9 stats that prove LinkedIn is perfect for manufacturing marketers

Why LinkedIn is a must-have for marketing teams in the manufacturing sector

In October last year, Schneider Electric was on a roll. A giant of the electrical manufacturing industry, they announced nearly double-digit growth across all their regions.

With organic growth up everywhere and 11% growth in Asia Pacific, they were killing it, not least because they were delivering viable renewable energy solutions to companies worldwide. Among their accolades, they scooped up #1 by CDP in ‘Driving low Carbon Transition’. They were also awarded second place for ‘best company page’ on LinkedIn.

Coincidence? It could be. But it’s no secret that LinkedIn is fast becoming the go-to marketing channel for manufacturing brands. Companies like Schneider recognise that LinkedIn offers a host of opportunities for generating leads and engaging B2B audiences.

It’s an exciting time for manufacturing marketers to join LinkedIn – here are nine reasons why:

1. 94% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn

LinkedIn isn’t just beneficial for manufacturers, but the ideal channel for B2B marketing overall. Its professional tone and high volume of business users make it a must-have for marketers looking to sell their services to other companies. That’s why nearly all B2B marketers already use the channel as part of their marketing mix.

Why do they use it? Firstly, because LinkedIn has become the de facto hub of professionals to create, share and discuss business content. As with social channels like Facebook, LinkedIn has become a powerful source of recommendation and networking. But unlike other social channels, LinkedIn networks are not just ‘friends’ but potential customers or business partners.

2. 58% of LinkedIn users read an hour or more of thought leadership per week

One of the biggest fears marketers have is the question: “will people read my content?”. It’s understandable to be hesitant over publishing content on social media, particularly given Facebook’s recent controversies. But LinkedIn users are hungrily consuming content on a weekly basis. Over half of them read at least an hour of thought leadership per week, and some much more.

This is great news for manufacturers who want to use their thought leadership to capture the attention of key players.

3. 80% of all B2B leads from social media comes from LinkedIn

In a similar vein, LinkedIn is by far the most effective social media channel for B2B lead generation. Again, it’s reassuring to know that marketers can rely on LinkedIn to find and attract professionals. Some B2B marketers favour LinkedIn as a way to get the attention of leads without coming across as too pushy. Construction business development consultant Bobby Darnell said it best – “active participation on Linkedin is the best way to say “look at me!” without saying “look at me!”.

4. 91% of executives use LinkedIn as their first choice for professional content

As a marketer or sales professional, you’re never guaranteed that your content is reaching the right audience. Often it gets lost in the ether, or if it does reach the right company, it’s stuck with middle management or troublesome gatekeepers. Fortunately, LinkedIn’s user base is well populated by senior figures. CEOs, COOs and other board members of relevant companies are highly likely to be using LinkedIn to find relevant content. That means your LinkedIn content has the potential to influence the boardroom of prospective clients from the get-go.

5. 50% of all B2B web traffic from social media comes from LinkedIn

Social media channels have multiplied in recent years, with Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn joined by Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok and Tumblr, to name a few. It’s impressive then, that half of all B2B web visitors directed from social comes only from LinkedIn. This statistic secures LinkedIn’s place as a favourite social media channel for B2B marketers. But more than that, it’s a huge sigh of relief to know that you don’t have to focus marketing efforts on every platform to generate web traffic.

6. 60% of business decision-makers said thought leadership led them to buy

Marketers go to great lengths to urge decision-makers to buy from them, often spending large amounts of time and money generating thought leadership. The good news is that thought leadership content on LinkedIn actually works to convert prospects into clients. In a recent survey conducted by LinkedIn, 60% of decision-makers said that thought leadership persuaded them to award their business to an organisation. That means all those hours don’t go to waste, especially if you use LinkedIn to share your manufacturing content with C-suite professionals.

7. 58% of B2B advertisers achieve good ROI on LinkedIn ads

Adblockers, competition and rising costs all make digital advertising more challenging these days, so it’s refreshing that LinkedIn is making life easier. LinkedIn features highly-targeted, granular advertising on its platform that can scale alongside your business, and marketers using LinkedIn are reporting strong return on investment. They’re innovating too – with updates to lead generation forms and audience templates coming this year. LinkedIn offers an accessible advertising platform to digital marketers and more importantly, has proven its worth among B2B audiences.

8. LinkedIn Inmail has a 300% higher response rate than email

Nothing beats the opportunity to walk across a room and speak to your prospects face to face. LinkedIn doesn’t give you that, but it might be the closest you can get to the real networking experience. LinkedIn’s Inmail system is quick and effective for gaining responses, especially compared to traditional methods like email or cold calling. Although Inmail is a paid feature, it’s conversion rate suggests it’s certainly worth the cost.

9. 59% of B2B marketers say LinkedIn generates leads for them

If you’re still unsure about LinkedIn for B2B marketing, take it from those seeing the results.
Users taking advantage of LinkedIn’s lead gen capabilities are reaping the benefits. And with 300 million companies using the platform, there’s plenty to go around.

It’s clear that LinkedIn has plenty to offer manufacturing marketers both in terms of building a following and acquiring new business. This social media channel is a staple of B2B marketing, and with new features added all the time, it doesn’t look to be slowing down any time soon.

If you’re looking to get more from your marketing efforts, get in touch with us at hello@www.gravityglobal.com.

Sources:
https://foundationinc.co/lab/b2b-marketing-linkedin-stats/
https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/blog/linkedin-news/2018/7-surprising-stats-about-the-underappreciated-power-of-thought-l
https://blog.hootsuite.com/linkedin-statistics-business/