Without an effective campaign strategy, creating LinkedIn ads can feel overwhelming. You’re unsure what content to include, who your target audience is or how to connect performance results with overarching business goals. We get it.
Turn this feeling around by reading our ultimate guide to LinkedIn ads in 2023. In this guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about LinkedIn ads, the most effective strategies for social media advertising on the platform, and what you should keep an eye on as campaign manager.
Whether you’re new to LinkedIn advertising or a seasoned marketer, this guide has got you covered in all areas of LinkedIn ad campaign management and strategy.
Getting Started With LinkedIn Ads
To get started with LinkedIn ads, you’ll need to have set up your LinkedIn ads Campaign Manager. This is where you’ll do all your campaign management. If you’re running campaigns for your business, remember to link your campaign with your business page.
Once you’re ready, you’ll need to set a campaign objective. For example, lead generation or brand awareness. LinkedIn will give you multiple objectives to choose from, across three different stages of the funnel:
- Awareness
- Consideration
- Conversion
There are also several targeting options for LinkedIn ads, including:
- Company size
- Company name
- Member schools
- Member interests
- Member groups
- Skills
- Job title
- Job seniority (+ more)
You cannot run a successful ad on LinkedIn unless the right people are targeted, so be sure you’re clear on these. In LinkedIn ads Campaign Manager you can select multiple attributes at once when you’re targeting, and also exclude audiences whose attributes are not relevant to your campaign.
Before you save your ad campaign, ensure you enable audience expansion. This allows LinkedIn to expand and engage a new audience with your ad campaign. This option automatically includes people with similar attributes to what you’ve selected.
Which Ads are Most Effective on LinkedIn?
To make the most of your LinkedIn ads and campaign management efforts, it’s important to understand the types of ads that produce the best results. In this section, we’ll explain the various ad formats, including sponsored content, sponsored InMail, and display ads. Each format can contribute to lead generation and enhance brand awareness within your target audience.
Remember that LinkedIn caters to a professional audience seeking valuable insights, networking opportunities, and industry updates. To effectively resonate with this audience, it’s crucial to craft ads that align with their preferences and goals. By creating LinkedIn ads across these multiple touchpoints, you’ll see greater lead generation and brand awareness.
Effective ads on LinkedIn include:
- Sponsored Content: These native ads appear in users’ feeds and blend seamlessly with their organic content. Effective sponsored content focuses on sharing informative articles, thought leadership pieces, and engaging videos that provide value to the audience.
- Sponsored InMail: This approach involves sending personalized messages directly to users’ LinkedIn inboxes. Effective InMail campaigns deliver concise and personalized messages that demonstrate a genuine interest in connecting or offering valuable solutions.
- Display Ads: These traditional banner-style ads are displayed on the side or top of users’ LinkedIn feeds. Effective display ads feature eye-catching visuals and concise yet impactful copy that conveys a clear message.
- Carousel Ads: These interactive ads allow users to swipe through a series of images and cards, making them ideal for showcasing multiple products, services, or features. Effective carousel ads maintain a consistent theme while highlighting unique aspects of the offerings.
Are LinkedIn ads expensive?
The average cost-per-click (CPC) on LinkedIn is between $5-6, but the actual cost of LinkedIn ads can vary quite a bit. This depends on the type of ad, targeting, budget and campaign performance. Keep in mind, the more specific the targeting, the greater the cost will be. As campaign manager, you’ll want to keep a close eye on this.
If a campaign is performing well and achieving your desired results, the cost per conversion may end up being lower, meaning more cost effective. It’s important to set a clear budget and measure the ROI of all your social media advertising, not just LinkedIn ads, to ensure your bottom-line results aren’t negatively impacted.
What is a Reasonable Budget for LinkedIn Ads?
Determining an appropriate budget for LinkedIn ads depends on various factors, including your campaign goals, target audience, industry, and the competition within your niche.
LinkedIn offers both daily and total budget options, giving you control over your spending. We’ve found that on average, a good starting point for businesses is to allocate around $5,000 to $10,000 per month for LinkedIn advertising.
However, you should start with a budget that aligns with your objectives and gradually increase it as you gauge the performance of your campaigns.
Develop Your Content Wisely
- Repurpose content: Leverage your existing blogs, website content, and organic social media content to create impactful LinkedIn ads. Transform articles, videos, and other rich media into engaging ads that resonate with your audience.
- Funnel messaging: Craft a strategic messaging funnel that moves users from consideration to conversion. Offer valuable insights through blog posts and webinars, and showcase product demos, tutorials, and success stories for effective conversion.
- Eye-catching visuals: Grab your audience’s attention in the first 10 seconds. Utilize videos under 30 seconds, design videos for sound-off viewing with captions, and leverage carousel ads to break down key messages in longer content.
- Visual storytelling: Engage your audience with compelling visual storytelling. Use images and videos to convey your brand’s message effectively.
- Organic content: While ads accelerate reach and impact, remember that organic content is a vital component of your LinkedIn marketing strategy. Regularly share valuable and engaging content to establish thought leadership.
- LinkedIn ad specs: Ensure you use the correct ad specifications for each ad type and format. Tailor your content to fit these specifications for the best results.
- Combine ads and organic strategy: Combine your ad campaigns with a robust organic strategy to build trust and interest among your audience. Sharing valuable content regularly will solidify your reputation as a thought leader.
- Company page and branding: Create a well-designed company page on LinkedIn and maintain consistent branding across your entire LinkedIn presence. This builds credibility and brand awareness among your audience.
- Community management: Interact with your audience by responding to comments and messages. This not only pays off with the algorithm but also fosters genuine engagement with your brand.
How to Create the Best LinkedIn Ads?
Creating compelling LinkedIn ads involves more than just catchy visuals. LinkedIn ads require a strategic approach that combines engaging content, precise targeting, and continuous optimisation. Here are some tips to craft the best LinkedIn ads:
- Know your audience: Clearly define your target audience based on demographics, job titles, industries, and interests. As we mentioned, the more specific your targeting, the higher the chances of reaching the right people, but the higher the CPC could be.
- Craft engaging content: Put yourself in your target audience’s shoes. Develop content that resonates with their pain points, aspirations, and challenges. Use clear and concise language, focusing on how your products or services can provide the solutions they need.
- Catchy visuals (ok, they do count!): Invest in high-quality creative and visuals, whether it’s images or videos. Visual appeal can significantly impact click-through rates and engagement. The more creative, the better chance you’ll have to stand out.
- A/B testing: Experiment with different ad formats, headlines, images, and calls to action to identify what resonates best with your audience. Regularly monitor and optimize your campaigns based on performance data.
- Landing pages: Ensure the landing pages your ads lead to are relevant, user-friendly, and optimized for conversions. A seamless transition from ad to landing page enhances user experience and boosts conversion rates.
Is it Worth Running Ads on LinkedIn?
The worthiness of running social media advertising on LinkedIn depends on your specific business goals and target audience. However, as the world’s largest online professional network, LinkedIn is the place to be for brands wanting to accelerate their B2B marketing efforts. With over 930 million members across more than 200 countries and territories globally, the opportunity to widen your reach and increase your influence is huge.
For B2B companies, especially those in industries like technology, finance, and consulting, LinkedIn offers unparalleled access to decision-makers and professionals. Its advanced targeting options enable you to reach those who matter most to your business. The platform’s focus on professional content also encourages engagement and trust-building.
It’s worth running ads on LinkedIn if they align with your goals, however it’s essential to consider your budget and measure the ROI of your campaigns. Careful tracking of key metrics, such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and cost per acquisition, will help you determine whether the investment aligns with your marketing objectives.
Measure and Optimize the Effectiveness of Your Campaign
Once your LinkedIn ad campaign is up and running, it’s essential to closely monitor its performance. You should keep a close eye on:
- Impressions: How many times have your ads been displayed?
- CTR: What percentage of viewers are clicking on your ads?
- Conversion rate: What portion of the clicks are leading to desired actions or conversions?
- ROI: How much value are you gaining in relation to the costs incurred?
By getting the answers to these key questions, you gain insights into the impact of your social media advertising success on LinkedIn. You could also highlight areas that might warrant a little more attention in your next campaign.
This is where Digivizer steps in. When you connect all your accounts into our platform, you can see digital performance insights across all your paid, owned and earned media in one view instantly. This will allow you to make strategic digital marketing decisions and deliver excellence at speed.
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