Are you truly leveraging the capabilities of your company’s LinkedIn profile, or do you feel like you could be doing more? Maybe you’re keen to bolster your digital presence on social media and are looking to tap into LinkedIn’s lesser-known features?
While LinkedIn is a common tool in many marketers’ resources, it’s often not used to its full potential. Many medical device marketers are unaware of the breadth of features the platform offers.
Considering that 4 out of 5 LinkedIn users can influence buying decisions, the platform offers a distinct avenue for audience engagement, and fully utilising its capabilities can provide a significant uplift.
That’s why we’ve assembled this comprehensive guide, highlighting LinkedIn features that may be unfamiliar to you. We’ll unveil the platform’s full capabilities to help accelerate your marketing success.
In this article, we’ll delve into:
- Types of pages
- Publishing on LinkedIn
- Live events
- Groups
- Sales Navigator
Types of LinkedIn pages
While many believe they’ve mastered the intricacies of LinkedIn pages, there’s more beneath the surface than meets the eye. While your primary company page is essential, are you aware of the multiple other page types available for your benefit?
Harnessing the full spectrum of LinkedIn pages can be instrumental in reaching your marketing objectives. From elevating brand visibility to fostering a vibrant community, LinkedIn offers a diverse range of pages tailored to amplify your efforts.
Main company page
At a glance, one might underestimate the capabilities of a LinkedIn page, but diving deeper reveals its multifaceted nature.
With a LinkedIn company page, you have the flexibility to post, engage, and even modify content effortlessly, all through the convenience of the LinkedIn mobile app. The platform champions the sharing of a diverse range of content, from PowerPoints and PDFs to Word documents.
Understanding your audience is crucial. LinkedIn pages arm you with the tools needed to pinpoint content that’s gaining traction among your target audience. The adaptable call-to-action (CTA) button ensures you can guide specific actions, whilst the lead gen form streamlines the transformation of page visitors into prospective leads.
Visual analytics offer perspective on page interactions, and the ability to view each page follower individually grants an unmatched depth of understanding of your audience.
Yet, it’s not solely about reaching outwards. Internally, you can bolster your impact by re-sharing notable mentions and content from your team members. Key posts can be spotlighted for employees, guaranteeing they’re always in the loop. Celebrating team milestones and nurturing a community spirit is simplified with bespoke shout-outs directly from the page.
In essence, a LinkedIn page is not just a digital presence; it’s a dynamic tool that bridges the gap between your company and its professional community, both externally and internally.
How to access the lead gen form
As with the CTA button, navigate to your company page and click ‘Edit page’. You then need to click ‘Lead gen form’.
Accessing the CTA button
Access the call-to-action button by navigating to your company page, clicking ‘Edit page’, and then selecting ‘Buttons’.
Product pages
LinkedIn product pages branch out from your main company page, meticulously crafted to showcase specific products or services. These dedicated pages let you deep-dive into the details of your product, highlighting features, advantages, and glowing user feedback. You can even curate mentions of your product by other users, amplifying positive narratives right on your page.
Acting as a comprehensive archive, they collate important details about your offerings. This clarity streamlines the decision-making process for your audience, helping them understand how your product can address their challenges.
LinkedIn product pages also enhance discoverability. Thanks to the product search feature, which sifts through products, categories, and organisations, your target audience can pinpoint you with greater ease and speed.
But that’s not all. To further bolster brand recognition, LinkedIn allows your audience to list your product as a “skill” on their profiles, underscoring their proficiency in that domain and gaining exposure for your product to their peers.
Product pages are currently only available to build for companies listed in the following industries: business-to-business (B2B) software, computer hardware, financial services, insurance, education, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals. They are easily accessible for those with super admin view for your company page, appearing in the tab on the left-hand side.
“My Company” tab
The “My Company” tab on LinkedIn pages offers a unique, employee-only space, designed to foster a sense of community and facilitate meaningful interactions within organisations. This dedicated domain empowers employees to share curated posts and content, amplifying the organisation’s voice and promoting a culture of advocacy.
Within this tab, employees gain insights into new hires and celebrate colleague milestones. It also highlights trending LinkedIn posts from peers, ensuring employees remain connected to the conversations that resonate within their professional circle.
Beyond fostering engagement, the “My Company” tab drives tangible business outcomes. Engaged employees amplify brand reach, influencing metrics from company page views to job applications. In essence, this tab is more than a feature; it’s a strategic tool that nurtures a cohesive and engaged professional community.
Currently, this feature is only available for company pages with over 200 employees and is accessible on the left-hand side when launching LinkedIn.
Showcase pages
Showcase pages act as extensions of your primary LinkedIn page, meticulously crafted to spotlight distinct brands, business units, or initiatives within your company. For example, you might consider establishing showcase pages for the various healthcare sectors you serve.
Once established, these showcase pages appear under the ‘Affiliated Pages’ section of the main LinkedIn page.
The beauty of showcase pages lies in their versatility. They offer the same posting options and analytical insights as the primary LinkedIn page, ensuring you can effectively share content tailored to your target audiences.
However, it’s worth noting that these pages are distinct in their purpose; they’re not designed for associating employees, and as such, some features centred around employee engagement are absent.
Setting up a showcase page is a strategic endeavour. Businesses first need to establish a robust LinkedIn page presence, cultivating a follower base and posting regularly. Once this foundation is laid, the next step involves identifying which business areas warrant a dedicated showcase page.
It’s essential to strike a balance, ensuring that the audience isn’t over-segmented. For businesses contemplating multiple showcase pages, it’s advisable to group them into broader categories rather than specific regions or countries. The creation process is straightforward, accessible via the ‘Admin Tools’ in the Admin View.
In essence, showcase pages are more than just digital extensions; they’re strategic tools designed to highlight the diverse facets of a business, ensuring that each unique brand or initiative receives the spotlight it deserves.
LinkedIn publishing
The power of LinkedIn’s publishing feature often goes unnoticed. This tool allows for an in-depth exploration of subjects, paving the way for better discussions. It’s not just about short updates; you can publish full-fledged articles and newsletters.
These pieces seamlessly blend into your feed, appearing as standard posts. Yet, when a user delves in with a click, they’re presented with the complete content. And there’s a bonus: each time you publish, your subscribers receive a prompt notification. This approach not only widens your audience reach but also cements your reputation as an industry expert.
But the benefits of LinkedIn publishing don’t end there. It provides a window into your audience’s world, offering data on who’s truly engaging with your content. More than that, it becomes a platform for insightful conversations, illuminating the perspectives of your readers.
LinkedIn live events
With LinkedIn events, you can curate and host events in a secure, reputable environment, ensuring that your content reaches the right audience.
Whether you’re looking to stream live video content using third-party broadcasting tools via LinkedIn Live or engage in real-time, audio-only discussions with LinkedIn Audio Event, the platform offers flexibility. The latter, in particular, allows for direct audio interactions without the need for any external streaming tool.
One of the platform’s strengths lies in its user-centric approach. To maximise attendance, you can opt for an ungated event, eliminating the traditional RSVP process and ensuring a seamless experience for potential attendees.
However, if capturing attendee information is pivotal, LinkedIn facilitates this with a registration form. This form gathers essential details such as name, contact information, job title, company, and country, which can then be integrated directly into your CRM system.
To ensure your event resonates with the right audience, LinkedIn’s organic post targeting allows you to curate your audience based on parameters like language, location, function, and industry, ensuring precision in reach.
For those who’ve conducted a LinkedIn Live session, there’s an added advantage: the platform enables promotion of the session replay, optimising its reach. Moreover, as your event begins, LinkedIn proactively notifies all registered attendees and a curated set of page followers.
Setting up live events on LinkedIn
To create your own live event, simply navigate to your homepage and select ‘Events’ on the left-hand side. If you’re eligible to host live events, you will be able to select ‘LinkedIn Live’ or ‘LinkedIn Audio’ as your event format when you select to host an online event. Most company pages are eligible; you just need to have at least 150 followers and a history of following the community guidelines.
Examples of live events
Clinical and product insight sessions: Engage your professional community with in-depth panels, interviews, or Q&As focused on medical device advancements and patient outcomes. The aim is to cultivate meaningful discussions centred on the latest in device innovation and clinical applications.
Medical device unveilings: Heighten anticipation for your latest medical device by introducing it through a dedicated virtual event on LinkedIn. This approach ensures that the medical community is well-informed and excited about your new offerings.
Medical device symposium highlights: Share the pinnacle moments and insights from your company’s medical symposiums or conferences on LinkedIn. This ensures that crucial findings, device demonstrations, and expert keynotes are accessible to a broader professional audience.
LinkedIn groups
At the heart of LinkedIn’s expansive professional network lies LinkedIn groups, reminiscent of communities found on various social platforms. These groups serve as focal points where professionals converge based on shared interests, topics, or industries.
But what sets LinkedIn groups apart from other social platforms? It’s their suite of community management tools, designed with engagement in mind. Members receive either daily or weekly digests, ensuring they remain abreast of group activities.
Furthermore, as an admin, you possess the unique capability to send a weekly announcement directly to members’ email inboxes. This isn’t just another in-app notification; it’s a tangible email, enhancing your visibility and engagement.
For medical device companies, the potential of LinkedIn groups is vast. Such groups can be utilised as platforms to engage with your audience on the problems they face, trends in the industry, and insights into new treatments.
By fostering a community of healthcare professionals, distributors, and enthusiasts, you can not only market your solutions but also gain insights, build brand loyalty, and establish yourself as a thought leaders in the medical device realm.
Sales Navigator
Sales Navigator is a premium tool designed to enhance the capabilities of sales professionals and marketers on LinkedIn. To use it, you’ll need to subscribe to one of the Sales Navigator plans.
Once activated, you gain access to a range of advanced search filters, allowing you to identify and target potential leads more effectively. You can save leads, receive custom lead recommendations, and even get real-time updates on your saved leads, such as job changes or recent posts.
In essence, the LinkedIn Sales Navigator can significantly amplify your marketing efforts by providing a more targeted and data-driven approach to networking and lead generation.
In addition to the lead builder, Sales Navigator provides InMail, facilitating direct communication with prospects, and PointDrive, which allows for personalised content sharing.
LinkedIn ads
LinkedIn ads offer a distinctive suite of advertising options tailored for a discerning audience. Here’s a clearer look at what’s on offer.
Sponsored content
- Single image ads: Traditional ads with a compelling visual.
- Video ads: Engaging video content targeting professionals at various stages of their journey.
- Carousel ads: Interactive ads that tell a story through multiple images or cards.
- Event ads: Promote LinkedIn events to maximise attendance.
- Document ads: Share documents directly in the feed for deeper engagement.
Sponsored messaging
This is about direct engagement. Instead of waiting for your audience to come to you, you go to them, right in their LinkedIn inbox.
- Conversation ads: These are interactive messages with a ‘choose-your-own-path’ experience.
- Message ads: Direct messages that prompt immediate action.
Text and dynamic ads
These appear in the LinkedIn right rail and offer a more traditional ad experience.
- Text ads: Pay-per-click (PPC) ads that drive users to your chosen destination.
- Spotlight ads: Highlight your product, service, or event.
- Follower ads: Encourage users to follow your LinkedIn page.
Your next steps
A closer look at LinkedIn reveals a breadth of features that extend beyond the standard company page. The platform encompasses a range of tools, from advertising options such as Sponsored Content and messaging to community-centric features like groups and live events.
These functionalities offer varied avenues for you to engage and communicate with your audience. Whether it’s real-time discussions, targeted advertising, or shared insights, LinkedIn provides multiple touchpoints to connect.
Given LinkedIn’s vast capabilities, a reflective pause on your current strategy might be a good idea. Are there features you aren’t currently taking full advantage of? There could very well be avenues yet explored, poised to elevate your marketing aspirations.