Are Linkedin Ads Worth It?

What Are LinkedIn Advertisements For Anyway?

LinkedIn has become one of the most popular social media platforms out there today. With over 500 million users worldwide, it’s no wonder why so many businesses are starting to take advantage of its massive user base. And while Facebook still reigns supreme when it comes to getting people to like your page, LinkedIn is quickly becoming an important part of every business owner’s marketing strategy.

So what exactly does LinkedIn offer as far as online advertising goes? Well, first off, let’s start with their ad platform:

The main difference between Facebook and LinkedIn ads is that you pay per click instead of paying based on impressions. So, if you wanted to advertise something on Facebook but only had $5 to spend, you would need to get 100 likes before you could afford to run another advertisement. On LinkedIn however, you can choose to either pay per impression or per click.

The second major difference is that you cannot target specific groups within LinkedIn. You can only target individuals who belong to certain professions which makes sense since those professionals will likely already be familiar with your brand. However, if you were looking to reach someone outside of your industry, targeting individual members may prove ineffective.

Finally, unlike other forms of digital advertising such as Google Adwords, LinkedIn doesn’t allow you to bid against each other. Instead, you simply select keywords related to your product/service and wait for potential customers to find your ad through organic search engine optimization.

How Do They Work?

Now that we understand what LinkedIn offers as far as online advertising is concerned, let’s dive into how they work. First things first though…

You must create a campaign in order to begin running your ads. Once you’ve created your campaign, you can set up different campaigns depending on what type of audience you wish to attract. There are three basic options available:

1.) Targeted Audience: In this case, you specify the exact criteria under which you want to display your ad. These include age, gender, location, job title, company size, etc.

2.) Broad Matching: Similar to keyword matching, broad match allows you to place your ad anywhere across all pages where relevant content exists. This includes blogs, articles, videos, forums, newsfeeds, etc.

Once you have chosen your campaign settings, you can then decide whether you want to use paid advertisements or unpaid ones. The latter option works best for small companies because it costs less money than CPC. But keep in mind that not everyone clicks on your link – some just scroll past without even noticing! If you do opt for CPC, make sure you know how much traffic you expect from your adverts. Otherwise, you might end up spending more money than expected.

When it comes time to actually design your advert, you have two choices: text only or image + text. Text only means that you can add any kind of information about yourself or your service/product. Image+text gives you the opportunity to upload a picture along with whatever else you want to say.

If you don’t feel confident designing your own ad, you can always hire a professional designer to help you out. After all, creating effective ads isn’t rocket science.

Where Can I Find More Information About LinkedIn Advertising?

There are plenty of resources available to help you learn everything you need to know about LinkedIn advertising. Below are links to several helpful websites:

LinkedIn Ads Guide

or

Linkedin is a social network that allows you to connect with people who are in your industry. You can also use it as an online business directory where you can post jobs, events and other things of interest to the community. The main difference between LinkedIn and Facebook or Twitter is that on LinkedIn there’s no need for users to have their own profiles; they just create groups which allow them to share information about themselves and others within those circles. This makes it easier than ever before to find like-minded individuals and professionals.

LinkedIn has become one of the most popular ways to market yourself professionally because it offers many benefits:

It gives you access to over 200 million professional contacts – this means that if someone knows somebody else who might be interested in what you do then chances are they will know how to get hold of you!

You can easily search through millions of job listings from companies all around the world.

There are lots of different types of ads available including Sponsored Updates, InMail Messages, Company Pages, Groups, Jobs, Events, Contests, etc…

The best part is that these ads don’t cost anything so even though they may not generate any leads right away, they still give you free exposure and help build credibility by showing up in searches.

So now we want to ask ourselves whether or not Linkedin ads are worth doing.

Types of Linkedin Ads

There are various Linkedin ads types. For up to date info, you can also visit LinkedIn Ads Guide

Sponsored Content

This type of advertisement appears at the top of every page when you visit LinkedIn.com. They appear above organic content such as news articles, blog posts, videos, images, etc.. These sponsored updates usually contain a short description of the company and its products or services followed by a call to action button. Clicking on the button takes you directly to the advertiser’s website.

Single Image Ads

These ads consist of only one image accompanied by text describing the product or service being promoted. There are two variations of single image ads:

1) Single Text Ad

2) Single Picture Ad

Both versions include a link to the advertiser's site. However, the single text version includes more details about the product while the single picture version provides less detail but looks better.

Video Ads

Similar to single image ads, video ads feature a brief clip along with some descriptive copy. Video ads tend to perform well since viewers enjoy watching rather than reading.

Carousel Ads

A carousel ad consists of multiple pictures arranged vertically next to each other. Carousel ads work great for showcasing several items simultaneously. You can use them to promote an event, showcase new products, show off awards, highlight testimonials, etc…

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Event Ads

An Event ad allows you to create a special event where people can RSVP online. The event organizer gets notified whenever someone clicks on their invitation which helps increase engagement.

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Sponsored Messaging (InMail)

When you send out a message to a group of people, it goes through a filter before reaching recipients. This filtering process removes unwanted emails like newsletters, promotions, etc… If you have a business account, you can choose to pay extra money to make sure that your message reaches everyone.

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Conversation Ads

It allows you to start conversations within groups. When members click on this kind of ad, they will be taken to a private conversation between you and another member who has already accepted your request.

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Message Ads

You can target specific users based on keywords, interests, location, job title, industry, age range, gender, education level, etc… 

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Lead Gen Forms

LinkedIn Lead Generation forms allow you to collect contact information from visitors to your web pages. Once collected, these leads can then be used to generate sales opportunities.

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Text And Dynamic Ads

Dynamic ads change depending upon what is happening in the user's network. For example, if there is activity related to a particular topic, the ad may display relevant links. Similarly, if there is no activity related to a certain subject, the ad may not display any links at all.

Text Ads

This type of ad displays short snippets of text followed by a link. These types of ads appear when a person searches for something using LinkedIn search engine. They also appear as part of sponsored messaging campaigns.

Image Ads With Links

Like text ads, images ads with links display short snippets of text followed up by a link. Unlike text ads though, these ads do not require a keyword. Instead, they rely solely on the content of the image itself

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Spotlight Ads

These are similar to banner ads but instead of being displayed across the top or bottom of the page, they are shown only once per day. Like spotlight ads, they cannot be targeted so they must be placed manually. However, unlike banners, spotlights don't need to be approved by anyone else.

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Follower Ads 

Similar to Spotlight Ad, follower ads are shown only once per week. Unlike spotlight ads however, followers aren’t limited to just one post. In fact, they can be seen anywhere on the site including comments, messages, recommendations, etc…

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Company Page

Companies can set up a personal profile called a Company Page. A Company Page contains basic contact details, photos, video clips, press releases, blogs, webinars, presentations, case studies, testimonials, awards, certifications, reviews, ratings, surveys, FAQS, etc… Companies can choose to display their entire site or focus on certain areas such as careers, education, training, sales & marketing, customer support, product development, research & innovation, finance, HR, IT, legal, accounting, human resources, public relations, government affairs, etc…

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Groups

If your business already has an existing group with hundreds of people participating, why wouldn’t you use it for advertising purposes? You could send out invitations to join your group to potential customers, clients, partners, suppliers, employees, friends, family, colleagues, etc… The possibilities really are endless.

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Jobs

Similar to Facebook jobs pages, LinkedIn also allows businesses to post openings for positions ranging from entry level to executive management. Job seekers can apply online using their LinkedIn account. If accepted, candidates receive a confirmation email containing instructions on where to submit applications. Recruiters can browse through resumes submitted by applicants and make connections between employers and qualified talent.

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