Why B2B Company’s Need to Do Social Selling on LinkedIn

According to a 2018 report, 97% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn to distribute their company’s content. So if you aren’t using LinkedIn to leverage your B2B, you are in the 3% that are missing out lead generation and networking opportunities.

LinkedIn is an indispensable resource for B2B companies that are looking to build their online presence. It has a network of more than 500+ million business professionals with many login in daily.

The platform was geared towards bringing together jobseekers and employers, but it has evolved. Primarily it is now used as a platform for businesses to build credibility within their industries and interact with B2B decision makers in a professional setting.

There are also ways that the platform can be used as part of your inbound and outbound marketing strategy. There are compelling reasons that you should consider incorporating the platform into your strategy:

1. More than 80% of B2B leads come from LinkedIn 

While Facebook and Twitter are the most popular social networking sites overall, LinkedIn is used by businesses and decision makers. Sixty-one million senior level influencers and 40 million decision making use LinkedIn. The platform is strictly intended for businesses and professionals, giving B2B companies better opportunities to generate leads because users are already looking for business-specific, industry-related information.

2. LinkedIn generates the highest visitor-to-lead conversion rate of any social network 

LinkedIn generates the highest visitor-to-lead conversion rate of any social network at 2.74%, more than 3x higher than Twitter (.69%) and Facebook (.77%) With effective social media, your posts will help drive traffic back to your website.

 

According to data from HubSpot, visitors from LinkedIn are 3x more likely to become a lead compared with Twitter and Facebook visitors. LinkedIn users are looking for business-specific, industry-related content, so they are more likely to convert.

3. One third of B2B professionals say that social selling tools increased the number of leads they had 

A further 39% say that social tools reduced the amount of time they spend researching accounts and contacts. On LinkedIn, prospects find everything they need to know about you (including testimonials and reviews from peers) to validate your company as one worth reaching out to.

4. LinkedIn drives more than 50% of all social traffic to B2B websites and blogs

Half of all social traffic to B2B sites comes from LinkedIn. When you share links to valuable content on LinkedIn, you’re potentially reaching thousands of your best prospects who will go to your site to get that content and convert as leads.

5. 78% of salespeople engaged in social selling are outselling those not using social selling

Social selling targets social buyers, who use online connections to support their purchase decisions. Building a strong network through social media channels allows you to ask mutual connections for introductions to new prospects; coming from a connection, you’ll be seen as a trusted source.

That trust vital for clients and salespeople. 87% of B2B buyers saying they would have a favorable impression of someone introduced through their professional network. LinkedIn gives people credibility and the place to meet.

By next year, it’s estimated that more than 80% of the buying process will occur online, so companies rely on their social buyer employees to help find the best products, services, and deals. Those social buyers know how to navigate the modern marketplace, companies trust them with larger budgets and more responsibility.

LinkedIn gives you a platform to have a social presence. It is incumbent on B2B marketers to learn how to use the social networking site to make the connections they need to further your business.