Note: Make sure you also read our post on How to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile.

Last year, a study found that LinkedIn is 277% more effective at lead generation than both Facebook and Twitter. No wonder it was recently voted the most important social network for B2B marketers!

What does this mean for you and your company? It means you can create an Internet network through social media to bring in new leads. You should have a LinkedIn Company Page for your business, and it’s important for your employees to connect with it through their personal LinkedIn profiles.

LinkedIn Company Pages provide business with a FREE opportunity to deliver interactive and search-friendly content to prospects in an attractive way.

So how do you leverage a Company Page to build relationships that drive business results? Below, we break down the 5 steps that LinkedIn recommends for engaging followers on your Company Page.

#1 Establish a Company Presence

A LinkedIn Company Page is the perfect opportunity to create an Internet networking presence through social media – so take advantage!

• Craft a banner image: Make sure it illustrates and extends your company’s unique branding and messaging.
• Include thoughtful content: Give an overview of your products and services, listing the most important in the first position (that’s the one that will be highlighted on the homepage).
• Populate the “About” section: Create a compelling, SEO-friendly description of your business.
• Attract candidates: Consider activating a Career Tab for prospective job applicants.

Crafting a compelling, relevant LinkedIn Company Page provides a solid foundation for an effective lead generation strategy.

#2 Attract Followers

Consider taking a campaign approach to attracting followers to your Company Page (and, ultimately, leads for your business).

• Engage colleagues: Ask members of your LinkedIn network to follow your Company Page. Internally, encourage employees to weave your company presence into their personal LinkedIn profiles, and ask them to include a link to your Company Page in their e-mail signatures.
• Announce your company page in an email newsletter, and include a strategic call-to-action. Get a jumpstart on content strategy by asking for feedback about what followers want to see on your company page!
• Establish follow opportunities: Be sure to include a prominent “Follow” button on your website and blog – plenty of plug-ins are available!

Having an initial pool of interested, relevant followers will be essential for growing your company presence and attracting leads on LinkedIn.

#3 Engage Followers

Once you’ve attracted the followers, keep them interested with conversations around Company Status Updates.

• Keep your content informative: A total of 68% of LinkedIn members say they would like to receive relevant news articles or insights from companies.
• Be helpful and friendly, not sales-y: Avoid the pitfall of overly promotional messaging – only provide occasional company-related news that delivers a benefit to your followers.
• Say it succinctly: Shorter updates receive higher engagement. A brief sentence or two will do.
• Think about timing: Companies who post regularly and earlier in the day earn the highest engagement. But be sure to experiment and see what works for your company.
• Link to great content: Status updates containing links have up to 45% higher follower engagement than updates without links. Just remember to write a compelling sentence to add value for the reader.

Building a reputation for providing relevant, timely content will help you convert visitors into loyal followers.

#4 Amplify Through Your Network

When you post content to your Company Page, your followers can “like,” share, or comment on your updates, which “amplifies” your messages to their entire first-degree networks.

• Prioritize: Post content that’s relevant to your industry and your followers. Ask coworkers to share with their networks.
• Ask for feedback: Invite customers to write reviews of your products and services.
• Lend an ear: Ask questions of your followers, and engage with their comments to facilitate a meaningful discussion.

Being strategic about amplification pays off. LinkedIn has found that non-followers engage with status updates 30% more than followers do, and over one-third of all impressions are due almost entirely to amplification.

#5 Analyze and Refine

In any marketing campaign, success depends on your ability to measure performance and optimize resources.

• Utilize: LinkedIn provides powerful analytics tools that help you understand which content drives conversation and engagement.
• Track: Get to know your followers to understand who is visiting your Company Page. Measure lead generation and follower conversion to track your progress.
• Aim: Establish goals for growing your follower community and engagement targets to facilitate lead generation.

Don’t ignore the analytics tools available to you. Understand what works, and develop a strategy with attainable goals for generating new leads and growing your business.

Your LinkedIn Company Page is critical. It amplifies your information across the professional network, and it helps prospective clients find your company when they search for relevant products and services. Following these five strategic steps will ensure that you’re leveraging your Company Page for lead generation and business growth. Need an example? Take a look at our Company Page!