Re-Targeting on LinkedIn: Maximizing Ad Budgets

The ability to connect with a precise and relevant audience is paramount.

Traditional advertising strategies often cast a wide net, hoping to reach the right people. However, the effectiveness of such approaches is dwindling.

This is where re-targeting comes into play, and LinkedIn, as a powerful platform for professionals and businesses, offers an array of re-targeting tools to help you reconnect with your ideal audience.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll take a deep dive into the world of re-targeting on LinkedIn.

We'll explore what re-targeting is, provide a thorough, step-by-step guide for re-targeting on LinkedIn, and unveil a LinkedIn ad re-targeting strategy with examples and a list of pitfalls to avoid.

Understanding the Power of Re-Targeting

Re-targeting, often referred to as remarketing, is a strategic advertising technique that allows you to re-engage with users who have previously interacted with your website or content.

It involves displaying ads to this specific audience across various platforms, increasing the chances of converting them into customers or clients.

The principle behind re-targeting is simple yet powerful: it recognizes that users who have previously shown interest in your products or services are more likely to convert than those encountering your brand for the first time.

When it comes to LinkedIn, re-targeting enables you to connect with professionals who have shown genuine interest in your brand and what you have to offer.

A Step-by-Step Guide to LinkedIn Re-Targeting

Step 1: Installing the LinkedIn Insight Tag

The foundation of a successful LinkedIn re-targeting campaign lies in the implementation of the LinkedIn Insight Tag on your website. This piece of code serves as your eyes and ears, collecting invaluable data on your website visitors and their interactions. Here's how to set it up:

• Log in to your LinkedIn Campaign Manager.
• Click on "Account Assets" and then "Insight Tag" to create your Insight Tag.
• You'll receive a JavaScript code snippet, which you or your website administrator should install on your website. This code should be placed on all pages of your website to ensure comprehensive data collection.

The Insight Tag works by tracking the actions of visitors on your website and sending that data back to LinkedIn. It provides insights into the demographics, location, and behavior of your website visitors, allowing you to create highly targeted ad campaigns.

Step 2: Define Your Re-Targeting Audience

Once your Insight Tag is up and running, it's time to set up the audience you wish to re-target. LinkedIn offers a variety of options that empower you to create a finely-tuned re-targeting audience:

Website Retargeting:

• This option allows you to target users who visited specific pages on your website. You can choose to include or exclude visitors to particular pages, enabling precise targeting.

Event Retargeting:

• Event retargeting allows you to target users who took specific actions on your website, such as downloading a whitepaper, signing up for a newsletter, or making a purchase. It's a powerful way to re-engage users who are further along in the conversion funnel.

Video Retargeting:

• If video content is a significant part of your strategy, you can re-target users who viewed your videos on LinkedIn. This is particularly useful for nurturing leads with video content.

Company Page Engagement:

• Target LinkedIn users who have engaged with your company's LinkedIn page. This includes interactions with your page, such as following, clicking on content, or visiting your company page.

Step 3: Creating Re-Targeting Ads

With your re-targeting audience defined, it's time to design and create compelling ad content that resonates with your audience. These ads should not only capture their attention but also encourage them to take the desired action, whether it's signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase, or requesting more information. Here's how to craft effective re-targeting ads:

Ad Content:

• Ensure your ad content aligns with your audience's interests and your campaign objectives. Highlight the unique selling points of your products or services, and clearly communicate how they can address your audience's needs or pain points.

Engaging Visuals:

• Visuals are essential to capture attention. Use high-quality images or videos that are relevant to your audience. Incorporate your brand identity into the visuals to maintain consistency.

Persuasive Copy:

• Your ad copy should be concise, persuasive, and actionable. Encourage your audience to take the next step, whether it's visiting your website, making a purchase, or filling out a contact form.

Call-to-Action (CTA):

• A strong CTA is crucial for guiding your audience. Clearly instruct them on what you want them to do next, such as "Learn More," "Shop Now," or "Request a Demo."

Step 4: Set Your Budget and Bidding Strategy

Determining your ad budget and bidding strategy is a critical aspect of your re-targeting campaign. Here are the key elements to consider:

Budget Allocation:

• Your budget should be based on your campaign goals and the size of your re-targeting audience. Consider how many days or weeks you want to run your campaign and allocate your budget accordingly.

Bidding Strategy:

• LinkedIn offers bidding options like cost per click (CPC) and cost per impression (CPM). Your choice will depend on your campaign objectives. For example, if your primary goal is to drive traffic to your website, CPC may be more suitable. If you're aiming to raise brand awareness, CPM might be a better fit.

Experimentation:

• It's often wise to start with a moderate budget and adjust it as you gather data on campaign performance. LinkedIn's advertising platform provides the flexibility to experiment with different budgets and bidding strategies to determine what works best for your unique situation.

Step 5: Monitor and Optimize

Once your re-targeting campaign is live, your job is far from done. Regular monitoring and optimization are essential to ensure you're achieving your objectives efficiently. Here's how to do it effectively:

Metrics Analysis:

• Keep a close eye on key metrics such as click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, and ad spend. These metrics will reveal the effectiveness of your campaign.

A/B Testing:

• Experiment with different ad creatives, ad copy, and landing pages to identify which elements are driving the best results. A/B testing can help you refine your campaign for better performance.

Audience Segmentation:

• As your campaign progresses, consider segmenting your re-targeting audience further based on their behavior. Tailor ad content to match the specific actions they've taken on your website for higher relevance.

Ad Scheduling:

• Analyze when your audience is most active on LinkedIn and schedule your ads accordingly. Timing can have a significant impact on the success of your campaign.

A LinkedIn Ad Re-Targeting Strategy

To better illustrate the power of LinkedIn re-targeting,

LET'S CONSIDER A HYPTOTHETICAL SCENARIO:

Imagine you run an e-commerce business specializing in professional attire.

With a limited ad budget, you decide to implement a LinkedIn re-targeting strategy.

OBJECTIVE:

Increase sales of professional attire among LinkedIn users who have previously visited your website but didn't make a purchase.

Here's how you might go about it:

Steps:

1. Install the LinkedIn Insight Tag

Kick things off by installing the LinkedIn Insight Tag on your e-commerce website. This tag allows you to track visitors' actions and behaviors, collecting data that will be crucial for your re-targeting efforts.

2. Define Your Re-Targeting Audience

a. Website Retargeting: Your primary re-targeting audience will be users who visited your product pages but didn't make a purchase. These are potential customers who have already shown an interest in your products.

b. Event Retargeting: You decide to create specific events for users who added products to their cart but abandoned the purchase. By targeting these users, you aim to bring them back to complete the transaction.

3. Create Re-Targeting Ads

a. Ad Content: Your ad content focuses on the quality, affordability, and style of your professional attire. You highlight exclusive discounts and special promotions to entice potential customers.

b. Engaging Visuals: High-resolution images and short videos showcase your clothing collection, allowing users to see the products up close and in action.

c. Persuasive Copy: Your ad copy emphasizes the value your products offer, such as how they can enhance a professional image or boost confidence.

d. Call-to-Action (CTA): The CTA buttons on your ads are clear and action-oriented, with options like "Shop Now" and "Claim Your Discount."

4. Set Your Budget and Bidding Strategy

a. Budget Allocation: With a limited budget, you allocate funds for a specific time frame, focusing on the days and times when your target audience is most active on LinkedIn.

b. Bidding Strategy: Since your primary goal is to drive sales, you choose a cost-per-click (CPC) bidding strategy to ensure you only pay when users click through to your website.

c. Experimentation: You start with a moderate budget and monitor the performance closely. If you notice that specific ads or targeting options are performing exceptionally well, you consider allocating more budget to them.

5. Monitor and Optimize

a. Metrics Analysis: As the campaign unfolds, you track important metrics. You notice that your re-targeting ads for abandoned cart users are generating a higher click-through rate and conversion rate compared to other ad sets.

b. A/B Testing: You conduct A/B tests to refine your ad creatives, copy, and landing pages. By comparing different elements, you find ways to increase the relevance and effectiveness of your ads.

1. c. Audience Segmentation: You further segment your audience based on their interactions. Users who viewed specific product categories but didn't make a purchase receive ads tailored to those products.d. Ad Scheduling: Analysis reveals that your audience engages more with your ads during lunch breaks and evenings. You adjust your ad scheduling to maximize exposure during these periods.

Pitfalls to Avoid in LinkedIn Ad Re-Targeting

While LinkedIn re-targeting offers immense potential, there are several common pitfalls you should be aware of to ensure a successful campaign:

1. Overly Aggressive Re-Targeting: Bombarding users with excessive ad frequency can lead to ad fatigue and annoyance. Find the right balance to keep your audience engaged without overwhelming them.
2. Neglecting Ad Creatives: The quality and relevance of your ad creatives play a significant role in the success of your campaign. Neglecting to refresh or optimize your ad content can lead to diminishing returns.
3. Ignoring Analytics: Failing to closely monitor your campaign's performance and make data-driven adjustments can result in wasted ad spend and missed opportunities for optimization.
4. Lack of Audience Segmentation: Not segmenting your re-targeting audience effectively can lead to generic ad content that doesn't resonate with specific user behaviors and interests.
5. Forgetting Mobile Optimization: With an increasing number of LinkedIn users accessing the platform via mobile devices, it's crucial to ensure your ads are mobile-optimized for a seamless user experience.
6. Inconsistent Branding: Incoherent branding across your re-targeting ads and website can confuse users and undermine your campaign's credibility.

Conclusion

LinkedIn re-targeting is a powerful tool that enables businesses to make the most of their advertising budgets by connecting with a highly relevant audience.

By following the step-by-step guide and considering the example and pitfalls highlighted in this article, you can create effective re-targeting campaigns that maximize the impact of your smaller ad budgets.

Stay vigilant, adapt to changing trends, and harness the potential of LinkedIn to grow your business efficiently and cost-effectively.