Though B2B marketing does not gain as much attention as B2C marketing, there are many social platforms and opportunities that can make a world of a difference to B2B organisations if used right. No, social media is not just for check-ins, selfies and cat videos. While Facebook, Twitter and the like have all been successfully used to promote businesses, there is one platform that takes the cake when it comes to B2B brands – LinkedIn.

LinkedIn for B2B Marketing

While LinkedIn, like other social media platforms focuses on building connections, its setup is more professional. And since B2B marketing speak is from one business to another, LinkedIn is the ideal platform for this purpose. Here’s a look at why LinkedIn is the best network for distributing B2B content and generating B2B leads.

With over 300 million registered users, 33% of the world’s professionals are on LinkedIn. Over time, the network has proven to be extremely effective in directing traffic towards corporate websites and blogs – more so than any other social network. And today, about 3 million businesses make the best of this traffic through their company pages. While LinkedIn B2B marketing generates a whopping 80.33% of all B2B leads, half its members say that they are more likely to buy from a company they engage with on LinkedIn.

Every day more marketers take B2B to social media. There’s a lot to be learnt from their approaches. We’ve complied some of the brands that have made great use of LinkedIn for business marketing to get you inspired.

1. HubSpot
   The inbound marketing and sales platform that helps organisations attract visitors, convert leads, and close customers; HubSpot uses their LinkedIn page to share the quality content they post on their marketing blog. The company created three LinkedIn groups dealing with specific content. They keep their page looking fresh by frequently changing their header image.
   
   
2. Microsoft
   This American multinational technology company has over 2 million followers on LinkedIn. They publish interesting content such as behind the scenes insights from their product developers, stories from their media hub and marketing tips. They were among the first users of LinkedIn’s Showcase Pages, dividing their content to create niche communities and conversations based on their various products.
   
   
3. GE
   General Electric or GE, the American multinational corporation that deals with appliances, oil, power, gas, healthcare, transportation and more has a strong LinkedIn presence. They post a lot of original graphics and inspirational quotes, interesting research, engaging questions, and also updates on all the fascinating developments they are making in the energy field. They also use Linked to recruit new employees through their careers group.
   
   
4. TEKsystems
   This provider of IT staffing solutions and services targets IT employers through their LinkedIn page with recruitment advice. They make use of LinkedIn’s publishing platform to share a variety of informative pieces, drawing the attention of potential clients. The company actively responds to post comments and their contributors engage in conversations from their personal LinkedIn accounts as well.
   
   
5. Adobe
   A leading provider of technology for digital media creation, Adobe uses their LinkedIn to publish content that can help digital creators grow their businesses, thus building professional connections. They post about company culture and sustainable technology, as well as insights from their blog and informative articles. Recently, they celebrated 25 years of Photoshop by showcasing some of their customers’ best work.

Now that you’ve seen some of the smartest B2B moves in using LinkedIn for business, keep in mind that it’s important to customise your LinkedIn marketing strategy and make it uniquely yours in order to stand out.

Also Read: Your Guide to New Age Email Marketing