Embracing digital marketing in 2024 is a decision that can transform your business. In the first blog of our new series dedicated to unpacking digital marketing for the manufacturing industry, A Manufacturer’s Guide to Digital Marketing: Social Media 101, we laid the foundation for utilizing social media effectively and mentioned that LinkedIn is the most crucial site for B2B marketing for manufacturing companies. Now, it’s time to take a closer look at this important and influential platform.
Even if you’re brand new to digital marketing through social media, chances are your company has a LinkedIn page. But LinkedIn is not something you can “set and forget” – it takes more than just a profile to attract followers. Let’s explore the best practices and proven strategies you can use to maximize your company’s LinkedIn following.
Create a Compelling Company Profile
A complete, optimized LinkedIn company page is your first step toward establishing a strong online presence. Use a clear, professional logo and banner image that aligns with your brand identity. Fill in every section of your profile and pay special attention to the “About Us” section, where you can showcase your manufacturing capabilities and company history. Be mindful to keep the information on your profile current, updating it as needed.
Develop a Solid Plan for Your Content
A well-thought-out content strategy is one of the best marketing strategies for manufacturing companies and is essential to grow your business’s following.
You don’t need to post every day – after all, you want your content to be fresh and exciting – but establishing a rhythm with weekly or bi-weekly posts can be a great starting point. A consistent schedule will keep your audience engaged without overwhelming them, ensuring each post has the space to breathe and gain traction.
Plan to diversify your content with a balanced mixture of industry insights, highlights of your manufacturing processes and products, and details of the specific markets your manufacturing services touch upon. You can share educational tidbits about the latest manufacturing technologies and showcase real-world applications through case studies and customer testimonials. Also, consider regularly featuring job opportunities to attract talent and highlight your team’s expertise and achievements. Don’t forget to engage with local or industry-specific community events to show your involvement and humanize your brand. These varied content types will cater to different segments of your audience and add depth to your company’s profile.
Last but certainly not least, plan how to maintain a robust visual brand presence. You want your brand to be instantly recognizable, which means your visual content should be consistent in style and quality. Use a uniform color scheme, logo placement, and font choices across images and videos. Consistency in your visuals reinforces brand identity and helps build a professional and trustworthy image on the platform.
Engagement is Key
Once your content strategy is set, it’s time to focus on engagement. Posting is not enough to grow your LinkedIn follower count – the real power lies in creating a two-way dialogue with your audience. There are several ways you can foster deeper connections and boost your visibility on the platform:
- Utilize relevant hashtags to increase the reach of your posts by researching and selecting hashtags that are popular but not so broad your content gets lost; this will allow you to tap into existing conversations and bring new eyes to your page.
- Respond to comments on your posts. LinkedIn users are likelier to follow a page that actively participates in its community.
- Encourage employees to share content, engage with company posts, and contribute their thoughts to expand your reach through their networks while showcasing the people behind your brand.
- Connect with industry professionals and nurture these relationships by commenting on their updates, congratulating them on their achievements, and sharing content valuable to them.
Incorporating these practices into your LinkedIn strategy will maximize your content’s potential and help build a thriving online community that contributes to the digital growth of your brand.
Draw Traffic from Outside of LinkedIn
Your LinkedIn page shouldn’t be an isolated part of your online identity. Integrating and promoting it across various platforms can significantly widen your reach. Be sure to:
- Optimize your LinkedIn page for search engines by incorporating relevant keywords in your profile that potential followers might use when looking for industry-specific content.
- Add a LinkedIn follow button on your website.
- Include your LinkedIn page link in your email signature.
- Mention your LinkedIn in newsletters, blogs, and other social media platforms.
This will kick your LinkedIn presence into high gear, helping you get noticed by more potential followers.
Measure Your Success
After all your hard work on LinkedIn, you want to ensure your efforts are fruitful by measuring and analyzing your performance, an essential component of content marketing for manufacturers. Make sure that you:
- Monitor key metrics like follower growth, engagement rates, and the quality of leads generated from LinkedIn to inform you whether your content is resonating with your audience.
- Use LinkedIn’s built-in analytics tools to gain insights into your content’s performance, looking for patterns in what type of content gets the most engagement and when your audience is most active.
- Refine your content strategy based on these analytics – if certain posts are performing well, consider producing more of that type of content; if some garner less engagement, it may be time to pivot or reevaluate your approach.
Implementing these tactics will enhance your LinkedIn following and create a feedback loop that continually improves your approach based on data-driven insights. Remember, success on LinkedIn is a blend of content, engagement, and continuous optimization.
Takeaways
LinkedIn is an incredibly powerful social media channel that provides a wealth of digital marketing solutions for manufacturers. Crafting a memorable company profile, developing a strong content blueprint, and focusing on engagement will significantly enhance your brand’s visibility and following on the platform. Strategically drawing traffic from outside sources and adjusting your approach based on analytics will further turn your LinkedIn page into a dynamic hub for your digital marketing efforts.
If you’re eager for more digital marketing insights, join us for our next blog, where we’ll discuss what defines a good social media strategy and dive deeper into crafting a plan that resonates with your audience, aligns with your brand values, and achieves your business goals. And remember, if you need a compass to navigate this new terrain, Vive is here to guide you – reach out to us today to explore our full suite of manufacturing marketing services.
