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May 13, 2023

LinkedIn Ads: How to Advertise On LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the world’s leading professional networking platform, with over 722 million members globally. This exclusive platform offers a unique opportunity for businesses to reach highly engaged professionals in their industry. LinkedIn Ads is a powerful tool that allows companies of all sizes to advertise to a specific target audience. In this article, we will walk you through the ins and outs of LinkedIn Ads to help you create effective campaigns that drive business growth.

Understanding LinkedIn Ads

What are LinkedIn Ads?

LinkedIn Ads are a powerful tool that businesses can use to reach their target audience on the LinkedIn platform. With LinkedIn Ads, businesses can create and display sponsored content, sponsored InMail, text ads, dynamic ads, carousel ads, and video ads to LinkedIn users on both desktop and mobile devices.

LinkedIn Ads are a form of digital advertising that enables businesses to effectively reach a specific target audience with their message. These ads are displayed on the LinkedIn platform’s desktop and mobile versions and can take various forms such as sponsored content, sponsored InMail, text ads, dynamic ads, carousel ads, and video ads.

LinkedIn Ads are a great way for businesses to increase brand awareness, generate leads, and drive conversions. By targeting specific audiences on LinkedIn, businesses can ensure that their message is seen by the people who are most likely to be interested in their products or services.

Why use LinkedIn Ads for your business?

There are many reasons why businesses should consider using LinkedIn Ads as part of their digital marketing strategy. Here are just a few:

Precise targeting: LinkedIn’s unparalleled targeting abilities make it a significant platform for B2B marketers. Businesses can leverage LinkedIn’s extensive database of professionals to reach specific job titles, seniority level, industry, and location.
Engaged audience: LinkedIn audiences tend to be more active and engaged compared to other social media platforms, leading to higher-quality leads and better campaign performance.
Brand awareness: LinkedIn Ads can help businesses increase brand awareness by displaying their message to a highly targeted audience.
Lead generation: By targeting specific audiences on LinkedIn, businesses can generate high-quality leads that are more likely to convert into customers.
Conversion optimization: LinkedIn Ads can help businesses optimize their conversion rates by displaying their message to the right people at the right time.

Overall, LinkedIn Ads are a powerful tool that businesses can use to reach their target audience on the LinkedIn platform. With precise targeting, an engaged audience, and the ability to increase brand awareness, generate leads, and drive conversions, LinkedIn Ads are a must-have for any business looking to succeed in the digital age.

Setting Up Your LinkedIn Advertising Account

LinkedIn is a powerful advertising platform that can help you reach a highly targeted audience of professionals. If you’re looking to promote your business, generate leads, or build your brand, LinkedIn Advertising is a great option to consider.

Creating a LinkedIn Campaign Manager account

The first step to advertising on LinkedIn is to create a LinkedIn Campaign Manager account. This account provides access to all the tools needed to create, launch, and monitor your ads. Signing up is simple; all you need is a LinkedIn profile and a valid credit card.

Once you’ve created your account, you’ll be prompted to set up your first campaign. LinkedIn offers a variety of campaign types, including sponsored content, sponsored InMail, and display ads. Each campaign type has its own set of targeting options and ad formats, so it’s important to choose the right one for your goals.

Navigating the LinkedIn Ads dashboard

Once your Campaign Manager account is set up, you can begin exploring the dashboard, which is the control center for all your ad campaigns. You can access the following menu items, among others:

Campaigns: This section allows you to create new campaigns and track existing ones. You can view performance metrics such as clicks, impressions, and conversions, and make adjustments to your targeting and bidding as needed.
Ads: This section is where you create, edit, and manage your ads. You can choose from a variety of ad formats, including single image ads, carousel ads, and video ads. You can also set up A/B tests to see which ad variations perform best.
Targeting: This section offers a wide range of targeting options to help you reach the right audience. You can target by job title, company size, industry, and more. You can also create custom audiences based on your website visitors or email list.

One of the key benefits of advertising on LinkedIn is the ability to target your ads to a highly specific audience. By using a combination of demographic, firmographic, and behavioral targeting options, you can ensure that your ads are seen by the people who are most likely to be interested in your product or service.

In addition to targeting, LinkedIn also offers a variety of ad formats to choose from. Sponsored content ads appear in users’ newsfeeds and can include images, videos, or carousel cards. Sponsored InMail allows you to send personalized messages directly to users’ inboxes. Display ads appear on the right-hand side of the desktop version of LinkedIn and can include images or videos.

Overall, LinkedIn Advertising can be a highly effective way to reach a professional audience and achieve your marketing goals. By setting up your Campaign Manager account and exploring the various targeting and ad format options, you can create campaigns that resonate with your target audience and drive results for your business.

Types of LinkedIn Ads

LinkedIn is a powerful platform for businesses and advertisers looking to reach a professional audience. With over 700 million active users, LinkedIn offers a range of advertising options to help businesses achieve their marketing goals. Here are some of the most popular types of LinkedIn ads:

Text Ads

Text ads are simple and affordable ads that display across LinkedIn’s desktop and mobile versions. These ads typically feature a short headline, a description, and a small image. They are perfect for driving engagement, clicks, and conversion at the lower-funnel stage of the marketing funnel. Text ads allow you to target specific LinkedIn users based on their job title, company size, and other criteria, ensuring that your message reaches the right audience.

For example, if you are a recruitment agency, you can create a Text Ad that targets HR managers and directors at companies with over 500 employees. The ad can feature a headline that says “Find Your Next Top Talent” and a call-to-action to visit your website. This type of ad can help you drive traffic to your website and generate leads for your business.

Dynamic Ads

Dynamic Ads are personalized ads that incorporate the LinkedIn member’s profile data, such as name, photo, and job title. These ads help increase click-through rates by creating a more bespoke experience with the potential target customer. Dynamic Ads can be used for a range of marketing objectives, including brand awareness, lead generation, and event promotion.

For example, if you are a marketing agency, you can create a Dynamic Ad that targets marketing managers and directors at companies with over 500 employees. The ad can feature the LinkedIn member’s name and photo, along with a personalized message that highlights your agency’s expertise in B2B marketing. This type of ad can help you build relationships with potential clients and generate leads for your business.

Carousel Ads

Carousel ads offer five scrolling images for advertisers to showcase their product or service features. These ads are ideal for storytelling and creative campaigns and provide advertisers with more room to deliver their message. Carousel Ads can be used for a range of marketing objectives, including brand awareness, lead generation, and product promotion.

For example, if you are a fashion retailer, you can create a Carousel Ad that showcases your latest collection. The ad can feature five images that highlight different outfits and accessories, along with a call-to-action to visit your website. This type of ad can help you drive traffic to your website and increase sales for your business.

Video Ads

Video ads appear in the LinkedIn news feed to tell a compelling brand story. These ads are an excellent way for brands to create emotional connections with the target audience, highlight their unique selling propositions, and explain complex products and services. Video Ads can be used for a range of marketing objectives, including brand awareness, lead generation, and product promotion.

For example, if you are a software company, you can create a Video Ad that showcases your latest product release. The ad can feature a demo of the product, along with customer testimonials and a call-to-action to sign up for a free trial. This type of ad can help you generate high-quality leads and educate your target audience about your product.

Overall, LinkedIn offers a range of advertising options to help businesses achieve their marketing goals. By choosing the right ad format and targeting options, businesses can reach a highly engaged and professional audience on LinkedIn.

Targeting Your Audience on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a powerful platform for businesses and advertisers to reach a highly targeted audience. With over 700 million users, the platform offers a range of targeting options to ensure that your content reaches the right people. Let’s take a closer look at the different targeting options available on LinkedIn.

Demographic targeting

Demographic targeting is a crucial component of any LinkedIn advertising campaign. It allows advertisers to target users based on specific criteria such as job title, company size, location, and industry. This form of targeting ensures that your sponsored content and InMail campaigns go to the correct audience. For example, if you are promoting a new software tool for small businesses, you can target users who work in companies with less than 50 employees. This way, you can ensure that your content is reaching the right people who are most likely to be interested in your product.

Interest-based targeting

Interest-based targeting is another powerful tool for reaching your target audience on LinkedIn. This form of targeting involves targeting users based on their interests, groups, and engagement history on the platform. This targeting is ideal for driving engagement with the brand and starting conversations. For example, if you are promoting a new line of sustainable fashion, you can target users who are members of environmental groups or have engaged with similar content on LinkedIn. This way, you can reach people who are passionate about sustainability and are more likely to engage with your brand.

Company targeting

Company targeting is an effective way to reach decision-makers in certain companies and industries. This form of targeting allows advertisers to target users based on their company name, industry, and size. For example, if you are promoting a new B2B software tool, you can target users who work in companies in the technology industry with over 500 employees. This way, you can ensure that your content is reaching the right people who have the authority to make purchasing decisions.

Job function targeting

Job function targeting is essential in ensuring that the content goes to the correct audience in the organization. This form of targeting allows advertisers to target users based on their job function, such as marketing, finance, or IT. For example, if you are promoting a new marketing automation tool, you can target users who work in marketing roles. This way, you can ensure that your content is reaching the right people who are most likely to be interested in your product.

Custom audience targeting

Custom audience targeting is a highly effective way to re-engage with past customers or nurture leads to conversion. This form of targeting involves uploading a CSV of email addresses that LinkedIn matches with its members for targeted ads. For example, if you have a list of past customers who have not made a purchase in the last six months, you can upload their email addresses to LinkedIn and target them with a special promotion. This way, you can re-engage with past customers and encourage them to make a purchase.

In conclusion, LinkedIn offers a range of powerful targeting options to help businesses reach their target audience on the platform. By utilizing these targeting options, businesses can ensure that their content is reaching the right people who are most likely to be interested in their product or service.

Creating Your LinkedIn Ad Campaign

Are you looking to increase brand awareness or drive website traffic? Perhaps you want to tell a creative story or generate leads? Whatever your campaign goals may be, LinkedIn offers a variety of ad formats and objectives to help you achieve them.

Choosing your ad format

Choosing the right ad format is crucial in ensuring that your content resonates well with your target audience. Sponsored content and InMail are ideal for increasing brand awareness, as they appear in users’ feeds and inboxes. Text ads, on the other hand, are better suited for increasing website traffic as they appear on the side of users’ screens. Dynamic ads, carousel ads, and video ads are perfect for storytelling and creative campaigns, as they allow for more engaging and interactive content.

Setting your campaign objective

Before creating a campaign, it’s essential to define the campaign’s objective. LinkedIn offers various objectives such as brand awareness, website visits, engagement, and lead generation. Choosing the right goal will ensure that the campaign’s success is quantifiable. For example, if your goal is to generate leads, you can track the number of leads generated through your campaign and measure its success.

Defining your target audience

Defining the target audience is crucial in ensuring that the content goes to the right people. By leveraging LinkedIn’s targeting options, businesses can ensure that the content reaches the right people who are more likely to engage and convert. Targeting options include job title, company size, industry, location, and more. Additionally, businesses can create custom audiences by uploading their own lists of contacts or website visitors.

Setting your budget and bid strategy

Setting a budget for your LinkedIn Ads campaign is essential in maintaining financial control over the campaigns. LinkedIn offers two modes of setting budgets: a daily or a total budget. Advertisers can also choose from three bid strategies: cost per click, cost per impression, and cost per send. The bid strategy will depend on the campaign’s objective and the ad format chosen.

Creating ad creatives and copy

Creating compelling visuals and ad copy is crucial in ensuring that the ad resonates well with the target audience. Advertisers can leverage LinkedIn’s ad-generated tools or create their own ad copy and visuals. When creating ad copy, it’s essential to keep it concise, clear, and relevant to the campaign’s objective. Visuals should be eye-catching and reflect the brand’s identity.

By following these steps, businesses can create successful LinkedIn Ad campaigns that reach their target audience and achieve their campaign objectives.

Measuring and Optimizing Your LinkedIn Ad Performance

Understanding LinkedIn Ads analytics

The LinkedIn Ads dashboard offers valuable insights that can help advertisers measure the performance of their campaigns. Advertisers can track the performance of each ad, campaign or account level, and download individual reports to perform in-depth analysis.

A/B testing your LinkedIn Ads

A/B testing allows advertisers to test two different versions of their ads on a small sample size to determine which performs better. This method helps advertisers to optimize their campaigns for better performance.

Tips for optimizing your ad campaigns

Optimizing your ad campaigns can improve performance metrics such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and cost-per-acquisition. Some tips for optimizing LinkedIn Ads campaigns include testing different creatives, ad copy, and targeting options, using relevant keywords, and monitoring bids regularly.

LinkedIn Advertising Best Practices

Crafting compelling ad copy

Compelling copy is crucial in capturing the target audience’s attention and driving engagement. Advertisers can make use of action verbs, keep the copy concise, and use attention-grabbing headlines to increase the likelihood of engagement.

Using high-quality visuals

High-quality visuals help the content stand out on LinkedIn’s busy news feed. Advertisers should ensure that the visuals align with the brand’s image and deliver a clear message to the target audience.

Leveraging LinkedIn’s ad targeting features

LinkedIn offers a range of targeting options to help advertisers reach their ideal target audience. By taking advantage of these targeting features, businesses can ensure that the content reaches the right people who are more likely to engage and convert.

Continuously monitoring and adjusting your campaigns

Monitoring campaigns regularly to evaluate performance metrics such as click-through rates and cost-per-acquisition is crucial in ensuring that the campaigns are optimally working. Making adjustments to the campaigns to improve performance metrics can lead to better campaign success.

Conclusion

LinkedIn Ads is a powerful tool that advertisers can leverage to reach a specific target audience. Understanding how to use LinkedIn Ads correctly, from creating a LinkedIn Campaign Manager account to crafting compelling ad copy, can result in successful campaigns that deliver business growth. By taking advantage of LinkedIn’s extensive targeting options and continuously monitoring the campaigns, businesses can reach their ideal target audience, maintain financial control over their campaigns, and optimize campaigns for better performance.