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In case you missed it, LinkedIn recently released its quarterly earnings report, which in most cases would be yawn-inducing to anyone who isn’t an investor. But this particular report included some important nuggets that can help you generate more sales leads, clients and revenue for your business. Read on to find out what I’m talking about and how you can benefit from some of these new developments!

1. Rise of mobile

LinkedIn noted, “Mobile usage on the platform continues to grow at double the rate of overall member activity, and now represents 55 percent of all traffic to LinkedIn.”

One of my favorite strategies to utilize on LinkedIn is teaching others to use the platform to funnel fresh, targeted leads over to key landing pages on your website.

Given that more than half the people engaging with your content on LinkedIn are now looking at it via a mobile device or the LinkedIn mobile app, you better make sure your landing pages and website are mobile friendly! If not, you’re going to have a big disconnect in terms of people jumping off of LinkedIn’s app or mobile site and over to your website to sign up for a webinar, download an ebook, join an email list or whatever other type of “call to action” you insert inside of your LinkedIn content.

Speaking of which, you are inserting a “call to action” directly into your LinkedIn blog posts, aren’t you? Remember, one critical way to generate more business for yourself via LinkedIn is getting people off LinkedIn and over to your website instead. Inserting a call to action at the bottom of your LinkedIn blog posts or status updates is a great way to move the conversation off of LinkedIn and over to your online “house” instead.

2. Member value

LinkedIn noted, “Connecting our members to relevant news, knowledge and skills is another strategic priority integral to creating member value. Our publishing platform is central to this effort. In Q3, the number of long-form posts published per week reached more than 150,000.”

If you want to generate more sales leads, clients and revenue from LinkedIn, you must bring some sort of value to all the prospects — 400 million in more than 200 countries — gathered on the platform.

That’s why you must understand not only how to utilize, but also how to get featured on LinkedIn’s powerful “Pulse” publishing platform. Once you do, you’ll be able to add countless inbound leads and prospects almost overnight.

LinkedIn is making it clear that they want as many of us publishing on the platform as possible, and that it will reward content that brings targeted audiences valuable insights, tips or news in the process.

In your case, think about the biggest questions, challenges or problems your ideal audience faces. Start publishing LinkedIn posts that answer those questions or solve those problems, and leads are sure to follow.

This is very important: With LinkedIn, you must eschew traditional sales pitches in favor of a “teach first, sell later” approach. This is the 21st century. You cannot simply ask someone for his or her time or attention, let alone his or her money. You must earn it by being creative and helpful!

Again, you’ll find massive success if you take a moment to “reverse-engineer” your products and services into blog posts with titles like, “What Every [TARGET AUDIENCE MEMBER] Needs to Know About [SERVICE I PROVIDE].”

For example, say you want to sell SEO services to small-business owners you find on LinkedIn. Instead of just spamming them with direct messages asking if they need SEO services, write a LinkedIn blog post that says, “What Every Small Business Owner Needs to Know About Choosing the Right SEO Partner.” Or an alternate title could be, “How Choosing the Right SEO Partner Can Save Small-Business Owners a Fortune!”

Put some thought into the post about what you typically tell a small-business owner who says, “Look, I’m busy. I get this SEO stuff is important, but I have no idea where to start or how to pick an SEO agency or consultant. Just tell me what I need to know and how it’s going to help me make more money if I do it!”

To carry this example a step further, you would then lay out in your post on LinkedIn the top questions a small-business owner should ask a potential SEO partner. You could even publish it like an FAQ section from a website or something similar. And, of course, you should play to your strengths as far as what types of questions you ask and the answers you give. At the end of your LinkedIn post, include a “call to action” where people can visit your website to learn more, or call you to discuss SEO services you provide, etc.

Not only can you publish that post publicly on LinkedIn for anyone and everyone to discover, but you can also utilize it as part of a targeted, direct messaging campaign that can be carried out with ease using a tool like LinMailPro.

Either way, people pre-qualify themselves by first reading your content, second realizing they want/need these types of services because of how it will make them more money, and third they get to know, like and trust you by reading your content. So once they finish your LinkedIn post or watching a video you’ve made, they’re ready to talk more in the heat of the moment, and they’re already sold that you know your stuff and can bring them value. Make sure your call to action is clear on how they can take the next step with what you have to offer.

A quick caveat: Your “ask” or call to action should always be in direct proportion to the amount of trust you’ve earned. If you know that a single blog post isn’t typically enough to lead someone to immediately buy your services, make sure your “ask” reflects that! Instead of asking for a quick sale, invite the reader to download a free ebook, or get a free consultation, or join a webinar, etc. Whatever the next step is in your trust-building process is, send people to it. Once you’ve built up enough trust, then make the ask!

3. Introduction of messaging

LinkedIn noted, “We replaced the traditional LinkedIn Inbox with Messaging, a more lightweight and casual communications interface. While still early, we have already seen a double digit percentage increase in the number of messages sent between members, and a significant lift in one day reply rates.”

Like it or not, LinkedIn messaging is here to stay. The key for you is understanding how to best utilize LinkedIn’s new messaging platform to blend the personal and professional elements that are critical to moving someone from stranger to prospect to client.

Personally, I love the new LinkedIn messaging platform, which feels more like text messaging a friend than exchanging emails with other professionals. The reason I’m so excited about this development is that there is no more powerful and effective way to sell online in the 21st century than with a personalized, direct approach.

LinkedIn remains the best network on the planet to do that if you provide any type of B2B products or services, especially business coaching, consulting, training or other products or services that other professionals and companies need to utilize.

The key is understanding how, when and where to deploy this approach, and (most important) how to do it in an efficient and effective fashion. If you do, you’re going to generate more sales leads, clients and revenue than you know what to do with!

John Nemo is the author of the Amazon bestselling book “LinkedIn Riches.” Visit him online and register for his free webinar to discover how to generate more sales leads, clients and revenue using LinkedIn.