3 Simple Tips for Finding New Customers Using LinkedIn The popular professional network shares easy ways to get started understanding your target audience and creating content that converts.

Finding customers is on every entrepreneur's list of top priorities. But even seasoned marketers know that acquiring customers online can be tricky. You're not seeking just any lead—you're after qualified leads that will convert into paying customers. Casting a wide net online and pulling in lots of qualified leads requires planning, strategy, and the right platform.

As it turns out, one of the best ways to find new customers online is leveraging the power of professional networking on LinkedIn. On LinkedIn, your brand can reach more than 756 million members across multiple touchpoints. And its unique targeting capabilities and features, like Matched Audiences, make it easier for B2B brands to reach their ideal audiences.

"At the heart of a successful customer engagement strategy is mapping your marketing to align with the buyer's journey," says Penry Price, Vice President of Marketing Solutions at LinkedIn. "B2B buying cycles have been gradually getting longer and more complex, in part because companies are involving more departments and individuals in their buying processes. This has made it even more critical for marketers to reach a variety of people and departments at a given company with the right content at the right time in their journey."

Here, Price shares three simple tips for B2B brands that want to find new customers on LinkedIn.

1. Build a compelling presence through your LinkedIn Page.

Online, your brand is what establishes an authentic connection. Your first step toward engaging members and driving business impact is by creating a robust LinkedIn Page for your brand.

"People don't buy from businesses, they buy from people," Price says. "An investment in brand awareness allows your prospects to get to know your organization's mission and values in a more authentic way."

First, you want to fill in as much information on your LinkedIn Page as possible. LinkedIn says complete Pages get 30 percent more views than ones that aren't. Next, make sure your brand is posting consistently to the Page. Posting a short Story or a poll at least once a month is a great way to do this, according to Price.

"The content you create, the frequency and consistency by which you post, and how you engage with your audience is an important process in both helping members get to know you and establishing a sense of credibility," he says. If you're running low on ideas, check the Content tab on your Page to discover topics that your target audience is engaging with on LinkedIn. You can easily reshare third-party articles from there as well.

From there, start growing your followers. Page administrators might consider inviting their relevant personal connections to follow their Page (industry connections, customers, fellow enthusiasts, etc.). "Once you've invited those connections, consider how you can enable and encourage others across your company to do the same thing," Price says.

2. Give your organic content a boost to reach more people.

Posting content organically via your LinkedIn Page is a great way to drive awareness about any given topic. But to reach members who don't follow your Page, consider giving select pieces of content an added boost with a paid push. "Giving time-sensitive posts a boost will allow you to extend your reach to a much larger, and highly targeted audience," Price says.

The good news is that LinkedIn is making it easy for brands to do this without having to learn new skills. Simply identify a post on the LinkedIn Page that you want share, then click "boost." From there, choose an objective—like awareness, engagement, or website visits—then select from a list of targeting criteria such as job function, seniority, or industry. Set your budget and schedule. That's it.

3. Invest in understanding your buyer's personas.

An important step to finding new customers online is having a better understanding of who they are and what their path to purchase looks like. "Knowing your buyers, the obstacles they face, how they like to engage, and what matters most to them is critical in creating relevant, timely content that aligns to each stage of the buying process," Price says. Once you have identified your buyers, LinkedIn offers powerful options to precisely reach your target audience and everyone involved in the buying decisions.

Price recommends starting off by examining a few member profiles, paying attention to details like their endorsed skills, current and past positions, and seniority levels. "This gives you with a glimpse into that audience's mindset and provides you the information you need to build paid marketing campaigns or start to build out your sales outreach strategies," he says.

When you have the right tools and use the best platforms, you'll be in the best position to find new customers online. Creating an organic brand presence, casting a wide net with your messaging, and understanding your buying personas will give you a solid start toward acquiring customers on LinkedIn.

Click here to learn about LinkedIn Marketing Solutions and how they can help your B2B business grow online.