Last month, LinkedIn released the results of a study it did on social network users’ mindset when engaging on the sites.  And it found some pretty interesting things that should probably affect the way we as marketers publish content and advertise our brands via social networks.

The main point that I took away from the report is that B2B marketing does not have to be and should not be without emotional appeal. It’s a bit of a revolutionary concept in some ways.  Sometimes we get so trapped in talking about facts, figures, specs and the like that we forget we’re not talking to calculating machines but people.  People who have emotions tied to their success in their positions and the success of their company.  However, we need to be mindful of which emotions we’re appealing to and where.

The LinkedIn study reported that there are distinctions between the emotions people feel when using professional social networks, such as LinkedIn, and when using personal social networks, such as Facebook.  The usage of personal networks evoke feelings of nostalgia and fun times, while professional networks elicit motivation to acheive goals, such as aspiration and ambition.  

What does this mean for us? For starters, we can safely assume that humor is a communication medium best left to marketing on personal social networks. And that inspirational messages might be most effective on professional networks.  But, to break it down, LinkedIn gives five key tips in applying the “mindset” principle to marketing:

1. Recognize the distinct roles of personal and professional networks when building your marketing plan.
2. Frame how your brand helps users gain knowledge and success on professional networks.
3. Engage information-hungry influencers with exclusive content and information.
4. Understand the difference in users’ emotions and match your message to their mindsets.
5. Build meaningful relationships by participating, sharing and listening.

To download the full LinkedIn report, head to http://marketing.linkedin.com/mindset. 

Have questions on applying these principles to your online marketing? Leave us a comment or give us a call at 513-399-6333