Have you taken advantage of the latest social media advertising tool, LinkedIn advertising? If not, you’re missing out. LinkedIn advertising is the social media advertising tool that every business-to-business marketer should be taking advantage of today.

A Brief History

Social media ads have been a part of every marketer’s toolbelt since 2012 when Facebook announced that they would begin to offer Sponsored Stories in users’ news feeds. Shortly after, LinkedIn’s (then) new CEO, Jeff Weiner, announced that LinkedIn would follow in Facebook’s steps with an amped-up advertising API.

It wasn’t until recently, though, that LinkedIn’s advertising become a valuable tool for marketers when they introduced their new email-based targeting method. In August 2017, LinkedIn made some exciting updates to up the ante, including lead ads, native video, and audience features.

Types of LinkedIn Advertising

Hootsuite put together a resourceful blog about LinkedIn advertising that walks readers through the three different kinds of LinkedIn ads, with examples. Below is a brief summary.

1. Sponsored Content: Sponsored Content allows you to post to your company page and select a target audience. The ads appear on the homepage and on the right side of the desktop homepage. This type of ad is best used to amplify company news, promotions, relevant industry articles, SlideShare presentations, and Vimeo and YouTube videos.
2. Text Ads: Text Ads are a great tool to drive traffic to your LinkedIn Company Page or your website. They are a desktop-only option that appears under “Ads You May Be Interested In” and as text link advertisements at the top of the page. Texts are a great way to grab the attention of an on-the-go LinkedIn user.
3. Sponsored InMail: Sponsored InMail allows you to send personalized messages to targeted LinkedIn users through LinkedIn Messenger. This is a personalized approach to touch your target audience. It is a good way to invite specific individuals to webinars, promotions, and specific content.

Create Your First LinkedIn Ad

For those of you who have yet to create your first LinkedIn ad, there are some terrific resources out there to get you started. Below are some of our favorites.

• How to Advertise on LinkedIn: A 7-step guide by LinkedIn themselves on how to get a handle of their Campaign Manager, set up ads, create target audiences, and set a budget.
• LinkedIn Ads: Everything You Need to Know to Get Results: An in-depth instructional guide on how to create each of the different types of LinkedIn ads by AdEspresso by Hootsuite.
• The Complete Guide to LinkedIn Ads: An overview of LinkedIn ads by Sprout Social that covers getting started, the self-service advertising platform, and LinkedIn advertising partner solutions.

It is important to keep in mind that every social media platform is unique, and the success of your ads on each depends on your industry, brand, and target audience.

Not convinced? Give us a shout and we will help you set up a LinkedIn ad so you can see the power of LinkedIn advertising for yourself!