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LinkedIn is one of the most popular social platforms we have as of now. But it still has its own USP (unique selling point) over other popular social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. when it comes to your digital marketing strategy. And that selling point is that LinkedIn is the only formal social media business platform. It is solely professional. Sit back and observe. There is a considerable difference between the language and content you’ll find on LinkedIn and the one you’ll find on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
But why is that so? Why is LinkedIn so different, and how can it affect your digital marketing goals? Well, that is precisely where the marketing team makes an entry. LinkedIn has marketed itself as a social platform solely meant for professionals and for professional purposes. It is not your daily fun and frolic that you’ll find on LinkedIn. And all this is a result of careful strategic planning.
Today, let us concentrate and dig a little deeper into its digital marketing strategy.
Essentially, any company’s or organization’s digital marketing strategy is composed of these five elements:
So, let’s don our Sherlock hats and investigate LinkedIn’s digital marketing strategy step by step!
The Social Networks of Digital Marketing
Even though LinkedIn is a social platform in itself, it has still not stopped marketing itself on other social media platforms. Why let go of these golden digital marketing opportunities? Yes, LinkedIn has a Facebook profile, a Twitter account, and an Instagram presence as well.
LinkedIn once launched a consumer-targeted digital marketing campaign, “In It Together,” where actual LinkedIn members talk about their success stories and their perception of success.
Have a look at how LinkedIn has launched this campaign on its social media platforms.
Here have a look at LinkedIn’s Facebook page:
Observe carefully and see that even though the colors and style used are much more in line with the Facebook-style (fun & creative). Still, LinkedIn has retained its professional look even then, which we so much associate with this brand.
The Facebook cover image consists of five different professionals from different fields – showcasing its versatility. Also, the pinned post on their page says, “No matter how you define success, there’s a community that can help you get there. What are you in it for?”
Once again, a perfect wordplay that combines creativity with professionalism.
Moving on to Twitter, you’ll find a similar trend.
Note that the header used is the same as that used on Facebook, maintaining consistency across social platforms.
Once again, the pinned tweet says, “Your story, your goals, and your definition of success may all be different. But whatever you’re in it for, we’re #inittogether. What are you in it for?”
Maintaining consistency of the message they’ve put up on Facebook.
Here’s a sneak-peek at Linkedn’s Instagram account.
Once again, Linkedin has managed to maintain its professional and formal image but not ignore the informal and light-hearted atmosphere of the platform it has posted on.
Wait a minute! One last social media profile look. Presenting to you the YouTube channel of Linkedin.
Take notice, and the YouTube header and the featured video are consistent with the other platforms.
All the platforms display these things in common:
- The header is directly aligned to the “In It Together” campaign
- The first/pinned post or tweet or video is the same and about the campaign.
The company has maintained consistency across all social platforms while launching its digital marketing campaign.
Website: An Essential Digital Marketing Tool
In this day and age, having a website has become a prerequisite to setting up a business of any kind. It is a powerful digital marketing tool not meant to be ignored. So you can imagine, for a company like LinkedIn, whose core functionality lies in the digital realm, having a great website is essential. The look, feel, and content of the website represent the identity and positioning of the brand.
The first words that come to mind when we first enter their website probably include “clean,” “simple,” and “professional.” The first prompt asks you to either join or log in with an existing account, which is standard for most websites with your own profile, such as Facebook, for example. Then, in the background, we can see pictures of individuals who all have two things in common, a smile on their face and a somewhat formal appearance or pose. This is the first indication, for those who have no idea what LinkedIn could be, that this website is for professionals, employees, or employers of various sectors.
Once you’ve logged in, you can see three columns: a mini version of your profile on the left, newsfeed in the middle, and page recommendations and advertisements on the right. The mini-profile only highlights eye-catching info, what you’d generally want to know first, such as how many people have viewed your profile or how many have viewed your posts.
Interestingly, there is also an advertisement on the top of the middle column. It’s usually a one-liner, sometimes in the form of a question. These ads are customized to suit you. For example, mine usually talks about something relevant to content or marketing, which makes sense because of my profession, likings, and experiences. There is a navigation bar on top for easy access to essential parts of the website like network and messages. The dark blue, white, and grey color scheme provides a professional and subtle look. Overall, the website is easy to navigate through.
Of course, for LinkedIn, the main action happens once you click on your profile. Much like other social media platforms, you can change your profile picture and add a banner. You can input all your educational qualifications and work experience in full detail. The point is to attract employers who could potentially see your profile and give you an opportunity. Your profile is basically your digital curriculum vitae.
Online PR
Online PR is another tactic that has been used by LinkedIn within its Integrated Marketing Strategy. Like traditional PR, the heart of online PR lies in storytelling, or in other words, creating content. And the supports of online PR are no further than KOLs (key opinion leaders), like bloggers, social media influencers, and the online journalist (who you would often see on those press conferences with their hands busily typing and tweeting throughout the events).
As such, online PR could agencies direct and indirect. As we have already told you about the ‘In It Together’ campaign, LinkedIn has partnered with several PR agencies. Such as Hope&Glory who leverage earned media in the UK, and Hotwire and Havas doing the same in Germany and France, respectively, intending to increase campaign awareness across online newspapers and magazines. In terms of establishing a relationship with real influencers, like Shanice Mear, who believed herself to become a ‘future leader’ with ‘the ability to find talents regardless of their background, or Nelly Meunier, who is an entrepreneur seeking to rebuild love and connection between families and their grandparents after going into care, Brands2Life handled this matter in both France and the UK, while Grayling manage it in Germany.
More indirectly, online PR is delivered in social media by KOLs. The message becomes more niche and personal, as the influencers speak from their experiences in such a tone that suits their followers. For example, suppose you search ‘LinkedIn’ on Youtube. In that case, thousands of videos come up featuring different contents, leading to pros and cons when LinkedIn is not directly ‘in charge’ of the content (unless it is paid!). However, these platforms have done justice to facilitate conversation, bringing their followers’ attention toward LinkedIn. It is then vital for LinkedIn to have an influencer database, to address significant negative comments which could potentially affect the brand reputation.
Email marketing has become one of the most valuable digital marketing tools for any company operating in the digital era. People check their emails on their phones just as often as they check texts, if not more.
LinkedIn makes sure that it is always present in the inbox of the user. It will always send emails suggesting people you could possibly know or ones that could strengthen your network. It will also send emails regarding various organizations that you could follow to find work.
Newsletters and mailers are another helpful, informative, and innovative form of email marketing. In LinkedIn (just like many other companies), all you have to do is subscribe to their mailing list. It sends you mailers called the Linkedin marketing blog. The content format promotes its blog and maintains its image as a platform for business information and professionals.
And one of the features provided in these mailers is that you’re free to unsubscribe from the mailing list should at any point of time you feel you no longer want to receive these emails. An attractive feature indeed for customers as it gives them the power to control the content they receive.
Online Advertising
Like any other service platform on the internet, LinkedIn relies on online advertising to promote its website to potential customers and raise brand awareness. LinkedIn uses various ways to promote its business, one of which is social media ads. They run ads on various social networking sites such as Facebook to try and engage potential customers to click the site and join LinkedIn. It is a highly effective method to reach a large community of online users.
LinkedIn also promotes using online campaigns, one of which is “In it together,” where real LinkedIn users share their stories. It will run across digital channels such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube. By doing this video campaign, LinkedIn can capture a broad audience through multiple social networking sites and also encourage people to share the video across their social media accounts. It will also raise brand awareness and encourage non-members to join LinkedIn.
Not only to run a campaign, but LinkedIn also uses YouTube to share videos about their website. They share videos about various topics, from people’s experiences to tips on how to handle interviews. They also share videos on how to use certain features on LinkedIn. This is a great way to connect and engage with people and also a great way to encourage non-members to start using LinkedIn.
LinkedIn also uses its own website to gain new members by making their new user invite their existing professional network to connect. This strategy is encouraging users to join their personal networks and invite non-members to Sign up. This is a really efficient way for LinkedIn to gain new members without any budget.
Tresformics Solutions is a digital technology organization providing business optimization solutions to organizations across the globe. We help organizations right from sourcing the right talent to designing & building their digital presence to optimizing their operational costs with the help of cutting-edge technologies and digital marketing expertise.
