Finding qualified leads for your business is challenging even with a thoroughly planned lead generation strategy. And, most B2B companies utilize several channels to drive leads. While you might have mastered generating leads from tried-and-true tactics such as email marketing, newer outlets like social media marketing take a few different skills. Fortunately, many in the B2B industry are taking on social, and LinkedIn has proven to be one of the best networks for B2B companies to connect with leads.

You can find a long list of qualified leads and referrals that are ideal targets for your company on LinkedIn. According to a study by Business2Community, LinkedIn generates 80% of the business conversions per social platform as compared to Twitter at 12.3%. So, how exactly are leaders in the B2B sector using LinkedIn as a resource to engage with the right prospects?

1. They have a kick-butt company page.

It all starts out with your company page. If you don't have one, this would be good time to create a profile for your organization so you can grow your network. The goal for the company page is to turn it into a lead generation engine resulting in clickthroughs to your website. To get this process started, Kissmetrics recommends using an image that grabs attention. The next step is to create a pitch in your company's description area. By talking directly to your target market in the first two lines and using strong SEO keywords, you can be assured that it will always show up in the listings. These two lines should include who you are talking to, your value proposition and the solution you provide. The reader can click to your website from the company information section. To give them another opportunity to click, you can make the recent updates section customer-focused and interactive.

2. They have a showcase page.

A showcase page is another opportunity to talk to your target audience, especially if you have a few different buyer personas. On these pages, you can focus on a specific product or niche in your company and talk directly to your target audience that would be interested. The instructions for creating showcase pages walk you through exactly how to set them up. Designed specifically for brands to highlight their offerings, a showcase can be established as a conversion page in a similar fashion to your company page.

3. They utilize LinkedIn’s search functions.

LinkedIn's advanced search mechanism allows you to filter your search for prospecting categories including current company, past company, location, industry, school, non-profit interests and profile language. You can work with the search filters until you discover qualified prospects. You can also save your searches to keep in touch with your highly targeted prospects. Basic membership allows you to save three searches, but with premium membership, you can save more.

4. They become part of groups.

Groups are another valuable tool for prospecting on LinkedIn. Look for groups that are relevant to your keywords and are very active — LinkedIn designates the activity level in the group search. You can join up to 50 groups, and once you understand the group dynamics, you can also start your own group. By participating, you’ll find a ton of networking opportunities and have the ability to spark conversations that will interest leads.

5. They write and publish original content.

LinkedIn is a somewhat new publishing platform that gets a lot of eyes on your posts, especially if you create content that would interest prospects. You need to apply to become a writer before you can write. However, once you get permission, you can write articles that talk to your target audience and refer them to your website or other LinkedIn pages.

It’s time to tap into your resources.

Once you get familiar with LinkedIn, you will find that it can become a valuable lead generation engine. Utilize the resources that are available on the site, and make it part of your everyday routine to communicate with your audience. Once you build up a big enough network, you’ll be noticed as a contender in your industry and you’ll gain credibility, which is a surefire way to garner traffic from valuable prospects.