LinkedIn Marketing Strategy: Concepts, Examples, Tips

LinkedIn Has Developed into a Professional Marketing Channel. You Can Achieve a Very Wide Reach Organically, Meaning without Running Ads. This Works through your Personal Profile and with Professional Content, Tailored to the Target Audience You Want to Address and Convince. The Key to this is a Content Strategy for LinkedIn.

LinkedIn marketing involves much more than “just” running ads. You can build a wide reach through your own content. Here, we discuss such a content-based LinkedIn marketing strategy, including many concrete practical examples.

LinkedIn Marketing: What’s on this Page

The current situation on LinkedIn
Concept for successful LinkedIn Marketing
LinkedIn Marketing Goals – Beyond Leads
Social Selling Index: The four values briefly explained
LinkedIn Content Formats: Examples
LinkedIn Marketing Workshop

For us, Benjamin O’Daniel and Fabian Jaeckert, LinkedIn is our most important social media channel. Here we also report on our own LinkedIn content strategy. Furthermore, in our own Academy, we give presentations on LinkedIn and offer individual LinkedIn Workshops, in which we explain how LinkedIn works and how to build reach on your own profile.

LinkedIn Content Marketing: the Advantages

LinkedIn has established itself as a social network in the professional environment. While Xing stagnates, LinkedIn is developing very dynamically, especially at the content level. From our perspective, LinkedIn marketing offers the following advantages:

Increase in brand awareness
Opportunity for interaction with stakeholders
Suitable channel for employer branding
Platform for corporate influencers
Channel for high-quality leads

A very diverse use of LinkedIn is evident. The spectrum ranges from classic advertisements to a network of corporate influencers with high organic reach on their posts. Therefore, it is important to first define the goals for a LinkedIn marketing strategy.

Here is a post from a personal profile. The post generated over 5,000 views. This is one example of many valuable LinkedIn content pieces that generate organic, unpaid reach and interaction.

What is LinkedIn Marketing?

LinkedIn is a social network in the professional environment, and thus particularly relevant for B2B companies that can build contacts and relationships with potential customers there.

We observe three main trends in LinkedIn marketing strategies: classic advertisements (LinkedIn Ads) on company pages, sales activities (e.g., via the LinkedIn Sales Navigator), and LinkedIn content marketing on personal profiles.

It is therefore always a question of whether the activities are initiated by marketing, sales, PR, or a digital unit. Great success can be achieved on all three levels.

We share our expertise and engage in discussions on LinkedIn. This leads to a high organic – and thus unpaid – reach.

Three Common Questions about LinkedIn Marketing

How Relevant is LinkedIn?

LinkedIn has clearly surpassed Xing in Germany. Although many people are still active or registered as members on Xing, LinkedIn has evolved into a professional social network. The engagement is much greater, and so are the results (reach, leads).

How much Does LinkedIn Marketing Cost?

The costs for LinkedIn ads range from a few thousand Euros to a five-figure sum. Click prices for LinkedIn ads are comparatively high. Alternatively, a high reach can be generated through organic posts on personal profiles. However, this requires a LinkedIn content strategy.

Is a LinkedIn Company Page Sufficient?

Many companies first create a company page on LinkedIn and later more specific focus pages for individual business areas. This is also sensible, as company pages are now also very visible on Google. Ads can be run via company pages. However, significant reach is achieved through personal profiles, because LinkedIn is a social network.

LinkedIn Strategy for Companies and Freelancers: our Tips

What does a LinkedIn content strategy look like? Here are our tips:

Develop topic ideas with added value
Publish professional articles
Develop fixed content formats
Don’t just share links
Status Updates instead of Articles
Reply to comments
Use hashtags

Part of a content marketing strategy for LinkedIn should always include how to expand your network and which lead formats to use.

Fundamentally, every company and individual needs their own LinkedIn content strategy. In our LinkedIn workshops, we develop such individual strategies for more reach and customer inquiries via LinkedIn.

An example of a post with added value and a four-digit reach. A survey was conducted, and the result was commented on.

About Us and our LinkedIn Content Activities

Fabian Jaeckert

Fabian is an online marketer through and through. His professional roots are in technology, including TYPO3 development. On LinkedIn, he enjoys sharing technical topics around tools and hacks, sharing expert articles from online marketing, and commenting on debates in search engine optimization.

LinkedIn Profile of Fabian Jaeckert

Example of a post: How quickly does new content rank?

Benjamin O’Daniel

As a trained editor, copywriter, and content marketing manager, Benjamin deals with all topics related to content creation. On LinkedIn, he shares his personal thoughts on marketing, exciting case studies on Content Marketing, and highlights from podcast discussions.

LinkedIn Profile of Benjamin O’Daniel

Example of a post: The Disadvantages of Blogging

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LinkedIn Marketing: the Current Situation

Strong Social Network

LinkedIn is long since more than just a job platform. It is a ‘Facebook for Business.’ This means you can confidently share professional topics and draw attention to yourself, far beyond your own contacts. Engagement rates – i.e., interactions with the content – are increasing sharply. Several thousand views on one’s own posts are not uncommon if approached professionally.

Cold Inquiries

Unfortunately, it is still common for many people to use LinkedIn as a cold inquiry tool. Automated connection requests and unsolicited advertising in personal messages are not uncommon and cause considerable annoyance among LinkedIn users. Without realizing it, cold inquiries leave a lot of scorched earth and miss the opportunity that LinkedIn actually offers.

Social Selling as a LinkedIn Strategy

We take a different approach, just as we do in search engine optimization. Our questions are: How does one specifically develop an effective network? What exciting content can be developed to draw attention to oneself? For us, the user is at the center, and leads then arise almost automatically. What is discussed under content marketing is being introduced on LinkedIn under the term ‘Social Selling.’ Social media also has a clear influence on SEO.

LinkedIn’s Social Selling Index “SSI”

Tips, Strategies, Examples for Online Marketing

Xing or LinkedIn: which is the Better Network for Content?

“linkedin” or “xing” – which is searched for more often in Germany? (Source: Google Trends)

Xing

Xing is indeed the established network in Germany. Especially in the B2B environment, practically everyone has an account there. Some groups are also very active. However, from our perspective, Xing has not really evolved. Those who post content on their profile there receive only a few reactions. No comparison to LinkedIn.

LinkedIn

In terms of member count, LinkedIn has long caught up and surpassed Xing. In addition, LinkedIn has shown significantly increasing engagement rates for years. This means there is much more interaction and much more reach on one’s own content. You have many more content marketing possibilities, from text to presentations to live videos.

LinkedIn Marketing: the Two Fundamental Options

LinkedIn Ads

You can run ads on LinkedIn. Click prices are determined via an auction system, similar to other social networks or Google Ads. However, click prices are very high, and so are the corresponding costs. Inexpensive campaigns cannot be implemented there. A four-figure monthly budget is usually mandatory. This is due to the value of the contacts, as they are direct professional B2B contacts from which leads and orders arise.

Organic LinkedIn Content

In contrast, there is the organic reach that can be built with LinkedIn content, especially through one’s own personal profile. This reach is ‘unpaid’ in the sense that you don’t pay per click. Nevertheless, costs also arise here: firstly, for strategy development, and secondly, for content production. There is no guarantee for a specific reach. Our experience as consultants and from our workshops shows that you build your reach piece by piece. In contrast, ‘Company Pages,’ i.e., corporate pages, hardly achieve any reach.

Example of a LinkedIn Lead Ad

LinkedIn Marketing: who Benefits

Freelancers and Entrepreneurs

Every proactive entrepreneur is looking for new marketing opportunities online. LinkedIn presents a new exciting opportunity here. The advantage for freelancers is that they have a lot of expertise and can discuss it without extensive coordination loops. On the other hand, as in marketing, there is often a time constraint. It is all the more important to develop a personal LinkedIn marketing strategy. The time invested should be used wisely and not simply ‘wasted.’

Executives from Marketing, Sales, and Specialized Departments

Employees from marketing and public relations often manage the official channels of the company. However, significantly greater reach is built through one’s own profile. Specialists and executives from marketing and sales, as well as from specialized departments, are suitable here. However, these individuals face the task of developing their own content and using the channel professionally.

B2b Companies

While companies primarily advertise classic consumer products (B2C) on Facebook and Instagram, LinkedIn is an exciting marketing channel for B2B. Professional topics are well received, serving as a preliminary stage to personal consultation. In the B2B environment, the buyer circle is larger, and purchasing processes are more complex and longer. Contacts can be built and maintained at all levels via LinkedIn. At the same time, what applies everywhere also applies here: maintain etiquette and share interesting, relevant content.

LinkedIn Marketing Goals – beyond Direct Leads

Views per Post

Below each status update, it is indicated how many views the post has achieved. The more interactions – likes or comments – the more the algorithm ‘boosts’ it. This means that if many people react to a post, the reach continues to grow. Initially, a few hundred views are completely normal. However, there are no upper limits. We achieve posts with four- and five-figure views.

Number of Profile Visitors

Anyone who regularly posts contributions and articles or comments on others’ posts quickly notices that views on their own profile increase. The more successful one’s own posts, the more views on one’s own profile. These are direct contacts, comparable to a brief conversation at a trade fair. From the profile, contact requests can arise, or the other person may directly visit the website.

Improve Social Selling Index

The Social Selling Index (SSI) indicates the overall strength of one’s LinkedIn account. The stronger the LinkedIn SSI, the greater the reach. The SSI has a value ranging from 0 to 100. Everyone can retrieve their personal score at ‘https://www.linkedin.com/sales/ssi‘. A score of 20 to 30 is completely normal at the beginning. Above a score of 50, one clearly notices that reach increases.

Concept for a Successful LinkedIn Strategy

Optimizing your LinkedIn Profile

Even when it comes to developing a LinkedIn strategy for the company, the following applies: The basis of every LinkedIn marketing strategy is the personal profile. Here, the rule is: the more, the better. A profile picture, a header image, and the ability to write a short bio about oneself – that’s the basis. One should also write something about their professional experience, list competencies, and have them endorsed. A catchy slogan goes a long way. References are the icing on the cake for any profile. A comprehensive LinkedIn profile contributes to the personal Social Selling Index (SSI), which in turn ensures that posts achieve greater reach.

Expand your Personal Network

Generally, the more contacts you have, the better, because content is initially distributed to direct contacts. When building one’s own contacts, there are two different schools of thought: some rely on broad waves of requests, while others – to whom we belong – advocate for a targeted build-up that focuses more on quality. Every contact should make sense. Specifically, the content you share should be relevant to every potential contact.

Develop LinkedIn Content

The central problem for many executives and specialists is: What should I write on LinkedIn? Often there is a lack of ideas. Others, in turn, only share official company announcements or promote products. However, such posts generate only low interaction. Instead, a content strategy involves developing specific posts that address the questions, problems, and wishes of the target audiences. It is an editorial approach. The specific formats – text, image, video, audio – play a subordinate role for now.

LinkedIn Social Selling Index (SSI): the Four Values Briefly Explained

The Four Values of the SSI

Build a Professional Brand

This value primarily concerns developing a meaningful profile. As described above, there are many ways to enrich the profile with information, from the header image to references. Links and PDFs, such as presentations, can also be stored.

Finding the Right People

This value of the Social Selling Index indicates how much LinkedIn is utilized as a research tool. This includes how easily one is found, but more importantly, how one uses LinkedIn to research and contact their own connections. It also considers whether LinkedIn’s paid Sales Navigator is used.

Generate Interest through Insights

The third value assesses whether one merely uses the platform passively or actively publishes their own content. Those who consistently post status updates and generate interactions on their updates and articles will see their score increase accordingly. However, it is not necessary to publish something every day.

Building Relationships

The final value, ‘building relationships,’ simply refers to the number of connections one has. The more connections, the higher this score. However, this often leads to people making connections without a clear strategy, which can negatively affect content distribution later on, as too few people interact with the content.

LinkedIn Marketing Podcast: our Episodes in 2019 and 2020

In our podcast, we cover numerous topics in online marketing, including regular episodes on LinkedIn. Here are our episodes:

LinkedIn Content: Formats and Examples

Our experience shows that professionally and value-driven LinkedIn content generates high-quality reach, especially when connected with contacts from the same industry who are passionate about the topics. Ideas for LinkedIn content often arise from practical daily work. The general rule is: first the idea, then the format.

Status Update – Examples

A status update has a limited character count. Nevertheless, it can be effectively used to concisely present a professional topic, inspiring or initiating discussions, ideally with a suitable photo. Networking events or presentations can also be effectively communicated via status updates.

Example: Link Buying: Don’t Do It!

Example: How Does the Google Core Update Affect Things?

Slideshow PDF – Example

A slideshow is a document presented as a PDF. Individual pages can be scrolled through horizontally. Within the slideshow, a topic or aspect can be presented visually and with text. Due to its interactivity, a slideshow can generate significant engagement and reach.

How We View Online Marketing: further Topics

Content Marketing

From our perspective, LinkedIn Marketing is an integral part of Content Marketing. We discuss what Content Marketing entails, its various approaches, and effective strategies on our dedicated topic page for Content Marketing.

Online Marketing

Online marketing encompasses numerous disciplines. The key is to coordinate various measures and channels while flexibly implementing new ones. Here is an overview of Online Marketing.

Blog Marketing

A common entry point into Content Marketing is setting up a blog. This offers several advantages, including greater editorial freedom. However, there are also disadvantages, such as Content Management and often poor rankings. Learn more about Blog Marketing.

Our “Best of” LinkedIn Marketing Strategies from Experts

What does professional Community Management entail? Vivian Pein explains this in our discussion. Jens Polomski provides numerous insights specifically for the LinkedIn platform. Kerstin Hoffmann answers the question of how to become a personal brand in an interview. Johannes Kliesch exemplifies a startup founder who considers social media communication a core task.

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Further Detailed Questions about LinkedIn Marketing

LinkedIn has evolved very dynamically in recent years. It allows for building significant, and crucially, highly relevant reach within the B2B sector. Simultaneously, it is not an anonymous channel but a social network. In our view, entrepreneurs, executives, and employees looking to engage in LinkedIn marketing require a clear content and lead strategy, avoiding overt advertising.

LinkedIn is a crucial component of an Inbound Marketing strategy. By consistently publishing high-quality content and initiating relevant discussions, one automatically builds reach that generates inquiries. Our experience shows that inquiries typically come directly through LinkedIn Messenger, as the barriers to making contact are very low.

Running ads on LinkedIn is a relatively expensive endeavor, with exceptionally high click prices. A monthly four-figure budget should be anticipated at minimum. A significantly more attractive, albeit more demanding, approach is to develop one’s own LinkedIn content strategy and build ‘free,’ or organic, reach.

From our perspective, Xing is no longer attractive. LinkedIn is evolving much more dynamically. It is a B2B social network, whereas Xing still largely retains a directory-like character.

Reach on LinkedIn depends on the LinkedIn SSI, one’s personal network, and, most importantly, the interest and relevance of the posts. Anything is possible here: from two-digit to five-digit reach per post. A key difference from Facebook is that LinkedIn provides access to a business environment.

Using relevant hashtags is essential for every post and article. However, hashtags are currently much less relevant than, for example, on Twitter. Tip: Develop your own hashtags and build a dedicated following.

LinkedIn is a social network. It revolves around personal profiles and a personal content strategy integrated within the company. Company profiles on LinkedIn typically achieve very limited reach. Various marketing approaches converge on LinkedIn: corporate influencer, content marketing, and social media marketing.

Many content formats are available on LinkedIn, though they vary in effort. Text posts remain the simplest to implement. However, images and graphics should also be incorporated into content planning. More complex content formats include slideshows or live videos. LinkedIn continuously develops new content formats, which we test and present, for instance, in our LinkedIn Workshop.

One can already build reach on LinkedIn with a basic account. However, a Premium Account positively impacts the LinkedIn SSI. Furthermore, it offers more opportunities to create lead lists and utilize the Sales Navigator.