If you have always viewed LinkedIn as simply a networking tool, you are missing out on a valuable piece of the puzzle that LinkedIn has to offer. Running an ad campaign on this site is a highly effective marketing strategy. Follow these steps to get started:
Creating your campaign
Before you can create your ad, you must first create your ad campaign. In this process, you will determine things such as your audience, the platform, the type of ad, and your budget. If you have already created your campaign, scroll down to see the simple steps for creating your LinkedIn Ad.
- Go to LinkedIn Marketing Solutions (the ad platform) and click Create Ad.
- Create your campaign manager account (if you haven’t already).
- From your dashboard, enter your billing information.
- On the dashboard, click Create Campaign.
- Indicate your Campaign Group and group name. This allows you to organize your campaign and enter specific details.
- Set your LinkedIn ad campaign objective. Here you will choose between options such as website visits, engagement, and lead generation. Think of it as the action you want someone to take when they see your ad.
- Next, designate your audience. Remember, the more specific your audience is, the greater your return. You will choose the language, demographic, location, education, job experience, and interests.
- Decide what type of ad format works best for your marketing strategy. Will it be Sponsored Content, Message Ads, Dynamic Ads, or Text Ads? For a thorough explanation of these ad formats, click here.
- If your ad type allows, you may choose the placement of your LinkedIn Ad. You can also choose to block certain categories or sites so that your ad is not placed there.
- Set your budget, schedule, and bid type. We recommend starting slow so that you can test the waters and see what works for your company. Once you determine the most successful ad campaign for your business, you can invest more money into this marketing platform. You will also need to choose a start date and an end date, unless you want it to be shown continuously. You will select either an automated bid (LinkedIn determines the right amount for you), a CPC bid (you are charged each time someone clicks on your ad), or a CPM bid (you are charged a flat amount each time 1,000 people view your ad).
- Set up Conversion Tracking. This allows you to see what consumers do after clicking on your ad. Although Conversion Tracking is optional, it should be highly considered.
- Click Save, and you are ready to create your ad!
Creating your LinkedIn Ad
- Click Create New Ad. You will “name” your ad using an Image you want your audience to see, a Headline of no more than 25 characters, a Description detailing your ad, and a Destination URL address to direct your audience to.
- Click Create a final time, and you will be directed back to your dashboard. Keep in mind, LinkedIn reviews all ads before allowing them to be published, so this process won’t be immediate.
Once your ad is placed, it is important to analyze your campaign often. To do this, from your Campaign Manager dashboard, choose Campaign Performance. You will see various charts that measure the ad performance, and then you can make changes as necessary to maximize your advertising investment. Have patience, be diligent, and you just may find that LinkedIn Ads are the missing piece to your successful marketing strategy.