Driving influence on B2B social media involves strategically leveraging platforms to build brand authority, engage with target audiences and foster relationships that lead to measurable business outcomes. Key aspects include content creation, engagement, analytics and brand storytelling. By combining these elements with the latest trends in mind, businesses and individuals can effectively influence perceptions within their industry and actively network with relevant audiences.

LinkedIn, without a doubt. Millions of brands and professionals call this digital space home for all top-level announcements and engagement opportunities, creating a social platform uniquely differentiated from other media spaces. According to the social network’s own research, 89% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn for lead generation, and 62% confirm that it delivers twice the leads of other social channels. Independent sources confirm the same, with a visitor-to-lead conversion rate of 2.74% – almost 3 times higher than both Twitter and Facebook.

Connections and conversations. Reaching out to professional colleagues to connect and converse is a great way to expand your reach across LinkedIn audiences. LinkedIn suggests consistent, on-brand posting as the best way to reach followers, while also fostering and encouraging engagement outside of your own shared content. Further engaging with relevant posts from other users through likes and comments keeps your profile active – and helps tailor your algorithm to create a digital environment that fits your professional cadence. 

First, it is important to understand how the term ‘viral’ can mean something different to each user. If you have 1,000 LinkedIn connections and 15,000 people viewed your content – that’s viral!

There is no one secret to creating successful content. Trends evolve, audiences change and each content creator has a unique voice. Each professional has different career experiences and different audiences that cater to specific shareable moments. As a general rule, dynamic and compelling visuals paired with a personal and engaging narrative is a strong foundational recipe for ‘viral’ posts on LinkedIn.

While this may depend on industry and audience, success is recognizable across any sector of LinkedIn. Thought leaders such as Mickey Mikitani, Ann Handley and Gary Vaynerchuk have garnered consistent and notable engagement on the platform, but chances are that your favorite CEO has a strong LinkedIn presence as well. 
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(Note: These individuals are not current or past clients of Manhattan Strategies)

Refining what story you are telling, along with how you are telling it, can make a huge difference in the performance of your LinkedIn posts almost immediately.

The first step in creating digital content is to determine the narrative reasoning behind a post. Is this moment important, thought-provoking or helpful to share with your audience? If not, it might be best to reconsider. Of course, something like a new role, workplace development or project announcement are obviously well-suited for LinkedIn, but more agile moments such as article features or life events can be more difficult to build a digital cadence around – but that doesn’t make them any less valuable!

Once you have narrowed down the story, it is time to figure out the best way to tell it. This is where the visual side of the platform becomes the focus. In-person events lend themselves well to on-site photos or videos that provide a first-person perspective to connect with audiences. More dynamic graphics, animations and videos are becoming increasingly popular on LinkedIn, adding a level of professionalism beyond the written word. In either case, it is essential to choose a graphic that intentionally supports the narrative of the post. 

Manhattan Strategies is an independent consulting firm obsessed with telling compelling visual stories for the world’s leading and emerging brands and voices. We use data-driven insights to tell the story of your brand, enhancing digital visibility and winning in the attention economy. 

Our team is a dynamic blend of creative minds and strategic thinkers. With a passion to turn ideas into impact, we apply a new perspective on motivating change. Our expertise ranges across strategic digital communication, brand development, web design, video production and data analytics and insights. 

Manhattan Strategies Quant helps brands achieve winning conversion rates and safe, first-party data aggregation through high-volume variable messaging, creative and experiences.

 As a baseline, analytics tell you what content is resonating with your audience and what isn’t. This comprehensive understanding of what works provides the ability to craft more engaging digital content – measuring performance to refine your social cadence with each shared moment.