Are you looking to expand your company’s reach on LinkedIn but not sure where to start?
For many businesses, LinkedIn has become a critical tool for connecting with potential clients, partners, and talent. But growing a LinkedIn company page isn’t just about gaining followers; it’s about attracting the right audience and building lasting relationships that can lead to real business growth.
One example of a company that has reaped tangible benefits from growing its LinkedIn audience is HubSpot. Known for its robust content strategy, HubSpot built a highly engaged LinkedIn audience by sharing valuable, educational posts on marketing and sales. This approach has not only boosted its follower count to over 1 million but also positioned HubSpot as a thought leader in the digital marketing space. Their consistent LinkedIn engagement has led to increased brand awareness, strengthened customer trust, and a steady pipeline of inbound leads, contributing directly to their growth and bottom line.
In this guide, we’ll explore nine effective strategies to grow your LinkedIn company page audience. Each section covers the importance of the strategy, real-world examples, and insights to help you replicate similar success on LinkedIn
1.Optimize Your Company Page for Search and Engagement
Why It’s Important: A well-optimized page is essential for visibility and first impressions. A complete and compelling profile ensures that users understand who you are and what you offer, increasing the chances that they will follow and engage with your content. LinkedIn’s search algorithm also favors completed profiles, helping your page rank higher in LinkedIn search results.
- Keywords and SEO: Use keywords related to your industry in your company description, tagline, and specialties. Example: Hootsuite uses terms like “social media management” and “digital marketing” in its page description, helping them reach users searching for those services.
- Visual Identity: High-quality visuals create an instantly recognizable brand. Example: Microsoft’s LinkedIn page features a professional banner image with their iconic logo, creating a polished, branded look that conveys credibility.
- Company Details: Fill out all sections, including website, specialties, and industry. Example: IBM’s LinkedIn page includes specialties like “Cloud Computing” and “Data Analytics,” giving potential followers a clear idea of their expertise and focus areas.
2. Post High-Quality, Consistent Content
Why It’s Important: Consistent, high-quality content builds trust, establishes thought leadership, and keeps your brand top-of-mind for followers. By posting valuable content regularly, you can increase engagement and attract a steady stream of new followers who are genuinely interested in your company.
- Content Variety: Diversify your content to appeal to a broader audience. Example: HubSpot posts a variety of content, from educational articles to engaging infographics and video content on marketing trends, keeping their followers engaged with fresh, valuable insights.
- Educational Value: High-value content that offers actionable insights can attract followers and increase engagement. Example: Adobe often shares tutorials and design tips, attracting designers and marketers who follow the page to learn more about creative tools.
- Consistency is Key: Posting at least 3-4 times a week keeps your page active and your audience engaged. Example: Salesforce posts consistently on LinkedIn, sharing industry insights, customer stories, and thought leadership content, creating a steady rhythm that followers can rely on.
3. Leverage LinkedIn’s Content Tools
Why It’s Important: Using LinkedIn’s native content tools (like polls, documents, and LinkedIn Live) makes your page more interactive and engaging. These features allow you to share content in different formats, catering to varied audience preferences and increasing engagement.
- Document Sharing: Uploading documents can make your content more engaging and shareable. Example: LinkedIn Marketing Solutions shares PDF guides on topics like B2B marketing, offering followers valuable resources they can save and refer to later.
- LinkedIn Polls: Polls are a quick way to engage your audience while gathering insights. Example: Hootsuite might use a poll to ask, “Which platform do you find most challenging for engagement?” Followers participate by sharing their experiences, creating conversations around the brand.
- LinkedIn Live: Live sessions have some of the highest engagement rates. Example: Google often hosts LinkedIn Live events, discussing topics like AI and tech innovations, and inviting followers to ask questions, fostering a real-time, interactive experience.
4. Use Hashtags and Tag Relevant Pages and People
Why It’s Important: Hashtags increase the visibility of your posts by connecting them with users following specific topics, while tagging individuals or companies can increase your reach and build relationships with other influencers or brands.
- Hashtags for Visibility: Hashtags help expand your content’s reach to new audiences. Example: Shopify frequently uses #ecommerce, #digitalmarketing, and #smallbusiness in posts about retail trends, connecting with users who follow these topics.
- Tagging Influencers and Employees: Tagging relevant pages or people can expand your post’s reach significantly. Example: If a technology company shares a post on remote work, tagging an employee or a partner company like Zoom can lead to reshares, expanding the post’s reach to their networks.
5. Encourage Employee Advocacy
Why It’s Important: Employee advocacy amplifies your brand’s reach by tapping into employees’ personal networks. Employees’ followers are more likely to engage with content shared by someone they know, which increases trust and credibility.
- Empower Your Team to Share Content: Encourage employees to share your company’s content on LinkedIn. Example: SAP’s employee advocacy program motivates employees to share company posts, reaching thousands more LinkedIn users than the company page could alone.
- Create Shareable Content: Highlighting employees or showcasing company culture makes for highly shareable content. Example: Google often posts about employee achievements or company events, prompting employees to share these posts with their networks.
6. Engage with Followers and Respond to Comments
Why It’s Important: Engaging with followers builds trust, strengthens relationships, and promotes a sense of community around your brand. When users see that a brand actively responds, they’re more likely to engage and feel valued.
- Timely Responses: Responding quickly to comments or questions shows followers you care about their input. Example: Adobe regularly engages with users in the comments section, answering questions and thanking users for their input, fostering a loyal community.
- Personalize Your Responses: Personalized responses create a deeper connection with your audience. Example: When someone compliments a Nike product, the company might reply with, “Thanks, [Name]! We’re glad you’re enjoying the new collection.”
7. Invest in LinkedIn Ads and Sponsored Content
Why It’s Important: LinkedIn Ads allow you to reach a highly targeted audience. By investing in sponsored content, you can attract new, relevant followers who might not have discovered your page otherwise.
- Targeted Ads: LinkedIn Ads enable you to reach users based on their job title, industry, and more. Example: A B2B software company might target finance professionals with an ad offering a free whitepaper on workflow automation, bringing in new followers who are interested in their services.
- Boost High-Performing Posts: Boosting popular posts can maximize reach. Example: If IBM’s post on AI gains traction, they might sponsor it to reach a wider audience, potentially attracting new followers interested in technology and innovation.
8. Analyze and Optimize with LinkedIn Analytics
Why It’s Important: LinkedIn Analytics provides insights into what resonates with your audience. By tracking engagement, you can refine your content strategy to better meet your followers’ interests, increasing engagement and followership over time.
- Performance Insights: Track which posts receive the most engagement. Example: If HubSpot notices that their infographics receive high shares, they might increase their use of infographics in their content strategy to capitalize on that engagement.
- Refine Your Strategy: Use analytics to adjust your approach based on what works best for your audience. Example: Hootsuite might find that videos get more engagement than articles and shift their strategy to incorporate more video content.
9. Encourage Followers to Invite Their Networks
Why It’s Important: Encouraging your followers to share your content with their networks accelerates organic growth. Personal recommendations are often more persuasive than ads, helping you gain followers who are likely to be genuinely interested in your brand.
- Followers as Advocates: Invite followers to share posts, especially those with valuable insights or resources. Example: The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) might ask followers to share conservation-related posts to increase awareness and attract followers who care about environmental issues.
- Employee Invitations: LinkedIn allows page admins to invite personal connections to follow the page, helping to grow your audience. Example: A SaaS company might use this feature to send weekly invites to select LinkedIn contacts, gradually growing their follower base in relevant industries.
Building a substantial, engaged LinkedIn audience is just the beginning.
Once you’ve successfully grown your following, you have a powerful resource at your fingertips: a network of professionals who trust your brand and value your insights. With the right approach, you can turn this audience into a direct channel for sales growth.
Here’s how:
- Nurture Leads Through Value-Driven Content: Use LinkedIn to share targeted, solution-oriented content that addresses your audience’s pain points. Case studies, customer success stories, and testimonials can demonstrate how your products or services solve real-world problems, nudging followers further down the sales funnel.
- Promote Offers and Events: Engage your followers with exclusive LinkedIn promotions, webinars, or product demos. For instance, invite your LinkedIn audience to a live product showcase or a virtual Q&A session with industry experts. This approach not only builds excitement but also helps convert interested followers into paying customers.
- Drive Traffic to Key Sales Channels: Share links to specific landing pages, e-books, and product trials that drive traffic to your website, newsletter sign-ups, or e-commerce platform. Use LinkedIn’s call-to-action buttons on sponsored content to guide your audience towards meaningful engagement steps that ultimately lead to sales.
- Harness LinkedIn Ads for Retargeting: LinkedIn’s retargeting capabilities allow you to reach users who have interacted with your content but haven’t yet converted. By serving them tailored ads or reminders, you can recapture their attention and increase the likelihood of a purchase.
By focusing on these strategies, you can effectively harness the trust, engagement, and visibility you’ve built on LinkedIn, transforming your company page from a networking platform into a highly effective sales channel.