Don't put all your marketing eggs within the LinkedIn basket
LinkedIn is essential for every business with Australian membership sitting at 11+ Million. Circa 48 per cent of members log in monthly as well as those, it's reported 45 percent are active daily.
Further, LinkedIn may be the largest professional database in the world with proven ROI. But smaller businesses should not put all their marketing eggs into the one basket as the platform sits dormant by every member every day, or bi-monthly or weekly. Opportunities will be missed.
Don't
get me wrong, LinkedIn is undisputed for awareness, marketing, branding, lead
generation and content distribution. As profiles and company pages rank on the first
page of Google searches, it is also vital for social proof and resource visibility.
Truth
bombs
Truth is, not everybody who is an ideal client is also a regular user. The platform is noisy as well as your ideal clients may use the platform for a range of purposes not aligned to yours. And because the platform is not owned by you, there are no guarantees of the state of future play.
Like a wholesome diet, a healthy marketing wheel contains a diversity of owned, earned and paid elements for eyeball and engagement reach and conversion. It's dangerous for a small business to place their effort, time and content into one element of the marketing wheel.
Owned,
earned, paid media
The
marketing wheel comprises owned, earned and paid pillars having a convergence of
intersecting multiple delivery touchpoints. And across numerous platforms, all
three can reside side-by-side.
Protection, positioning and distribution of your brand assets is a commercial insurance policy along with smart marketing. They briefly comprise:
Owned
Websites,
Blogs, social networking channels, eCommerce sites, direct mail, email, SMS, apps.
NB: whilst you own your profiles on social media and LinkedIn, you don't own the woking platform.
Earned
PR, news, media interviews
and mentions, guest blogs, reviews, digital backlinks, social media shares, endorsements.
Paid
Digital media advertising, SEO, PPC, traditional advertising, influencer marketing, events, sponsorships.
Tips for a broader mix
- Understand and research where your target audience congregates. There are some industries where LinkedIn includes a very high relevancy, others not so. Data is key.
- Check-in with your clients and prospects around their news and industry resource preferences. What do they read and why? Where will they learn and keep abreast of general business and industry updates and news? You are reading one of those just now from the inside Small Business.
- Engage with PR professionals and develop niche subject media. I guarantee that many small-business owners on LinkedIn are losing prospects by not adding some more eggs into their marketing basket. Social proof amplifies when you're endorsed and found on reputable and industry channels.
- Distribute your LinkedIn content to a wider audience. Share as a guest blog on other websites and channels, podcasts or videos. Supplment your website blog, offer with other niche media outlets (and tweak as necessary). Add to your mailing list and email campaigns.
- Consider investing some advertising spend in to the right channels and media.
- Don't buy into big shiny sales and digital solution pitches. Its not all media is appropriate for all. Be critical and discerning with facts as consumer behaviours and trust is ever-evolving.
- Email networking and outreach. See if a prospect actually uses LinkedIn regularly. Otherwise, email an introduction instead.
Creativity
matters
LinkedIn will continue to grow in 2021 but so will other marketing avenues. Across all marketing channels and LinkedIn success is maximised by being brave, unique and creative. It's not just the where you show up, however the how.
DARE Group Australia is a valued content partner of Inside Small company
