LinkedIn Ads: Tips, Strategies, & Opportunities for LinkedIn Advertisers [PODCAST]

On this special Marketing O’Talk podcast, host Christine “Shep” Zirnheld was joined by LinkedIn experts to break down advanced strategies, how Google Advertisers can succeed with LinkedIn ads, and where the platform is going in the future. 

• AJ Wilcox: Founder of B2Linked, host of the LinkedIn Ads Show.
• Andrea Cruz: Digital marketing Manager at KoMarketing and named to PPC Hero’s Top 50 Most Influential PPC Experts list.
• Mark Saltarelli: Digital Marketing Manager at Cypress North and cohost of Marketing O’Clock.

You can watch the video version of this podcast on the Search Engine Journal YouTube channel.

Can You Find Sales Qualified Leads With LinkedIn Ads Lead Generation Forms?

Cruz agrees with the consensus that the auto-fill feature on LinkedIn Ads lead generation forms make them almost too easy to fill out.

To increase the quality of leads, she has a couple of strategies that advertisers can implement.

First, by making questions on lead generation forms more specific, users will have to stop and fill out the form, decreasing the bloat caused by unqualified leads.

“A best practice is to create friction [by] adding check boxes or something to make people stop and think ‘Okay, I’m filling out a form’.”

She also recommends integrating your CRM with LinkedIn Ads so you can follow up with new leads quickly while they still remember your ad.

“The other option is sending a connecting link to your CRM so you get something immediately after or within 24 hours of making that first submission, so you stay on top of the users mind.”

Cost-Cutting Strategies for LinkedIn Ads

We hear it all the time, “LinkedIn Ads is just too expensive for my business.”

So, we asked our experts if they had any strategies or workarounds for lowering CPCs on the platform.

All were in agreement with Saltarelli’s opinion that advertisers should not follow LinkedIn’s CPC bid recommendations.

“Ignore LinkedIn’s recommended CPCs. Sometimes you can be successful with a bid as low as $2.

Start low, as low as you can possibly go, and then after a few days look at how many impressions you’re getting, and really increase that bid based on auction performance and getting available impressions, rather than reaching a budget.

Do not raise your CPC because LinkedIn is telling you ‘you need to raise your CPC in order to hit your daily budget’. That is self-fulfilling.”

What Types of Businesses Can Be Successful on LinkedIn Ads?

We asked our guests what types of clients or industries have been the most successful on the LinkedIn Ads platform.

Wilcox gave four criteria for whether or not a company is a good fit.

First, the target audience.

“You have to have an audience that you can actually target by who they are professionally. Otherwise, if the targeting isn’t worth paying premium for, don’t pay the premium.”

Second, the value of new customers to that business.

“They’ve got to have a high lifetime value. So I tell people ‘if a new customer is worth $15,000 or more they’re going to be a total no brainer on LinkedIn, but if they’re considerably less, you might find that even if you are being very efficient, you may not be able to show a return on investment due to high cost.”

Third, the advertiser’s offering.

“You’ve got to have an offer that people actually want to engage in. With search, people are searching for what it is you do so they’re coming in with the intent. So when you say ‘here’s what we do, fill out the lead form” people are willing to do that.

But if I’m getting people from around LinkedIn, just surfing around just trying to learn something or connect if I show them an ad that says “here’s what we do, get a demo”… nobody is ready for that demo it’s just asking too much too soon.”

Finally, advertisers must have the right budget for the platform.

“I say, don’t even approach the platform unless you’ve got 5K to spend, that generally will give you enough data that you can actually start to optimize to the things that matter.”

Listen to the full episode for more actionable LinkedIn Ads strategies you can implement in your accounts to improve performance today!

Marketing O’Clock releases new digital marketing news podcasts every Friday morning along with “Marketing O’Talk” deep dive discussions each week.

Head over to the Marketing O’Clock site to subscribe!

More Resources:

• 5 Ways LinkedIn Advertising Is Different from Other Social Platforms
• How to Advertise on LinkedIn: A Beginner’s Guide
• Paid Social & Paid Search: How to Have A Happy Marriage

Featured Image Credit: Cypress North