Leveraging LinkedIn as a CPG Brand
Leveraging LinkedIn as a CPG Brand
In the ever-evolving landscape of social media marketing, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter often steal the spotlight. However, there's one platform that's quietly growing in importance for CPG brands: LinkedIn. Often seen as a space for professionals and B2B interactions, LinkedIn is emerging as a valuable tool for CPG brands to connect with their audience in meaningful ways.
What Can LinkedIn Be Used For?
1. Brand Awareness and Thought Leadership: Share insights, industry trends, and thought-provoking content to position your brand as a leader in the CPG space. Check out this post by Fly by Jing
2. Audience Engagement and Relationship Building: Engage with your audience through meaningful conversations, responding to comments, and participating in relevant groups and discussions. Check out this post by August
3. Recruitment and Talent Acquisition: Showcase your company culture, values, and job opportunities to attract top talent in the industry. Check out this post by Olipop
4. Content Distribution and Amplification: Share blog posts, articles, videos, and other content to reach a professional audience interested in CPG trends and innovations. Check out this post by Surreal
5. Partnerships and Collaborations: Connect with other businesses, influencers, and industry experts for potential collaborations and partnerships. Check out this post by Brandon Smithwrick for No Revisions
All Demographics Are on LinkedIn
Contrary to popular belief, LinkedIn isn't just for CEOs and job seekers. With over 774 million members worldwide, LinkedIn boasts a diverse user base spanning various industries, job roles, and demographics. From entry-level professionals to seasoned executives, everyone's on LinkedIn, making it an ideal platform for CPG brands to reach a wide audience.
Differentiating Your Approach on LinkedIn
While Instagram and Facebook may prioritize visually appealing content and lifestyle imagery, LinkedIn demands a more professional and informative approach. Here's how CPG brands can differentiate their content on LinkedIn:
1. Educational Content: Share industry insights, market trends, and product knowledge to educate your audience and position your brand as an authority in the CPG sector. We honestly don’t see enough of this from brands on LinkedIn. One thing to note, people like to hear from people - and we see more founders of brands sharing this content to represent their brand, but we would love to see more cross-over on the brand pages, especially for larger brands. LinkedIn is a great place for commentary!
2. Behind-the-Scenes Content: Offer glimpses into your company culture, manufacturing processes, and sustainability initiatives to humanize your brand and build trust with your audience. This seems to be the go-to content type for CPG brands on Linkedin - sharing their new store announcements, trade shows, etc. Go deeper - this content is great to share, but give more insight and make it easier for people to engage vs just like these posts.
3. Thoughtful Commentary: Engage in conversations around relevant topics, such as sustainability, diversity, and innovation, to demonstrate your brand's values and commitment to social responsibility. Again, not seeing enough of this on LinkedIn from brands (or on any social channel to be honest). Brands tend to want to share fun things and not anything insightful as it opens the floor for discussion - and a lot of brands do not know how to handle that. If you need help in this area, we’ve got you.
4. Employee Advocacy: Encourage your employees to share company updates, achievements, and content on their personal LinkedIn profiles to amplify your brand's reach and credibility. THIS is everything. We really push our brands to utilize employees to help drive LinkedIn engagement. As mentioned earlier, people listen to people so your employees sharing, commenting, and posting about your company on their own accounts will be the fastest way to growth.
In conclusion, LinkedIn presents a wealth of opportunities for CPG brands to connect with professionals, showcase their expertise, and build meaningful relationships with their audience. By adopting a strategic approach and crafting content tailored to the platform's professional audience, CPG brands can establish a strong presence on LinkedIn and drive business growth in the digital age.
