LinkedIn has emerged as a powerful force in the B2B marketing sector. 65% of its users are responsible for procurement in their organisations. LinkedIn B2B marketing allows you to reach professionals that you can access through this platform, generate leads using their personal information, and create brand awareness through this medium.

Having set up a company page and shared content, however, it takes more than that to succeed on LinkedIn. To be able to use this dynamic platform effectively, understanding the do’s and don’ts of B2B marketing on LinkedIn is very important.

This blog will explore just that. We will see key strategies and best practices for leveraging LinkedIn to its fullest potential while avoiding common pitfalls.

Let’s start.

Do’s of LinkedIn B2B Marketing

Let’s start with what you MUST DO to create the best B2B LinkedIn ads before listing out all the things that you are doing wrong. So, here are x dos for your B2B business advertising on LinkedIn.

1. Organic Traffic for the Win

Organic or “free” traffic is a masterful strategy that can boost your chances of success at LinkedIn astronomically. It is vital for LinkedIn B2B marketing strategies as it fosters genuine engagement and trust among potential clients. Unlike paid tactics, organic traffic reflects authentic interest in your content, establishing credibility and authority within your industry. 

So, how can you generate organic traffic on your LinkedIn page? Here are a few tips:

By consistently producing valuable content optimised for LinkedIn’s algorithm, businesses can increase visibility, attract relevant leads, and nurture lasting professional relationships. 

Organic traffic also enhances brand awareness and establishes thought leadership, driving sustainable growth and maximising ROI over time, making it an indispensable component of effective B2B marketing strategies on LinkedIn.

But before posting you need a plan in place.

2. You Need to Have a Targeting Strategy in Place

This is the #1 most important thing when you create a LinkedIn ads strategy. You MUST target the right people. 

For instance, if you are targeting construction companies, will you contact the CEO or contractor? The CEO and a contractor deal with different aspects of the work. If you try to target them both, none of them might respond to you. 

Here are some pointers to consider while choosing the target:

• Location
• Workplace
• Industry
• Job title
• Job experience

3. Keeps Tabs on The People That Your Ads Reach

In LinkedIn B2B marketing, it is crucial to target the right people. However, at times there might be mistakes in the algorithm and you might end up targeting irrelevant people. For instance, if you set up a campaign targeting the construction industry, LinkedIn can deliver your ad to the advertising or capital market industries. 

Therefore, it is mission-critical that you keep an eye on who gets your ad so you can go back and exclude those audiences.

4. Be Wary About Audience Expansion

When you create your ad, you will see an “Audience Expansion” option in your LinkedIn campaign manager. This is a helpful tool that will by definition “increase the reach of your campaign by showing your ads to audiences with similar attributes to your target audience.”

While this might sound helpful, you need to see the other side of the coin. 

• LinkedIn will include who they think is relevant to target with your ads, which inevitably opens the doors a lot more than needed. You can end up targeting people who are irrelevant to the campaign- driving up costs.
• For instance, suppose your campaign wants to aim at individuals possessing the “Marketing Strategy” skill. The audience expansion tool might broaden your audience to include those with the “Business Strategy” skill.  

Thus, audience expansion isn’t inherently negative; it’s simply important to exercise caution regarding the audience you’re targeting when utilising this feature.

5. Add UTM Codes to Every Campaign

How will you know which campaign is performing better?

How will you know the exact performance numbers of every campaign?

Enter UTM or Urchin Tracking Module in the LinkedIn B2B marketing campaigns. These are snippets of codes added to the end of a URL which track conversions, website visits and your overall ROI after a user has clicked on your ad.

So what does UTM entail? Here are the different elements all LinkedIn ad UTMs must include:

1. Source: LinkedIn 
2. Campaign: Name of your campaign(include your audience and geographic targeting in your name for easy analysis)
3. Medium: Cost per click (or however your company refers to this medium, it could be PPC or paid-social)
4. Creative: The distinction between the ad creatives you want better information about (e.g. testimonial vs. statistic)

With this settled, there is another important factor companies must take into consideration for LinkedIn B2B marketing.

6. Hashtag Research 

What do hashtags do?

Think of them as similar to SEO keywords. Just like keywords, they are nothing but terms that you use to increase your visibility to your target audience.

Also, for the keywords, you need to conduct research before placing the hashtags in your content. If you choose the wrong tags, you end up placing your content in front of the wrong audience. 

So, how do you conduct keyword research?

Start with putting the generalised hashtag into the LinkedIn search bar. For instance, if your SEO campaign is geared towards targeting users with expertise in “On-Page Optimisation,” the audience expansion tool might broaden your reach to include those with proficiency in “Off-Page Optimisation.” 

While these aspects of SEO have a connection, they may not directly align with your campaign goals. Therefore, audience expansion isn’t necessarily detrimental. However, it’s crucial to be mindful of the audience you’re reaching when activating this feature.

How to Find the Relevant Hashtags?

As you view a hashtag, click on the ellipses (…) next to it and select Discover New Hashtags. You will go to the Discovery Hub, which contains dozens of related hashtags and topics. This can save time if you’re having a hard time finding hashtags for your niche. 

Lastly, always place your hashtags at the END of your content. They differ from SEO keywords so you should refrain from threading them throughout the post. 

Now that you know what to do, what can you avoid for your LinkedIn marketing strategy? Find out below.

Don’ts of LinkedIn B2B Marketing

Beware of making these mistakes. Follow our LinkedIn marketing tips to prevent your LinkedIn B2B pages from suffering setbacks:

1. DO NOT SPAM People with Irrelevant or Unwanted Content

Remember not to spam people with irrelevant content or unwanted information. This will not only turn potential customers off but also become a poor reflection on the company. Furthermore, it could result in your company page getting blocked or even deleted. 

Instead, why not focus on creating content that adds value to your target audience? Once you understand who they are and what their interests are, you can create content that addresses their needs. 

2. DO NOT Post Low-Quality or Amateur Videos or Photos

When you are posting photos or videos online, they become a part of the company’s image. So you have to curate the ideas behind each of them very carefully.

Even if you share this content with your followers, anyone could see them. That is why you are ensuring that you only post high-quality, professional-looking content that is important. 

 Low-quality photos and videos can reflect poorly on your company and make it look unprofessional.

3. DO NOT Overlook Analytics

Analytics is a huge part of LinkedIn marketing techniques. They tell you how your posts and company page are performing. Accordingly, you can refine your LinkedIn content strategy. 

What you can do:

• Regularly analyse your performance metrics such as engagement, reach, and conversions.
• Adjust your strategy accordingly.
• Follow the industry benchmarks to analyse how your efforts compare to those of your competitors. It will help to identify areas of improvement.

But, wait, do not go overboard.

4. Do NOT Spread Yourself Too Thin

Prioritise QUALITY over QUANTITY. 

Focus on the strategies that make the most sense for your target audience. Accordingly, invest in creating high-quality content that resonates with them. Here is what you should follow for LinkedIn B2B marketing:

• Stick to one platform that best serves your audience (preferably LinkedIn)
• Create high-quality posts
• Engage with followers and audience

These LinkedIn B2B marketing tips will transform the way business works and lead to more conversions.

FAQs: Navigating LinkedIn B2B Marketing Do’s and Don’ts 

How often should you post on LinkedIn for B2B companies?

Do not post more than once a day and do it during the workweek. Usually posting 20 times a month on an average allows you to reach 605 of your audience.

What is the 5 3 2 rule on LinkedIn?

For every 10 posts you share on LinkedIn, 5 need to be content from other sources, create 3 content pieces, and 2 should be personal, non-work related posts.

What is a good engagement rate on LinkedIn for B2B?

A good rate of engagement would be 2%. However, it could also climb up to 5 or 6%. It depends on your frequency of posts and audience numbers. 

What is a good CTR on LinkedIn?

A CTR of 0.95% or higher indicates that our ad is resonating with our target audience and driving engagement

Conclusion

Mastering the LinkedIn do’s and don’ts is the cornerstone of finding success on that platform. LinkedIn B2B marketing requires a deep understanding of its nuances. Leveraging “dos” like precise targeting, vigilant audience monitoring, and strategic hashtag employment can significantly enhance your campaign’s efficacy. Conversely, avoiding don’ts such as spamming and neglecting analytics ensures sustained success. For expert guidance in optimising your LinkedIn B2B strategy, consult Midas Touch!