What a Higher Education Marketing Agency Does for You 

Looking at all the many, many strategies that contribute to successful higher education lead generation, the question becomes: do you implement them in-house? Or do you partner with a higher education marketing agency who can help? 

Obviously, we’re going to be a little bit biased, but there are very strong reasons why an agency partner could be the right path for your school. 

Specialized Knowledge 

You know your school best—your curricula, your brand, your mission—and your faculty and staff are focused on that. That doesn’t leave a lot of time or resources for learning the ins and outs of all the different aspects of digital marketing. Partnering with a higher education agency gives you immediate access to a team with specific expertise in: 

• Search engine and AI optimization
• Content strategy
• Website design and development
• Analytics and performance metrics
• Customer relationship marketing and public relations 

Adjustable Capacity 

The higher education calendar can be a series of peaks and valleys, with extremely busy months (i.e., admissions opening, program launches, class start dates) followed by quieter periods. A higher ed marketing agency can provide the extra hands and help you need when the workload spikes so you don’t have to worry about splitting your attention between enrollment and campaign metrics. 

Big Picture Thinking 

An experienced agency with real knowledge of the education field can bring a much wider perspective to your marketing efforts. They’ll have the tools to research competitors, analyze how new and alternative tactics are working, and understand how you can stand out and bring in more student leads. 

Multichannel Optimization 

Knowing your brand is one thing; communicating that brand in a cohesive way across all the different marketing channels is another. Because of that specialized knowledge and big-picture thinking mentioned above, a skilled higher education marketing agency can coordinate campaigns that work together and build on each other, telling a complete story rather than a series of scattered messages. 

Audience Targeting and Segmenting 

Quality over quantity, especially when it comes to enrollment lead generation for higher education. A good higher education marketing agency has a whole suite of skills to make it possible to identify and target the right potential students, from mapping the student journey to crafting personalized content to identifying which message works for which platform for maximum conversion. 

Efficiency 

Because a higher education marketing agency already has the expertise and experience with the latest digital tools, your school is likely going to see faster, more efficient results that if you’re trying to do the same stuff in-house. They’ll have the data and methodologies to quickly create campaigns, analyze how they’re performing, and optimize or pivot when the numbers aren’t number-ing. 

Low-Cost Search Engine and Website Marketing Ideas 

Mobile Optimization 

It’s not enough to have a decent website — I mean, you should definitely already have one of those, but beyond that, it’s extra important to make it as mobile-friendly as possible. More consumers than ever are accessing the internet through their smartphones, and 61% of mobile searchers are more likely to contact a local business if they have a mobile-friendly site. Eighty-eight percent of searches for local businesses on a mobile device result in either a call or visit to that business within 24 hours. 

Google Business Profiles 

We’ve mentioned this before when discussing the power of local SEO, but if you haven’t already set up your Google Business Profile (GBP), you’re missing out on a great tool that is completely free. BrightLocal actually found that in 2025 only 35% of small- to medium-sized businesses had claimed their GBP. When you set one up, it allows you to correct any misinformation, add photos and descriptions, select relevant business categories, and ensure your hours and contact information is up to date. This then helps your business to appear in search results and Google Maps. 

Consistent, Engaging Blogs 

Having a blog on your website isn’t a requirement, but it can be a fantastic tool for marketing with little overhead costs. According to marketers, websites, blogs, and SEO are the number one channel for generating a return on investment (ROI), and small businesses in particular are 23% more likely than the average to see an ROI from blog posts. The key, though, isn’t just posting a bunch of random writing. High-quality content posted on a consistent, sustainable schedule goes much further than an avalanche of junk blogs. Focus on content that your audience will find useful, like frequently asked questions, lists and guides, and behind-the-scenes industry information. 

AI Search Optimization 

Google’s integration of AI into their search engine has changed up the SEO game. In order for your website to rank well in search results, you want to use hone your tactics toward things like AI overviews. A lot of it will require building out content that answers common questions centered around the right short- and longtail keyword phrases. If you’re not sure what keywords to target, reach out to EdwardsSchoen and we can help. 

Low-Cost Social Media Marketing Ideas 

Social Media Presence 

Social media remains a very effective way to reach customers; in fact, it is the most preferred product discovery platform for consumers aged 18 to 44. To make the most of it on a small budget, it helps to focus on the one or two platforms where your ideal audience is most active. But you can’t necessarily just post and ghost. You’ll see greater benefits if you engage with the community and the conversation. Reply to comments, answer questions, and connect with relevant groups and accounts. 

Contests and Giveaways 

Hosting a giveaway on your social platforms can be great for increasing visibility and growing your followers. Keep it simple: the prize should be valuable but not bank-breaking, and you should have people who want to enter do one or two simple things, like submit their email or share some of your content. It’s not something you want to do excessively or it will become a gimmick, but used strategically, it can get your profile and your business in front of new people.  

Micro-Influencers 

Micro-influencers are those who either have a niche following or a small platform that’s still growing, usually around 1,000 to 10,000 followers. If you can find these kinds of influencers who have an audience that overlaps with your own, it can be a more affordable way to engage with content creators. 

Low-Cost Content Marketing Ideas 

Email Marketing 

Social media platforms can come and go, but the one guaranteed avenue for reaching both current and prospective customers is through email marketing. For very little money, you can collect, segment and personalize your audience, staying in contact with the people most likely to engage with your products. That’s why the ROI on email marketing is almost $40 for every $1 spent. Take the time to craft emails that provide value, though, and don’t just bombard recipients with half a dozen junk messages a week.  

Workshops and Webinars 

Content marketing is a long game that is all about demonstrating brand trust and authority by sharing valuable expertise and information. Hosting a workshop or online webinar about a specific topic inside your industry is a fantastic way to do just that, and it can connect you with new prospective clients and customers as well. 

Guest Blogs and Appearances 

Pitching yourself can be intimidating, but if you’re willing to face down your fear of rejection, it can really pay off. Step one is to find potential third-party platforms in your industry, like podcasts, YouTube channels, or online publications. Reach out to relevant channels and offer to share your own expertise through a guest article, podcast interview, etc. Be specific about your topic and what you want to say, and do your research about the platform’s past posts. You don’t want to drop into their inbox, proposing to discuss a subject that they’ve already covered multiple times. 

Segmenting and Targeting 

We’re going to start from the assumption that you’ve already defined your goals and objectives—whether it’s brand awareness, lead generation, etc. If you haven’t, bookmark your spot here and go do that before reading on. Once you have, you’re ready to talk about audience segmentation, personalization, and targeting.  

You’re likely already doing this to some degree—we definitely talk about personalization all the time—but the number of tools and strategies has grown, many of which are paired with AI to make it easier than ever. Take a look at what types of information and insight you’re collecting about your audience, analyze it, and tailor your paid social content to speak more directly to each segment. 

Retargeting 

Users who have already expressed interest in you and your brand are more likely to be receptive to your messaging and more likely to turn into conversions. Make sure when you’re managing audience segmentation that you build retargeting audiences into it. 

Stopping the Scroll 

It’s the era of the attention economy, and capturing it is one of the biggest challenges in the social media landscape. It’s so easy for users to quickly scroll past your content, so you need to really invest in compelling, visually eye-catching creative. Think: clean, engaging designs, no clutter; a strong hook; messaging that’s direct and to-the-point; and a clear call-to-action. 

Develop multiple versions of your creative assets so you can run A/B comparison tests and collect information about what makes your audience do a double-take. 

Ad-Supported Streaming 

YouTube, Netflix, Disney, Tubi—streaming video currently reigns supreme. Almost all of these companies have ad-supported tiers for customers who can’t or won’t pay for premium levels, and many of them offer very sophisticated targeting. It’s worth it for you to take a look and maybe experiment in this area to see how it helps you reach consumers. 

Measuring, Adapting and Updating 

Measure twice, cut once. Except, in marketing, it’s more like: measure twice, adjust your tool, try a few cuts, go back and measure again. This is especially true for social media because there’s such an opportunity there for real-time data gathering, monitoring, and adapting. Many social platforms have their own dashboards to show you engagement and efficacy, which means you can quickly start gleaning insights to inform your ad spend. 

That’s where all those different creative versions come in handy for testing because you can get nerdy and granular with it. How does this visual compare to that one; what about this headline versus that headline; which CTA performs better, etc. 

Chasing Trends 

As much as social media shifts constantly, we don’t advise our partner clients to go out of their way to chase trends either. Most of the time, a viral fad is over before brands are even aware of it, and the high number of views it drives are not necessarily going to result in conversions. 

Budgeting Smart 

The best way to avoid wasting time, energy, and money throwing spaghetti at the social media wall is to start small and focused. Perform tests that target specific platforms, specific audience segments, specific goals, and don’t invest big numbers until you know something works.  

What Is B2B Lead Nurturing? 

At a basic level, lead nurturing for B2B encompasses the process of building a relationship with a prospective buyer or client at each stage of the sales funnel. It’s a combination of short-term and long-term strategies segmented and personalized to the buyer’s needs and concerns to establish brand recognition and trust.  

A lead nurturing system should include the ability to: 

• Segment leads into focused categories
• Structure content to progressively build knowledge
• Track interactions, behaviors, and touchpoints
• Coordinate messaging across multiple marketing channels 

Laid out like that, it can be a little overwhelming, but it can easily broken down into smaller, more manageable steps. And the benefits make the investment worth the while. In 2022, Marketo found that companies that excel at lead nurturing generate 50% more sales-ready leads at a 33% lower cost. The Annuitas Group found that nurtured leads make 47% larger purchases than non-nurtured leads. And lead nurturing emails had 4-10 times the response rate compared to standalone emails. 

7 Types of Lead Nurturing Campaigns 

Most lead nurturing messaging campaigns fall under one of several categories: 

• Welcome: To guide new customers through the onboarding process
• Educational: To inform prospects of your services or offerings with the goal of stirring interest
• Engagement: To drive interactions around an event
• Promotional: To highlight specific features of your products/services relevant to the recipient
• Sales: To promote discounts, special pricing, sales, etc., to create a sense of urgency
• Re-engagement: To elicit the attention of leads who have fallen off along the sales journey
• Authority: To demonstrate trust via customer stories, testimonials, thought leadership, etc. 

6 Effective Lead Nurturing Strategies for B2B 

Implement Lead Scoring 

Lead scoring is one of the best ways to make lead nurturing more manageable. By ranking leads and prospects based on engagement and fit, you can better understand where each person is in the buyer’s journey and prioritize follow-up accordingly. The structure of your scoring system will depend on your campaign goals and KPIs, but the objective is the same: identify which leads are most ready for sales outreach. The higher the score, the sooner your sales team should follow up. 

Continually Profile and Segment 

If you take nothing else away from this article, remember the word: personalization. It’s the crux of all lead nurturing campaigns, and the more data you have on your leads, the more you should use it to shape content and messaging. You can do that by looking at behavior or incorporating a question or poll into your messaging. The more you know, the better you can personalize to their needs and interests. 

Create Targeted Content 

Using all those defined segments, you can strategically tailor the content and messaging you deliver to each lead. This makes the recipients feel seen and heard and more likely to be receptive to your information and your brand. Combine this with email flow automation to make it easier for you to deliver tailored content to the right people at the right time. 

Make It Multichannel 

We mentioned this above in the pitfalls section, but it’s worth reiterating. While we usually think of lead nurturing in terms of email marketing, there are a lot of different opportunities across marketing channels that you can leverage. This can include social media, dynamic content on your website or landing pages, sponsored retargeting posts, and direct outreach from your sales team. 

Provide Value 

Throughout the relationship with clients and partners, you want to try to offer unique, valuable content, not just the same old messaging over and over. Especially at the top of your sales funnel, free content and resources not locked behind a paywall can build brand awareness and connection. 

Continuously Evaluate 

As with any aspect of marketing, you need to check in often on your campaigns to ensure you’re getting the results you want. At least every few months when you’re building your strategies, you should assess your metrics and key performance indicators to see what is working, which channels are effective, and what needs to be set aside. 

What Works and What Doesn’t When You’re Trying to Build Connections

Millions of Americans between the ages of 18-29 access social media, and around half of millennials and Gen Z check their accounts multiple times a day. The social media revolution has swept us all up in its wake, and any school that doesn’t try to leverage it to find new students is leaving potential enrollments on the table. But what should you do, as a school, to create engagement and forge those connections.

Before you can make the most of your social media accounts, there is some foundational work you need to do or you’re going to struggle:

1. You need to have a clear understanding of your brand and your unique selling points (USPs). If you don’t know how your school stands out and what you bring to the table, you’re going to have a hard time presenting your institution to prospective students.
2. You need to know the platforms where your prospective students are. There are a lot of social media sites out there and each of them pull very different age demographics. Trying to put full-throttle energy into all of them will spread you too thin. Know where you’re most likely to find your best prospects and concentrate there.

Create a Vibe

Your social media platforms should reflect your brand, your campus, your programs and services. Your USPs should be continuously featured, and as much as possible, you need to give prospective students a vision of what attending your school will be like. 

• Feature photos and videos in your posts that show your buildings, your classrooms, and your labs.
• Talk about what’s around the campus itself, like childcare facilities, parks, restaurants, and activities.
• Give them glimpses of student life and ideas of what it will look like for them to study at your school.

Instead of thinking of your social media platforms as a soapbox to shout about your school, think of it instead as a community space that you’re building. You want prospective students, current students, and alumni to want to be present in those spaces by doing things like:

• Posting actively and often, preferably on a steady schedule. Potential enrollees should be able to come to your social media sites and see that you’re active.
• Encouraging interactions and connections with students by asking questions, sharing experiences, and being responsive
• Ensuring that what you post is something that your community can resonate with and relate to

It’s one thing to get yourself in front of some new eyes on a social platform; it’s another thing entirely to have them come back to your spaces again and again. One of the best ways to do that is by making sure you’re providing a “value-add”—i.e., they’re getting more out of your social media that just a photo and a caption. 

• Vary the kind of content you post so it’s not just promo, but instead is also linking to resources, discussing relevant topics, and showcasing your expertise
• Repurpose school resources on career advice or navigating financial aid, especially if you have downloadable content that you can direct interest to
• Highlight the knowledge of your faculty and staff regarding the industries and programs your offer

Platform Students and Alumni

There is no substitute for the power of real, actual students and alumni talking about your school. Photos, videos, and features of current students, recent graduates, active alumni, and faculty not only give potential students a clearer idea of what your school is all about; it also puts a human face to your brand. Consider doing things like:

• Spotlighting achievements and success stories, whether that’s an alumnus who just hit a notable height in their career, a faculty member who was recently awarded, or a class of graduating students
• Having current students contribute directly to your social platforms by organizing a “takeover” of your account, where a student is given the opportunity to authentically engage with prospects, take them around their day, and answer their questions

The growth of video content—especially short-form videos like Tiktoks, Reels, and YouTube shorts—opens up a real advantage for schools. Taking the time to produce and post video content can pay real dividends in the form of increased brand awareness and more engaged audiences. If it seems like a daunting or time-consuming project, remember that one short-form video can be posted across multiple sites, boosting your reach.

• Feature students in testimonials or man-on-the-street type interviews talking about your school, their program, and what they’re learning
• Put together virtual campus tours that take potential students around your facilities
• Set up informative livestreams on a regular schedule where you can do a deep-dive on a relevant topic, like admissions requirements, and encourage viewers to ask questions

Your social media accounts should be extensions of your website in every way—from branding to link referrals. After all, it’s a give-and-take: prospectives who find your social posts engaging need to be encouraged to fill out interest forms on your site, and prospectives who find your site should be able to easily find your social media platforms to help in their decision-making.

• Invest in a regularly updated blog as part of your efforts to showcase your expertise and add value, and then reference and utilize blog posts and topics on your social platforms
• Feature your social media on your website by embedding your feeds and displaying your posts so that visitors can get a deeper sense of your brand and unique offerings

Sorry in advance to my fellow introverts, but investing in social media engagement is a can’t-miss opportunity. As a school, you need to be looking at what you’re doing, where you’re spending your energy, and how you can truly paint a picture of what life and education at your campus will be like. Today’s online generations want authenticity, they want to feel connected, and by putting your school out there and getting a little more social, you can start turning engagement into future admissions.

And How You Can Leverage Them to Build Credibility and Attract New Clients

Marketing is about far more than a slick video or catchy ad. At its core, marketing is about building a brand and creating a corresponding story to go along with it, and with the proliferation and transparency of the internet, it’s more important than ever that businesses project authenticity and authority in their branding.

One of the best ways to do that? Social credibility, in the form of case studies and customer testimonials.

There are a few different ways that customer testimonials are presented, but they all encompass the same thing: a customer testifying to their experience with you, the business. A lot of times, you’ll see them as short quotes highlighted on websites or marketing collateral, but they can also be longer, interview-style videos in some cases.

Whatever style they appear, testimonials are a shorthand, telling prospective clients: We’ve worked with customers like you. They liked us. You will, too.

What are the benefits of having customer testimonials?

There are both “hard” and “soft” benefits to having testimonials in your marketing. Plenty of data backs up the fact that customer testimonials greatly influence customers, can increase their trust in your business, generate more revenue, increase sales page conversions, and more.

A few quick examples:

• 92% of customers read online reviews before buying (Big Commerce)
• 72% of consumers say positive testimonials and reviews increase their trust in a business (Big Commerce)
• 88% of consumers say reviews influence their online purchasing decisions (Vendasta)
• 88% of consumers trust online testimonials and reviews as much as recommendations from friends or family (Big Commerce)
• On average, testimonials on sales pages increase conversions by 34% (Impact)
• Websites using testimonials saw a 45% increase in traffic compared to those who didn’t (Yotpo)

Beyond the statistics, though, integrating customer testimonials can be a big help in humanizing your brand and making you more approachable to the everyday consumer. You’re building a story, and nothing bolsters it quite like having real, satisfied customers chiming in to say, “I was right to believe in this business, and here’s why.”

Knowing the value of testimonials is one thing; collecting them is very much another. You can’t make a customer vouch for you or leave a five-star review, but there are a few things you can do to streamline the process.

• Solicit client feedback – Sending surveys and actively requesting customers’ thoughts and opinions not only helps you better identify what you’re doing right and where you can improve; it also helps you pinpoint those clients who extremely positive about your services and would make for good testimonial candidates.
• Timing is key – Approaching a client from five years ago to ask them to share their experience is probably not going to be as well-received as when you ask a very recent customer, ideally after a positive outcome or milestone.
• Make it simple and easy – The less friction there is, the more likely it will be that a customer is willing to submit their testimonial. Consider setting up a template or online form. Give them options on what format they’d prefer, whether that’s by video, social media, or in writing.
• Offer some guidance – A blank page terrifies all of us. Providing some potential questions for customers to answer or guidance on what they might want to include gives them a clear starting point to work from.

There are, honestly, a ton of different options available to you once you have a number of testimonials to work with. Putting them up on your website is an easy first step, usually featured on the homepage, but also under any About Us pages where you’re talking about your brand story. Promote them on social media and in email marketing, preferably with catchy visuals. If you can get video testimonials, that’s even better. According to Wyzowl , 79% of consumers have watched a video testimonial to learn more about a company, product or service, and two-thirds of consumers say they’re more likely to make a purchase after watching a testimonial video demonstrating how a business, product or service helped someone like them.

Think of case studies like a story within the larger story of your business. In the marketing field, a case study is an in-depth look at a specific way your products or services have helped a past customer. It’s a detailed narrative that covers:

• The background, including an overview of who the client is and an outline of their needs and requirements at the start of the case
• The problem or challenge, which details what exactly the client was struggling with or an opportunity they were hoping to capitalize on
• The solution, or more specifically, how your unique product or service offering helped the client overcome the challenge
• The results, including as many data points and statistics as you have available

Like we said above, marketing is about storytelling, and case studies are mini-stories themselves. They’re detailed and tangible and a way to truly showcase what you have to offer. Being able to point to specific situations and outline how you created success from challenges lends your business credibility and creates more trust between you and prospective customers. They cut through the vagueness of the usual marketing syntax and offer something concrete and relevant.

According to digital marketing expert Neil Patel , case studies deliver on the data side, too:

• 62.6% of respondents to an eMarketer survey said case studies were effective in generating leads
• Including case studies in his own work grew Patel’s sales by 185%

For those who don’t already have case studies to work with, your next question is probably: how do I develop them? Here is a basic breakdown of the process:

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Designing and Developing Case Studies for Marketing

Pinpoint Success Stories

Look at your clients and customers and identify who has seen the biggest or most dramatic gains from your products or services.

Collect the Data

Once you have a client and project selected, go back and gather the data and statistics you need to back up your progress and successful results.

Lay It All Out Clearly

Presentation matters, so make sure you are clear, clean, and effective, both in the visual design of your case study and in how you structure and craft the story.

Get Customer Sign-Off

Before you do anything else, share it anywhere or integrate it into your marketing plan, triple-check that the client involved has approved it.

Frankly? Wherever and however you can. Put up a permanent page on your website featuring all your case studies combined. Feature it on your social media profiles, especially places like LinkedIn, where a deep-dive like that will peak the most interest. Offer it as a lead-generation tool in an email or as a downloadable bonus. Create infographics for visually motivated platforms like Instagram or even Pinterest. You can even use it as a jumping off point for launching a webinar or pitching a presentation at an industry conference or event.

It’s up to you to define how you want your business to be seen, and there is no greater tool at your disposal than leveraging customer testimonials and case studies. They can help take you from a mysterious, faceless business entity to something real, relatable, and valuable. They give you the credibility and authenticity we’re all looking for in today’s marketing landscape.

When people need HVAC services, they often turn to online reviews for insights into the quality of work, responsiveness, and professionalism of local providers. Positive reviews help build trust and establish your company as a reputable choice. Consumers are more likely to choose a company with numerous positive reviews over one with fewer or negative reviews.

Positive reviews contribute to a business’s local SEO ranking, meaning the reviews help your business appear more prominently in search engine results. Google and other search engines take reviews into account when determining rankings, meaning a steady flow of complimentary reviews can increase your visibility when people search for HVAC services in your area.

For HVAC or other types of home services, such as plumbing and electrical work, trust is essential, especially when consumers are making significant purchases for installations or repairs. Reviews that highlight successful projects, friendly service, and expert knowledge reassure potential customers that they’re making the right choice, leading to more phone calls or contact form submissions and future jobs.

Reviews also give you a chance to shape your brand’s image and highlight the qualities that set your company apart, such as punctuality, kindness, and professionalism. Consistently positive reviews create a dependable, customer-centric image, which appeals to clients looking for personalized service.

Now that you understand the value of reviews, here are some strategies to maximize their positive impact on your HVAC or home service business:

1. Encourage Happy Customers to Leave Reviews

After completing a job, don’t hesitate to ask for a review. Politely encourage satisfied clients to leave feedback on Google or Yelp. You could follow up with a text or email linking directly to your preferred review site, making it easy for customers to leave a review with a few clicks. Positive reviews from recent customers not only build trust with new leads but also keep your online presence current.

2. Respond to All Reviews—Both Positive and Negative

Reviews often provide valuable insights into areas of your business that are exemplary and areas of your business that may need improvement. Responding to reviews shows potential customers that you care about feedback and are willing to resolve issues. For positive reviews, a simple thank you goes a long way in showing appreciation. For negative reviews, respond professionally, acknowledge the complaint, and offer to resolve the issue. This approach demonstrates your commitment to customer satisfaction. Once you have dealt with the review itself, use customer feedback to address any consistent concerns and improve your service offerings. Showing that your home services business takes constructive feedback seriously can enhance your reputation and improve customer retention in the long run.

Make a habit of regularly checking major review platforms to stay informed on what customers are saying. This can be the business owner, an HR representative, or the person who manages all incoming calls. It is also possible to set up Google Alerts or notifications to be instantly aware of new feedback. By staying on top of reviews, you can address issues promptly and ensure that positive feedback is highlighted.

Displaying reviews on your website and sharing them on social media is a fantastic way to amplify their impact. This not only drives web traffic but reinforces the credibility of your HVAC company, as potential customers can see firsthand the experiences of others. If you don’t have one already, consider adding a testimonial section to your website. On social media pages, you can create posts with standout reviews to maximize visibility.

For HVAC or other home services companies, building a solid base of positive online reviews is a powerful way to grow your business. They provide the opportunity to establish credibility, boost SEO, and turn positive customer experiences into public testimonials. If you want help doing this, EdwardsSchoen is here for you. We can show you how online reviews can become a pivotal marketing tool. Our technical expertise and organic SEO strategies can help you maximize your online reviews to create a positive impression.

Contact EdwardsSchoen today for a complete marketing analysis of your online presence and potential.

Go Beyond the Basics to Turn the Social Media Platform Into a True Business Tool

Instagram is for the aesthetically gifted among us. Tiktok – for the dancers and comics and video-ready cute pets. X/Twitter? That’s anyone’s guess at this point.

But LinkedIn? That’s for the business builders. It’s where you go when you want to broaden your reach, enhance your network, and make the kinds of connections that you could potentially turn into clients and customers. And for B2B marketing in particular, it’s considered to be the best place for lead generation given that it’s designed to connect you with key decision makers and precisely target your audience.

But to make the most of the LinkedIn platform for B2B lead generation, you’ll have to roll up your sleeves, familiarize yourself with all the tips and tools out there, and get to work.

One of the best advantages of LinkedIn is how it allows you to niche down, but you can’t utilize that unless you know your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) – an in-depth outline of exactly the kind of person you want to reach with your content and business offerings. Get detailed with it. Create personas that exemplify this person, what their business or professional role is, what kinds of messaging they might respond to. Consider what sorts of obstacles or challenges they might deal with and how your company is positioned to help them.

LinkedIn leads are not about casting a huge net and hoping you reel in some good prospects. It’s more about quality than quantity, so dig in, get granular, and go from there.

Here it is: your easiest first step. The low-hanging fruit, so to speak. Before you take any further steps, you need to ensure that your business’s page and high-level profiles are all updated and optimized.

Start first with the page for your company. If you don’t already have one, it’s easy enough to create one by logging in to your own profile, selecting the For Business dropdown in the upper right of the navigation, and clicking “Create a Company Page +.” The site will take you through the whole process, step by step, and the most important thing you can do is hit every single one, no skipping. Make sure you input your logo, company size and type, industry, website, and a brief, catchy tagline that highlights what your business does. As the page admin, you can also add further information, like a description of your business, an interesting cover photo, and up to three hashtags.

On the personal side of things, your own profile and the profiles of high-level employees or executives also need to be polished. Pay attention to things like:

• Profile photos: They should be high-resolution and professional.
• Headlines: Treat this more like a tagline that highlights what you do versus a straight listing of your job.
• Summaries: Keep them concise but catchy.
• Skills and services: Make sure to be thorough on these sections and ask your network for endorsements.
• Don’t forget: Including keywords, hashtags, and tags can help boost your visibility.

Like any social media platform, it’s not enough to just be there. Anyone can make a profile or a page for their business, but that won’t automatically result in a flow of B2B leads. You have to add value by creating and sharing content that’s geared toward your ICP.

As Jim Habig, VP of Marketing for LinkedIn, told HubSpot in February:

Your network and potential leads want to know that you know your niche, you’re tuned in to the conversations happening in your industry. Be professional, but also be human. Don’t just list facts or statistics or push a basic pitch. People want to authentically connect with the personality behind the brand.

And always be sure include a call to action and/or a question that can potentially drive a conversation or engagement. The more you’re creating engagement, the more likely your content will get a boost.

If you want to avoid shouting into a LinkedIn-shaped void, you need to find where your audience is at and join them there. That often means joining LinkedIn Groups that match your expertise and interests and jumping into the discussions and conversations that are happening. Don’t go in looking to make a sales pitch, though. Your goal in a LinkedIn Group is just to engage with others, offer help, share insights, and establish yourself as someone with authority and credibility.  

LinkedIn has a suite of different ads and tools that can help you boost your efforts and amplify your outreach. At the bare minimum, you should look into getting a Sales Navigator account, which will allow you to:

• Perform detailed searches to find your ideal customers
• Save leads and receive updates on their activity
• Run hyper-targeted ads to drum up new leads
• Utilize the TeamLink feature to highlight warm introductions through your network

Additionally, LinkedIn lets you run Sponsored Content campaigns that you can use to promote particular pieces of content that you’d like to feature. The Sponsored InMail tool gives you the opportunity to send personalized messages straight into the LinkedIn inboxes of your potential leads.

Social media platforms thrive on consistency. They love to highlight users who are on there regularly, producing and engaging with content, making use of the site’s tools, and being an active member of the community. The more you can stay consistent with posting and producing, the better you position yourself as a voice for not only your business, but your industry as a whole.

This advice seems so straightforward, but it can be difficult because it’s a long-term tactic. You can’t just jump on and post consistently for a few weeks and then scrap it when there isn’t a firehose of new leads in your backend dashboard. You have to stay steady and keep it up for the long haul because it’s about building a reputation and a presence that pays off dividends in the future.

Time to take a look at your data. LinkedIn has an analytics tool that’s about to become your best friend because it can help you understand what’s working and what isn’t. How are your connection requests and profile views changing? What content is getting engagement? Which sponsored content pieces or ad campaigns are resonating? Which areas can you test new ideas, new calls to action, new messages?

Break it down by the numbers, adjust your plans as needed, and then get back to it.

For B2B companies of all sizes, leveraging LinkedIn can be one of the most valuable tools at your disposal. With targeted search options; an optimized page and profile; a consistent, engaged presence; and a suite of tools to help boost your presence, you can access new contacts and open up new opportunities for B2B lead generation. It all boils down to knowing your audience, meeting them where they’re at, and sharing your insights and value with them.

And for anyone who wants to utilize their LinkedIn profile to grow their business but has some questions or wants a little more guidance, we’re here to help with that. Just reach out anytime.

1. Leverage Social Media

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and LinkedIn are powerful tools for reaching a wide audience with minimal cost. Here are some ways to make the most of social media:

• Create Engaging Content: Share high-quality photos, videos, and stories that resonate with your audience. Content that is informative, entertaining, or inspiring tends to perform well.
• Consistent Posting: Regular posting keeps your audience engaged. Use a content calendar to plan and schedule posts in advance.
• Engage with Followers: Respond to comments and messages promptly. Engagement helps build a community around your brand.
• Utilize Hashtags: Hashtags can increase the visibility of your posts. Use relevant hashtags to reach a broader audience.
• Collaborate with Influencers: Partner with local influencers who align with your brand. Influencers can help spread the word about your products or services to their followers.

2. Optimize Your Website for SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of improving your website so that it ranks higher in search engine results. Higher rankings can lead to more organic traffic. Here are some SEO basics:

• Keyword Research: Identify the keywords and phrases that potential customers use to search for your products or services. Tools like Google Keyword Planner can help.
• Quality Content: Create informative and valuable content that addresses the needs and interests of your audience. Blog posts, how-to guides, and FAQs are good examples.

• On-Page SEO: Optimize your website’s content, meta tags, headings, and URLs with relevant keywords. Ensure your site is mobile-friendly and has a fast load time.
• Backlinks: Obtain links from other reputable websites. Backlinks can improve your site’s authority and search engine ranking.

3. Email Marketing

Email marketing remains one of the most cost-effective ways to reach your audience. Here’s how to use email marketing effectively:

• Build an Email List: Collect email addresses through your website, social media, and in-store promotions. Offer incentives like discounts or free resources in exchange for email sign-ups.
• Segment Your List: Divide your email list into segments based on customer behavior, preferences, or demographics. This allows you to send more targeted and relevant emails.
• Personalize Your Emails: Personalization can increase engagement. Use the recipient’s name and tailor the content to their interests and needs.
• Automate Campaigns: Use email marketing tools to automate your campaigns. Automated welcome emails, follow-ups, and abandoned cart reminders can save you time and effort.
• Track Performance: Monitor your email campaigns’ performance through metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. Adjust your strategy based on the data.

4. Content Marketing

Content marketing involves creating and sharing valuable content to attract and engage your target audience. Here are some content marketing strategies:

• Start a Blog: Blogging is an excellent way to provide valuable information to your audience and improve your SEO. Write about topics relevant to your industry and audience.
• Create Videos: Videos are highly engaging and shareable. Consider creating product demos, tutorials, behind-the-scenes footage, or customer testimonials.
• Infographics: Infographics are visually appealing and easy to digest. They can simplify complex information and are often shared on social media.
• Guest Posting: Write guest posts for other blogs and websites in your industry. This can help you reach a new audience and build backlinks to your site.

5. Utilize Local Listings and Review Sites

Local listings and review sites can boost your visibility and credibility. Here’s how to make the most of them:

• Google My Business: Create and optimize your Google My Business listing. Ensure your business information is accurate and up-to-date. Encourage customers to leave reviews.
• Yelp and Other Review Sites: Claim your business on review sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Angie’s List. Respond to reviews, both positive and negative, to show that you value customer feedback.
• Local Directories: List your business in local directories and online yellow pages. This can help you attract local customers and improve your SEO.

6. Partner with Other Businesses

Collaborating with other businesses can be a win-win situation. Here are some ways to partner up:

• Co-Hosting Events: Host events, webinars, or workshops with complementary businesses. This can help you reach a wider audience and share marketing costs.
• Cross-Promotions: Partner with other businesses to offer joint promotions or bundle deals. For example, a bakery could partner with a local coffee shop for a breakfast bundle.
• Referral Programs: Establish a referral program with other businesses. Offer incentives for customers who refer new clients to each other.

7. Use DIY Design Tools

Professional-looking marketing materials are essential, but you don’t need to hire a designer for everything. There are many free or low-cost design tools available:

• Canva: Canva is a user-friendly graphic design tool that allows you to create social media posts, flyers, brochures, and more with pre-made templates.
• Piktochart: Piktochart is great for creating infographics, presentations, and reports.
• GIMP: GIMP is a free, open-source image editor with many of the features of Adobe Photoshop.

8. Host Contests and Giveaways

Contests and giveaways can generate excitement and engagement. Here’s how to run an effective contest:

• Define Your Goals: Decide what you want to achieve, whether it’s increasing followers, boosting engagement, or generating leads.
• Choose a Prize: Offer a prize that is relevant and appealing to your target audience. It could be one of your products or services, or a gift card.
• Set the Rules: Clearly outline the contest rules and entry requirements. Ensure the contest complies with the platform’s guidelines.
• Promote the Contest: Use social media, email marketing, and your website to promote the contest. Encourage participants to share the contest with their networks.
• Follow Up: Announce the winner and thank all participants. Consider offering a consolation prize or discount to non-winners.

9. Attend Local Events and Networking Opportunities

Participating in local events and networking opportunities can help you build relationships and raise awareness of your business:

• Trade Shows and Fairs: Attend trade shows, fairs, and community events. Set up a booth to showcase your products or services and interact with potential customers.
• Networking Groups: Join local business groups, chambers of commerce, or industry associations. Networking can lead to valuable connections and collaborations.
• Sponsorships: Sponsor local events or sports teams. Sponsorship can increase your visibility and show your support for the community.

10. Utilize Free Publicity

Free publicity can significantly boost your brand’s visibility. Here are some ways to get free publicity:

• Press Releases: Write and distribute press releases about significant business updates, new product launches, or events. Send them to local newspapers, radio stations, and online media outlets.
• Media Outreach: Build relationships with local journalists and bloggers. Offer to be a source for stories related to your industry.
• Community Involvement: Participate in community activities, volunteer work, and charitable events. Positive community involvement can lead to media coverage.

Final Thoughts

Marketing on a budget is not only possible but can be highly effective with the right strategies. By leveraging social media, optimizing your website for SEO, utilizing email marketing, creating valuable content, making the most of local listings, partnering with other businesses, using DIY design tools, hosting contests, attending local events, and seeking free publicity, you can reach your target audience and grow your small business without spending a fortune. Start implementing these affordable tactics today and watch your business thrive.

According to Sprout Social, this survey was conducted by The Harris Poll and included 778 social media marketing and communications professionals across the U.S. and U.K. Participants had to be at a manager level or above and involved in decisions about social media strategy and marketing.

• 77% of the respondents were key decision makers and 17% have a role in the final decision but were not the sole decision maker 
• 46% of the companies were Mid-Market Plus size, with 1,000-4,999 employees; 24% were Mid-Market, with 100-999 employees; 19% were Enterprise, with 5,000+ employees; and 11% were small businesses with 1-99 employees 
• 82% of the respondents worked at companies that advertised to both consumers (B2C) and other businesses (B2B) 

Breaking Down the Data

There is a lot of data to parse in the full Sprout Social report, but we wanted to highlight some key points that caught our attention: 

Social media budgets are anticipated to increase

Though there are quite a few disagreements in the world of business, nearly all of those surveyed agreed on one point: Companies must continue to invest in social media marketing to be successful. Fifty-two percent strongly agreed with that statement and 43% somewhat agreed. Once you see that, it’s easy to understand why social media budgets are expected to increase for 80% of companies over the next three years. In fact, almost 70% of respondents projected that the social media budget will increase by 31% or more.  

Overall, social media is considered to have a positive impact 

A large percentage of those surveyed see social media marketing as being a key element in achieving their business priorities; things like, building brand reputation and loyalty, gaining a better understanding of customers, and improving competitive positioning.

Upwards of 75% of respondents see social media having a moderate to major positive impact on their goals. For building brand reputation, for example, 94% agreed social media has a positive impact. 

Data and insights from social media are underutilized 

While you can gain a lot of actionable data based off social media insights, it’s not always used across the board at companies to make strategic decisions. It most often influences customer service and brand awareness, but 69% of social media business leaders concurred that, currently, their company isn’t utilizing this data as effectively as it could.

Limited access to tools and analysis are some of the top challenges 

Quite a few companies are using customer relationship management software (71%) and social media management software (69%) in their social media efforts, but 88% of them believe these tools are critical to their company. But almost half of them are still struggling with accessing social data that can provide them real insights, and around 40% say that lack of time and lack of qualified team members to analyze their social media efforts is hindering informed decision making. 

AI and ML are the emerging technologies that hold the most potential 

Leveraging social media data, understanding market trends, and improving workflows and decision-making processes are big priorities for social media strategy. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are the two big emerging technologies that might make the shift easier. In fact, 96% of leaders agreed that AI and ML can help them improve their decision-making processes, 93% think AI and ML will be crucial for scaling customer care functions, and 94% are confident in their ability to successfully adopt AI and ML technology for marketing.

Collaboration and intercompany integration of social media efforts are a crux point

Not just the purview of a company’s dedicated social media team, the almost all of the respondents (96%) said that their social media strategy involves greater collaboration between different departments, from marketing to customer support to communications to operations. The data and insights social media delivers are useful across the board as well. In fact, 97% of those surveyed said social media insights are essential for effective public relations, 95% say they are essential to competitor analysis, and 93% say they play a pivotal role in proactive crisis management. 

Social media and customer care go hand in hand

Customer relationship management is integral to a company’s success, and social media is a key partner to it, with 96% of respondents saying that they expect social data will be integrated directly with CRM capabilities in the next three years. Social is also vital to capturing customer sentiment and feedback and tailoring content to individual needs. Upwards of 85% of those surveyed said that social media data has a positive impact on many different aspects of customer service, from speedy response times to proactive messaging to routing customers to the right people or departments. 

Get More From Your Marketing With EdwardsSchoen

If you’re ready to connect with a digital higher education marketing agency with proven experience in leveraging your social media platforms and using that data to take you to the next level, then now is the perfect time to start a conversation EdwardsSchoen. We combine large agency experience with the nimbleness and accountability of a boutique firm, resulting in a proven track record of results. Learn more about us or contact us.