Buyers spend only 17% of their time meeting with potential suppliers.
This means that brand awareness is happening outside of cold calls and scheduled meetings. Buyers in B2B environments are learning about brands via content and digital engagement, and it’s clear that LinkedIn is a valuable platform for building awareness.
Through LinkedIn marketing, buyers gather insights and watch as brands publish content, respond to comments and make attempts at engagement. They begin to build a cohesive impression of a company, constructed from insightful blog posts, thoughtful engagement and even helpful responses to criticism.
Trust Before Intent
All of these data points inform a buyer to lead them to an elevated level of trust in the company. This all occurs before an intent to purchase, and well before the buyer is on the company’s radar as a potential lead.
How do you build trust through a LinkedIn marketing strategy? Here are some effective ways to strengthen credibility and connect with your audience:
- Executive thought leadership: If your C-suite hasn’t played a role in your social media strategy, a LinkedIn post is the perfect place to get them started. They have experience and expertise that launched them into the role, and they can make a big move towards building trust with buyers when they share their knowledge.
- Product how-tos and FAQs: LinkedIn videos provide a great format for diving in just a bit deeper into your products in a way that is easily consumable by audiences.
- Industry discussions: Is there a pressing topic currently affecting your industry or a controversial topic that might benefit from your insights? These are great topics for LinkedIn marketing.
All of these types of posts build trust in your brand by offering value to buyers without requesting anything in return. As buyers see your generosity in sharing knowledge, it tells them that you care more about relationships and helping other companies than in simple transactions.
A LinkedIn Marketing Strategy That Leads to Growth
In order to make the most of LinkedIn’s benefits, there are a few key areas to focus on in your strategy:
- Prioritize executive thought leadership over brand-focused posts
- Use videos to promote engagement and trust-building
- Encourage engagement through thought-provoking content and public dialogue in the comments
Buyers are often thinking about a purchase long before they signal intent to a brand or company. Make the most of these opportunities with a strategic approach to LinkedIn marketing. And if you need help getting started, contact us at SJC Marketing.