HGA Takeaway

LinkedIn: The Ultimate Lead Generator

How to turn LinkedIn into a useful business development tool without turning your feed into one long sales pitch

LinkedIn can sometimes feel like one of those things we all know we should be doing, but knowing what to post, how often to show up and whether any of it is actually generating business is another matter entirely.

We recently joined a Department for Business, Innovation, Science & Trade webinar with Business Growth Adviser Charlie Garnham, looking at how businesses can use LinkedIn more strategically to build visibility, relationships and ultimately generate leads.

And reassuringly, the answer isn't to spend every waking hour posting on LinkedIn. It is much more about being relevant, being human and making it incredibly clear who you help and why somebody should care.

Start with the person on the other side of the screen

One of the strongest messages from the webinar was also one of the simplest: people aren't particularly interested in your business until they understand what your business can do for them.

That doesn't mean your story, products or achievements aren't important. They are. But the starting point should usually be your customer.

What are they struggling with? What are they trying to achieve? What can you teach them? What can you make easier? What might they find genuinely useful enough to stop scrolling for?

Think of LinkedIn as three things working together

The session broke a good LinkedIn strategy into three connected areas: relevant content, your business page and your personal profile. Focusing on just one can limit what the platform does for you.

So, what should you actually post?

This is usually the bit where everybody's mind suddenly goes blank.

The webinar suggested a mix of customer stories, case studies, thought leadership, behind the scenes content, polls, myth busting, useful information and questions that encourage people to join the conversation.

Visual formats such as carousels, infographics and video were also highlighted, alongside deeper content that actually gives the reader something useful rather than saying very little in the hope of chasing engagement.

Human beats robotic

This was another theme that came through strongly from the session.

According to the webinar, LinkedIn's current approach is increasingly focused on understanding the context, expertise and relevance behind content rather than simply counting obvious engagement signals.

The session also highlighted saves as an increasingly useful signal, which gives businesses a good reason to create the kind of content somebody might genuinely want to come back to later.

More importantly, the advice was to keep your content recognisably you. Overly generic, formulaic content isn't particularly memorable, however polished it might look.

Consistency doesn't mean posting every day

There was some very welcome news for anybody already wondering how on earth they are supposed to find time for all of this.

Quality matters more than quantity.

The advice from the webinar was to work out what consistency realistically looks like for your business and your available capacity. A sustainable rhythm of useful content is much more valuable than posting furiously for two weeks before disappearing for the next three months.

The session suggested that LinkedIn is increasingly looking at authority and consistency over a longer period too, rather than placing all the emphasis on an occasional viral post.

Don't leave your business page sitting on its own

Posting something to the company page is only part of the job. People generally need to follow the page to see its content, which means your team can play an important role in helping that content travel further.

Encourage relevant members of staff to engage with company posts and share them through their own profiles, particularly people involved in sales, marketing and customer relationships, as well as founders and directors who are already visible within the industry.

Your personal profile is part of your sales toolkit

A good personal LinkedIn profile shouldn't just tell somebody your job title. It should quickly help them understand what you know, who you help and why connecting with you could be worthwhile.

The webinar recommended building relevant connections, using LinkedIn's search tools and, crucially, actually engaging with other people rather than simply publishing your own posts and disappearing.

Give your profile a quick sense check

• Use a clear, recognisable profile photograph with good lighting.
• Make your expertise clear rather than relying entirely on your job title.
• Create a simple personalised LinkedIn URL where possible.
• Make it obvious who you work with and what you can help them achieve.
• Give people a clear next step if they want to speak to you.

Selling on LinkedIn doesn't have to mean cold DMs

This was probably one of the most useful parts of the session for businesses that want LinkedIn to generate actual opportunities rather than simply impressions.

Instead of treating every new connection as somebody to immediately pitch, think about creating a journey.

A post might lead somebody to a useful resource. That resource might lead them to your website. A small interaction might start a conversation. Over time, familiarity and trust can turn that person into a genuine lead.

Make sure your content actually leads somewhere

Good content can generate attention, but attention on its own doesn't pay the bills.

Think about what you want somebody to do after reading a post. That doesn't mean every post needs a giant BUY NOW message at the bottom. It simply means creating a sensible next step when one is appropriate.

That could be visiting your website, downloading a useful guide, seeing a product range, joining your mailing list, booking a conversation or simply following you for more useful content.

The webinar described this as turning small or "micro" engagements into opportunities through useful resources and a clear path for potential customers to follow.

And what about hashtags?

According to the session, businesses no longer need to rely heavily on hashtags to tell LinkedIn what their content is about.

Instead, use natural, topic specific language throughout your post. In other words, write clearly about the thing you actually want to be known for rather than adding a long row of hashtags at the bottom and hoping for the best.

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