LinkedIn is a valuable tool for social media marketing. When you’re looking for career-minded people with disposable income, it’s the place for you. Some real estate brokers run their entire business using the leads they generate on LinkedIn. Law firms, insurance agents, and more can also benefit.

Research touted by LinkedIn itself suggests about 80% of B2B marketing leads on social media come from the platform. If you’re focused on B2B clients, you don’t want to wade through all the celebrity gossip over on Twitter: You want to zero in on an audience that’s interested in what you have to say.

Social media marketing on LinkedIn is worth it. But it’s different from what you may be used to.

Yes, you still need interesting, eye-catching content – preferably using video storytelling or a strong visual element in every post. Beyond those basics, though, the paths diverge. You may not get far on LinkedIn if you get “too” fun or cute. Prestige is the name of the game.

As the CEO, you have a powerful role to play.

As LinkedIn has grown to its current 830 million members (about 48% of which are active in any month), it’s seen its fair share of self-promotion. How can you cut through the clutter and inspire action – not an eye-roll – from potential customers and partners?

Boost your profile’s visibility in just a few minutes with these tips:

1. Use Keywords in Your Headline Field

Just like with Google, you want to think about your LinkedIn profile in terms of keywords – actual terms the people you want to meet will type in. “Chief Executive Officer (CEO)” should be the first part of your headline, of course. From there, you’ll get more creative than the average job-seeker.

Most savvy LinkedIn users pack their headlines with relevant skills, and this works great to raise visibility with recruiters. For CEOs, this prime real estate is best used to showcase your company’s industries and value proposition. Remember, you have 220 characters to work with!

For example, if you head a local plumbing company, you might write:

“Chief Executive Officer | Central Florida Plumbing | Plumbing for Homeowners and Small Business | 24-Hour Emergency Plumbing in Orlando, Tampa, Sarasota, St. Petersburg | WQA Certified Installers | 5 Stars on Google”

2. Make Your LinkedIn Profile’s Summary Scannable

Showing up in search results is only half the battle. For your social media marketing to make an impact, people need to actually read what you have to say. Much of the time, that’s easier said than done. This is an area where many people, from CEOs to students, drop the ball.

Your LinkedIn summary is where you drive home the promises in your headline. You have 2,600 characters or around nine full-sized paragraphs. Break down your message with headers and use relevant keywords throughout to elevate your visibility even further.

LinkedIn enables you to use a full selection of special text characters to enhance your profile and posts. As of recently, it even incorporates emojis. Use these elements judiciously to reproduce the bulleted list format most people navigate with ease, spotlighting the high points of your message.

For instance:

==> RELIABLE SERVICE: XYZ Plumbing served more than 2,000 customers in Central Florida in 2021 with an average emergency response time of just 11 minutes, 35 seconds.

3. Make It Easy to Contact You

LinkedIn relies in part on InMails to make its money, but your customers will thank you if you cut out the middleman. Consider leaving an email and phone number at the bottom of your profile.

If interested parties can speak to you directly, they’ll be much more likely to reach out. Naturally, you might want to set up a special “LinkedIn-only” number and email to help you manage your inbox.

4. Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator to Unmask “Profile Lurkers”

Sales Navigator is LinkedIn’s premium business intelligence service for prospecting.

Giving you visibility into the whole LinkedIn network along with a higher monthly allotment of InMails, it empowers you to take initiative. Plus, it lets you know exactly who’s been checking out your profile and what company they’re associated with, clearing the way for lucrative partnerships.

5. Post Helpful, Informative Content at Least Once a Week

The more you post on LinkedIn, the more likely the algorithm will promote your content and extend your reach. If your company is already engaged in a content marketing strategy, be sure you’re also promoting your best blogs and videos by sharing them on LinkedIn.

Want to go further with social media marketing? Contact us to find out more.