Read our blog for the lowdown on LinkedIn Ads in 2024, how they work, pricing strategies and how they can supercharge your B2B strategies.
LinkedIn Ads have been around since 2005, and they have since surpassed 1 million users. Surprisingly, although this feature has existed for almost two decades, many still do not understand the value of incorporating LinkedIn Ads into their business strategies.
Due to LinkedIn's unique position as one of the top professional networking platforms, incorporating LinkedIn Ads into your business strategy can be invaluable. Unlike other social media sites, LinkedIn caters explicitly to professionals and businesses, making it the perfect B2B (business-to-business) marketing platform.
Imagine reaching out to 950 million professionals, among whom 65 million are decision-makers, 11 million have a C-suite title, and 5.4 million are small business owners. Your demographic here includes entrepreneurs, top decision-makers, thought leaders, and, of course, the corporate world's crème de la crème influencers. This makes it easy for businesses to precisely target ads, reaching the right audience in the right job, industry, or professional criteria.
Targeting so precisely enhances the chances of generating high-quality leads, boosting brand awareness online, and driving more traffic to websites or other external platforms. And with LinkedIn's robust analytics, it is easier for businesses to measure the effectiveness of their ads and refine their strategies accordingly for better ROI (return on investment).
It's normal to struggle with the fast and unpredictable pace of today's digital landscape, so it's vital to be armed with every online presence-boosting artillery within your means. Leveraging LinkedIn Ads gives you a significant advantage and will benefit your business in the long run when done right.
Speaking of doing LinkedIn Ads right - let's discover how you can make that happen.
You will start by creating a Campaign Manager account to define the campaign objectives, such as brand awareness, lead generation, or website visits. You will then target the audience based on factors such as location, job title, company size, or industry. A budget will need to be set, and a bid type will be chosen. It is essential to create lucrative ad content (text, image, or video) that will catch the eye of your audience, and finally, once you are set - you are ready to launch the campaign.
You will have access to detailed analytics throughout the campaign, where you can track performance and make any data-driven adjustments for optimization, giving you the flexibility to meet your marketing goals.
The cost of running ads can vary depending on the bidding strategy and competition for the target audience. LinkedIn uses a bidding system for ads, where businesses can choose from cost-per-click (CPC), cost-per-impression (CPM), or cost-per-send (CPS) for Sponsored InMail campaigns.
The minimum CPC or CPM starts at around $2, but the actual cost can run higher depending on the ad's competitiveness and your audience's response. For example, if you opt for a CPM strategy where each impression is worth 1000 views, you will pay up to $6.59 per 1,000 impressions each time your ad is published.
Additionally, it is vital to remember that LinkedIn requires a minimum $10 budget regardless of the type of ad you run.
Content is king, and it is important to ensure that your ad content is engaging, relevant, and valuable for your audience. Research your target audience's pain points and the type of information that would resonate with them - thought leadership articles, industry insights, etc.
Once you have your content ready - let's look into the type of sponsored ads you can run.
These ads will appear in your target audience's newsfeed, and are available in five formats.
As we discussed above, sponsored content ads are sold through auctions, so the costs can vary, and depend on many things, such as industry, competition, bid rates, and budget.
We can not stress this enough, but optimizing your campaign ads is vital to achieving the best results. This will require you to continuously test, measure, and refine your ads so you can understand what works for your business and what doesn't. Additionally, key performance indicators (KPIs) such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and lead quality should be closely monitored.
Because LinkedIn is a professional platform, you will have access to a niche and unique set of audiences. It is best to determine your goals and budget first - are you looking to boost your online presence? Or maybe generate more leads for a course you are offering? Once your goal is set, choosing which ad model is the best for you is easy.
For brand exposure, CPM is the way to go. CPC is ideal if your target is to boost website visits. And for sales-focused campaigns, a CPA model is recommended. This approach charges you only when a user takes an action you've specified, such as downloading an app, subscribing to emails, or completing a purchase.
LinkedIn's professional environment offers a unique advantage. Although most use this platform to advance their career or interact with business-related content, it is the perfect playground for sophisticated B2B marketing strategies. Businesses can use LinkedIn to build trust, cement their professional credibility, and boost their online presence. Constant engagement with your target audience is vital to kickstart your journey to being an authoritative voice in the industry.
While LinkedIn's advertising costs might be higher than other social platforms, the higher ROI potential makes up for it. The targeted nature of LinkedIn means that your ads are more likely to be seen by decision-makers and influencers within your target industry, leading to more qualified leads and better conversion rates.
Although simple, LinkedIn ads can feel time-consuming when you are busy running your business. A little helping hand can go a long way. If you seek to maximize your LinkedIn advertising efforts, consider partnering with Reachly. We are here to help you, from identifying your target audience to designing custom ad packages for various business sizes and advertising budgets. Partnering with the experts at Reachly can help you maximize your advertising strategies and reach your goals.
Contact us for a free consultation today.