2 LinkedIn Alternatives That Every B2B Business Should Know About

1. 2 LinkedIn Alternatives That Every B2B Business Should Know About Now-a-days professional networking site is a need for every business, whether it is B2B or B2C. But how many of them do we know about? LinkedIn is one of the top-rated professional networking sites across the world. It is said to be the best platform for the B2B industry, i.e., Business-to- business, as it has over 740 million members in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. The USA leads with 170M users, followed by India with 71M users. Source–https://www.statista.com/statistics/272783/linkedins-membership-worldwide-by-country/ Besides LinkedIn, there are several other platforms that we do not know exist but can work out positively but we can use them as a LinkedIn alternatives. Have you heard about Opportunity network and Xing? These can be two alternatives that can help you to grow your B2B business. Let us know more about these two alternative platforms. A) Opportunity Network Opportunity Network is a connection-building matchmaking platform that changes the way business leaders around the globe access new B2B opportunities. In 2020, there were 30,000 members from 130 countries with a total transaction flow of $306BN worldwide. The two main features of this platform are : • To Post Opportunity and • To Find and Connect other members’ opportunities. You can post different opportunities according to your company’s strategic business needs, which allow you to gain platform visibility and let other members know what you are looking for.

2. Similarly, like LinkedIn, you have to fill up some necessary details to post opportunities like Personal need type, Industry, Geographical region, Value and can connect with reliable distributors, investors, and buyers and sellers by browsing with the help of filters. Now the question arises What makes Opportunity Network different from LinkedIn? Unlike LinkedIn, Opportunity Network adopts the algorithm of dating applications. It uses your data to match you with the connections which are a good fit for your business. Nearly every day, the platform analyses millions of professional profiles to find individuals who have shown interest in our expertise, talents, and more. At the opportunity, it is more about connecting you with people you should know, not people you already know. Benefits of using Opportunity Network Here are some of the most significant benefits of networking. 1. Strengthen business connections Networking is all about building confidence and assisting one another in achieving common objectives. Engaging with your contacts regularly and looking for ways to support them strengthens the relationship. 2. Get access to new business opportunities. You can take up a lot from your connections. A primary advantage of networking is exchanging knowledge on problems, experiences, and priorities because it helps you to learn fresh ideas that you may not have considered otherwise. 3. Gain more knowledge Networking is an excellent way to share best practices, hear about your peers’ company strategies, and keep up with the new industry trends. 4. Stay updated about the business world. A large network of well-informed, linked connections ensures more opportunities to learn about new and useful knowledge. 5. Raise your profile to get noticed Networking has the advantage of making you more accessible and noticeable, which is essential for career advancement. Attending career and social activities on a regular basis will help you become more visible. 6. Develop long-lasting personal relationships Of course, the goal of networking is to build and nurture professional relationships, but work ties can also lead to some of the best and long-lasting friendships or partnerships. B) Xing

3. Xing is a professional networking site that connects businesses to different kinds of users. Similar to LinkedIn, XING offers most of the same features to boost their reach in the professional world. You can build connections via this platform and can post your insights or job requirements. You can also join groups to find relevant posts. The recent news about your business can be updated, and related lectures, conventions, and trade shows can be identified. Also, premium membership can unlock a wide range of features. Contradictory to LinkedIn, Xing has more job opportunities in architecture, engineering, consulting, accounting, finance, health medicine, social things, tourism, hotels, transport, logistics, warehousing, and vocal Training, whereas LinkedIn is all about Academic training like IT, telecommunication, sales, management, research, science, marketing. Xing is more prominent in Europe than in the U.S. but is used by people in over 200 countries but has wider scope in Germany. 13% of Germans have a XING account compared to 5% who have LinkedIn, making XING LinkedIn’s largest competitor in Germany. Benefits of using Xing The benefits one can enjoy while using Xing are – 1. Recruiting XING is used by 78 percent of German companies for recruiting because it gives recruiters a lot of options for finding and hiring talent. Similar to LinkedIn, there are many features to search for candidates and to contact them. 2. Targeted marketing Whether you are looking to recruit, establish business and/or offices, strengthen existing business relationships, advertise, or generate sales leads, the XING platform is one of the best in these fields because of its detailed targeting options. 3. Extending reach and visibility through content marketing Your Company profile is the key to convey all stories about your brand. Interaction is the most significant task involved in this platform to build your presence. You can also enhance your Website SEO and increase your website traffic via generating backlinks in your latest ads. To add your industry-based ambassador in your marketing plans content would be the best idea to perform well. 4. Advertising Adconion Media Group, which oversees XING’s banner and other ads, provides direct advertising opportunities. XING Events, which provides social media platform content sharing, email marketing, portal-based event advertisements, affiliate marketing, and other promotional opportunities, can help you promote the event. You may also use XING’s platform to build branded enterprise-level communities, improving networking opportunities, client-customer experiences, brand presence, and organizational capability. XING also holds Exclusive deals for premium members. 5. B2B marketing

4. Prospecting XING profiles as sales leads are possible, mainly if you conduct keyword searches for unique geo-demographic or other variables the qualify the sales lead. You can also explore accounts for contact details and send marketing deals to them. As previously said, XING closely tracks the platform to prevent spam communications, so opt-in is recommended. Firms and associations mostly host networking activities on XING’s Event board, which XING ambassadors often organize. Attending them will result in leads, collaborations, and even sales. Conclusion It is a common myth that LinkedIn is the best platform for the B2B Industry. But, people are not aware of the rest of the platforms that work perfectly as LinkedIn works. No Network platform is good or bad. It is based on several factors like what industry you work in, your geographical location, the most trending professional networking sites everyone is adopting, your business requirement, etc. Start making your business profiles in these LinkedIn alternatives and analyze what works best for your kind of business. You can build a strong profile and can make great connections across the world. As a Digital Marketing company, Xenia Consulting knows how to manage these platforms and generate leads for B2B businesses. For more details, contact us at sales@xenia-consulting.com or +91- 78756 47856. Start posting and connecting today to help your business grow.