How to Target Your B2B Audience with LinkedIn Advertising
How does LinkedIn advertising work?
The best way to answer that question is to start with the most effective advertising method, retargeting.
Retargeting, a form of inbound marketing, can deliver ads to potential customers based on their prior engagement on your website or in an app.
In LinkedIn advertising, retargeting lets you use Contact Targeting to create highly tailored audiences using factors such as lead score.
1) LinkedIn Ads
Using their ‘ Contact Targeting ‘ tool, you can use marketing automation to dynamically segment targeting lists and import them into LinkedIn.
This allows you to create highly tailored audiences using factors such as lead score. You can also use retargeting to deliver ads based on prior engagement.
This makes it possible for marketers of all levels of experience or the company’s size, even those without an existing CRM solution, to target advertising campaigns directly at their most qualified leads.
A thorough understanding of your contacts is crucial if you want your campaign to be successful.
Think about things like job title, industry, or role at your company that most likely indicate that someone is a good fit for your offer.
2) Linkedin’s Contact Targeting Tool
LinkedIn’s Contact Targeting is excellent for helping you reach your audience on LinkedIn. The tool lets you target people currently in contact with your Virginia company by name or job title.
You can also import into it a list of email addresses you’ve already collected using other forms of advertising, including LinkedIn Sponsored Updates, banner ads, and direct mail campaigns.
This allows you to deliver more personalized offers and nurture leads without first building an extensive (and expensive) email list.
It also creates more personalized offers, which research shows increases click-through rates.
By building an accurate picture of each person’s interests, accomplishments, and work experience, you can make better decisions about when and how often you want to deliver specific ads across various channels.
3) Segment by Lead Score
LinkedIn uses a relatively robust retargeting platform, allowing you to target users based on behavior on and off their site.
If a user has visited your website but hasn’t converted from visitor to lead or customer, you can target them on LinkedIn with an ad reminding them of your product.
4) Use Retargeting for Better ROI
One of my favorite ways to use LinkedIn advertising is through a retargeting campaign.
Retargeting allows you to show ads to people who have visited your website or viewed a specific page.
If you’re not using retargeting, I highly recommend trying it out, as it can be extremely effective for getting new leads and re-engaging previous ones.
What are the Challenges with LinkedIn Ads?
LinkedIn Ads offer a powerful platform for targeting professionals and businesses, but they come with challenges that advertisers must navigate. Firstly, LinkedIn Ads can be more expensive than other social media advertising platforms, which might be a barrier for small businesses or those with limited budgets. The platform’s targeting features, while robust, require a deep understanding to leverage effectively; without precise targeting, advertisers risk spending their budget without reaching their ideal audience.
Moreover, creating content that resonates with a professional audience demands a strategic approach, as the tone, style, and substance need to align with the expectations of LinkedIn users. Another challenge is the level of competition on the platform. With many businesses vying for the attention of a similar audience, standing out requires creative content, strategic bidding, and optimization.
Measuring ROI on LinkedIn can also be complex. The platform provides various metrics and analytics, but translating these into actionable insights and connecting them to business outcomes requires a nuanced approach. Finally, the user behavior on LinkedIn is distinct from other social networks; users are more career-focused, which can influence how they interact with ads and what type of content they are likely to engage with. Understanding these nuances is crucial for creating effective LinkedIn ad campaigns.
In Summary
LinkedIn advertising offers a dynamic platform for B2B marketers aiming to target their audience precisely. The cornerstone of effective LinkedIn advertising is retargeting, allowing businesses to tailor their ads based on user’s previous interactions with their website or app. Utilizing LinkedIn’s Contact Targeting tool, marketers can import segmented lists, using criteria like lead score, to reach particular audiences. This approach benefits businesses of all sizes, enabling them to target their most qualified leads directly.
Moreover, LinkedIn’s retargeting capabilities extend to users who have visited your site but not yet converted, offering a strategic way to remind them of your products or services. While LinkedIn advertising presents unique opportunities for personalized and targeted campaigns, it also poses challenges. The cost can be prohibitive for smaller businesses, and the platform’s targeting features demand a thorough understanding to be used effectively. The fierce competition requires strategic content creation and campaign management to stand out.
Measuring ROI on LinkedIn can also be intricate, necessitating a detailed analysis to derive actionable insights. Advertisers must also navigate the professional nature of LinkedIn, adapting their content to engage primarily career-focused users. Understanding these nuances is critical to leveraging LinkedIn ads successfully, turning challenges into opportunities for meaningful engagement and conversion in the B2B sector.