Today, many consumers are actively present on social media channels. But in addition to consumers, we also increasingly see companies promoting themselves on the internet and on their platforms. Consumers and companies use Facebook or Instagram for this. But more and more we see consumers and companies looking for collaborations within LinkedIn. LinkedIn has greatly expanded its offerings for both the B2C and B2B markets in recent years. Think of the different advertising options, but also the options for targeting your target group. In this article, we explain all the ins and outs of advertising on LinkedIn.
What is LinkedIn Advertising?
LinkedIn advertising means that a company is advertising through the social media channel LinkedIn. More and more companies advertise via LinkedIn and in this way reach their target group(s). The developed ads are shown to LinkedIn users in their news feed. In addition, advertisements are shown to users in other ways, but more about this later. All these ad campaigns are optimized for different devices by the LinkedIn platform. For example, the social media channel ensures that your advertisement is always adapted for, for example, computer, tablet or mobile.
How does LinkedIn advertising work?
LinkedIn advertising is very suitable for companies with business customers. So you could say that LinkedIn advertising is made for the B2B market. However, there are actual people behind these company pages on LinkedIn. And these people may be your target audience. LinkedIn can therefore also be interesting for the B2C market. Ads on LinkedIn are sold through the auction model. This means that you are competing on LinkedIn with other companies who also want to advertise and reach the same audience. LinkedIn advertising is very strong because companies can specify exactly who they want to reach with their ad campaigns and how they want to reach their target group(s).
Grip, measurability, and control. Those are our keywords for your LinkedIn campaign.
LinkedIn uses a huge amount of data for this. The social media platform possesses a lot of information about its users. This information can be used to define target groups, and also to measure user interests. All this has developed rapidly in recent years and makes it increasingly effective for companies to advertise via LinkedIn. Below we discuss what exactly the target group of LinkedIn is, how the objective of your ad is used within LinkedIn advertising and which different types of advertising there are.
“Immediate results with advertising within LinkedIn”
What is LinkedIn’s target audience?
The target group of LinkedIn is the working dutch. This means that LinkedIn’s target audience is approximately between the ages of 20 and 65. Within LinkedIn there are men and women. Most have completed training and are employed, for example, as recruiters, entrepreneurs, or freelancers. In addition, LinkedIn is also used by universities and colleges. LinkedIn Netherlands has almost 5.0 million users.
What is the purpose of advertising within LinkedIn?
Advertising within LinkedIn enables you to indicate the objective of your advertising campaign. This is very attractive because LinkedIn uses this information to further optimize your advertisement. In addition, the advertising form with LinkedIn advertising depends on the choice in the objective. LinkedIn advertising has three different objectives for your advertising campaigns. These are objective consideration, conversions, and brand awareness.
LinkedIn advertising has three objectives
The Objective Consideration within LinkedIn Advertising
Within the Objective Consideration, LinkedIn offers three options for your ads. The first is the website visits option. The name says it all, but this option ensures that your target group(s) are forwarded to your website/webshop or company page within LinkedIn. This option is therefore suitable for driving traffic to your website/webshop or to certain landing pages for marketing purposes.
In addition, within the objective consideration, you can choose the option interactions. By choosing this option you tell LinkedIn that the number of interactions with your company page or posted content can be increased. Finally, the video views option within the objective consideration gives you the opportunity to promote a developed corporate video among your target audience(s). With all these options, LinkedIn itself determines what is needed to achieve the stated objective. An example with the video views option is that LinkedIn itself chooses an extension of your target group to show the video. LinkedIn does this based on data from its users and a calculation of the chance that people outside the specified target group will view your video.
Advertising the conversions objective on LinkedIn
Within the conversions objective, LinkedIn offers four options for your ads. First up is the lead generation option. This option ensures that when users click on your ads, they are redirected to a lead generation form. This form is then pre-filled with their LinkedIn profile information. With this option, you operate at the bottom of the marketing funnel, where it is all about provoking a valuable action. The second option within the conversions objective is website conversions. This option ensures that your ad campaigns will result in more conversions to your website.
The third option within the conversions objective is applicants. By choosing this option, you ensure that your ad campaigns are shown to users who are most likely to click on your ad or vacancy. This increases the chance that LinkedIn users apply. The last option within the conversions objective is talent leads. This option is only available to companies with an active LinkedIn Recruiter contract and ensures that you generate leads from people interested in career opportunities within your company.
The objective partly determines your advertising types
Advertising Brand Awareness Goal Within LinkedIn
The newest goal in advertising on LinkedIn is brand awareness. This objective ensures that you can tell more LinkedIn users about your products, services, or organization. LinkedIn optimizes the reach and impressions of your ads.
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Which ad forms does LinkedIn advertise?
Now that it is clear which different options there are for the objectives of your ad campaigns, we look at the ad types. Depending on the objective that you choose for your ads, you can choose a specific ad form. Within advertising on LinkedIn there are 7 different types of advertising.
1. Text ad or single image
The ad form text ad or single image means that you are promoting your posted content. Advertising with text ads is therefore also referred to as sponsored content. For example, if you give a simple update on your company page, you can promote this message. This update can consist of a piece of text or a single image. Of course, posts posted on your company page are already shown to users in their news feed. But promoting them keeps them at the top of the page and on the right side of the news feed.
In most cases, a single text ad without images does not encourage a user to take an action. At most, the user visits your website or webshop and you achieve your objective in terms of consideration. By adding a single image you stimulate your potential customers much more. Text ads with an image are suitable for the purpose of website/webshop visits, interactions with the target audience(s), and lead generation. The same goes for an image carousel ad.
Multiple images mean more interaction with your audience.
2. Advertisement with an image carousel
You may know advertisements with an image carousel from Facebook and Instagram. Since 2018 it is also possible to use this within LinkedIn advertising. An image carousel means that you put multiple images in one post. LinkedIn users can view the various images in the post by swiping left on the screen. A LinkedIn image carousel can have a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 10 images.
The advantage of using an ad with an image carousel is that you can get your message across better. After all, you use more than one image, so you can give a better image. In addition, it is possible to add a specific header, text and URL under each image. The images on LinkedIn are based on 1080 : 1080 pixels, so 1:1.
“LinkedIn advertising comes with more and more options for advertising forms”
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3. Video advertisement
In addition to placing images, using videos as a marketing tool is becoming increasingly popular. The great thing about video ads on LinkedIn is that you can use it for all three different objectives. For example, video ads are good for consideration (website visits, interactions, and video views), conversions (leads, talent leads, applicants, and website conversions), and brand awareness.
An important thing to keep in mind when placing a video ad is the duration. A video should be a minimum of 3 seconds and a maximum of 30 minutes for your video ad. But beware, 30 minutes is way too long. Remember that users have limited time for you, make sure your video ad is between 10 and 30 seconds. In addition, the video must be in landscape mode and have a maximum size of 200 MB. In addition, our tip is to always use headers and explanations in the description with a video ad. This allows users to read along quietly during the video or even understand the video without sound.
More followers on your business page? Use tracking ads.
4. Follow ad
Within LinkedIn, it is also possible to develop an ad that aims to generate more followers. A follow ad is a standard text ad (with or without an image) with a follow button added. Users can click on this and follow your company page easily and quickly. Tracking ads aim to get users to visit your website/webshop or company page.
5. Spotlight advertisement
Spotlight advertisements are used within LinkedIn advertising to put your product, services or company in the spotlight through a customized advertisement. Spotlight ads are dynamic ads where LinkedIn uses the available profile information of the user seeing the spotlight ad. For example, a LinkedIn user who scrolls through a spotlight ad of your company will see his profile picture and name next to your company’s logo in combination with a ‘Join now’ button. Spotlight ads aim to generate more website traffic, increase brand awareness or recruit applicants.
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6. Job advertisement
Spotlight ads use profile data, but job ads also use LinkedIn users’ personal data for personalized ads. When using vacancy advertisements, LinkedIn ensures that those users looking for that are relevant to your vacancy. This is possible because they have knowledge or experience in your area of work. A vacancy advertisement can be started within the business environment of LinkedIn.
7. Message ad
A message ad is also referred to as an InMail within LinkedIn ad forms. A message ad is based on the fact that you are sending a message to a LinkedIn user. You can send a message ad to current connections or users who don’t have a connection with you yet. If you also use a sponsored InMail with a message ad, the ad will be shown at the top of the user’s inbox. In a message advertisement, always use a personal salutation from a company employee that is relevant to the message sent.
Message ads are where creativity comes in.
What are the targeting options within LinkedIn?
It is important to know what your objective is of advertising in LinkedIn. In addition, we have seen the different advertising forms of LinkedIn. But of course it is extremely important to whom you show these different types of advertisements in order to achieve the desired objective. Within LinkedIn advertising there are a number of targeting options for your ads. Targeting options include:
- Locations
- Audience Attributes, such as company, work experience, education, demographics, interests, and attributes
- Custom Audiences, which you created with Matched Audiences
Locations allow you to reach LinkedIn users based on their geographic data. The geographic location of LinkedIn users is based on the permanent or long-term location entered by the user in his or her personal information. In addition, the geographic location may also be based on the IP address on a short-term visit.
With target group characteristics for your advertisements, a distinction is made between advertisements for the B2B market and the B2C market. For example, for companies, there are targeting options for company category, industry, or company size. In addition, you can target ads to a certain growth percentage of a company, the revenue of a company, or connections that a company has.
When you’ve developed ads and want to target more to individuals, you use demographics, education, experience and interests. Think of targeting on the age and/or gender of a user. In addition, recognized diplomas, fields of study or level of education can be used to show or not show advertisements to certain users. LinkedIn users can fill in their own positions, skills and years of experience within their personal account. This data can then also be used for targeting options.
LinkedIn advertising allows you to target very specifically.
Finally, please note that the targeting options of your ads are not used to discriminate based on gender, age or race/ethnicity. Ads deemed discriminatory by LinkedIn will be removed immediately. Learn more about our advertising policy and targeting discrimination.
LinkedIn’s final targeting option for your ads is to create custom audiences. Here you can completely compose your target group(s) within LinkedIn. Below you will find a step-by-step plan to create your own target group within LinkedIn advertising.
“Create your own target group with LinkedIn within 2 steps”
How do you advertise your own target group on LinkedIn?
Advertising on LinkedIn can be very relevant to creating your own target group for your different ad forms. You create a target group within LinkedIn based on your designed personas. The process has two steps, which we explain below.
Step 1 – Where is your target audience located?
The first question LinkedIn asks you to create your target audience is: ‘Where is your target audience located?’ This specifically concerns the location of your target group. In the first step, you indicate in which country your target group is located, which language your target group speaks, whether you focus on the recent or permanent location and exclude, for example, a specific location for your target group.
It is important that you know your target group very well.
Step 2 – Who is your target audience?
The second step focuses more on the characteristics of your selected target group from step 1. With this you refine your created target group selection. In step 2, characteristics of your target group can be added or excluded such as: the job title, the industry or certain skills. In addition, it is possible to add or exclude matched target groups from your selected target group. Matched audiences are certain audience segments that you can use specifically for retargeting. Examples of a Matched Audience include LinkedIn users who have visited a page on your website, viewed your video ad, or responded to your LinkedIn event. By adding or excluding matched target groups from your created target group, it becomes a lot more specific. Please note that LinkedIn requires an audience of a certain size as a minimum. If this is not the case and your created target group is complete, you can choose your ad form, set a media budget and get started with LinkedIn advertising.
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What are the pros and cons of LinkedIn advertising?
Within LinkedIn advertising, there are various targeting options for your chosen ad forms. Advertising via LinkedIn has a completely different purpose than the other social media platforms. Read below what the advantages and disadvantages are of LinkedIn advertising.
LinkedIn has a number of advantages, do you also look at the disadvantages?
What are the benefits of LinkedIn advertising?
1. Business communication tool
As mentioned, LinkedIn is very different from other social media platforms such as Facebook or Instagram. While these two social media channels are mainly aimed at entertainment and a social aspect, LinkedIn is a social network for business contacts. LinkedIn users can contact each other via the platform, for example to find a new job, to post subject-specific messages, to enter into a discussion with fellow professionals or for companies to draw attention to vacancies. The big advantage is that companies can respond well to the business topics that play on LinkedIn. This allows organizations to place custom (commercial) expressions via advertisements to seek interaction with (potential) customers.
2. Unique and precise targeting options
As mentioned earlier, LinkedIn advertising has various targeting options. This allows you to advertise very specifically towards a business target group with your different ad forms. On other social media platforms, there are also options for demographic and geographic variables. However, LinkedIn advertising’s targeting capabilities allow you to deploy specific variables for your ad campaigns. Think of filtering on companies, markets, functions or skills. In addition, you can use the variables ‘Groups’ for LinkedIn advertising. Here you only target LinkedIn users who have joined groups that fit within their field.
3. Recruitment
Advertising within LinkedIn is extremely suitable for attracting new staff. The social media platform is a collection of working Netherlands. The profiles of every LinkedIn user are actually a digital resume. Users are often on LinkedIn to learn about and discover topics within their field. In addition, many people are also on LinkedIn for possible interesting opportunities. Users post on their profile all the useful information you need to reach a specified target group. When skills, experience and resume are available, it can be easily advertised on a specific persona.
In addition, vacancies or interesting messages about recruitment are often shared. A LinkedIn user is not only on the platform for himself, but also for his circle of acquaintances.
“LinkedIn has about 5 million users in the Netherlands with 771,000 daily active users”
What are the disadvantages of LinkedIn advertising?
1. High Cost of Advertising
Within LinkedIn advertising there are very specific targeting options. In addition, the business nature of LinkedIn makes it a very suitable platform for companies. This makes the social media platform very popular for advertising, but automatically more expensive. The CPM, CPC and CPL are high in LinkedIn advertising. The different payment models of LinkedIn advertising are further explained below. But in short, CPM stands for “Cost per Mile”, CPC stands for “Cost per Click” and CPL stands for “Cost per Lead”. Through the benefits mentioned above and many more, LinkedIn knows the value of its users. Because users make very specific information available about themselves, this can be targeted when advertising. Due to the high costs, it is highly advisable to have a clear strategy when advertising on LinkedIn. Convident’s online marketers have a lot of experience with this and know exactly which strategies work and which do not work on LinkedIn.
A balance between targeting and reach is essential.
2. Low volume
A pitfall of advertising via LinkedIn is that people become too specific. By this we mean that due to the many possibilities in targeting options, the reach of your ad campaigns can become very low very quickly. There are several ways for companies to specify your target audience via LinkedIn. However, we often hear that companies target too specifically, which means that there is no longer a balance between targeting and the reach of the ad. At Convident, we build a clear strategy for your advertising campaigns and ensure a balance between targeting and reach.
How effective is LinkedIn advertising?
LinkedIn has 5 million users in the Netherlands, of which 771,000 are active on the platform every day. LinkedIn’s target audience is business users. In addition, we see the following:
- 43% are women and 57% are men
- 60% of the users are in the age category 25-34
- 50% of the total internet users with a diploma have an account on LinkedIn
Advertising via LinkedIn has grown enormously in recent years. With new targeting options, companies have never been able to advertise in such a targeted way. In addition, figures show that LinkedIn is about 277% more efficient at creating new leads than Facebook.
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What does LinkedIn advertising cost?
The costs of advertising within LinkedIn can be high. But the costs of advertising within any platform can add up very quickly if there is no clear strategy. When advertising on Facebook or via Google Ads, there is the possibility that the objective, ad form and chosen targeting are not aligned. It is precisely because of the very specific targeting possibilities within LinkedIn advertising that it has become attractive for companies and therefore also more expensive. However, at Convident we see that many companies still miss the mark. With a pre-defined strategy that fits your objective and company, we set up advertising campaigns in LinkedIn that are profitable.
Within LinkedIn advertising there is the option for a daily budget or daily and total budget. Keep in mind that the costs for LinkedIn advertising can be 20% higher than you have set. This is why people usually perceive LinkedIn advertising as expensive. Sometimes your ads are shown to LinkedIn users for a short period of time, while your daily budget is already exhausted. By taking this into account when setting your daily or total budget, you absorb any additional costs. In addition, it is important to keep your objective in mind when choosing the payment model of LinkedIn advertising. LinkedIn advertising has three different payment models.
CPM is suitable for more brand awareness.
Which payment models does LinkedIn use for advertising?
1. Cost per Mile (CPM)
CPM stands for Cost per Mile and means the cost per mille, also known as cost per thousand. As the name implies, it is the cost an advertiser pays for a thousand views or impressions of an ad within LinkedIn. CPM is very suitable when you as an advertiser aim to generate more brand awareness. For example, during a market introduction or product launch, you focus on the highest possible number of views. You want as many views as possible within the target group you have created. By setting up the CPM payment model, LinkedIn will look for the lowest possible CPM for you.
2. Cost per Click (CPC)
CPC stands for Cost per Click. As the name suggests, this checkout model aims at as many clicks as possible on your ad. When you set this up on LinkedIn, LinkedIn sends at the lowest possible CPC. Of course, it is important to ensure a high CTR of your ad with this option. The CTR is the Click Through Rate of your ad and means how many people click on your ad when it is shown.
3. Cost per Lead (CPL)
CPL stands for Cost per Lead. This payment model is very suitable when you want to generate leads for your company. Lead generation is especially interesting for users who are at the end of the marketing funnel.
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Why is LinkedIn advertising important?
Today, LinkedIn advertising has become more and more expensive, but so have other social media platforms. Advertising through online channels has become more popular and thus competition is increasing. However, we at Convident see that LinkedIn advertising is still a very important part of online marketing. LinkedIn advertising offers enormous opportunities, especially for companies that have business customers. Because the ads are getting smarter within LinkedIn advertising, it is possible to advertise in a more targeted way. In addition, the ads can be set to target users who are actively searching or interested in a solution you have to offer.
At Convident you have grip, control, and measurability over your results.
Outsourcing LinkedIn advertising to Convident
As you have read in this article, there are many different things to consider when advertising in LinkedIn. It can therefore be a lot more efficient for your company to outsource LinkedIn advertising. This can save you a lot of money, especially in terms of time and money. This way you can focus on your products, services, customers and partners.
Convident sets up your LinkedIn advertising campaigns and manages them monthly. We help you map out a clear strategy that ensures desired conversions. We do this through the following applications, among other things:
1. Grip on results
With LinkedIn advertising at Convident you always have a grip on your results. Convident works with certified SEA specialists for advertising within LinkedIn. We can therefore perfectly help you with responsible (online) growth as a company and get the maximum result from your budget. We do this by cost-effectively targeting only potential customers who are specifically looking for your products or services.
2. Control
At Convident you are always in control of advertising within LinkedIn and the set (daily) budgets. That’s what makes it so handy and clear. Ads and keywords can be adjusted at any time of the day, just like your budget and campaign costs.
3. Measurability
In addition, you will receive a monthly report from our online marketers of the advertising activities performed on LinkedIn. By means of the reports you gain/maintain insight into the visitors of your website/webshop. The monthly overviews answer questions such as where your visitors come from, what their age is or which conversions work well with LinkedIn advertising. We use this information to better understand your target audience and to provide an even more user-friendly service in future advertisements.
Could your website or webshop use more traffic and/or conversions? Contact us to develop a targeted advertising campaign within LinkedIn for your target audience(s). Do you just want to spar with an online marketer from Convident? Then drop by the office to discuss the possibilities of LinkedIn advertising for your company.
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