How to Use LinkedIn as a B2B Link Prospect Development Tool

LinkedIn is one of the top social media platforms recognized abroad, and it is also an effective B2B link development tool. This article will analyze several ways to develop external links to websites through LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is recognized as one of the top social media platforms for B2B operators.
 
As shown, 91% of B2B operators use LinkedIn to publish their content. It is considered the most influential social media platform when it comes to conveying content.
 

 
Over the years, many successful salespeople have used LinkedIn not only as a marketing platform, but also for link building, prospect research and business development. Jill Konrath and Ardath Albee surveyed 3,094 salespeople about how they use LinkedIn to develop new business opportunities. Top salespeople use LinkedIn for their list development and prospect research efforts, and there are many opportunities that can be rewarding throughout the year.
The following chart is a comparison between top salespeople and ordinary salespeople, which can also help B2BSearch Engine OptimizationPeople make better use of LinkedIn for link prospect development.
 

 
As Google has repeatedly strengthened its crackdown on SEO link building behaviors, establishing a good relationship with industry professionals and authoritative organizations will help to establish links with them.content marketingaspects of cooperation. Below, I will explain in detail how to use LinkedIn to find potential content management partners to help us build links that are beneficial to B2B SEO.
 
1. Recent status of blog marketing in Google
 
Currently, there is a lot of buzz about blog marketing and link building in the SEO world,Matt Cutts, head of Google's anti-spam team, publicly emphasized the dangers of blog marketing on his blog, Subsequently, some webmasters were warned for their bad practices in blog marketing.
 
In my opinion, we shouldn't be approaching third party publishers just for links, we should be building brand awareness for our clients, creating and sharing content that is relevant to a specific audience. We also make the opportunity to gain links an extended part of the research, rather than a requirement.
 
Another important point to consider: every aspect of this strategy involves your personal brand. From your LinkedIn research to your outreach content, every step of the way is connected to yourpersonal brandStakes are at stake.
 
2. Decide on link development goals
 
The first step is to determine the type of marketing and content you want to associate with it. This gives your marketing team, product marketers, and sometimes even your sales team the direction in which your linking efforts should go.

Possible link development candidates:
 
1. Complementary suppliers.
 
2. Industry organizations/associations.
 
3. Customers.
 
4. Distributor, dealer or manufacturer (depending on your group type).
 
5. Strategic partners.
 
Be careful not to cross boundaries or conflict with existing relationships. Jiexin Internet Marketing Agency reminds: This is not just building links, but also expanding the brand influence of the team. The content it creates should be beneficial to the audience in the industry. The realization of this goal requires the participants to treat it carefully and communicate a lot.
 
3. LinkedIn Premium Account
 
Most LinkedIn users are free users. A premium account unlocks some unique and important features that benefit job seekers and professional branding, and are extremely necessary for building your target client list.
more importantly:
 
1. Deeper contact overview information.
 
2. Advanced search function.
 
3. Advanced search function.
 
4. InMail function.
 
If you're going to use LinkedIn as a research tool for link building, we strongly recommend investing in at least the first level of Premium Account. The following features are based on a premium account in order to access certain information.
 
4. LinkedIn Search Queries
 
There are two ways search engine marketers can identify link targets by researching LinkedIn. The first is through LinkedIn's advanced search interface, see the picture below.

 
Search engine marketers can use the filters in this interface to create highly targeted lists. It is recommended to use the “Save Search” feature to keep the filters running and receive email notifications when LinkedIn finds new results (see red box above).
Another way to search the LinkedIn database is to perform a more advanced search query in their standard search area. LinkedIn provides the following commands to create a more complex search result (PDF information can also be found here).
 
1. " " - Used when searching for an exact phrase, name or message.
 
2. ( ) - Complex search with combination of words and modifiers.
 
3. AND - Search for compound words. Used when there are no modifiers between words.
 
4. OR - Search for one or more words in profiles, pages or other valuable places.
 
5. NOT - Exclude specific terms when searching.
 
So if you're looking for opportunities to get in touch with a specific organization or company, use a query like this:


 
In this example, my goal is to find members of Third Door Media (the owner of the publication) who qualify as "marketing", "communications", or have editorial capabilities. Once I have a small list, I can refer to the names of the authors and editors of the target publications I find on LinkedIn to decide on the most appropriate candidates. It is advantageous to have a selected list of agencies and businesses looking for specific members of the marketing department.
 
5. Matters needing attention in external relations
 
After you've researched enough of your target list, the next step is to build external links to reinforce the content. Here, there are a few suggestions:
1. First of all, there is no need to ask to listen or pay attention. Marketers are tired of blindly asking for attention, and even if you have a valid reason to associate, it's not a wise choice for link building.
 
2. Prepare for LinkedIn. Pay attention to individual interests, group participation, experience, etc. Find relevant relationships and expertise that can help move the conversation forward.
 
3. Do a good job of preparing for the target publisher. Focus on the person's best work or most important contributions. Determine that your organization's content will benefit the target publisher's audience. the
 
4. Describe your business situation as simply and clearly as possible. Strangers often want to quickly understand the purpose of your contact, and you should try to describe how to benefit him and his audience as simple and clear as possible. Moreover, the small writing space provided by the InMail function in LinkedIn also limits the length of your description. Of course, the description should also appear natural and unobtrusive.
 
5. Offer help. Some of the successful links I've built come from helping them with their online marketing strategies as much as I can. (However, unsolicited help with an evaluative tone is more likely to be ignored.)
 
6. Finally, don’t forget to build a fully professional LinkedIn profile. An account without history, experience, or even an avatar will definitely be rejected when making a link request.
 
Successful external linking is more of an art than a science, and often requires a little luck.
success case:
 
The following are several successful practice cases. In each instance, we had designated target group lists to research, used LinkedIn search queries to identify potential marketers, and started outreach.
 
Case 1


 
In this case, we at Jiexin Internet Marketing Agency were trying to get a posting opportunity on a certain industry vendor marketing blog. By utilizing LinkedIn search queries, researching the profile of the company's LinkedIn page, and browsing the vendor's existing blogging resources, Jiexin Networks identified several people who could send blogging requests.
 
The first request was ignored, but in the second, I helped them polish their Google+ resume by pointing out a bug in their project that might have lowered Google's weight. From this, I got a response. After a series of brainstorming sessions, we are now able to continue posting on this vendor's blog.
 
Case 2


 
In this example, an article from Mashable inspired us, so Jiexin Internet Marketing Agency actively requested to establish external links with manufacturers to create collaborative content for their blogs. We use LinkedIn to research contacts and find potential candidates by searching company pages and reviewing key LinkedIn groups. That Mashable article ended up bringing us 12 contributors, over 100 shares and nearly two dozen links to related industry websites.
 
conclusion
 
As Google intensifies its crackdown on link building for SEO, the only way to deal with it is to create real connections with online publishers and marketers that will make them willing to do so.content marketingplan to cooperate. LinkedIn is the perfect way to develop this type of relationship.