LinkedIn Polls allow marketers to pose questions to LinkedIn users to learn more about potential customers. The company GrowMotor used a LinkedIn Poll to understand how their target clients use marketing plans. Their poll question asked whether users planned to write a marketing plan in 2011. This revealed that many understand marketing plans' importance but don't know how to write one. GrowMotor can now refine their messaging to emphasize how they teach effective marketing plan development and implementation. The poll also uncovered insights about different audiences that will help GrowMotor engage customers.
2. PUTS A QUESTION TO LINKEDIN
USERS
LinkedIn Polls is an application that
3. The Rules
1. 125-character limit for the question
2. Up to 5 different 40-character responses
3. Cannot select more than one answer
4. $1 per response; add an extra $.50–$1 per
targeting option
5. Why LinkedIn Polls Makes Sense For Us
1. Decision makers for our services are active
LinkedIn users
2. We want to speak directly to a larger pool of
potential clients
3. We have a low budget and few resources
10. One Final Criteria
The results of the poll must help us market our
services and test our ideas about marketing
11. The Question We Chose
Are you going to write a marketing plan in 2011?
Already done! We write one every year.
Already done! This is our first time.
We plan to write one in December.
We might write one. We don’t know how.
What is a marketing plan?
12. Why It Works For Us
1. We have clear expertise in marketing plans,
which is reflected in content on our website
2. We will learn how potential clients are using
marketing plans, which will help us
communicate how we can help them
3. Respondents might realize that their
companies need help with marketing plans
13. Guidelines For Writing a LinkedIn Poll
1. Keep it simple and clear. Our question is
straightforward and direct.
2. The shorter the better. Our question is only
40 characters long.
3. Use a casual, interesting tone. Our question
sounds like something you would hear in
casual conversation.
14. 50% DISCOUNT PER RESPONSE
Woohoo! Graeme has a LinkedIn Premium account…
15. Choose Up to 2 Targeting Options
We selected:
• Job Function—Business Development,
Creative, Marketing, Public Relations, and
Sales
• Geography—US, UK, Australia, Canada, and
South Africa
19. Some Observations
1. Most people wait until the last minute to do
their marketing plan
2. Many understand the importance of a
marketing plan, but admitted they don’t
know how to write one
20. Possible Potential Clients
Let’s find out more about the 16% that
responded:
“We might write one. We don’t know how.”
Let’s call them oranges
26. Putting It All Together
Oranges, or people who understand the
importance of a marketing plan but don’t know
how to do one, are either:
1. Young entrepreneurs
2. Young people in tactical marketing roles at
medium-sized companies
29. We Will Emphasize That...
• We teach you how to write an effective
marketing plan and implement successfully
• We develop your first 2-year marketing plan
and calendar together
• Your marketing plan will read like an
instruction manual, so anyone can use it
30. Other Discoveries
1. People who responded “We plan to write
one in December” have a tendency to be
older and in small businesses
2. People who responded “Already done! We
write one every year” have a tendency to be
middle aged and in large companies
3. People who responded “What is a marketing
plan?” were all in the age range of 25-34
33. Change Your LinkedIn Headline
Include your company name in your personal
LinkedIn headline because it appears at the
bottom of the poll
We should have
changed Graeme’s
title to Big Wheel @
GrowMotor before
we published the
poll
34. Marketing Performance Process™
1. Understand customers, problems, needs
2. Diagnose problems in current system
3. Articulate the story
4. Decide on the plan
5. Communicate the story to customers
6. Deliver the customer experience
7. Measure results & improve the plan
36. LinkedIn Polls Can Help You
1. Make new discoveries about your target market
2. Confirm inclinations about your target market
3. Refine your message
4. Test product or service ideas
5. Discover new potential customers
38. Use LinkedIn Polls If
1. You’re in B2B or your customers are working
professionals
2. You have a limited marketing budget and
limited resources for market research
3. You need to learn more about your target
market and get feedback from potential
customers (Hint: We all do!)
39. If You Want More
• Growmotor.com
• Facebook.com/growmotor
• Twitter.com/growmotor
• Linkedin.com/company/growmotor