Did you know that more than 94% of B2B companies prefer LinkedIn as a social media platform for content marketing? Research shows that most companies use social media to generate leads. But the truth is: many B2B marketers are not using social media and specifically LinkedIn to their full capacity. According to Kristina Jaramillo, chief LinkedIn strategist at GetLinkedInHelp.com, CMOs of most of the large enterprises use LinkedIn as a tool for brand awareness instead of revenue generation. She further goes on to explain that even though brand awareness is a key marketing goal for B2C companies, B2B organizations must focus their marketing goal on lead generation. Instead of merely looking at the top of the funnel on LinkedIn, startups should start creating awareness, pull in prospects, and then abandon someone moving down the cycle. Here, we have come up with five simple LinkedIn marketing strategies for startups to follow for success:  

Redefine yourself on your LinkedIn page

The LinkedIn page of a startup should not define the startup owners. In fact, it should be just the inverse. If you are the startup owner, update your profile regularly, post interesting updates, and share content in such a way that it defines you, and in the process your startup. Most CMOs make this mistake: of making the company’s LinkedIn page an extension of their own LinkedIn profile. They must always remember that people connect to people, and not pages. Three most important action items for effective LinkedIn marketing:

• Connect with the right people (find the right people from a similar industry, similar groups, and influencers you are following)
• Pitch them the right message (not overly formal, but a friendly affable message, introducing yourself)
• Follow-up without annoying them (follow-up means staying in touch not bugging them every single day. Do not message not more than twice a month. Say hi and follow it with an invitation)

Grow your Network

Add more and people to your network. Do a thorough check for second-level and third-level connections. Send invitations with a friendly note, if you have not met them outside LinkedIn. Watch out for C-level connections in the same industry, following the same discussion you just commented on, and more so. Ask for e-mail addresses when you meet someone at a tradeshow or conference. Exchange numbers. Not everybody is willing to add you on LinkedIn. But if you have their mail address or phone number, LinkedIn gives you an option to pitch in better than millions of unknown faces out there.  

Share Useful Content on LinkedIn

Now that you are already a known face in LinkedIn, be a face (please read LinkedIn profile) that your connections can remember. Startups must work actively towards building credibility and your brand with their connections. The best way to do is to share relevant and valuable content with which people can relate to. For example, at Pixel Solutionz, I am helping enterprises find the right outsourcing partners. So, it makes sense to connect to founders, CEO, and CMOs of promising startups. Similarly, if you are the operating manager of a startup, share informative (containing useful tips as well) marketing content for startups.  

Join groups and create groups on your own

Many startups find success on LinkedIn by being active participant in groups or discussion forums. LinkedIn groups are a great way to foster relationships with like-minded individuals from the B2B world. Approach each group as an expert in the field and not a salesman, posting promotional content, every week. You can easily connect and interact with your target audience. Create one or two groups where you can invite like-minded people and targeted users for live updates and useful discussions. You can also discuss your business challenges and who knows, you might even find someone out there, with a solution for you. He or she might be looking for someone like you with a problem.    

Use LinkedIn Premium Membership for a bigger impact

Even though LinkedIn gives you enough scope for growth, you will need the premium package for some additional benefits. Start with the Sales Navigator. Make use of the free 30 day trial of Sales Navigator do the maximum work of connecting with people in this month. Again, use the 15 free InMails/month to send messages to people for business. Also, make use of important filters like company size, keywords in job role, advanced location targeting and industry in the premium pack to laser down the exact leads that match your client base. These were some of my growth hacks for LinkedIn marketing. Which ones are you going to try? Let us know.