We’re halfway through the year, making it an ideal time to evaluate our LinkedIn strategy and performance. In this article, we’ll uncover how LinkedIn Analytics can reveal powerful insights to build a strategic community, boost your engagement, and drive business growth.
It’s based on my recent episode of the Social Media for B2B Growth Podcast “Dominate LinkedIn Using Advanced Analytics.“
Why I Embraced LinkedIn Analytics
Once upon a time, I thought LinkedIn analytics were an absolute snooze fest. In fact, during a job application process, an aptitude test revealed that while my maths skills were high, my personality showed an extreme dislike for data and analytics. The hiring team was puzzled, but I explained, “Just because I can do it doesn’t mean I like it.”
What changed? Simply put, I want to ensure that the activities I engage in will pay off in the long run. I don’t have the time or resources to get things wrong and drift off course. Embracing LinkedIn Analytics has helped me work smarter, not harder.
The Pitfall of LinkedIn Post Impressions
A common mistake with analytics is focusing too much on post impressions. This metric can be misleading and a fast track to giving up, especially if you analyse it on a post-by-post basis. It is like judging a book by each word, each sentence, and each paragraph rather than the whole story. Think of your LinkedIn posts as adding up to a story for your brand.
"Impressions are the number of times your posts were seen on LinkedIn. This number is an estimate and may not be precise." LinkedIn.
It’s important to note upfront that post impressions do not mean that anyone read the post, interacted with it, or even slowed down enough to take notice—just that it was on a screen.
Impressions are just one metric of many, and often, the factors that impact these numbers are out of our control. Many ignore other demographics that are far more important to look at first, and we will discuss these later in the article.
The Importance of Comprehensive Analytics
LinkedIn provides the tools you need to make simple checks to ensure you’re on the right track. This goes beyond post impressions, allowing you to measure the effectiveness of your strategy comprehensively. By using LinkedIn Analytics for both Company Pages and Profiles, you can get a clear picture of your performance over time and adjust your tactics accordingly.
Where to Find Your LinkedIn Analytics
Company Page Analytics
For LinkedIn Company Pages, go to the Page Admin view and explore two areas:
1. Track Performance: This quick overview in the new Page Admin dashboard includes Search Appearances, Page Visitors, New Followers, and Post Impressions.
2. Detailed Analytics: Go to Page Admin view, and they can be found in the left-hand menu under “Analytics.” This section includes page analytics for your Content, Visitors, Followers, Leads, Newsletters, and Competitors.
LinkedIn Profile Analytics
For LinkedIn Profiles, expand the “Analytics” panel at the top of your profile to show all analytics.
Click around to explore all available options, which may vary depending on whether you have a paid or free account. Analytics include Post Impressions, Followers, Profile Viewers, Search Appearances, and Newsletter metrics.
Change the Time Frame to Look for Long Term Trends
The thing with analytics is that the time frame you choose can really influence the results you see. The good news is that you can adjust the time frames for your analytics, offering different insights over periods other than the standard 7 days, e.g. 14 days, 28 days, 90 days, 365 days, or custom ranges.
For example, a dip in engagement over a 7-day period might seem alarming, but a 90-day trend can provide a clearer picture of your overall performance.
Look at the example below, which is taken from my own account. Over the 7-day period, it looks like the content is not performing, but over the year, it is showing super impressive growth (despite all the bad news you here on LinkedIn reach is down).
I recommend zooming out to the longer time frames as nothing on LinkedIn happens quickly, and there is often a lag from action to impact.
Focus on Community Building Analytics First
When you look beyond Post Impressions and explore analytics deeper, use can use them to help you determine whether you are building the right community and whether your LinkedIn activities resonate with that community.
Focus on demographic analytics like job titles, companies, and industries of your profile viewers and search appearances. For Company Pages, look at visitor and follower highlights, including job function, company size, industry, location, and seniority.
The information shown in the demographics should align with your ideal customer profile.
If, when you look at the analytics, you discover that you have the wrong audience, it is important to do a strategic campaign to connect proactively or invite page followers who fit the profile of your target audience.
Measuring LinkedIn Engagement
A surefire way to boost your LinkedIn engagement is first to build the right audience and second to create content that resonates with them.
Engagement rates, including reactions, comments, and reposts, are crucial. They indicate that your audience finds your content valuable and is actively participating. This engagement helps the LinkedIn algorithm prioritise your content, keeping people on the platform and boosting your visibility.
If you were to only focus on reviewing post impressions you might not realise that you have the wrong audience.
Using Tools to Simplify Analytics
While LinkedIn provides basic analytics, tools like Metricool offer more comprehensive and automated reporting across all social media platforms. Metricoolallows for easier comparison and trend analysis, making it a valuable asset for social media managers and businesses.
Use code MICHELLE30 to trial one of their premium plans for 30 days for FREE. Click here.
(NB Metricool currently does not provide analytics for LinkedIn Personal Accounts; this feature is on its roadmap for the near future.)
Actionable Insights to Work Smarter
1. Review Demographics: Analyse the demographics of your Profile and Page visitors to ensure they align with your target audience. If not, adjust your LinkedIn strategy to connect with more relevant people.
2. Analyse Content Performance: Look at your top-performing content to identify themes and trends. Exclude one-offs and focus on consistent performers. Most importantly – what can you learn?
3. Adjust Your Strategy: If engagement is dropping, review your approach. Don’t give up just because “reach is down on LinkedIn.” Instead, follow a structured framework to drive up engagement. That’s what our B2B G.R.O.W.T.H framework gives clients.
LinkedIn Analytics Wrap-Up
Although I personally don’t enjoy analysing numbers and data, I am 100% committed to using analytics to grow my business and help my clients.
The ultimate measure is the number of intro calls I have each week. If people are reaching out to discover how we can work together, I know my strategy is working, and the dollars will follow.
If you haven’t been receiving leads from your ideal customers, your audience has spoken. Use analytics to discover what’s broken.
If you get stuck, reach out and book an intro call with me to discuss how I can help.
Remember, the goal is to build a strategic B2B community for your brand.
Cheers!
Michelle J Raymond is the founder of B2B Growth Co and has made her mark as a leading LinkedIn growth strategist, offering comprehensive strategies and training to brands eager to harness LinkedIn for business growth through thought leadership, content marketing or social selling techniques.
With 20+ years’ experience in B2B sales, and almost a decade of social selling on LinkedIn, Michelle stands out for her significant LinkedIn contributions as the co-author of two globally acclaimed books: “Business Gold,” the first book exclusively dedicated to LinkedIn Company Pages, and “The LinkedIn Branding Book,” and her insightful podcast Social Media for B2B Growth. Follow her YouTube channel @MichelleJRaymond for helpful how to’s.
