When it comes to the printing industry, sending out flyers and relying on word of mouth isn’t enough anymore, as the US, Canadian, British and Australian print shops are up against stiff competition from online printing services, and more aggressive pricing schemes.
Well-known decision-makers in the B2B space search, compare and evaluate printing services online, long before they even make contact with a potential partner. Coming in as a complete stranger to this decision-making process, makes it very difficult to attract high-value clients.
LinkedIn, however, has become a go-to place for many of these types of individuals.
Business owners, marketing managers, procurement heads, event planners and corporate buyers, who are all looking for reliable vendors, and who are serious about buying commercial printing, large-format printing, packaging, signages, promotional products or corporate print services.
For print shops that specialise in these services, LinkedIn basically gives them instant access to the people who want these services and have the budget to buy them.
Our blog will show you how you can cut through the noise on LinkedIn and start generating qualified leads, with the right positioning, killer content, an optimised profile, and fact-driven targeting. Agencies like Vdvibe Marketing Agency, also help printers turn LinkedIn into a steady stream of leads.
Understanding Why LinkedIn Works for Print Shops
If you’re looking for new customers, print shops can really leverage the strengths of LinkedIn. Since printing is essentially a B2B service, corporate branding teams, marketing agencies, startups, educational institutions and governments are always looking for bulk printing, regular deals and long-term partnerships, and those people are already on LinkedIn.
Unlike Facebook and Instagram, LinkedIn users come to the site in a professional mindset, are open to discussing how to grow their business, work with new vendors, save on costs, ensure the quality of what they produce, and get their jobs turned around quickly.
All of which are things that print shops can excel at.
Optimizing the LinkedIn Profile for Lead Generation
When it comes to LinkedIn lead generation, a well-optimised company page and personal profiles are the building blocks of success, but many print shop owners seem to skip over this step, rushing into outreach and ads, and ending up with disappointing results. Coming fast straight into those activities is unlikely to cut it on LinkedIn, and if your LinkedIn page doesn’t tell a story that showcases credibility, expertise and value, people won’t be converting into leads.
A LinkedIn company page, acting as a landing page, must give a crystal-clear idea of the services, target market, and what sets your print shop apart, including commercial printing capabilities, industries served, quality standards, certifications, turnaround times and service areas, and throw in natural mentions of digital marketing, commercial printing services, B2B solutions and custom print production to get it found.
Coming from a personal perspective, the founders’ and sales heads’ LinkedIn profiles also play a huge part in generating leads. Well-known decision-makers love to connect with people, not companies, and a headline that nails their commercial printing and business know-how makes an instant impression, plus a clear-cut summary that explains how the print shop sorts out branding and printing headaches will really get you noticed.
Creating LinkedIn Content That Attracts Decision-Makers
When it comes to LinkedIn marketing for print shops, content plays a massive role in generating leads, and is not just about pumping out promotional material every day, but about regularly putting out insights that show off the expertise and make you the go-to expert in the printing industry. Well-known, value-driven content outperforms salesy messages and print shops can create all sorts of content that teaches businesses how to get their brand in front of their target market with fantastic print materials, how the design of their packaging affects how customers perceive them, and how consistent branding across all their print materials can be a huge trust-booster.
Coming clean about the behind the scenes, production processes, quality control measures, and successes is a great way to add a human face to the brand and kill off any perceptions of coldness.
LinkedIn loves content that gets people talking, and when print shops share interesting, industry-related content on trends, sustainability, new printing techniques or client success stories, they attract the attention of marketing managers and procurement teams who are in the process of evaluating new vendors. Over time, that content becomes seared into people’s minds and makes it a lot easier to send them a message and get a response.
Using LinkedIn Search and Targeting for Print Leads
When discussing marketing their services, LinkedIn provides a massive advantage to print shops, the ability to zero in on their ideal clients.
Coming fast into the world of marketing, commercial print shops can specifically target marketing managers in mid-sized companies, event coordinators, retail brand managers, and the founders of startups that frequently need printing services. They can get their content seen by these people, send them a personalized invitation to connect and start meaningful conversations, and slowly build a relationship before pitching their services.
Well-known as a relationship-driven approach, this technique is a guaranteed way to get higher response rates, and turns the print shop into a go-to partner for their clients, rather than just a cold salesperson. And when executed consistently, LinkedIn becomes a very predictable source of both inbound and outbound leads.
Leveraging LinkedIn Messaging Without Spamming
Print shops throw away their time sending unpersonalised sales messages that add no value, leading many of them to fail, when using LinkedIn for B2B marketing.
Well-known for its power in generating leads, LinkedIn marketing for print shops relies on sparking a conversation, not hard-selling.
When sending a message, make sure it is not generic.
Reference the recipient’s role, industry or recent activity, this will hook the reader’s interest. Instead of immediately offering printing services, you can ask thoughtful questions about branding challenges, upcoming campaigns, or print requirements. This will be music to their ears and starts a warm rapport that opens the door for deeper discussions and lays the groundwork for a productive conversation, that is completely in-line with the professional nature of LinkedIn.
Only after trust has been established can you effectively suggest printing services, schedule a call and become part of the ongoing discussion.
Using LinkedIn Ads for Scalable Lead Generation
Concerning scaling your print shop, LinkedIn Ads offer a proven way to reach the people who matter most to your business, decision-makers in the B2B printing services market. Coming heading into the world of LinkedIn advertising, you’ll find that it’s a tad pricier than other platforms, but the caliber of the leads you’ll receive is far better.
LinkedIn ads are versatile, capable of showcasing case studies, lead magnets, service pages and consultation offers to the very people who are most interested in them, and as it happens, the best results come from ads that educate rather than sell. With a high-performing landing page and follow-up automation, LinkedIn Ads can crank out consistent, high-value leads, and are a great place to start getting results fast.
It’s here that professional expertise is key to really taking your LinkedIn Ads to the next level, and agencies such as Vdvibe Marketing Agency, specialise in crafting LinkedIn ad strategies that drive serious ROI, high-quality leads and long-term growth, and put vanity metrics firmly in the background.
Tracking Performance and Improving Results
Print shops shouldn’t think of it as a one-off task, rather a continuous process, when using LinkedIn for lead generation. Monitoring profile visits, content engagement, connection acceptance rates, message replies and conversion metrics will give you the intel you need to see what works and what doesn’t.
By analysing your performance regularly, print shops can refine their messaging, give a boost to their content strategy and zero in on the most profitable customer groups. LinkedIn becomes an almost predictable and scalable marketing tool, that when combined with SEO, PPC and website lead generation, makes for a well-rounded marketing plan.
How Vdvibe Marketing Agency Helps Print Shops Grow Through LinkedIn
Vdvibe Marketing Agency builds complete LinkedIn lead generation systems, zeroing in on strategy, positioning, content marketing and results-driven execution, when working with print shops in international markets.
They take a holistic view of LinkedIn marketing, and give print shops the know-how to get their profiles and company pages just right, and then create killer authority-building content and precision-targeted ads that land them the right clients. Well-known marketing techniques such as SEO, marketing automation, CRM integration, and conversion rate optimization all fall under the agency’s broader approach to LinkedIn marketing.
Since Vdvibe sees LinkedIn as a long-term investment, not a one-time quick fix, print shops can establish steady streams of high-value B2B clients.
The Future of LinkedIn Marketing for Print Shops
Having a strong digital presence and professional brand can be the difference between a successful print shop and a struggling one, when the printing industry becomes increasingly competitive. Coming rushing into the fray, LinkedIn presents a chance for print shops to cut through the noise and build a network of connections that value and expect quality and dependability.
Those print shops that seize this opportunity, and invest in LinkedIn marketing, will be in a far stronger position to secure long-term contracts, corporate clients and repeat business, and LinkedIn, if done well, can be transformed into one of the most profitable lead generation channels for printing companies around the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
How effective is LinkedIn for print shop lead generation?
LinkedIn is a go-to platform, and for a reason, when it’s time to target B2B clients for print services. Commercial print shops, packaging printers, signage companies, large-format printers and firms that specialise in promotional products get the most out of LinkedIn.
Is LinkedIn better than Google Ads for print shops?
When it comes to marketing, LinkedIn and Google Ads are two very different tools, each best Coming from a marketing agency like Vdvibe Marketing Agency, they know that these print shops can often go wrong with LinkedIn marketing, squandering their time and money, and that’s exactly what they help them avoid, getting their ROI back on track and scaling their lead systems.
Can small print shops compete with large printing companies on LinkedIn?
Well-known as a means of effective B2B marketing, even smaller and mid-sized print shops can use the specialized reliability and customer focus that they can offer as the basis of effectively competing with their more established rivals.