It’s no secret that LinkedIn is the go-to network for B2B brands.

And recent social media demographics highlight the platform’s growing (and high-earning!) user base.

But as more professionals flock to the platform, standing out from the crowd is a challenge.

Consider how over half of all U.S. marketers are now marketing on LinkedIn. If you want to get more eyes on your personal account, it’s not going to happen by accident.

This post breaks down the building blocks of an effective LinkedIn marketing strategy. We’ll also highlight best practices and ideas for personal accounts and brands alike.

How businesses use LinkedIn for marketing

First thing’s first: there’s no “right” way to use LinkedIn for business.

Some companies see the platform as a branding tool. Others use it as a hiring hub.

Understanding the big-picture activity of brands on LinkedIn is key to building a presence on the platform. Below is a snapshot of how most businesses leverage LinkedIn.

Content distribution

Anything B2B brands can do to squeeze more out of their content strategies is a plus.

LinkedIn has exploded as a distribution platform for B2B content. Specifically, content that helps brands position themselves as industry authorities. For personal accounts, content distribution is all about establishing your expertise.

This means sharing any combination of the following, for starters:

• Blog posts

• Case studies

• Reviews and testimonials

• Customer success stories

• Videos (think: interviews, webinar snippets, tips)

Announcing company news and notable wins

Consider that LinkedIn doubles as both a social platform and a sort of news source.

If you want to find the latest happenings for any given company in your industry, they’re likely front-and-center on LinkedIn. Brands and personal accounts can break their own news by announcing:

• Launches of new products or services

• Major company milestones (think: # of employees hired, # of years in business)

• Financial wins (think: going public, getting funded)

• Previewing major pieces of upcoming content (think: case studies or annual surveys)

• Rebrands

Highlighting company culture

For positioning and recruiting purposes, many brands center their LinkedIn strategies around culture.

This is yet another way for companies to stand out from the crowd. Not to mention attract new talent. Some popular ways to highlight culture include:

• Celebrating new hires

• Taking a stand on social issues

• “Day-in-the-life”-style company posts

• Company event recaps (think: retreats, conferences “behind-the-scenes” posts)

For example, Chili Piper regularly showcases their employees in the wild. The company even allows employees to take over the company account from time to time.


Lead generation

Food for thought: LinkedIn exceeded $1 billion in ad revenue last year while also increasing organic engagement.

The platform’s status as a B2B selling hub is well-documented. That said, generating leads on LinkedIn is a balancing act. Brands and professionals alike have to be mindful of how they nurture leads and sell. Being too in-your-face won’t do you any favors.

For example, LinkedIn marketing is massive for SaaS companies looking to gain more users. This can be done through:

• Promoting company events such as webinars (see below)

• Announcing new products, product plans or pricing tiers

• Running LinkedIn ads


Why personal accounts are so valuable for LinkedIn marketing

Although the platform is quite literally all about business, personal accounts are even more valuable on LinkedIn.

This rings true whether you’re an employee, solo business owner or someone at the C-level.

Beyond that, personal accounts can act as an extension of business accounts for the sake of promotion.

Let’s look at why employee advocacy is so important for brands on LinkedIn. Likewise, we’ll explain why personal accounts hold so much power on the platform.

Earn more engagement than what’s possible on a company page

Like it or not, “thought leadership” content is a staple of B2B social media and marketing on LinkedIn. This includes:

• Storytelling posts

• Firsthand tips and experiences

• Discussions and threads


Ever notice how pretty much every viral LinkedIn post comes from a personal account? 

That’s no coincidence. Personal stories and anecdotes are among the platform’s most compelling content.

As a result, employee content typically earns way more engagement and reach than what’s possible from a personal page. This mirrors how platforms like Instagram or TikTok tend to favor personal accounts over brands.

Squeeze more out of your LinkedIn content marketing efforts

Piggybacking on the point above, brand accounts are limited when it comes to reach.

But through employee advocacy, brands boost updates with help from their internal teams.


Doing so means that exponentially more people see your content. Also, this means that employees can spice up their posts and give their captions a personal touch.

Support your hiring and recruiting

You don’t have to look hard to realize just how much hiring happens on LinkedIn.

Consider how employees can serve as any given company’s biggest cheerleaders. Empowering workers to highlight the benefits of working for a brand is an awesome way to attract top-tier talent.