How Agency Owners Can Win on LinkedIn
LinkedIn, often dismissed for tedious updates and showing-off, harbours untapped potential as a thriving content platform. Beyond mundane announcements, it has evolved into a potent agency marketing channel for those who have mastered the art of engaging content creation.
Watch Sam Browne’s keynote, and read his article by downloading your free copy of The Agency Growth Book.
How to get started, grow and win on LinkedIn
LinkedIn can quickly become a highly effective marketing channel for agencies willing to invest the time.
Connect with industry leaders. Build a steady stream of qualified clients. Get invited to speak at industry events and on podcasts. You might even get asked to contribute to a book.
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Your Profile
You’re already on LinkedIn. You probably created an account 10+ years ago. But it’s likely your profile could use a bit of a tidy-up.
Start with your banner. Think of it like the banner on your website. It should sum up who you work with, and what you do for them. Keep it simple. The message is what matters most.
“I help [TARGET MARKET] to {OUTCOME]” is a good starting point.
You may like to add some logos for social proof, and a subtitle if you want to provide a bit more context. Less is more. You’ll share more details further down the page.
The specs for your LinkedIn banner are 1584 x 396px.
Your headline shows up every time you post or comment on LinkedIn. The first 5-6 words matter most, as much of your headline is only visible on your profile. Use these words to grab attention.
State the outcome you achieve for your clients. Focus on them, not you and your incredible brain. “Increase Revenue by 20-30% in 90 days” is much more interesting to them than “I am a highly experienced generalist operating at the nexus of...”
Your Content
Your profile is the ultimate destination for your prospects before they take action and engage with you. But how do you get them there in the first place?
Your content is the engine that drives your success on LinkedIn. Broadly speaking, content can be divided into PIEE - Persuasive, Inspirational, Educational and Entertaining.
Persuasive Content
Persuasive content is where you make money.
Persuasive content can simply state that you have space for X clients next month, and what they can expect, but it can be more indirect too.
Sharing a client case study before-and-after is a powerful way to showcase your expertise while simultaneously providing a compelling story.. If you could achieve those results for the case study client, they reason, you can achieve the same results for them.
A client testimonial, or a collection of several testimonials, can also work well.
Generally speaking, I recommend making persuasive content around 10-15% of your content mix. With all other content, you are making a deposit as you build trust with your audience. With persuasive content, you are making a withdrawal.
I recommend making 10-15% of your content persuasive.
Inspirational Content
Inspirational content can be about your business or you, personally. Counterintuitively, sharing personal content on LinkedIn is suitable for your business.
When we make a major purchase such as a car, computer or flight, we buy the brand. We have become convinced over time that the brand is a good fit for us and our values, and we have made up our minds to buy regardless of who is selling.
But when we buy agency services, in many cases, we buy the person. We buy from people we know, like and trust. Let your audience know you, and not just your business.
Inspirational content includes things like:
Hitting a personal goal
Completing a fitness challenge
Hitting a business milestone
Sharing your journey to success
Photos or videos showcasing your lifestyle • Sharing a family moment
Sharing your hobbies
Educational Content
Educational content is highly effective at drawing in clients. LinkedIn beginners often fear giving too much away by sharing their hard-won tips and tricks. This is understandable, but not something you need to worry about.
You have spent years, maybe decades, becoming extremely good at what you do. You’ve made all the mistakes, and uncovered all the tiny tweaks and tricks. Walking a prospect through exactly what you do will not instantly download all of your knowledge and experience into their brain.
What it actually does, ironically, is compel them to contact you, and ask you to do it for them. People don’t want information. The internet is overflowing with it. They want execution. They want results. You will build trust by repeatedly showing them how well you know what you’re doing. Eventually, your prospect will trust you enough to reach out and ask you to do your thing for them and their business.
I have built my own brand on educational content. I post five detailed guides on how to succeed on LinkedIn, and then one post simply inviting people to book my consulting time for the next month. Because I have built so much trust through showcasing my expertise, there is no risk to my prospects, and my calendar quickly fills up with high-ticket clients.
Educational content includes:
Tips for beginners
Step-by-step how-tos
FAQs
Ask Me Anything • Infographics
Case studies
“On LinkedIn, few creators offer nothing but entertainment, such as you’d find on YouTube. Culturally, that is not what LinkedIn is about. With that said, here are some ideas for entertaining content you could incorporate as part of your content mix.”
Entertaining Content
Social media is entertainment. Even on sensible, buttoned-down LinkedIn, that is the case.
The truth is that all your content should aspire to be entertaining. Even a step-by-step walkthrough on a particular method or technique can be fun or boring. It’s up to you to ensure that your reader has a good time when they engage with your content.
On LinkedIn, few creators offer nothing but entertainment, such as you’d find on YouTube. Culturally, that is not what LinkedIn is about. Here are some ideas for entertaining content you could incorporate as part of your content mix:
Industry-specific memes
Videos
Amusing Personal Stories
Celebrity stories
Behind the Scenes
Relatable humour
Podcast Highlights
In Conclusion
LinkedIn as a content platform is in its infancy. Influencers are being made in months, not years. There is a huge opportunity here for early adopting agencies. Build a personal brand around the agency founder, or a dedicated content creator within the team, and attract a steady stream of high-quality, global clients.
Eventually, you will become the obvious choice in your prospect’s mind.
