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Managing the content of LinkedIn posts: Influence on B2B customer engagement and sales?

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  • Mora Cortez, Roberto
  • Johnston, Wesley J.
  • Ghosh Dastidar, Ayan

Abstract

This study investigates whether LinkedIn content in a business-to-business (B2B) service setting affects how firms generate engagement and sales revenue. Drawing on social media marketing theoretical underpinnings, we explain how a new post typology (sales, technical, and social) and customer engagement (likes, clicks, shares, and comments) are relevant to increase firm performance. We specify a VAR model with exogenous variables (VARX) using 106 weeks of data from a new, steadily growing B2B firm. We focus on the cumulative effects (i.e., short- and long-term effects) of the types of posts, website visits, new followers, and a composite of engagement behaviors over time and compute elasticities with impulse response functions (IRFs). Our findings indicate that followers and website visits positively affect the amount of sales revenue, and sales posts and website visits drive the number of followers. In addition, we find that social posts, new followers, and sales revenue positively influence engagement. These findings demonstrate the utility of LinkedIn at the firm level, preventing top management from perceiving social media as an ornamental accessory, and provide guidance for B2B marketers about what content to post on LinkedIn.

Suggested Citation

  • Mora Cortez, Roberto & Johnston, Wesley J. & Ghosh Dastidar, Ayan, 2023. "Managing the content of LinkedIn posts: Influence on B2B customer engagement and sales?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 155(PA).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:155:y:2023:i:pa:s0148296322008530
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.113388
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