LinkedIn is a playground of opportunities for B2B business owners, but what about for B2C businesses? Does a network of B2B decision makers ‘doing their thing’ hold much prospect for B2C sales, or are you better off focusing on Instagram or Facebook?
Perhaps surprisingly, there are plenty of sales and brand development opportunities on LinkedIn for B2C-facing businesses, and this comes down to the demographic who habitually use LinkedIn. Successful professionals and business owners are prime markets for a wide range of premium consumer goods and services, and many will happily use LinkedIn to research personal purchases, as well as business decisions.
In this article, we’ll look at a few of the underexplored B2C opportunities on LinkedIn and how you can take advantage of them, based on insights from the LinkedIn Meet the Member Research Study, conducted in July 2023.
Target high net worth LinkedIn users
LinkedIn contains more than its fair share of high net worth individuals, with more disposable income than the average social media user, and nearly half planning to invest in a major purchase for themselves within the next 12 months. Compared to other platforms, many LinkedIn members earn higher than average household incomes and hold higher asset values.
Actions
Create a targeted advertising and content campaign promoting your services and products to LinkedIn users with high disposable incomes. Not many people post their salary on their LinkedIn profile, so base your search on job titles that typically indicate high income or wealth, such as Managing Director, Partner, CEO etc. This isn’t infallible – a ‘one man band’ startup can call himself a ‘Global CEO’ – but you can narrow your search by company size, industry, and location to get a better idea of the individual’s wealth.
Professional experience in lucrative industries (e.g. oil and gas, finance, professional services), leading companies, and prestigious educational backgrounds could also indicate high net worth.
Showcase luxury items
People aren’t going to shop on LinkedIn for a bulk deal on toilet roll. With two in five users aiming to purchase luxury goods in the near future, it’s premium products and services that are most likely to gain traction. A large percentage of these users (61%) also admitted to preferring the best version of products and to be early adopters of new technology.
Actions
Highlight the most innovative features of your services and products to attract LinkedIn users who value being early adopters, offering exclusive previews or prelaunch access to new products. Reinforce the quality and luxury of your products through high quality images and well-produced video content.
Lifestyle and status
Despite many LinkedIn users appreciating the finer things in life, it isn’t just ‘things’ that are important, but lifestyle and the status that it implies. This is indicated by the lively flow of content related to trends, innovations, holidays, and premium experiences on LinkedIn.
Actions
To turn your LinkedIn account into a B2C sales channel, you’ll need to align your products with the lifestyle aspirations of your target market. Monetary discounts and early access won’t be sufficient on their own, and huge discounts might actually undermine credibility in the eyes of people looking for premium products. Use your content, your posts, and your advertising strategy to really explain how your products can enhance your customer’s status and lifestyle enjoyment. This will earn you more referrals as well as customers, as people generally share and recommend content that reflects well on themselves.
Network marketing and recommendations
LinkedIn is a networking platform, with decisions based largely on recommendations and endorsements from trusted fellow LinkedIn users. Users often turn to their LinkedIn networks for recommendations on consumer products, as well as business services. ‘Influencers’ are just as important on LinkedIn as Instagram and Tik Tok, although LinkedIn influencers are more likely to be industry authorities and business leaders, rather than self-made celebrities (and most would probably hate the term ‘influencer’).
Actions
B2C business can use this to their advantage, encouraging satisfied customers to share their positive experiences on LinkedIn, and using a referral programme to incentivise users to recommend products within their LinkedIn networks. Getting an endorsement from a respected figure in your target market could further increase the credibility of your business and gain more shares for your content.
Find out more
The LinkedIn marketing specialists at JDR can help you develop a B2C-focused content strategy that aligns with the behaviours and interests of your target LinkedIn users. To find out more, please get in touch today by clicking here.
Image Source: Canva
