For smart marketers, LinkedIn has become much more than a networking tool or job hunting platform. Social selling on LinkedIn can be an extremely powerful method for business to business (B2B) marketers and sales professionals alike.

LinkedIn recently created a compelling infographic outlining some of the key research statistics for LinkedIn, and some of the highlights include:

• 80% of B2B marketing leads from social media come through LinkedIn.
• 92% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn over all others.
• Marketers say they see a 28% lower cost per lead with LinkedIn Sponsored Content than with Google Adwords.

Why does LinkedIn make sense for selling?

Unlike other social media platforms, people use LinkedIn for work. You know that when you’re on LinkedIn, you’re utilizing a network full of professionals and industry leaders, sharing insights and smart articles, and are socializing in place where you can make strategic connections.

Using LinkedIn, you can build a professional reputation for yourself, either as a reflection of your own company or the company you work for. You can become an “expert” in your industry, sharing relevant content, commenting on posts to build relationships, and making your profile full and engaging. You can even get recommendations, which are so valuable when building relationships because it gives you authenticity.

The difference between the traditional way of selling (think: cold calling) and social selling is that you can truly understand your target market, build relationships with them, and then approach them with an introduction. It takes the “cold” out of selling and makes it warm and fuzzy.

Insights to make you smarter

By carefully watching and engaging with your target market on platforms such as LinkedIn or Twitter, you can also begin to understand what they’re talking about, get a feeling for their needs, and approach them when the time is right. Social listening is key to a smart marketer and sales professional. Become truly immersed in your target network in order to really know how to speak their language and meet their needs.

Knowing your target prospects will help you build strong, lasting relationships. By sharing content and interacting with prospective clients and current clients, your return on investment will show. LinkedIn also has a ton of tools for selling, such as LinkedIn Premium, which gives you an extra boost to warm handoffs and insights.

Why not?

At the end of the day, LinkedIn is a free to low-cost method of generating quality leads and creating a strong network. Taking the time to create an individual social selling strategy, writing and maintaining a solid LinkedIn profile, and engaging with people in your network will benefit you, your sales team, and your company.

Is your LinkedIn profile ready for you to dive into the world of social selling? Ask me for a LinkedIn profile check-up!