is crucial in LinkedIn Groups. Share valuable insights, answer questions, and participate in discussions to establish yourself as a thought leader within the community.
- Leverage Group Features: Utilize features like polls, documents, and events to share content, spark discussions, and host industry webinars or Q&A sessions within the group.
Benefits for Businesses:
- Targeted Audience Reach: Groups allow you to connect with a pre-segmented audience actively seeking industry knowledge and discussions. This targeted approach increases the likelihood of genuine engagement.
- Brand Awareness and Positioning: Actively participating in relevant groups positions your company as a thought leader and a trusted resource within the industry.
- Lead Generation and Market Research: Groups provide valuable insights into industry trends, customer needs, and competitor activity. This knowledge informs your marketing strategies and helps you identify potential leads.
- Building Relationships and Partnerships: Connect with potential clients, partners, and industry influencers within groups. These connections can lead to valuable collaborations and business opportunities.
- Employee Advocacy: Encourage employees to join relevant groups and share your company's content or participate in discussions. This leverages their network for wider brand awareness and fosters a sense of employee engagement.
LinkedIn Groups provide a powerful platform for businesses to connect with a targeted audience on a deeper level. By actively engaging in industry discussions and establishing thought leadership, engineering companies can generate leads, build valuable relationships, and stay informed about the latest industry trends.
Interested in more LinkedIn hacks for your personal or professional pages? Watch our on-demand webinar for deeper insight and online demos of all the tactics mentioned in this article, plus a few more!
Schedule a LinkedIn Audit to discover strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement for your company page.
TREW is a marketing agency dedicated to reaching engineering and technical audiences through a range of marketing initiatives. Contact us today to learn more about the services we offer.