Social media are one of the tools that contribute to lead generation efforts in B2B and B2C. However, it is important to determine the efficiency of the various social channels in driving more leads.
-
I was reading a very interesting article by author, Rebecca Corliss sharing a recent study of LinkedIn’s conversion rates, by HubSpot on over 5,000 businesses.
-
Based on the results of the study, it discovered that traffic gained from LinkedIn created the top conversion rate from visitor-to-lead.
The rate was at 2.74 percent, which is three times higher than Twitter and Facebook. Twitter was able to generate a conversion rate of 0.69 percent, while Facebook had 0.77 percent.
-
The study proved how LinkedIn garnered the highest conversion rate, as compared to social media sites. This means that of all the traffic to these business’ websites via social media sites only 0.98 percent converted into leads.
-
LinkedIn, on the other hand, has a lead conversion rate that reached 2.74 percent. These big numbers cause many people to wonder why LinkedIn can be the best channel for lead generation. They seek to find out how they can use LinkedIn to their advantage.
-
- Individuals join LinkedIn to present their work expertise, career, and to search for information that will improve their professional lives.
- Businesses who target other companies will find a high concentration of their target audience on LinkedIn.
- Moreover, most people who visit the site have a business-focused mindset. This sense of purpose will contribute to the excellent performance of the business.
The same, positive results can be attained by B2C-focused industries. You will find less content posted to LinkedIn as compared to other social channels. This is because most users post marketing-related ads and content instead of the typical photos or social comments.
-
LinkedIn offers a professional atmosphere, and users can benefit from the content posted on the site at any possible time. This means that a company’s marketing post is more visible on LinkedIn than in any other site.
-
With these proven statistics and facts, I am betting that more and more business owners, marketers and entrepreneurs will think twice about LinkedIn. What about you?
-
To Your Continued Online Business Success!
-
Hi Lynn,
I used to share my content on Linkedin but stop for a couple months. Starting this week, I resume posting my blog posts on Linkedin. Love to test out this source and hopefully to turn it to another main stream traffic source like Twitter / Facebook.
I think by connecting to people in the similar industry will help a lot as well. Time for me to establish some connections on Linkedin.
Cheers,
Ming
Ming Jong Tey recently posted..How & Why Storytelling Can Benefit Every Blogger And Marketer?
Hi Ming! Glad to hear you’re rediscovering the power of LinkedIn. It truly is a fantastic social media platform and enables you to not only share content but also connect with entrepreneurs/small business owners/companies/corporations that are of like minds. I particularly enjoy joining LinkedIn groups to network, share ideas and gain insight through those that have “been there, done that” — great resource! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts today. Have a super weekend!
Hi Lynne, thanks for your report on the stats for LinkedIn, obviously it’s a good place for business people to spend time.
Have you ever done submitted any of the paid adverts for Linked In? I haven’t heard any statistics about whether they do well or not, have you?
Julieanne van Zyl recently posted..Niche = Target Market + Solutions
Hi Julianne I have been out of town and catching up on my blog here. I wanted to let you know I have not done any ads on LinkedIn yet. I just received an email today with a $50 credit towards advertising on LinkedIn and I am going to give it a whirl to see what results it produces.
I have already tested Facebook and so I thought I would see how it compares to LinkedIn. Will make for yet another good article or blog post, right? lol
Thank you for stopping by and hope you are having a great day.
Lynn Brown recently posted..6 Things You Might Be Doing Wrong On Twitter
Very interesting post, Lynn. Having a LinkedIn account is very important for all, and everyone that wants to be noticed professionally should have a profile there.
Mariella Lombardi recently posted..I Am Dying For A Brownie – Can I Have Sugar When Trying to Lose Weight?
Couldn’t agree with you more Mariella! Appreciate you stopping by and sharing your comments. Have a wonderful day.
Lynn Brown recently posted..Best 4 Blogging Tips for Small Business Owners
Thanks for sharing this article.
I have a LinkedIn account, but never understood how can I use it. I tried hard to gain some leads but all efforts went in vain. Let’s try it out again.
Thanks for this information. I really appreciate it
Arbaz Khan recently posted..4 Blogging Myths prevailing in the Blogosphere !!!!!
There are many people just like you Arbaz that have LinkedIn accounts and not sure how to utilize this amazing platform. May I offer you some ideas, one being, my product “The 10 Missing Links of Your LinkedIn Profile – Found!” …. it is a 10 video, 5 hour course where I show you the ropes in building a solid, effective LinkedIn profile. AND also offer tips, ideas and suggestions on getting connections and building your visibility quickly. If you are interested (click on Tab above – Quick Start, then Your Perfect Profile)…. send me an email I will give you a personal coupon for $75 Off!
And …. visit my YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/linkedinmarketingmgr My videos offer some really good tips you can start applying today!
Hope that will help you Arbaz. Thank you for stopping by today and look forward to you visiting again soon.
Lynn Brown recently posted..Cracking The Puzzle Of Your Facebook Business Fans
I am interested in giving it another try. I have been posting my blog regularly both in the stream and in groups. My content usually gets spam for replys, any suggestions?
Lynda Cromar recently posted..Ray Higdon’s Private Webinar Part 3
Without seeing how you are sharing your content on LinkedIn Lynda I couldn’t address your question. But I can tell you that I have hardly, very rarely have seen spam in the discussions and groups that I belong to. (I’m in 46 groups right now).
If you belong to several groups and you see one or two groups where your content is getting spam comments, then possibly your content may not be a good fit for that particular group in LinkedIn.
You can leave groups on LinkedIn and then look for new ones that are more targeted towards your business and niche. Hope that helps Lynda. You can always send me an email and I will be happy to help you with this.
Thank you very much for stopping by today and adding your comments. I would like to see LinkedIn be a good resource for you
Lynn Brown recently posted..Cracking The Puzzle Of Your Facebook Business Fans
Very informative post, Lynn. I do have a LinkedIn account but haven’t been doing anything with it lately. LinkedIn is a little too stuffy for me, personally but I definitely may have to investigate the benefits of it! Especially with that type of conversion ratio compared to facebook and twitter!
Anthony Hutcherson recently posted..29 leads in less than 2 hours at the push of a button!
Thanks Anthony for sharing your honest opinion and comments. I think you will find LinkedIn really isn’t all that stuffy. In fact, I meet some really great people to connect with, built some great alliances and many of my clients have found me through LinkedIn.
Give it a try, I bet you will see it is a platform that will help you, your business and our current and potential customers!
Always appreciate you stopping by and look forward to you visiting again soon.
Lynn Brown recently posted..Have You Changed Your Twitter Profile Lately
Hi Lynn,
How I love LinkedIn! I used to call it my “secret weapon” because people thought it was just for resume’s and unfortunately some still do.
It is good to see the stats that you have posted for social proof! I totally agree and always did that people on LinkedIn are business-minded people. I received more incoming business via LinkedIn than anywhere else. I have been using it for years, even before I started Internet Marketing.
The Groups on LinkedIn are great. Here is where one can make many connections with others. The best part of it all, is that your blog roll is always there and some people are searching for a key word and find YOU…from there we can build relationships.
Thanks so much Lynn for this post. I get tired shouting it out. lol
Donna
Donna Merrill recently posted..Are You Hiding Under A “Blogging Umbrella?”
So glad to have you in our corner of promoting LinkedIn Donna! It truly is a secret weapon as many do still think of it as a resume or job finding platform. Which it is still a good resource for that.
I agree, the groups are the best part of LinkedIn and the best feature to gain connections, build visibility and yes, even build your client and customer base. Really appreciate you sharing your positive comments and advice about LinkedIn Donna. Always a pleasure!
Lynn Brown recently posted..Have You Changed Your Twitter Profile Lately
I do agree that LinkedIn is more effective for lead generation. However, people use facebook because it seems more natural and easier.
Linkedin on the other hand has different rules and ethics. Just studying the statistics on linkedin, someone would want more educated and higher income prospects to connect with.
Do you recommend any good course for linkedin marketing?
Jacob recently posted..Ultimate Attraction Marketing Formula For Lead Generation
Thank you Jacob for sharing your comments. I’m not sure if Facebook is that much easier for people, but it certainly is more familiar for people. But when it comes to business, I believe, LinkedIn can’t be beat. It is the platform to meet, communicate, build leads and connections with other business people.
The best way to use LinkedIn for your business is to join groups that are within your industry or market. You can start with 2 or 3 groups, get involved by commenting and liking discussions, then start your own discussions. You can then start inviting group members to connect with you. There are many other things you can do on LinkedIn to build a strategy that would work for you.
Whatever you decide Jacob, and you do jump into LinkedIn, I just suggest that you make a real commitment to consistently implement the platform so you can see the results it can bring.
I am always happy to answer questions about LinkedIn, so feel free to drop me an email or send me a message on LinkedIn
Lynn Brown recently posted..The Top 3 Reasons Small Business Owners Should Be On LinkedIn
Hi Lynn,
I don’t know how many times I have thought to myself to contribute more time to LinkedIn. The statistics in your post are certainly impressive and deems a serious look at expanding my LinkedIn network. It makes sense that LinkedIn would draw such astounding numbers since it is a professional platform, rather than a social as Facebook and Twitter. Thanks Lynn, I’m going to definitely make LinkedIn a higher priority and take action.
Raena Lynn
Raena Lynn recently posted..youtube first page Rank Is Possible
Thanks Raena, I love your positive spirit. And what you said is key …. ‘contribute more time to LinkedIn’…. it doesn’t have to be all day. But maybe schedule your day where you go to LinkedIn for 15 minutes.
I like to suggest to my clients, 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening for each social site. So for me, I have Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. So that is 30 minutes in the a.m. and p.m. It works really well.
Of course there may be times I spend more because of my work in social media. But small business owners can do this and you can do it from your smartphones too!
Thanks so much for sharing your comments and positive support. Glad you stopped by today and look forward to you visiting again soon.
Lynn Brown recently posted..The Top 3 Reasons Small Business Owners Should Be On LinkedIn
Very interesting article, Lynn. I also read you source article, the main points of which you nicely reiterated. Although I have a LinkedIn account, I’ve never really mastered that particular platform. I’d be interested in any comments you might have on how LinkedIn could be used as a B2C lead generating platform, or even more specific ideas on how it can used as a lead-generating tool in general. Numbers are great, but the nuts and bolts of “how-to” are what would be extremely helpful here.
Steve Vernon recently posted..The Quantum Attraction
I think that is the one common factor I run into the most about LinkedIn Steve. I work with small business owners and that is the first hurdle, understanding LinkedIn’s platform for business.
LinkedIn groups is probably the most underused and quietly kept secret. I say this because once a business owner applies consistent, daily engagement on LinkedIn, the leads, prospects start rolling in and the next step is for the business owner and their team to do the rest.
With LinkedIn groups, there are a variety of different ways to communicate, connect and create your visibility. This alone is what sparks people on LinkedIn to learn about you, your business and products. As I have mentioned before, this is where the majority of my clients reach me is on LinkedIn.
Spend some time by joining a couple of groups, then start getting into discussions, adding comments, liking comments and then start adding your discussions and so forth. I think you will then start seeing some action, and also learn about other features LinkedIn has that can even provide more value to your audience and your visibility.
I guess you can see, I can go on and on! Really appreciate you stopping in and sharing your comments. Look forward to learning how LinkedIn works for you and your business!
Lynn Brown recently posted..Succeeding In Business With A Winning Attitude
Hi Lynn,
This is really interesting. I know how important LInkedIn…But it tends to be one of the places I don’t have as much time to market and network on.
Maybe I should change up my focus a little
Beth
Beth Hewitt recently posted..Reasons Why You Need a Blog (Part 1)
You may find a whole new audience over on LinkedIn Beth! Although before you give it a try, just be sure you LinkedIn profile is 100% complete, has your specific keywords and your summary points out what your potential client, customer, prospect can expect.
And when you are on LinkedIn, search engines will start seeing your profile which will help to get it ranked. It is a pretty powerful site way too many businesses are not taking advantage of. But then of course, I’m a bit prejudice since LinkedIn is my favorite platform for my business
Thanks Beth for sharing your comments today.
Lynn Brown recently posted..The Fate And Future Of Facebook
Hi Lynn, for me Linkedin is by far the best social network when it comes to business, actually I get the same traffic and some times more from Linkedin than facebook, and the quality of this traffic is always better. I didn’t know these numbers about conversion rate but it’s not a surprise, thanks for sharing…
Kostas recently posted..Social Media and Marketing Automation Merge – What a Hoot!
I agree Kostas in what you say about the ‘quality of traffic’ that you can expect from LinkedIn. I believe the more you engage with other professionals and business people that is the attraction you will build and experience.
Glad you stopped by and shared that point with us today. Hope you will visit again soon. Have a great day!
Lynn Brown recently posted..The Fate And Future Of Facebook
Hi Lynn,
Thanks for bringing out this study. I definitely think that while all social media are aiming to the same results, they are all different in a way and all have their strongest suit.
For me at the moment facebook seems to be doing the job, but that doesn’t mean that it couldn’t change.
Thanks, Lynn
Sylviane Nuccio recently posted..3,007 Word Interview With Writer And Entrepreneur Carol Lynn
That is a good point Sylviane. Any social site is a tool for your business depending on your goals and of course, your audience. Always good idea to look to other social sites in addition to ones you have or possibly to make a change all together if your target market dictates.
Thank you for your comments today and glad that you stopped by. Hope you are enjoying your day!
Lynn Brown recently posted..Growing Your Business By Avoiding These 5 Mistakes
I am a Wellness Coach and received two coaching positions through my connections on LinkedIn. Still trying to learn more about how I can best utilize this social media tool.
Patricia O’Flynn recently posted..Amazing Arches
That is great news Patricia. Not sure how long you have been on LinkedIn, but I say keep with it. Groups are a great way to gain more visibility by participating in discussions, starting your own discussions and connecting with other group members.
Appreciate you stopping by today and sharing your experience with LinkedIn. Please visit my other posts on LinkedIn as I share many tips and techniques you might want to consider. Hope you will visit again soon and have a great day!
Lynn Brown recently posted..The Fate And Future Of Facebook
Great Lynn
Thanks for bringing statistics about LinkedIn. Yeah, you are always looking out for changes in LinkedIn.
As a professional network, I’ve heard LinkedIn is helpful and match with B2B. But not B2C, before. Really great to hear about that now though. LinkedIn gives more visibility to users, create more business-related connections and its groups can be more productive too. But I’ve got a question. Do you think they are really helping out B2C to generate more conversions rather than on Facebook or Twitter?
Or it still perfectly match with B2B?
Cheers…
Mayura recently posted..Update Your Facebook Status from Twitter with Selective Tweets
It is a good question and I believe Mayura, as more and more businesses jump on board to LinkedIn we will see higher conversion rates with B2C. I am living proof that I have sourced clients and some have been recommended to me through LinkedIn. It is all how you put yourself out there.
In any attempt to market yourself, your business or products – if it is only about you, then people will generally not be attracted. But when you show them value and benefits of what you can bring into their life, then you have an attraction that it doesn’t matter if it is another business or a consumer/customer wanting to learn more about you.
I think sometimes people use that as an excuse not to use LinkedIn. Not me… I’m a LinkedIn fan for life!
Lynn Brown recently posted..Building Confidence for Online Business Success
Thanks for your descriptive and yet clear answer Lynn
I was confused with statistics. You know, I’m not much on LinkedIn and still figuring out chemistry between LinkedIn and businesses. I’m glad to ask question from the right person 
Thanks again dear
Have a wonderful weekend!
Cheers…
Mayura recently posted..Update Your Facebook Status from Twitter with Selective Tweets
I have tried to maintain a fairly regular presence on LinkedIN for a while now and find that the people there are really not that active. Of course there is the exception to the rule, but for the most part I am finding that the real power of LinkedIN is the groups.
Because the site sends out daily emails with information on the activity within the groups you have a really good chance of getting a lot of traffic from the site. The groups were in the top three of my referrer’s when I was posting there regularly.
Clint Butler recently posted..Google Penguin: More Good than Bad?
Yes the LinkedIn groups seem to be something that LinkedIn has done very well with. I like the daily or weekly digests of the groups activity. I am then able to dive into some discussions, start my own, like others comments and all of this updates your status which builds huge visibility.
One thing you could try Clint, or maybe you have, is sending out an email to your connections. You can send up to 50 at a time. I have done this on several occasions, especially when I want to get feedback or share an interesting article, and I generally get a huge response.
Thank you for sharing your experience on LinkedIn. And appreciate you stopping by today, have a wonderful day!
Lynn Brown recently posted..The Top 3 Reasons Small Business Owners Should Be On LinkedIn
LinkedIn is starting feel like it’s expanding for me Lynn…in part due to your posts. Your hints, tips and suggested routes have made LinkedIn far more useful for me than I would have otherwise found. My partner is only on lindedin and I share your posts with him all the time!
This is interesting to me because while reading it I realized it makes perfect sense. LI is far more targeted isn’t it than a random grouping you might find on twitter. I wonder how facebook might change it’s conversion with the tweaks to the fan pages. (seriously..I”m not paying you so my fans see my updates facebook!) I think they might actualy decrease so I’m happy to hear that LinkedIn is better anyway.
Bonnie recently posted..Achievement and Your Mindset
I am smiling Bonnie because I love to hear that you are using LinkedIn more for your business. That is why I enjoy sharing this information and teaching about LinkedIn. It IS the professional platform that all businesses should be on.
So thank you for your positive comments and I have to agree with you about Facebook, let’s see if they make changes that business people can see a real value.
Also…. stay tuned, my next blog post is about how many people are using Facebook less and less.
Great chart Lynn, it would make sense if you are on LinkedIn it would be for business reasons not for social like with Facebook and Twitter is a mix of personal and business. I am starting to spend more time myself over on LinkedIn and with groups.
Lisa recently posted..Do You Know What A Twitter Chat Can Do For You?
Oh that is good to hear Lisa. LinkedIn groups is the most valuable player in my business! I have gained so much recognition and visibility as well as building some amazing connections and a lot of my clients are from LinkedIn.
Appreciate you sharing your thoughts and if you ever have any questions about LinkedIn, especially groups, let me know. I will be putting out another video on LinkedIn groups as I think it is such a great way to build your business.
LinkedIn for me is very important social media. Compare to other social media sites that i have visited, LinkedIn has the power to help people to get a job.
Mika Castro recently posted..singapore home loans
Thank you Mika it is good to hear you are finding LinkedIn an important factor in your business. Appreciate you stopping in and sharing your comments!
Your welcome Lynn, I know you do to. LinkedIn is a part of internet marketing that couldn’t be miss.
Mika Castro recently posted..credit cards singapore
Thank you Janette. As I mentioned in the comment to Roy, even though this wasn’t a formal or final study of social sites, by all means it isn’t, it still reflects a significant result that I wanted to share. So I’m glad that you enjoyed the information and appreciate your comments and feedback.
Hope you have a wonderful day and please visit again soon!
Implicity, I would be in agreement with this. However, I have a problem when no definition of terms- or activities are defined. The study does not define what a lead is or is not. My definition of a lead is very different than most others. The fact that someone looks at my blog or website and then adds their name to a list is NOT a lead. If they sign up for our newsletters, if they sign for RSS feeds of the blog, if they request one of the publications listed on the website- that’s a lead. Too many folks use bogus eMail information on a list, too many folks add their name to a list to get something, and then remove themselves, for that to quality as a lead … or perhaps one means a lead balloon!
That is true Roy. A lead can mean different things to different business owners. I noticed in the comments of the article, that Rebecca answered a question that pertained to this.
Her answer was “A lead in this case is someone who filled out a form on the person’s website, ie “Request a Consultation” or “Get a Free Trial”
I appreciate you bringing that up Roy. Even though this was a very informal study, I thought it still showed a value between these social sites that needed to be shared.
Always appreciate you stopping by and adding your insight and comments.
Your graph from HubSpot is very dramatic. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and this image makes the benefits of using Linked-In very clear.
I am trying to spend more time there and learn the best ways to connect. I really appreciate the great information that you share, Lynn.
Janette Fuller recently posted..Oprah’s New Book Club 2.0