This article is part of the comprehensive LinkedIn Sales Navigator Guide. Read our related content on LinkedIn’s CRM Integration for Sales Management, LinkedIn Groups for Sales Collaboration, LinkedIn Ads for Sales Campaigns, LinkedIn Stories and Live Features, LinkedIn Analytics for Sales, LinkedIn Learning for Sales Teams, LinkedIn’s Feed Algorithms, and on LinkedIn Events.
Key Takeaways
- LinkedIn’s Publishing Platform offers an extensive reach and credibility boost for sales professionals.
- Features like an easy-to-use interface and robust analytics make LinkedIn an ideal platform for crafting and monitoring sales content.
- Utilizing best practices in content creation and cross-promotion can significantly enhance engagement and success rates.
In today’s digital age, the LinkedIn Publishing Platform has emerged as a powerful tool for professional networking and sales enablement. With LinkedIn’s wide reach and credibility-enhancing features, you can amplify your sales messages like never before.
From the types of content that resonate with audiences to effective promotion techniques, we’ve got you covered. This is the perfect read for sales professionals like you who are eager to leverage LinkedIn to make those sales numbers soar.
Why LinkedIn Publishing Platform?
The Reach of LinkedIn
We’re talking about a platform with 700 million-plus users. But these aren’t just any users; they are professionals, decision-makers, industry leaders—the kind of people you’d wear a tie to meet. You want your content to catch their eye, don’t you? With such an extensive network, LinkedIn ensures that your content has the potential to reverberate through the professional world like a well-timed sales pitch.
Credibility Factor
Remember the last time you Googled someone before a meeting? Well, people Google you too. And LinkedIn profiles often show up right at the top of search results. By publishing insightful, quality content on LinkedIn, you’re essentially putting out a digital welcome mat that screams “Industry Expert Lives Here!” It boosts not only your personal brand but also reflects positively on your organization.
Features of LinkedIn Publishing Platform
The LinkedIn Publishing Platform is more than just a digital notepad; it’s a full-fledged toolkit designed to help you create, share, and analyze your content. Let’s dig into some of its key features in greater detail, so you can make the most of this dynamic platform.
A User-Friendly Writing Environment
Picture this: a clean, distraction-free writing environment that lets you focus solely on your words. You can draft articles directly on the platform and even save them as drafts to come back to later. It’s the ease of use that lets you kickstart your creative process without stumbling on technological roadblocks. There’s a rich text editor for formatting your content, adding hyperlinks, or embedding images and videos. It’s pretty much like the Google Docs or MS Word of social media platforms, designed for immediate publishing.
Content Customization Tools
Want to pull in a quote that stands out or need to bullet-point a list of key takeaways? LinkedIn Publishing offers a variety of customization tools to structure your article the way you envision it. From using headers for better readability to bulleting or numbering for lists, you can make your content as skimmable or as deep as you want it to be.
Media Embedding Capabilities
People are visual creatures. LinkedIn knows that. You can readily integrate images, slides, podcasts, and videos within your articles. You just have to drag and drop your media files into the editor or use the ’embed’ option for links. Visual aids not only provide additional context but also break up long sections of text, making your content easier to digest.
Tagging and SEO Features
Once your article is ready to go live, LinkedIn lets you add tags relevant to your content. These tags help in making your article discoverable to the right audience.
There’s also a field for SEO settings where you can add a customized URL and meta description to make your article more search-engine friendly. It’s like laying out breadcrumbs for search engines and potential readers to find their way to your content.
Scheduled Publishing
Got an aha moment at midnight but don’t want to publish until your audience is most active? No worries. LinkedIn Publishing Platform allows you to schedule your posts. This feature is a lifesaver for those who want to maintain a consistent posting schedule without being tethered to their desks.
Analytics Dashboard
You can’t manage what you can’t measure. Once your article is live, LinkedIn provides real-time analytics that display views, reads, and engagement metrics.
This isn’t just vanity numbers; this is actionable data. You’ll see who has engaged with your content, what company they work for, their job position, and even their location. These insights help you understand your audience better and fine-tune future content strategies.
Interactive Engagement Features
Your published articles come with interactive features such as likes, comments, and shares. These built-in social signals allow for immediate feedback and engagement from your network. They’re not just ego-boosters; they’re conversations waiting to happen, relationships waiting to be built.
Crafting Sales Content on LinkedIn
Types of Content
Here’s where the rubber meets the road. You’ve got several avenues to explore:
- Articles for those deep dives.
- Posts for quick updates or sharing valuable snippets.
- Videos because, let’s be real, who doesn’t love a good video these days?
Best Practices
You’ve got this shiny platform with bells and whistles, but how do you create content that doesn’t just make noise but actually resonates with your audience? Here’s where the best practices of crafting content come into play. And we’re not just going to preach theory; we’ll illustrate each point with concrete examples for better clarity.
The Importance of Headlines
Example 1: Let’s say you’re in software sales and you want to write about cloud computing. A generic headline like “The Benefits of Cloud Computing” might get lost in the sea of similar articles. Try something punchier, like “Why Your Company Can’t Afford to Ignore Cloud Computing in 2023.”
Example 2: Maybe you’re a sales rep in the pharmaceutical industry. Instead of a headline like “New Developments in Cancer Research,” why not something that grabs attention, like “The Breakthrough Drug That’s Changing the Face of Cancer Treatment”?
The headline should be compelling enough to make someone stop scrolling and think, “I need to read this.”
Utilizing Images and Other Media
Suppose you’ve written a post on “How to Increase Sales Efficiency.” You can embed a relevant infographic that breaks down the key points into visual elements. It serves as a quick reference guide for your readers and adds aesthetic value to your article.
Or, since you’re talking about your product’s success stories, how about embedding a short video clip featuring client testimonials? It brings your success stories to life and adds an emotional layer to your content.
Images, videos, or podcasts can offer different perspectives and engage different senses, making your content multi-dimensional.
The Art of Storytelling in Sales
Instead of listing dry statistics about how your product increased company efficiency by 20%, narrate the story of Jane, a manager drowning in spreadsheets, late nights, and coffee. Then introduce your product as the lifeboat that pulled her out of the abyss of inefficiency.
Remember, stories are relatable, memorable, and shareable. They add a human element to what might otherwise be considered just a sales pitch.
By applying these best practices with real-world examples, you are not just informing your audience but engaging them. Your content becomes more than just text on a screen; it becomes a dynamic interaction that can inspire action.
Promoting Your Content
Sharing Across LinkedIn
Once your masterpiece is ready, it deserves an audience. LinkedIn helps you promote your content across various channels—your profile, groups you’re part of, and even direct InMails for that personal touch.
Utilizing Other Social Media Channels
Don’t just stop at LinkedIn. Take snippets, images, or even titles from your LinkedIn content and promote them on Twitter, Facebook, or wherever else your potential customers hang out.
Tracking and Optimization
Monitoring Engagement
Keep an eye on those analytics; they’re your roadmap to improvement. LinkedIn provides you with various metrics to gauge engagement and understand what truly resonates with your audience.
A/B Testing
Feeling adventurous? Try A/B testing different headlines, images, or even full articles. It’s the only way to know for sure what your audience prefers.
Conclusion
LinkedIn’s Publishing Platform is not just another channel; it’s a dynamic ecosystem designed to amplify your voice, reach the right eyes, and, most importantly—get those sales numbers shooting up.
From crafting your content to promoting it and then tracking its success, the platform offers a comprehensive toolkit for sales pros ready to up their game
FAQs: Creating Effective Sales Content with LinkedIn Publishing Platform
What is the LinkedIn Publishing Platform?
The LinkedIn Publishing Platform is a feature within LinkedIn that allows users to create, publish, and share articles directly to their professional network.
Why should I use the LinkedIn Publishing Platform for sales content?
LinkedIn has an extensive professional network and high credibility, making it a powerful platform for sales professionals to publish and promote their content.
What features does the LinkedIn Publishing Platform offer?
LinkedIn’s platform provides a user-friendly interface, customization tools, media embedding, SEO settings, scheduled publishing, and an analytics dashboard.
What are some best practices for crafting sales content on LinkedIn?
Focus on creating compelling headlines, utilizing visual aids, and storytelling to make your content engaging and relatable. These elements significantly enhance user engagement.
How can I track the performance of my LinkedIn articles?
LinkedIn offers a built-in analytics dashboard that provides real-time metrics on views, reads, and engagement, helping you refine your content strategy.
