LinkedIn Competitive Benchmarking Metrics That Matter

• Key LinkedIn Metrics: Learn the essential metrics to evaluate performance and stay competitive.
• Use Advanced Analytics Tools: Discover how tools like Stack Rank deliver actionable insights to optimize marketing.
• Boost ROI: See how better benchmarking improves strategy, increases ROI, and enhances brand visibility.

LinkedIn has become the most influential platform for B2B marketers - and.not just for thought leadership - but for gaining a competitive edge.

With 71% of B2B marketers using LinkedIn for product launches, campaigns, and engagement with decision-makers, it’s clear that the platform is no longer optional. But here’s the catch:

That 71%? That includes your competitors.

If your competitors are leveraging LinkedIn effectively, how do you know where you really stand? How can you refine your strategies to outshine them?

Enter LinkedIn competitive benchmarking.

By tracking the right metrics, you can uncover critical opportunities, spot emerging tactics, and prove ROI to leadership.

This guide will walk you through the essentials of LinkedIn competitive benchmarking, including core metrics, overlooked insights, and tools that make the process seamless.

Spoiler alert: manual tracking can be tedious. Automated tools like Stack Rank not only save time but also provide the actionable intelligence you need to dominate your industry.

What is LinkedIn Competitive Benchmarking (and Why Does It Matter)?

At its core, LinkedIn competitive benchmarking is the practice of comparing your company’s performance against your direct competitors or industry peers on LinkedIn. It’s not just about measuring follower counts or engagement rates. Done correctly, it’s about gaining actionable insights into your industry’s dynamics and your place within them.

Key Benefits of LinkedIn Competitive Benchmarking

• Identify Strengths and Weaknesses

Discover what your competitors are excelling at and where you’re falling short.

• Spot Competitor Strategies Before They Scale

Benchmarking helps you identify trends before they become saturated, giving you a first-mover advantage.

• Prove ROI

Showcase the value of your LinkedIn strategy with data supported by competitive context.

• Secure Resources for Campaigns

Justify budget increases or new initiatives by highlighting gaps in performance relative to competitors.

Core Metrics for LinkedIn Competitive Benchmarking

When it comes to LinkedIn, there’s a wealth of data available but not all metrics are created equal. Below are the essential data points you should focus on:

A. Reach & Visibility Metrics

1. Impressions

Understand how many times your competitors’ content is seen. While valuable, impressions alone can be unreliable without context or tools to track them consistently. Additionally, LinkedIn won’t show you accurate impression data for your competitors natively.

2. Follower Growth

How quickly are your competitors growing their audience, and who are they attracting (e.g., job titles, industries)?

B. Engagement Metrics

1. Engagement Rate

Go beyond likes and reactions. Measure the percentage of interactions (likes, comments, shares) relative to impressions.

2. Comment Quality

Are your competitors driving meaningful conversations, or are they getting vanity likes? Analyzing comment depth and quality can reveal the real story.

C. Content Output Metrics

1. Posting Frequency & Consistency

Are competitors posting once a week or multiple times daily? Regular activity often correlates with increased engagement.

2. Post Formats

What types of content are resonating? Videos, carousels, text updates, polls, or a mix?

3. Topics/Keywords Used

Which themes or buzzwords dominate their posts? Knowing this can guide your own content strategy.

Advanced Metrics That Actually Move the Needle

If you want to go beyond the basics to get a true competitive edge, consider digging into advanced insights:

• Sentiment Analysis

Look beyond engagement volume. Identify whether competitor feedback leans positive, neutral, or critical.

• Share of Voice

How much of the LinkedIn conversation in your industry belongs to your competitors versus you? A higher share of voice often signals higher influence.

• Dark Social Signals

Not all engagement happens publicly. Shares via private messages, Slack conversations, and email threads point to content that resonates deeply.

• Employee Advocacy Impact

Measure how competitors leverage their employees as brand ambassadors. What kind of amplification do they generate?

• Virality Potential

Track engagement velocity to see how quickly a competitor’s post gains traction, a key indicator of viral success.

• Influencer Overlap

Identify mutual influencers amplifying both your and your competitors' content. Could these relationships be shifted in your favor?

Benchmarking Company Pages vs. Executive Profiles

LinkedIn is unique in that it offers two key amplification avenues for brands:

Company Pages

• Focus on business-oriented narratives and branded updates.
• Metrics to track:
  • Total Followers
  • Click-Through Rates (CTR) on ads
  • Ad spend efficiency

Executive Profiles

• Typically generate more trust and engagement.
• Metrics to track:
  • Engagement per follower
  • Adoption of leadership narratives
  • Influence on follower networks

Why You Need Both

A complete benchmarking strategy assesses both company pages and executive profiles, as they complement each other in reaching and engaging audiences.

Why Manual Benchmarking on LinkedIn is Unsustainable

LinkedIn provides limited native data for competitive analysis. Most marketers resort to spreadsheets and time-intensive manual checks to track performance.

Common Challenges:

• Hidden Metrics

Many valuable insights, like impressions and dark social shares, can’t be tracked natively.

• Data Access Issues

LinkedIn’s reporting tools don’t allow easy comparison with competitors.

• Time Drain

Manual tracking eats into team productivity and is prone to errors.

This is where many marketing teams hit a wall. Fundamentally, manual tracking isn’t scalable, leaving gaps in insights.

Automating LinkedIn Competitive Benchmarking with Stack Rank

Stack Rank eliminates the pain points of manual benchmarking, offering real-time insights into your competitors' LinkedIn activity.

How It Works:

• Tracks competitors’ posts and metrics in real-time.
• Analyzes engagement rates, posting schedules, formats, topics, and sentiment.
• Captures both company-level and executive metrics.
• Generates shareable reports for decision-making teams.

Results You Can Expect:

Save hours in data collection and turn tedious benchmarking into actionable intelligence in minutes.

Turning Benchmarks into Actionable Strategy

Once you’ve gathered benchmarking data, the next step is using it effectively. Here’s how:

1. Establish Realistic Goals

Use competitor performance as a baseline for your benchmarks.

2. Spot Areas to Improve

Are you underperforming in engagement or missing out on trending content formats? Adjust accordingly.

3. Mimic Success

Borrow successful tactics from competitors (e.g., post frequency, voice, formats).

4. Double Down on Strengths

Identify where you’re excelling and scale these efforts for maximum ROI.

Start Winning with Competitive Benchmarking on LinkedIn

LinkedIn competitive benchmarking isn’t just about bragging rights. It’s a data-driven method to outpace your competitors and justify marketing ROI. Ditch the inefficiency of manual tracking and give tools like Stack Rank a try.

Request a demo today and gain the LinkedIn competitive edge your brand deserves.

Frequently Asked Questions

What strategies can improve LinkedIn engagement for brands?

To improve LinkedIn engagement, focus on posting high-quality, thought-leadership content that resonates with your audience. Utilize LinkedIn’s native tools like polls, videos, and carousel posts to drive interaction. Engaging with comments, running targeted ad campaigns, and leveraging analytics to refine your approach also ensures sustained engagement.

How can LinkedIn analytics help refine marketing strategies?

LinkedIn analytics provides detailed insights into audience demographics, engagement metrics, and content performance. By leveraging this data, marketing leaders can identify trends, optimize posting times, and tailor campaigns to meet the specific interests of their target audience. These insights ultimately improve ROI and campaign efficiency.

Why is executive engagement important on LinkedIn?

Executive engagement builds trust and reinforces brand credibility. When executives actively share insights, engage in meaningful conversations, and participate in industry discussions, they elevate the brand’s visibility and influence. It strengthens personal and organizational connections within the professional network.

What are the key ROI metrics to track on LinkedIn?

Key metrics include engagement rates (likes, shares, and comments), lead generation data, follower growth, click-through rates (CTR), and content impressions. Analyzing how these indicators align with your goals helps determine the effectiveness of your LinkedIn strategy.

How can LinkedIn content be scaled across multiple channels?

Repurposing high-performing LinkedIn content for other channels like blogs, newsletters, and webinars is an efficient way to scale. Use data-driven insights to identify top-performing topics and cross-promote them to ensure consistent messaging while maximizing impact and reach.