LinkedIn has evolved from a networking site to a unique publishing and marketing platform. We explored this in a 2013 Social Media Week presentation with Daniel B. Honigman, from Critical Mass, and Ryan Walker from LinkedIn.
Over the last several years, LinkedIn has evolved beyond its use as a recruitment tool, which centered only around job postings and social networking. For brands to break through in this channel, they must think about LinkedIn as a unique, editorial-driven marketing channel, leveraging its full Company Page functionality, its suite of publishing tools and its APIs for maximum effect.
Pause for observations/notes from RyanRyan to provide update to statistics. Questions:- Biggest growth areas? Why?
Other stats:second-most popular social network for adults, behind Facebook (Pew)20 million-plus students and recent grads, making it the site’s fastest growing demographic35% of users use daily (lab42 survey)42% of users update their profiles regularly (lab42)Pause for observations/notes from RyanQuestions:- Ask for updates from Ryan
People spend time on personal networks, and invest time in professional networks, according to the 2012 Mindset Divide research study by LinkedIn and TNS.The top three types of content expected in personal networks are: info from friends, info on personal interests and entertainment updatesIn professional networks, people invest their time. They expect career content, brand updates and info on current affairs. And according to the report, the percentage of people expecting brand updates is actually 26% higher in professional networks. (Not surprising, but it sort of makes you wonder why more brands aren’t investing in their own LinkedIn company page status updates.Pause for observations/notes from Ryan. Questions:- Time breakout of what people are doing on LinkedIn
Relevant: Brands require a different approach and editorial model for their narratives on LinkedInRyan’s example: Jones New York?
Value-driven:Brands must be consistent with their own brand values, and also focus on adding value, as opposed to overpromoting themselves.Ryan’s example: Coca-Cola
Human:Who your brand is is as important as what it doesRyan’s example: L’Oreal
Connected: Brands must embrace followers as peers, and not fans. Ryan’s example: Samsung
Inspired: Content and conversations should be aspirational in natureRyan’s example: American Express (inspiring SMB owners)
Brands must leverage paid, earned and owned channels to drive growth. These are just a few of the offerings, with more being launched all the time.Question for Ryan: How often do you see brands leveraging the full ecosystem and to what extent?
LinkedIn announced the launch of company profile pages in 2008; they have since evolved to today’s more robust Company Pages offering. As of June 2013, there are more than three million LinkedIn Company Pages, with 500K+ created in the last year.According to a recent HubSpot study, LinkedIn generated the highest visitor-to-lead conversion rate, with 2.74% of site visitors converting into leads, compared to Facebook and Twitter, with respective conversion rates of 0.69% and 0.77%. As a Company Page is the primary owned touchpoint in the LinkedIn ecosystem, it is important to utilize its full range of functionality. (Conversion rates obviously more for B2B companies)Question for Ryan: What’s driving the growth? Questions about quality of traffic, etc.
A hub for thought leadership and other company-related editorial content (e.g. blog posts, white papers).An additional platform for customer and follower engagement.A dedicated space for job postings and additional careers- and recruitment-related information.An overview of a company’s products and services.
NOTE: Ryan to walk through.Also, don’t forget to fill out your About section completely
NOTE: Ryan to walk through.
NOTE: Ryan to walk through.
NOTE: Ryan to walk through.
Over the last few years, LinkedIn has shifted its approach to favor brands that have a robust editorial presence, process and publishing model:March 2011: LinkedIn rolls out “LinkedIn Today,” an aggregated news experience, to live on user homepages.October 2012: Influencers program launched, a platform for business thought leaders to create original content for the platform. It also announces the ability for users to “follow” other users’ updates without connecting to them directly. April 2013: LinkedIn acquires Pulse, a mobile news aggregator app with hundreds of content partnerships.Today: There are 1.3 million publishers on LinkedIn. Ryan:What do you think has been one of the more important events on the LinkedIn timeline?
LinkedIn Today Is (slide build)An aggregator of the top articles shared by a user’s LinkedIn network, Company Pages and topic channels they follow.A publishing platform for original content posted by LinkedIn Influencers.Algorithmically driven by InShare(sharing) buttons that are placed on publisher sites, as well as in feeds.Question for Ryan: Where do you see LinkedIn Today going in the future?Voice over after: Where do brands need to really begin when they’re working on their editorial approach? (Next slide)
Before diving in, brands should conduct a competitive audit of other Company Pages in their industries, looking at: Status updates + follower response (engagement through likes, comments and shares)Quality of content in the Careers and Products & Services tabsOverall page creative and messaging Kick to Ryan for chiming in (e.g. content creation capabilities)
Subjective, but you’ll want to do this with your own batch of competitors. One axis should refer to the types of posts the brand makes, and the other could speak to the level of engagement. Brands that just post press releases and job postings might go in the bottom left, but brands with a great mix of messaging about the company, its values, etc. will likely appear in the top right. Other brands can get away with more job postings if they’re an aspirational brand anyway (top left), and others might have great brand messaging, but no one knows who they are, resulting in low engagement.Keep in mind things like consistency with overall branding, positioning and it should help you identify your own LinkedIn opportunity.
Once an editorial calendar has been developed, roles and ongoing responsibilities must be identified and assigned, with processes being developed. (A RAM or RACI matrix might help with this.) The goals:Identify content owners (e.g. PR/Comms, Marketing, HR)Identify stakeholders for buy-in (e.g. Legal, Executive Sponsor)Identify additional resources required (e.g. Community Management, Technology)
Different stakeholders in different departments (editorial, marketing, HR, legal, analytics/measurement)
Year one sample editorial calendar. You can see that over time, the approach is evolving and expanding to include fewer news items and press releases, and more original content.According to LinkedIn, the types of Company Page update types with the highest follower engagement are:Exclusive “behind the scenes” content and interviewsCareer-related posts, including job opportunitiesTips and best practicesCompany and industry facts and quotes
Content Development and Ownership: Which stakeholders create and “own” the content that will eventually get published on a LinkedIn Company Page? Will it work as is, or will it need to be reworked?Brand Values: Does the content align with and display a company's unique brand values and positioning?Short-Term vs. Long-Term Content: Does the topic address a subject that’s of long-term interest to the company and its followers (e.g. sustainability, retirement planning), or is more timely and short term (e.g. new product release, conference announcement)?Audience interest: Based on the company’s goals and audience, is there interest in this topic? (Will be determined over time with engagement level, LinkedIn Insights.)Once topics are defined, brands can start to plan their editorial calendars. However, it will take someone with this sort of experience, or experience in content strategy, to drive these efforts.
In order to fully take advantage of the LinkedIn platforms, brands must look beyond their Company Pages and to their own websites for integration opportunities. LinkedIn features a robust API around the following areas.
Site registration/user profile API- API used for site registration, profile creation and the usual, but it’s also the foundation of the entire site. (Q&A, forum threads, etc.)
The program invited devs to submit resumes and LinkedIn info in JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), storing it in Mongo. It was a relevant technical challenge that enabled MetLife to streamline recruiting efforts.RESULTS GO HERE.
“For many people, their car reflects their professional life, and their professional identity affects their car choices.” - Lutz Kothe,Head of Marketing & PR, Volkswagen Passenger CarsProject pitted people against each other to see who was most full of themselves.VOLKSWAGENChallenges: Raise brand awareness for Passat, build VW loyalty and influence decision makingSolution: Leverage custom API for contest allowing members to challenge each other to “duels” to find out who has the best LinkedIn profileResults:15K entries before paid media startedResults after 3 weeks:- 4 minute average visit time- 30,000+ unique duels- 180,000 unique visitors- 3.9 viral factor
“Lee Daniels: The Butler” promotion called “Path to Success”Objective: Engage professionals looking for career enhancement by tying in the incredible story of ‘The Butler’ main character, Cecil Gaines
Other API integrations: Jones New York
It’s important to measure all promotions
A successful LinkedIn Company Page activation requires both internal and external activation. This includes the following activities:
In order to prove the success of any marketing program, especially new channel activations, measurement must be an integral part.After roles, responsibilities and an activation approach have been defined, measurable KPIs must be proposed, as well as a reporting schedule.The KPIs will be tied to a company’s overall channel strategy, as well as individual goals and objectives.
Strategy defines the goal, which defines the KPIs. This should be the case not only for linkedin, but for any marketing initiative.
LinkedIn presents a vast, yet mostly untapped opportunity for brands to break through with high-value, professional content. However, to be competitive in the LinkedIn space, brands must do the following:Recognize that LinkedIn users have a different mindset from other social networkers.Conduct a competitive audit of Company Pages in their verticals to identify the opportunity.Provide all required content for their Company Pages.Develop a full editorial model, identifying key responsibilities and stakeholders.Look beyond their own Company Pages to other owned, earned and paid LinkedIn opportunities.Based on a brand’s goals and activities, develop a measurement framework to attribute success and identify weaknesses.
LinkedIn presents a vast, yet mostly untapped opportunity for brands to break through with high-value, professional content. However, to be competitive in the LinkedIn space, brands must do the following:Recognize that LinkedIn users have a different mindset from other social networkers.Conduct a competitive audit of Company Pages in their verticals to identify the opportunity.Provide all required content for their Company Pages.Develop a full editorial model, identifying key responsibilities and stakeholders.Look beyond their own Company Pages to other owned, earned and paid LinkedIn opportunities.Based on a brand’s goals and activities, develop a measurement framework to attribute success and identify weaknesses.