A seminar on using LinkedIn for account-based marketing sparked a frenzy of likes, shares and positive comments.

More than 90 business leaders attended the #StrikeItRich2019 seminar at AFC Bournemouth, organised by Dorset marketing agency Intergage – and then put the advice into practice by connecting and networking on LinkedIn.

The masterclass heard from four Intergage speakers and also a partner in a Dorset law firm.

Mike Finn, Marketing Director, explained the benefits of account-based marketing (ABM) – in which marketers treat an individual account as its own market.

ABM is based on an inverted funnel with four stages:

1. Identify – find target companies
2. Expand – identify individuals in those companies
3. Engage – share useful content with them, cementing your authority and inspiring them to become customers
4. Advocate – your customers become your ‘marketers’, enthusing about your brand and referring more business to you.

Paul Tansey, Managing Director, outlined how business leaders could get the best from a LinkedIn premium account.

“Using LinkedIn messaging and InMails is a much better way to communicate than email – it’s more powerful and compelling,” he said.

He added that LinkedIn was “great” for:

• PR – by sharing regular posts
• referrals and introductions – by sharing people’s profiles
• publishing – LinkedIn articles
• prospecting (InMail)
• training (LinkedIn Learning)
• recruiting – using InMail and messaging.

Roan Fair, Digital Marketing Manager, outlined a series of tips to help LinkedIn users gain more success online…without having to upgrade to a premium profile.

Roan Fair, Intergage’s Digital Marketing Manager.

Paul Moss, Business Development Director, explained how to use technology to overcome the huge changes in buyer behaviour – a far-reaching revolution that threatens to make many traditional salespeople redundant if they fail to evolve.

He demonstrated how to use LinkedIn’s premium Sales Navigator platform to:

• understand customers’ needs, wants and fears
• identify the best prospects using location, industry, company, role and tenure
• qualify prospects and refine sales messaging to meet their needs, wants and fears
• engage, connect, provide value, build a relationship, further qualify the prospect then close the sale.

Neil Andrew, Partner in Dorset law firm Coles Miller and an employment law and business litigation specialist, then explained how to avoid potential legal pitfalls on LinkedIn.

Intergage will be holding a follow-up seminar – Prospecting For Gold With LinkedIn: Aligning Sales And Marketing.

It takes place on Tuesday November 12 from 8.30am-noon at Intergage’s office in Sterte Avenue West, Poole. Places: £199 ex VAT.