6 things to consider before using LinkedIn B2B ads | align.me

Author: Alice Antonov

B2B LinkedIn ads have the potential to be a goldmine for B2B businesses, but it can be difficult for businesses to know whether this is the right platform to use (and how to use it).

And while LinkedIn ads can be a gamechanger for businesses, the platform’s growing popularity means that more time and effort need to be put into getting ads just right.

So what do B2B businesses need to know before they dive into advertising on LinkedIn and how can they get the most out of this platform? We sat down with?Nick Steffens, align.me’s LinkedIn expert, to get answers to these questions.

The pros and cons of B2B LinkedIn ads

For B2B businesses, LinkedIn is the social media platform that they can’t miss out on. LinkedIn can help businesses organically position themselves, create brand awareness, build trust with their community, start conversation, generate demand, and even attract talented employees.

And with so many organic uses, there are also just as many paid ones. Nick considers LinkedIn to be an incredibly powerful advertising tool – if done right. He points out some of the considerations businesses need to be making as they advertise on it.

Pros of LinkedIn advertising:

• The filters are extremely granular?– you can narrow down your audience by job title, company size, company revenue, and if they’ve changed jobs in the last 90 days (just to name a few!). This powerful targeting allows you to get your ad in front of exactly who you want
• There are a wide variety of ad types?– LinkedIn ads don’t have to be boring! From carousels to videos and even to Nick’s favourite –?SmartLinks. You can be as creative as you want here and make sure to catch your audience’s attention instantly
• LinkedIn produces better results?– LinkedIn is a favourite amongst B2B marketers, with?79% saying?that LinkedIn produced the best paid results out of all social media channels. LinkedIn itself says that marketers see 2 times higher?conversion rates from LinkedIn

Cons of LinkedIn advertising:

• It’s not as easy as it looks?– social media advertising may look deceptively simple and straightforward but this really isn’t the case. You’ll need to constantly test and pull different levers before your ads start producing your desired results within an acceptable budget
• You need to invest a proper budget?– LinkedIn typically requires a higher upfront investment, but due to the tight audience filtering, the intent of your audience is typically higher, leading to a higher ROI than other ‘cheaper’ advertising platforms
• It’s getting competitive?– LinkedIn reported a 37% year-on-year growth revenue for Q2 2022 as more businesses use it to advertise. If you want to get the most out of your ads, you’ll need an expert to help you cut through the noise and attract the right audience

B2B LinkedIn ads can be lucrative for your business

With these six pros and cons to consider, it’s clear that getting LinkedIn ads right nets businesses some powerful benefits, including:

• Reaching your exact audience?– thanks to the filters, you’re able to reach a very niche audience and find the exact people you want to sell to. If done right, your ads will get significant cut through and make your investment into this platform very well worth it
• Boosting your brand awareness?–?half of B2B marketers?report that ‘increasing brand awareness’ as their number one goal in 2022. LinkedIn ads are a great way to get in front of your audience and make them know, remember, and trust your brand. Even if your ads aren’t doing as well as you hoped (but we have some great tips for you below to help change this), you’re still putting your business in front of potential customers who may check back when they have a need for your services
• Figuring out what works best for your audience?– once you find the ad settings that work best for your audience, you’re able to bring them to other platforms to increase your results there and get more ROI on your overall ad spend

So how can B2B businesses improve their LinkedIn ads?

Regardless of the three challenges that we’ve shared above, the benefits of LinkedIn advertising means that we recommend using LinkedIn ads to all our clients. This is simply too powerful of a platform to ignore.

For businesses that want to learn how to improve their results, Nick’s shared his best tips with you below:

Consider where your audience is in the buyer’s journey

One of the mistakes we see when looking at different ads is that many of them are asking too much of the customer. Getting someone who’s completely new to your brand to book a demo after seeing one ad is a good way to waste your ads budget. Instead, Nick recommends just selling the next step. For example, focus on getting your target market to engage with one of your case studies first to help drive trust. Then drive those users who have engaged to book a demo.

Utilise great assets

Having great assets will improve your ability to sell, build credibility with your audience, and bring more shine to your brand. While they require some investment, assets like case studies can be chopped and changed to be used across multiple platforms and mediums – and they have a far better chance of resonating with your audience if they’re tailored to them, so consider using?professional services?to create these valuable brand assets.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with clickbait

While B2B businesses are considered to be more “serious” than their B2C counterparts, they shouldn’t be afraid to entice customers or readers with an appealing or intriguing title. “This product saves you $500k in lost revenue” is both intriguing and true. You should be looking for interesting ways to position yourself in your ads (and other copy).

Keep A/B testing each ad or campaign

Nick’s strongest recommendation is to keep testing and trialling your ads. A single element could be costing you potential leads, so making sure you’re constantly A/B testing all your ads will help you understand what your audience responds and doesn’t respond to.

Use it as part of a multi-pronged approach

Your marketing engine needs more than just LinkedIn ads to succeed, so make sure that you’re not relying solely on it. We’ve found success in utilising a Sales Development Representative (SDR) who follows up on LinkedIn leads, for example. Or as mentioned above, getting your audience to engage with an asset and then promote a demo.

Getting B2B LinkedIn ads right

LinkedIn advertising is an important part of your marketing but it’s not always easy to get right. For most B2B businesses, it will take time and training to become confident in using this platform to its fullest potential.

Luckily, businesses can skip this long step by working with a professional to guide their advertising. At align.me, our team of digital marketers has extensive experience with helping our clients get great results from LinkedIn and we’ve been able to test and trial ads until we know what works and what doesn’t.

If you’re a B2B business wanting to dive into advertising on LinkedIn, you can learn more about our?B2B LinkedIn strategy?and?get in touch?to discuss your needs today.

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