6 Reasons Built Environment Marketers Deadly Serious about Lead Generation in 2024 are Focusing on LinkedIn
With Sarah Hughes, “The LinkedIn Lead Generation Expert”
Having recently joined the Built for Marketing family as their resident LinkedIn Expert, we asked Sarah to share a few thoughts on why the platform needs to be taken seriously.
Shhh ???? there’s a secret that smart marketers (especially your competitors) don’t want you to know about.
For little or even zero budget, they’re using LinkedIn to:
- Pinpoint their audiences with laser precision, even without a database
- Build relationships even if they don’t yet have a CRM
- Share expertise with customers, prospects, peers, influencers and candidates
- And of, course, generate leads, regularly like clockwork!
Supported by compelling statistics and figures, stay with me in my article where I delve into 6 of the many reasons why LinkedIn reigns as the platform for lead generation for businesses in the built environment.
1. A Truly Global Network of Senior Decision-Makers
In 2023, it’s estimated that 61 million LinkedIn users hold senior-level positions, while 40 million occupy decision-making roles within their organisations.
There’s HUGE potential for businesses in construction, architecture, materials and services, to connect with the individuals who hold the key to lucrative partnerships and contracts.
According to LinkedIn’s official data, 4 out of 5 LinkedIn members drive business decisions in their respective organizations.
This means that when you engage with the right professionals on LinkedIn, you’re reaching the decision-makers.
The power of connecting directly with those who can influence or greenlight projects in the built environment is real.
LinkedIn plays a powerful role, ensuring that you’re in front of your audience and front of mind even when you tender for work and can’t always directly access decision-makers and influencers.
2. Precise Targeting for Maximum Impact
LinkedIn’s unparalleled targeting capabilities enable businesses to pinpoint their ideal audience with remarkable accuracy.
With 20+ options to filter users by criteria including industry, job title, location, keyword, company size, time in role and more, you ensure your message reaches the right individuals.
Every time.
Consider the case of a leading architecture firm that used LinkedIn to target real estate developers specifically within a 50-mile radius of their office.
By creating compelling, targeted content and running sponsored posts, they saw a 40% increase in engagement and a 25% rise in leads within just three months.
While LinkedIn’s members span more than 200 countries, you can also target within 10 miles of a post or zip code, making hyper-local targeting possible.
3. Content That Drives Engagement
LinkedIn isn’t just there for digital networking; it’s a content-driven platform that thrives on industry insights, thought leadership, and meaningful discussions.
Features such as LinkedIn polls, for example, can be used to identify those with an immediate need for your service or product.
According to LinkedIn, content on the platform generates six times more engagement than job postings.
This indicates that sharing valuable, industry-specific content establishes your authority while attracting that sometimes elusive captive audience.
Consider the case of a construction company that consistently shared informative articles about sustainable building practices and the latest industry trends.
Their efforts paid off with a 15% increase in followers and a 12% boost in inbound inquiries from potential clients interested in their sustainable construction services.
4. Leveraging LinkedIn’s Lead Generation Tools
LinkedIn provides an array of powerful tools designed to streamline the process of connecting you with potential clients and partners.
Here are just two of the many:
- InMail: LinkedIn’s InMail feature allows you to send personalized messages to prospects, even if you’re not connected.
Research has shown that InMail has a 300% higher response rate compared to traditional email outreach – but only when you do it the right way.
For example, getting your messaging right and viewing the person’s profile before sending the Inmail - Sales Navigator: This advanced tool provides enhanced search capabilities, lead recommendations, and CRM integration, making it an invaluable asset for businesses in the built environment.
One case study reported a 45% increase in qualified leads within six months of implementing Sales Navigator.
You can even build a whole referral marketing campaign:
Identify your clients’ connections, segment them so you only have your ideal prospects, and then invite to connect and relationship-build with them.
5. Building Credibility through Testimonials and Recommendations
LinkedIn offers a unique feature that is often underutilised but incredibly impactful for lead generation: recommendations and testimonials.
Having satisfied clients and partners endorse your work significantly boosts your credibility and attracts new leads.
The Social Proof Theory, also called Informational Social Influence Theory, was popularised by Robert Cialdini, psychologist and author of Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.
As Cialdini puts it in his best-selling book (and, in my view a must-read for every marketer):
“Since 95% of the people are imitators and only 5% initiators, people are persuaded more by the actions of others than by any proof we can offer.”
If we accept that 95% of people are imitators by nature, then we as marketers must give them something to imitate; a task for which social proof is not simply appropriate, but essential.
Click here to read my free guide on the ‘6-Point Recommendations Strategy that Wins you Work’.
6. Harnessing the Power of AI and Analytics, including Psycho-Linguistics and Buyer Personalities
Imagine having super mind-reader powers.
Now you can with AI apps that integrate with LinkedIn and tell you the buyer personality of your prospect before you’ve spoken a word to them.
The apps will also coach you on what to write so that your prospects are more likely to buy!
LinkedIn’s comprehensive analytics also provide insights into the demographics, job functions, and industries of your leads, allowing you to refine your targeting strategies and optimise your content for maximum impact.
About Sarah Hughes, your B2B LinkedIn Lead Generation Expert
Sarah says, “The reality is that LinkedIn is like an epic mansion of 100 rooms, each one of which is filled with marketing and lead generation treasures.
Yet most only go into the hallway, which is the home page feed!”
Sarah works with businesses like yours to provide the exact blueprint for how to use LinkedIn to find, connect, relationship-build and appointment-set with your ideal prospects.
She does this via a range of routes, including:
- LinkedIn Audit and Strategy
- Personal and Company Page Optimisation
- LinkedIn Content Strategy and Implementation
- Prospect Booster, the LinkedIn Lead Generation Done with you Service
- Team training and coaching
Read the 130+ recommendations on Sarah’s LinkedIn profile.
Working with the BfM team, Sarah’s expertise is on hand for BfM’s clients that want to quickly get the inside track on how they too can leverage LinkedIn.
