LinkedIn advertising has become an important medium for B2B marketers, as a way to get directly in front of target professionals. But the three options work in different ways. Let’s first look at each of the ways you can set up direct communications and online ads from LinkedIn’s self-serve platform, LinkedIn Campaign Manager. Then I’ll offer my top-5 tips for success.
Sponsored Content
Developed some great content? This is the way to get it out to more people and attract new followers. Like the other options you can reach just the right audience through comprehensive targeting selections – setting your proposed budget and choosing from pay-per-click or pay-per-impression.
An advantage over text ads is that Sponsored Content slots will get your message out on every device – desktop/laptop, tablet and smartphone – while text ads don’t appear on tablets or smartphones. Sponsored Content also offers the opportunity to seamlessly generate leads via pre-filled forms.
Sponsored InMail
If you want to communicate directly and personally to a defined target audience, Sponsored InMail is the way to go. This makes it especially useful for invitations to webinars or in-person events, or even a direct approach to people who you are unable to contact by phone or email. It’s also suitable for sending links to content you’d like them to see.
The difference between sponsored InMail and standard LinkedIn InMail is that you can define a target audience to directly message, even though you are not ‘connected’ to them. It can be especially valuable executed on behalf of your sales team – potentially creating direct links for them with otherwise hard-to-reach B2B decision makers.
Text Ads
LinkedIn Text Ads are like other online ads, with the difference that you can closely define the professionals and roles you want to reach. They come in a range of format options which you can create and upload yourself – from graphic display ads to short blurbs with a small graphic.
Budget-wise, Text Ads are flexible; you set your proposed expenditure without contracts or long-term commitments. Like Sponsored Content, you can opt for pay-per-click or pay-per-impression
Recommendations for success
Online advertising on any platform can be a costly mistake if you don’t do your homework. Before you know it, you’ve blown your budget with little to show. Here are my top-5 tips for getting it right on LinkedIn.
- Optimise your landing page.
There’s no point in paying for visits if it’s not doing its job when your guests arrive! - Have a clear call to action.
Don’t clutter your ads with choices. Whatever you most want your audience to do – read a blog or register for a webinar or follow your company – make it patently clear and simple to achieve. - Run multiple brand-consistent ads.
Mix up creative and copy to appeal to different preferences – but maintain brand consistency across your ads, landing pages and LinkedIn company page. - Know your audience and test, test, test!
Exploit the power LinkedIn gives you to be specific in your targeting, as well as the chance to start small, review, tweak and restart your campaigns. - Don’t forget the rest.
Not all professionals are active LinkedIn users… Don’t neglect organic posts, and other social channels, email or even other paid media can support or complement your LinkedIn campaigns.
Only 14% of Australian B2B marketers described their social media marketing as providing good results and positive ROI, so linking social engagement to revenue has never been more important. Get in touch with us to get more out of your advertising dollar.
