Ultimate Guide to Effective LinkedIn Ads for B2B Businesses
With 92% of business to business (B2B) marketers including LinkedIn in their digital marketing strategy, it is safe to say that LinkedIn is a powerhouse social media network. While it might not have the reach of Facebook or even Instagram, LinkedIn isn’t exactly small. The professional networking site boasts of 675+ million users, out of which 61 million LinkedIn users are senior-level influencers, and 40 million are in decision-making positions. The portal is an excellent way to generate leads, connect with fellow industry professionals, recruit talent, and share content. However, did you know that LinkedIn also functions as an inbound marketing platform?
What? Why? How?
Let me backup, LinkedIn, in addition to all the benefits mentioned above, also has an extremely effective ad platform. According to Hubspot, the professional networking site, has an overall ad conversion rate of 9%, which puts it right up there with Facebook.
LinkedIn’s ad platform works quite similarly to that offered on Facebook or Google. If you are an expert in setting up ad campaigns, then simply add LinkedIn to your list of pay-per-click (PPC) channels.
However, if you are new to ads, unfamiliar with LinkedIn, or just want a refresher, we have created this quick guide that walks you through the process of setting up a successful LinkedIn Ad campaign. Let’s get started!
Part I: Setting Up a LinkedIn Ads
1) Begin at LinkedIn Campaign Central:
LinkedIn ads run on a different LinkedIn Marketing Solutions platform that is separate from your regular account.
a) Click on “Create Ad” and from here you will be directed to create a Campaign Manager account (if you don’t have one).
b) Login to your profile and make sure your sync your company page to this campaign manager.
c) On your Campaign Manager dashboard, select on “Create Campaign.”
2) Set Targets:
Just as runners set time target before they begin training for their next marathon, marketers should not rush into LinkedIn advertising without having a well-defined goal. Do you seek to increase website traffic, engagement, or video views? Select the objective of your campaign. LinkedIn splits up the objectives under 3 categories:
a) Awareness
b) Consideration
c) Decision (i.e. Conversions)
3) Choose Audience:
Honing down the target audience for your ads can help accomplish your campaign targets as you are not running after every goose and chicken out there. The more specific and relevant your ad, the better the ROI.
You can narrow down your audience based on a few different features. Set your audience criteria according to language, location, education, demographics like age or gender, job experience, or even interests.
4) Opt for the Right Ad Format:
LinkedIn offers 8 different types of ads that marketers can use, with each one serving a different purpose. We have listed some of the most popular options.
a) Sponsored Content:
These are the types of content that can be found on the LinkedIn feed. The standard template includes multiple lines of text and a picture. This format works well for businesses seeking to grow their contacts because LinkedIn offers the opportunity to include a form at the end.
b) Sponsored InMails:
InMails allow marketers to send personalised messages to their target audiences and is the apt format for businesses who prefer to offer more direct and detailed messaging to their customers.
c) Text Ads:
Text Ads allows advertisers to create small messages with a company logo. These ads are best for marketers whose goals are to increase brand awareness.
d) Single Image Ads:
Design an ad highlighting only one image.
e) Carousel Ads:
Ads featuring two or more images that get highlighted on the main feed.
f) Video Ads:
Allows you to promote one video on the LinkedIn news feed along with organic content.
As you click through the multiple ad options, LinkedIn will show you the forecasted results of each ad type (how cool!). The feature factors in your budget, ad type, bid, and start/end date into its prediction. Take these projections and your main goal into consideration as you select your ad type.
5) Give them a Budget & Bid:
Set a budget that works with your business goals. Ads can get expensive if they aren’t monitored, and we don’t want to put you in a situation where you spend thousands of dollars on an ad and get only 5% return. Therefore play around the text, placement, type of ad and identify one that will resonate with your audience.
Next, you have to set a bid. There is limited advertising space and lots of competition. So where your ad gets placed comes down to the bid value.
LinkedIn offers 3 different bid programs.
a) Automated Bid:
You are allowing LinkedIn to calculate your bid range based on your campaign objects and audience. The system uses historical data to automatically set the right bid. LinkedIn recommends this when you are looking to get the most returns out of a budget, but beware because the cost per click might be high!
b) Maximum Cost Per Click (CPC) Bid:
Here you pay when someone clicks on your ad. This strategy works well when your goal is to drive web traffic or increase leads. LinkedIn gives you a bid range based on your ad criteria and what competitors are paying for a similar campaign. If there is stiff competition, then your bid rate will increase. However, if your bid amount is higher than the current rate, then you will only be charged the current rate.
c) Maximum Pay Per 1,000 Impressions (CPM) Bid:
In this case, you only pay a certain amount each time your ad is viewed by 1000 people on LinkedIn. This bidding scheme works well you have written a killer ad copy and your goal is to increase brand awareness.
6) Track Conversions:
Marketing thrives on data, therefore set up conversion tracking on your LinkedIn ads so you can see the full returns of your investment. Set up conversion tracking by clicking on “+ Conversions” on your campaign dashboard.
Voila! You are all ready to start your advertising on LinkedIn! Do remember to hit the all-important “SAVE” icon.
Part II: Create Compelling Ads
Once you have set your campaign, the next step is to go about creating the specific ad with the appropriate image and/or text. Here are a few guidelines to follow so you create a killer copy that delivers high ROI.
→ Catchy Heading:
This is the first thing your audience sees! So put thought and effort into writing a heading that is innovative and yet relevant to your ad.
→ Actionable & Clear CTAs:
CTAs need to give a direct next step for your audience. This will improve your click-through rates (CTRs). It is always better to have a specific “download ebook now” or “click for free demo” over a generic “click here.”
→ Show your Value:
Increase the performance of your ads by clearing highlighting the “value” your business or offer brings to the table. A statement saying “improve your supply chain by 30%” clearly demonstrates what you can do, leaving no room for doubt.
→ Like Everything else, Test the Ads:
Just like how to monitor your other ad platforms, continuously measure the success of different ad formats and copies on LinkedIn. You will be able to identify which text or pictures resonate most with your target market and base future decisions on this feedback. If you are not testing, you might just be setting yourself up to lose money! Testing and altering ad copies/pictures also ensures that your content stays fresh and doesn’t become dated.
Quick Summary:
LinkedIn Advertising is a must-have weapon for B2B marketers. The social network is one of the most effective platforms to each a group of targeted professionals who in 4 out of 5 cases are important decision makers. As a B2B business, we recommend integrating LinkedIn Advertising into your B2B marketing automation toolkit. It’s easy to set-up and use, extremely effective, and generate dazzling ROI figures.
Are you using LinkedIn advertising for B2B growth? Do share your experience (good or bad) with us by commenting below.
Need help with your LinkedIn Ads, let the experts at Transfunnel help you.
