Strategies for High-Quality LinkedIn Lead Gen: The B2B Edition

LinkedIn members have 2x the buying power of the average online audience and there are ~65M decision-makers on the platform with a budget to spend. Considering the complete LinkedIn user base, 4 out of every 5 users are stakeholders in the decision-making process of their org. No wonder why 82% of B2B marketers consider LinkedIn to be their best source of lead gen compared to other outreach channels.

Before we go into the specifics of LinkedIn lead gen campaigns, let’s quickly look at some basic nuances of a result-driven strategy. 

Competitor benchmarking using customer sentiment 

It’s easy to track competitor pricing and features but to get the bigger picture, focus on customer sentiment. Review your competitors’ posts. What types of content are they sharing? Which posts generate the most engagement? Analyze likes, shares, and comments to know what resonates with their audience. A word cloud of posts will give you a fair idea about the keywords your competition is targetting.
The reference word cloud was generated from PhantomBuster – an efficient tool for conducting competitor analysis. 

Align your findings with the fact that this is not a static exercise but a dynamic strategy that will help you hack the growth your competitors worked so long to achieve.

How to track competition on Linkedin like a hawk:

• Track employee advocacy: Monitor how your competitors’ employees are representing their brand. Employee posts often reveal key initiatives and company culture. This can provide clues about internal priorities and strategic directions. Set up LinkedIn alerts for key competitor hires and departures to understand talent movement.

• Follow company page activity: Look at their recent updates, product launches, and company news. This can help you anticipate their next moves and adjust your strategy accordingly. Pay special attention to their featured content and how they engage with their followers.

• LinkedIn groups: Join LinkedIn groups where your competitors and their customers are active. Participate in discussions to understand pain points, unmet needs, and emerging trends. This direct interaction can offer unfiltered insights into market demands and competitive gaps. 

• Benchmark influencer collaborations: Identify which influencers and thought leaders your competitors are partnering with. Influencer endorsements can significantly impact brand perception. 

• Assess network growth: Track the growth of your competitors’ networks. Rapid increases in followers or connections can indicate successful campaigns or strategic initiatives. Use tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator to get detailed analytics on their network expansion.
• Extract insights from job listings: Job postings can reveal strategic initiatives and future plans. Analyze the roles and skills your competitors are hiring for to understand their upcoming projects and priorities.

Business page creation checklist

40% of LinkedIn users engage with business pages every week clearly establishing that having a LinkedIn business page is essential, but creating one that truly stands out is the real challenge. Our comprehensive checklist is your ultimate guide, providing a detailed step-by-step process that walks you through every aspect of creating an unparalleled LinkedIn business page. 

We scaled the Sprouts LinkedIn page from 100 to 5000 followers in just 3 months using this very playbook. The growth was completely organic, with 0 dollars spent on paid ads.

This checklist covers:

• Planning and setup: Identify your goals and target audience. Gather all necessary assets like your logo, banner image, and company description. Set a timeline for your page creation process to ensure a smooth and organized launch.

• Page creation: Fill in your company description with a clear and compelling summary of your mission, vision, and services. Add your website URL, select the correct industry, and specify your company size to enhance discoverability.

• Optimization and content: Optimize your page by creating a custom LinkedIn URL and setting a strategic call-to-action button. Develop a content plan that includes a mix of posts, such as industry news, thought leadership articles, and company updates. 

• Promotion and growth: Promote your LinkedIn page through your other social media channels, email newsletters, and your website. Encourage employees to share and engage with your page content to amplify reach. Utilize LinkedIn ads to target specific audiences and drive page follows.

• Analytics and improvement: Regularly review LinkedIn analytics to monitor your page performance. Track key metrics like follower growth, engagement rates, and content performance. Use these insights to refine your content strategy and optimize your page for better results.
• Maintenance and updates: Keep your page up-to-date with the latest company information and visuals. Regularly review and refresh your content to ensure it remains relevant and engaging.

Personal Profile optimization checklists for company leadership (Founders & C-suite execs)

Of course, you are on Linkedin, 1 in the crowd of 65M business decision-maker profiles. Before we get into the best way to optimize your profile, take this small LOS (LinkedIn Optimisation Score) test. Your score will help you decide if this segment of the playbook is useful for you or not.

Linkedin GTM motion: Inbound & outbound 

Having an active LinkedIn page (with a weekly posting schedule) can get you 120% increment in Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) and increase your follower base 7x faster compared to pages that post monthly. Focus on creating high-quality content that truly adds value to your audience. Think actionable tips, relatable insights, and content that solves real problems for your followers. 

By sticking to these fundamentals and prepping a weekly schedule, you’ll build a strong foundation that fosters meaningful engagement and growth for your business.

Content-based LinkedIn inbound motion

Sprouts has devised an effective inbound content strategy framework, the 30:30:30:10 Rule, tailored to maximize brand engagement. This template ensures a well-rounded content mix and is designed for effective content planning.

Educational content

69% of people believe B2B decision-making is as emotionally driven as B2C, hence making educational content crucial to nail it down for your B2B strategy. 

Some key content formats: 

• Webinars and live events: Host webinars and live events on LinkedIn focused on industry trends, best practices, and new product features. Promote these events heavily to attract a targeted audience. 

• Whitepapers and e-books: Create comprehensive guides and whitepapers addressing common industry challenges and solutions. Share excerpts and key insights on LinkedIn to drive downloads and lead captures.

• Blogs: Publish informative articles on LinkedIn or your company blog. Focus on thought leadership, case studies, and how-to guides that demonstrate your expertise.

• Video tutorials: Produce short, engaging video tutorials that showcase your product’s capabilities and offer valuable tips for users. Share these on LinkedIn to increase engagement and reach.

Thought leadership content

50% of C-suite executives say that high-quality thought leadership content has a direct impact on their purchase decisions. 

Some key content formats: 

• Opinion pieces: Write opinion pieces on emerging trends and technologies in your industry. Share your unique perspective to establish your brand as a thought leader.

• Expert interviews: Conduct and share interviews with industry experts and influencers. This can add credibility to your content and expand your network.
• Industry reports: Publish annual or quarterly industry reports that highlight key data and insights. These reports can attract high-level decision-makers interested in the latest trends and benchmarks.

Content-based LinkedIn outbound motion

Personalized messaging

• Connection requests: Send personalized connection requests to potential leads, mentioning mutual interests or recent posts they’ve shared.
• InMail campaigns: Use LinkedIn InMail to send personalized messages to your target audience, highlighting how your solution can address their specific pain points.

Warm connections

• Introductions: Find mutual connections who can introduce you to potential prospects. A warm introduction can significantly increase the chances of a successful connection and engagement.

Influencers

• Influencer outreach: Identify and connect with influencers in your industry. Engage with their content and build relationships that can lead to potential endorsements or collaborations.

Targeted ads

• Sponsored content: Promote your top-performing posts to reach a broader audience. Use LinkedIn’s targeting options to ensure your ads are seen by decision-makers in your industry.

• Message ads: Send direct message ads to potential leads, offering valuable content like whitepapers or invitations to webinars. According to LinkedIn, audiences exposed to both brand and acquisition messages on the platform are 6x more likely to convert compared to those who only see one type of message.
• Dynamic ads: Use LinkedIn’s Dynamic Ads to personalize your outreach with profile data, increasing engagement and click-through rates.

Automated LinkedIn lead gen with Sprouts.ai 

LinkedIn is rated as the #1 platform for B2B lead generation. 40% of B2B marketers say it drives high-quality leads irrespective of ACV. No matter how competitive your industry is; LinkedIn still remains the best source for hot and warm lead gen. 

The problem most companies face while using LinkedIn is everything has to be done manually, except for the limited sequences Sales Navigator has to offer – but this pricey feature also fails to deliver if you wish to run highly personalized campaigns. 

As seen in the graph below, most marketing leaders are looking to adopt AI tools to make their marketing campaigns more effective and less time-consuming. 

Considering LinkedIn is the most preferred platform for outreach, Sprouts.ai has introduced a new LinkedIn automation feature that allows you to automate outreach to ICP accounts with hyper-personalized messages.

Bonus: You can use our feature with a free LinkedIn account. There is no need to invest in any of Linkedin’s premium features.

Here’s a detailed look into what you can do with our tool: 

• Send up to 400 invites per month: Automate your LinkedIn connection requests to reach up to 400 invites per month, making it easier to connect with your ideal customers and grow your network efficiently.

• Send open InMails: Reach out to up to 800 prospects per month without needing to send an invite first. Manage your open InMail campaigns effectively for better outreach.

• Advanced reporting and statistics: Gain insights into your campaigns with advanced metrics and KPI tracking, helping you optimize your lead generation efforts.

• Basic & Sales Navigator compatibility: Utilize LinkedIn’s Basic and Sales Navigator search features for targeted lead searches and integrate them directly into Salesflow.

• AI-powered messaging: Generate content with our AI Templates in Campaign Message Sequences. Breakthrough copywriting blocks with personalized copy tailored to your target market, helping you engage more effectively.

• Team management: Track all team activities in a global dashboard, ensuring your team stays productive and aligned with your goals.

• Import CSV for hyper-personalized targeting: Upload large lists of customers or prospects for personalized targeting, ensuring precise engagement with your ideal customers.

• Export data to CSV: Export campaign data for various uses, such as setting up email campaigns or sharing data with your team, ensuring your lists are always up-to-date.

• Groups & events: Leverage LinkedIn’s Groups and Events feature to send messages (up to 1,000 per month) to non-first-degree connections within relevant communities.

• Integrations: Connect with CRMs like HubSpot, Salesforce, or Pipedrive to streamline processes and improve productivity.
• Blacklist: Exclude unwanted contacts from your campaign search results with blacklists, ensuring consistent targeting standards.

Click here to book a free trial or get custom pricing for multiple users. 

Linkedin Growth Hacks 

LinkedIn expert Richard van der Blom and Just Connecting came out with their annual LinkedIn algorithm report and we have detailed all the key aspects you need to consider for maximizing engagement: 

Post views

Typically, a LinkedIn post will be seen by about 10-15% of your connections. For company followers, this figure rises to 25-30%. Notably, 40% of post views come from second and third-degree connections.

Post types

With all the effort that goes into crafting your content, it can be disheartening when you don’t get the expected engagement. There could be various factors at play here but going by the annual algorithm report, here’s a breakup of post types with specific actions on how to create high-impact LinkedIn content that not only captures attention but also drives substantial engagement.

LinkedIn live events

LinkedIn Live offers a significant engagement boost, averaging 12x higher than standard video posts. Optimal content includes interviews, live event coverage, and employer branding. Promote events one month in advance and incorporate interactive elements like polls and Q&As. 

Another format could be audio-only events for 30-60 minutes. These are ideal for discussions and interactive sessions without the need for video.

Here’s a pros and cons list to help you make a better choice:

Your guide to posting on LinkedIn

Timing

Aim to post between 8-11 a.m. for maximum visibility. Consistency in posting times helps condition the algorithm to favor your content.

Frequency

• Personal Profiles: 3-4 times per week
• Small Company Pages: Up to 3 times per week
• Large Company Pages: Daily

Days of the week

• Personal Profiles: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
• Company Pages: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday

Engagement

• Focus on generating engagement within the first hour of posting. 
• Comments are particularly impactful for increasing visibility. 
• For personal profiles, posting 10 quality comments daily can lead to significant increases in profile views, engagement, and follower growth. 
• For company pages, engaging with 3-6 posts daily can boost reach by up to 18%.

Employer branding 

Companies with highly engaged employees outperform those with little engagement by 200%. 

Sprouts has got you covered for increasing your customers & ARR but you still have to use the platform to snipe the best-fit talent & you cannot do it without employee advocacy.

Active employee engagement not only helps with brand promotion but it also amplifies your reach and adds a layer of authenticity that resonates with prospects  & candidates. This handbook provides essential guidelines and best practices to help your employees effectively represent your brand and build meaningful professional connections on LinkedIn.