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Online marketing is not only aimed at search engines, but also increasingly at social media channels. But while Instagram and Co. are mainly used by private individuals, LinkedIn is the largest professional network and is particularly suitable if the target group consists of B2B customers or if you want to increase brand awareness – provided you follow the right strategies.
LinkedIn advertising is worth it! There are now over 850 million members from more than 200 regions and countries here (see: about.linkedin.com). And that means: Companies have a good chance of attracting them, especially if the targeted target group is in the B2B sector accessible via the business network. However, it is important to develop the right strategies and LinkedIn campaigns for the goals you have set. A professional LinkedIn agency can help, among other things. And this post.
What advantages does LinkedIn advertising offer?
The benefits for companies that advertise on LinkedIn are varied. Basically, of course, it also depends on what goals you are pursuing. The following is possible with the right LinkedIn Ads:
Effectively find business partners in the B2B sector Generate high-quality leads Achieve more website traffic Increase brand awareness
The advantages mentioned make it clear: With LinkedIn advertising you can not only reach customers, but also business partners or new, promising talents and employees (employer branding). LinkedIn Advertising can also help a company build credibility and create a rich network.
The right strategy for LinkedIn advertising
It doesn’t make sense to just randomly advertise on LinkedIn. This can result in money being spent, but ultimately no leads or satisfactory conversions being achieved. Because of this, a suitable strategy is essential before you start running LinkedIn ads. In general, marketing strategies should always be tailored precisely to the respective company and marketing goals, which is why it is not possible to define a generally working strategy here. However, the following sections provide some clues.
Objective
As mentioned above, goals are particularly important when it comes to developing a strategy for LinkedIn marketing. That’s why the first step should always be to consider:
What do you want to achieve with LinkedIn Ads? Who do you want to reach with LinkedIn Ads? How much should sales increase with LinkedIn Ads? How many applicants should be reached with LinkedIn Ads and encouraged to apply? Which business partners should use LinkedIn Ads as an opportunity to contact you?
The more precisely the goals are defined, the better.
target group
It’s no secret that advertising and campaigns only work if they are aimed at the target group. And of course, advertising on LinkedIn is no different. Therefore, only those who know who they want to reach with their LinkedIn Ads and what makes them tick will be successful. However, it is important to note that attention is not only paid to the companies that you want to target with advertising. When defining the target group, special attention should also be paid to the decision-makers of the respective company. After all, they should always be addressed by LinkedIn Ads and convinced to carry out the desired conversion.
Company profile
In order for it to be possible to advertise on LinkedIn, you need a company profile on the platform. And that can also be useful for increasing brand awareness and good employer branding. Here you can, among other things, publish facts about the company, share important dates or current news from the industry or upload employee stories and other relevant, interesting and entertaining content. The LinkedIn company page should therefore not only be created quickly and carelessly in order to be able to place LinkedIn advertisements, but should also be adequately maintained. Because then it can help sustainably to achieve the defined marketing goals.
LinkedIn ads
Only in this step can you start designing and running LinkedIn Ads. As already mentioned, the focus should always be on what could appeal to the target group. Not just in terms of the text, but also in terms of the format chosen. Because with LinkedIn ads you have the choice between:
Sponsored Content: This is a post that appears on the target group’s news feed, even if they do not follow the company. Dynamic Ads: These ads are automatically adapted to the viewer’s profile. Text Ads: These are simple ads that appear on the right of the LinkedIn feed or in the news feed. Sponsored Messaging: These ads are displayed to the target group directly via the inbox, making them appear less promotional and much more personal. There are two subcategories: Message Ads and Conversation Ads.
Which type of ads are best suited for your own marketing project depends on the goals you have set. If you are unsure, it also makes sense to try out different types and then evaluate which ads are most suitable based on your successes. But of course a combination of the advertisements mentioned is also possible.
Measure success
As always in marketing, with LinkedIn advertising it is essential to measure success and thereby find out which ads work well and which need to be optimized. For example, conversion tracking using various analysis tools or A/B testing is suitable for this.
When does it make sense to hire a LinkedIn agency?
Can you do LinkedIn advertising on your own or should you hire a LinkedIn agency? There is no general answer to this question, but companies that have little or no experience in online marketing benefit from the support of a professional agency. Designing, analyzing and constantly optimizing LinkedIn Ads takes a lot of time and also requires a lot of know-how. By outsourcing these tasks to an agency, on the one hand the chances of success are higher, on the other hand you can concentrate on the company’s actual core business and do not have to put any capacity into LinkedIn advertising.
Hiring an agency is particularly useful if you want to generate leads not only through LinkedIn Ads, but also through other online marketing measures, for example with the help of SEO (search engine optimization) or SEA (search engine advertising). Since SEO in particular is a very broad and complex field, it is definitely advisable to work with experts, especially in this case.
Conclusion
LinkedIn advertising offers companies a whole range of advantages. Among other things, leads can be generated, new employees can be found or business partners can be discovered. In order for the planned LinkedIn campaigns to be really successful, it is essential to first create a marketing strategy. This includes defining goals and target groups, creating a meaningful LinkedIn company page and attractive LinkedIn ads, and constantly measuring success so that weak points can be optimized. Especially if you have little or no knowledge of online marketing and LinkedIn, it can make sense to commission a professional agency to handle these tasks.