INTRODUCTION
As the world’s largest online professional network, LinkedIn is the powerhouse for B2B marketing. LinkedIn Events is a relatively new tool that can be used to host an online event as well as promote an in-person event. It is best used when your goal is to build community through sustained, quality engagement.
Here is how to use LinkedIn Events for B2B marketing.
HOW TO SET UP A LINKEDIN EVENT
To create a LinkedIn Event, you must have a company page and have Page Admin access.
Keep in mind, it’s best practice to start promotions at least 2-3 weeks prior to the event as it gives you plenty of time to send reminders and updates. Thus, make sure to create your event about a month before it is scheduled.
On your LinkedIn company page, click the Admin Tools dropdown menu and select Create an Event. Next, fill in the relevant information. This includes standard details like time, event description, confirmed speakers, settings and location. If your event is ticketed, be sure to make that clear, as some invitees may accept the invite but not know they need to purchase a ticket.
Be sure to add relevant keywords, as you want to make it easy to find via a search. You’ll also add a logo (400 x 400 px) and a cover image (1776 x 444 px) in the event. Note, your logo won’t show up in the events listing on your company’s profile. Once the event is created, photos, videos, graphics and other text can be added to the event feed. When you’re done, click “Create.”
Make sure you double-check the listing prior to publishing the event since there’s no draft feature for LinkedIn Events.
HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR LINKEDIN EVENT
Once your event is created, it’s time to start inviting people to attend. This can be done within LinkedIn, through other social media channels and/or through external marketing efforts (e.g. e-newsletter). As mentioned above, any page admin can create the event, but they can only invite first-degree connections to the event. Another thing to keep in mind is that you can’t invite followers of your company page unless they’re connected to one of the page admins via a personal profile.
When figuring out whom to invite through LinkedIn, you can either use the search box to find specific members of your network by name, or you can filter your connections by location, company, school and industry.
Once someone accepts your invitation, LinkedIn will send event reminders via the Notifications tab seven days before, three days before and the day of the event.
Another option to spread the word is to run LinkedIn Event Ads. Similar to other ads formats, you’ll be asked to select a campaign objective (e.g. brand awareness). This can be done through LinkedIn Campaign Manager.
HOW TO HOST AN ONLINE EVENT ON LINKEDIN
Since many companies are still operating virtually, hosting an online event on LinkedIn can be ideal. Types of online events that work well include conferences, targeted audience events (e.g. product demos) and community and brand-building events (e.g. fireside chat with C-suite).
Your event can have up to 20 speakers, but these people must be invited to speak by the event organizer and accept an invitation to attend. As mentioned previously, only the event organizer and someone with a first-degree connection with the prospective speaker can do the inviting.
Before the event, make sure you share it on your company page and have other employees post about it on their personal LinkedIn pages. Once the event has started, consider posting photos, quotes or other memorable moments to the event feed. This helps keep the virtual audience engaged.
After the event, keep the engagement going by posting a survey to attendees asking their thoughts. Post the recording later to extend the shelf life.
BENEFITS TO USING LINKEDIN EVENTS
There are numerous benefits to using LinkedIn Events for B2B marketing. One of the biggest perks is affordability since it’s free. Everything from getting the event up and running won’t cost a thing other than your time.
Second, since LinkedIn is already reaching a business-oriented target audience, creating an event puts you in touch with the relevant crowd to invite–after all, your attendee list is viewable. Once members have confirmed attendance to your event, they will be able to see, message and connect with other attendees.
Third, event notifications can be more easily noticed on LinkedIn compared to other platforms like Eventbrite. This gives an increased likelihood of engagement of attracting the attention of your followers. Lastly, once the digital event is over, you can use the content from it for future posts on your company page.