LinkedIn has emerged as the premier platform for professionals around the globe. However, not only is it a networking site, but it’s also a gold mine for those working in B2B marketing. With its unique positioning and more than one billion users across 200 countries, LinkedIn facilitates connections between businesses, entrepreneurs and decision-makers, making it an invaluable resource for any organisation looking to amplify its marketing efforts.
This comprehensive guide is designed to navigate you through the intricacies of LinkedIn B2B marketing campaigns, offering a deep dive into strategies that can unlock the full potential of this platform for your business. From understanding how to use LinkedIn for B2B marketing to implementing tactics that stand out in a crowded marketplace, our guide offers the A to Z of creating, launching and optimising campaigns that resonate with your target audience.
Whether you’re a small business owner taking your first steps in digital marketing, a seasoned marketer looking to refine your strategy or a large corporation aiming to enhance your online presence, this guide offers practical advice, tips and insights to meet your needs.
LinkedIn’s User Base
Users
LinkedIn has one billion members from over 200 countries, making it the largest professional networking platform in the world.
Locations
Over 78% of LinkedIn users are from outside the United States. While the US has over 214 million users, India has 120 million, followed by Brazil with 71 million, the United Kingdom with 38 million, and Australia with 15 million.
Genders
56.6% of LinkedIn users are male and 43.7% are female. Note that LinkedIn doesn’t report on genders other than male or female.
Device
57% of LinkedIn’s traffic comes from mobile users.
Buyer Intent
Half of B2B buyers use LinkedIn when making a purchasing decision.
Usage
94% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn to distribute content, and content consumption on the platform is increasing yearly.
Why LinkedIn Is Good For B2B Marketing
Is LinkedIn good for B2B marketing? Yes, LinkedIn is highly regarded for B2B marketing due to several key features and benefits it offers, such as:
Access to Market Insights
LinkedIn has fantastic tools that allow you to see valuable market insights and data, including customer behaviour, industry trends and competitor analysis.
Professional Audience
LinkedIn is a platform designed for professionals, which means the audience is already filtered for B2B marketers. Users are there to engage with content related to their industries, careers and professional development, making it a prime environment for B2B marketing efforts.
Advanced Targeting Options
LinkedIn provides targeting tools that allow marketers to reach decision-makers based on job title, industry, company size and even specific companies.
Lead Generation Tools
The platform offers specific features for lead generation, such as Lead Gen Forms, which are pre-filled with a user’s LinkedIn profile data. This makes it easy for them to express interest in your product or service without leaving the platform.
High Engagement Rates for B2B Content
Since LinkedIn’s user base primarily consists of professionals looking for networking opportunities and industry insights, B2B content performs well, with higher engagement rates than general social media platforms.
Networking Opportunities
LinkedIn facilitates networking by allowing individuals and companies to connect and engage. This can lead to partnerships, collaborations and direct sale opportunities.
Measurable Results
The platform offers comprehensive analytics and measurement tools that help marketers track the performance of their content and ads, enabling them to make data-driven decisions and optimise their strategies over time.
Creating LinkedIn B2B Advertising Campaigns
Here is how to use LinkedIn for B2B marketing campaigns:
LinkedIn’s Ad Types
LinkedIn has three main ad types:
LinkedIn Sponsored Content
Sponsored content is the largest category of ads on LinkedIn, presenting native ads seamlessly into the feeds of your target audience. For users, these appear almost indistinguishable from organic posts, except for a “promoted” label displayed below them.
Examples of LinkedIn Sponsored Content include
- Single image ads
- Document ads
- Video ads
- Carousel ads
- Event ads
LinkedIn Sponsored Messaging
Sponsored Messaging is a type of ad that allows you to send one-on-one messages to your audience through LinkedIn Messaging.
There are two types of sponsored messaging ads:
- Message ads
- Conversation ads
A message ad allows you to send a direct message to your audience through LinkedIn Messaging. These messages are set at times when the audience member is actively using the site, guaranteeing immediate visibility. The sponsored message will resemble a regular direct message from another user or business, with the only distinction being a “promoted” tag.
Conversation ads are a distinct type of Sponsored Messaging that enables your audience to navigate a “conversation” with your user or business by choosing from multiple pre-set responses to questions and information.
LinkedIn Dynamic Ads
Dynamic ads are displayed alongside your audience’s feed, moving with them as they scroll. These ads stand out because they can automatically incorporate member-specific information from profiles, such as profile pictures and names, directly into the ad itself, offering a personalised experience where members see their details reflected in the ad.
The three types of dynamic ads include
- Spotlight ads
- Follower ads
- Text ads
Spotlight ads are personalised to each LinkedIn user and take them directly to your website or a landing page. They are seen on desktop only and are tailored to members based on various aspects of their profile data, including their name, profile picture, company name or job title.
Follower ads are dynamic variations inviting audience members to follow your LinkedIn or Showcase pages. Like other dynamic ads, they can be customised to each individual audience member, automatically including profile information about those members, such as their name, profile picture, job title, company name, and more.
Text ads are positioned on the right sidebar of LinkedIn desktop pages. They feature a headline, a concise description, and a single image. When clicked, these ads direct users to a landing page of their choice.
Targeting & Segmentation
LinkedIn has some of the best capabilities of any social networking site regarding targeting and segmentation. When you set up a B2B ad on LinkedIn, you can choose from more than 20 audience attribute categories to target, such as location, workplace, job title and interest, to target the most specific audience.
LinkedIn Bidding
There are two ways you can bid for ads when using LinkedIn B2B marketing:
- Pay-per-click (PPC): This is when you specify the amount you’re willing to pay per click and set a daily budget to ensure you don’t spend more than you want to in a day.
- Pay-per-1000 impressions (CPM): This is when you specify a set cost for every 1,000 times your ad is shown, regardless of how many clicks it generates.
Tips And Tactics For B2B LinkedIn Ad Campaigns
Having a great business profile isn’t enough to succeed on LinkedIn, especially when doing B2B marketing.
Here are some tips and tactics for maximising your marketing efforts and leveraging the full power of the platform to drive results.
- Post regularly: As with any social media platform, consistency is key to keeping you at the forefront of your audiences’ minds.
- Post at the best times: Use LinkedIn analytics to find out when your audience is most active and post your campaigns.
- Experiment with different ads: When you're just starting, you won’t know which ads will have the most impact on your audience. So, test out a range of ads and see which drives the most traffic and conversions.
- Use LinkedIn Matched Audiences: This tool allows you to target users who have already interacted with your company, whether they’ve visited your website, subscribed to your newsletter or engaged with your content on LinkedIn.
- Use Company Engagement Reports: Company Engagement Reports can give insight into how people engage with your brand, such as engagement level, impressions and ad engagement.
Powerful LinkedIn B2B Advertising Campaigns With Anchor Digital
With over one billion users, LinkedIn is one of the best social networking sites for B2B marketing. If you’re just starting or want to see how B2B marketing could benefit your business, look no further than Anchor Digital. Our professional and experienced LinkedIn Ads managers are up-to-date with the latest changes and trends surrounding ads to ensure we create campaigns that will skyrocket your business’s success.
If you’d like to learn more, drop us a line today.
