The complete guide to LinkedIn Ads (2024)

31/12/2024

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Table of Contents

What’s LinkedIn Ads?
What are LinkedIn Ads’ advertising formats?
LinkedIn advertising: How much does it cost?
How do you win your bids on LinkedIn?
How to create your first successful campaign on LinkedIn Ads?
How to generate qualified leads with LinkedIn Ads?
How can you promote your business on LinkedIn Ads?
How to optimize your LinkedIn Ads?
What’s the best alternative to LinkedIn ADS?
Article FAQ
How do I advertise on LinkedIn Ads?
Article conclusion

Wondering how to get the most out of LinkedIn Ads for your business? 🔥

Welcome to this article dedicated to the complete discovery of LinkedIn Ads! My aim is to guide you in choosing the tools best suited to your strategy on LinkedIn, in order to maximize your impact and results. 🎯

Indeed, you’ll see that you have several options and that they’ll depend on your needs.

I’ll take you behind the scenes of the network to understand and benefit from advertising on LinkedIn. 🤑

Let’s go ! 🚀

What’s LinkedIn Ads?

Never heard of LinkedIn Ads? No worries, I’ll explain what it is 😁. LinkedIn Ads is an online advertising platform developed by LinkedIn (the largest professional networking platform). It will allow advertisers to target professional users based on:

Industry. 🏭
Their function. 💼
Their education. 🎓
Geographical area. 🌍
Their business. 🏢
Etc…

Advertisers can run ads in the form of banner ads, sponsored posts or even videos 📹. These ads can then be displayed on profiles, search pages, in groups…

LinkedIn Ads offers advertiser the chance to reach a highly targeted, qualified audience. This can be particularly useful for those looking to reach decision-makers, managers or recruiters. You can also promote your brand, products or services and, as a bonus, generate qualified leads.⭐️

What are LinkedIn Ads’ advertising formats?

I’m not telling you anything new when I say that LinkedIn is THE professional social network:

LinkedIn expects to have 700 million members worldwide by 2020 🌍.
The network has the best free BtoB database 📊.
It enables you to obtain qualified leads and develop your notoriety 🚀.

Because of its success, LinkedIn has a strong interest in using advertising as a way to make money, and you have a strong interest in using LinkedIn to do the same 😉

➡️ There are 4 paid options:

Sponsored messaging ✉️.
Text ads 📝.
Dynamic ads 💡.
Sponsored content 📢.

Our 150k users give us an average rating of 4.8/5.

How much will you rate us?

LinkedIn’s algorithm is designed in more or less the same way as other networks. That is, its aim is to keep users connected and engaged. Among other things, this enables them to consume ads bought by advertisers.

LinkedIn has therefore bet on optimizing thecustomer experience, whether for the advertiser (the one offering the ad) or the users (the targets for whom the ad is dedicated).

As a result, LinkedIn focuses on quality advertising, before quantity.

This is where the Campaign Manager comes in.

Getting to know LinkedIn Ads Manager

The Campaign Manager is an advertiser’s Swiss Army knife. It facilitates the whole process, so that even a novice can get started with LinkedIn Ads.

What’s really nice is that you can customize your data according to your objectives thanks to the Campaign manager. It also lets you launch your campaigns and track your results.

Let me explain how it works and what those famous options are 😏.

1 – Sponsored content or sponsored ads

The 3 offers are displayed in your target’ s news feed:

SINGLE IMAGE ADS; visuals with a hypertext link.
VIDEO ADS; video advertising.
CAROUSEL ADS; interactive ads with a hypertext link.

You decide how much you want to invest (I’ll explain a little further down 😉 ).

Should I use sponsored content, and which format should I choose?

To know whether you should look into sponsored content (and all the others for that matter), you need to first identify your goal in using the network. In other words:

Do I want to gain brand awareness?
Do I want to generate leads and sell quickly?

Sponsored content is great if you want to develop your brand.

The video format is our favorite, because it’s extremely powerful. It’s clearly the format to go for if your aim is to get the word out about your company.

On the other hand, if your aim is to generate leads and you’re in the BtoB business, it clearly lacks personalization, and in that case, I’m not sure it’s the right format for you.

2 – Text Ads

What is Text Ads according to LinkedIn?

It’s a version of sponsored content with a headline, short text and an image, to which you add a call to action (a button to visit your site, your landing page…). It appears in your target audience’s news feed.

The main aim is to generate more traffic to a website and more leads thanks to interactive features like Lead Gen forms and automated calls to action.

Should I use Text Ads?

On paper, it’s interesting, except that text Ads are less attractive than a video and less personal than a direct message.

LinkedIn is a human social network , and users need to feel that they’re talking to an individual, exchanging values and emotions. It’s easier to sell your brand or product by adding storytelling or context, whereas Text Ads are very short and impersonal.

I’m not telling you not to do it, but I am suggesting that you use your LinkedIn account(s) to publish content.

It’s far more interesting for you to develop your network by adding members corresponding to your target audience, and then publish on your news feed directly with your account.

It’ll give you that personal touch 😉

To do this, here are the two essential steps:

3 – Sponsored messages

This is a short text sent to your target audience’s e-mail inbox, designed to arouse curiosity and encourage them to find out more about the content.

Generally speaking, the format offered by LinkedIn is not very popular, as your messages are marked sponsored.

The user therefore knows that it’s an advertisement sent automatically, which is not in line with the development of the network and current social codes.

LinkedIn users are looking for more authenticity and personalized exchanges.

Should I use sponsored messages?

As I was saying, if you use LinkedIn, you’re bound to have a sponsored message. Honestly, we’ve all received these messages in our LinkedIn inbox, and it would be a lie to say that we pay any attention to them.

Did you even read their messages, because you just felt like you were being spammed? Admit it. 😜

Sponsored messages can nevertheless be great tools for making direct contact with the prospect and meeting a growing demand in the network for more personal exchanges. Of course you need to know how to write your prospecting messages, but you also need to have the right tool.

If you’re interested in sponsored messages, I’m not going to tell you that you absolutely must use Waalaxy – it’s up to you to choose the tool you prefer. I will, however, tell you not to use LinkedIn sponsored messaging and to compare the tools on the market to find out which one is right for you.

And if you’d like to know more about automating your actions on the network, I invite you to read this article.

4 – Dynamic Ads

Should I use Dynamic Ads?

Once again, the answer depends on your objectives and your target audience. Dynamic Ads can help you generate leads at a moment’s notice.

I find that the offer is already more interesting than the message Ads.

However, I always advise you to take a medium/long-term view and develop your network by exploiting your LinkedIn account or that of your sales reps.

You can try out a number of different methods, but optimizing your profile and automating are essential steps if you really want to make the most of LinkedIn. 😉

LinkedIn advertising: How much does it cost?

The answer is a bit more complex than the question. LinkedIn operates on a bidding system. So you need to understand how it works to know how and how much to bid. 🤔

Cost per thousand; to develop brand image. 📢
Cost per click ; to generate B2B leads. 🤑

Let me explain:

First of all, you want to position yourself on a target. This will be identical to that of other bidders.

So LinkedIn puts you in competition with them. Why? Because there isn’t enough dedicated space to put all your pretty ads, and LinkedIn has no interest in spamming its users too much, but in offering them the most relevant ads possible.

LinkedIn’s aim is twofold: to offer the best ads to users and to meet the needs of advertisers.

Firstly, you’ll choose a maximum amount you’d like to pay, either cost-per-click or cost-per-thousand, depending on your objectives.

How do you win your bids on LinkedIn?

Two factors will make the key to your success 🔑 :

The amount you want to bid per click or per thousand.

The higher the amount, the more likely you are to win the auction. Nevertheless, it’s important to understand your objectives and estimate your budget before defining the amount you want to pay per click.

For example: If you win the auction with 12$ CPC and you have a budget of 1,000$, you’ll get 83 leads, and then your advertising will come to an end.

Quality score: this is how well users interact with your ad.

As I explained earlier, it’s in LinkedIn’s interest to offer users relevant content, because when they click on or view the ad you’ve posted, LinkedIn makes money.

LinkedIn’s algorithms will therefore give you a quality score to measure the effectiveness of your ads. The higher the score, the greater your chances of winning the auction. 🎯

How is the quality score calculated?

It’s a combination of factors:

Your performance on your old LinkedIn Ads ( click-throughrates , user engagement),
Ad relevance : This is evaluated according to the relevance of your keywords to the content and message of your ads,
Landing page relevance and usability (of course, if you’re sending users to questionable pages, LinkedIn isn’t going to help),
Shares, likes, comments on your ads (user engagement).

Of course, LinkedIn is careful not to tell you what your score is, otherwise you might bid less money up front, and that doesn’t sit too well with them. 😂

What’s more, just to add a little complexity to all this, the amount you bid is not the amount you’ll end up paying. ❗

It’s a pro rata between the total score of the second-place advertiser and your quality score. (I warned you it was complicated 😂)

Don’t worry, I’ve made some cool little visuals to show you :

The second-place bidder’s total score is divided by your quality score, and 🎉 Tadam 🎉: you only pay 5.34$ CPM or CPC.

LinkedIn collects 5.34$, which is less money than you originally bid, but according to LinkedIn, it’s more qualitative and therefore more appreciated by users.

If you want to win, it’s in your interest to choose your targets carefully and to pamper the visuals and texts of your advertising campaigns.

How to create your first successful campaign on LinkedIn Ads?

Hubspot study: On LinkedIn Ads, the average click-through rate is 0.15% and the conversion rate is 6.1%.

Now that you have an idea of the average, you know where you stand. However, we’re not going to settle for the average, and together we’re going to look at the mistakes you shouldn’t make to be able to double these percentages. 🎯

How to generate qualified leads with LinkedIn Ads?

Well, it all depends on your target audience. Of course, we’re talking mainly about B2B targets here. If your prospects aren’t in the Business field, then this may not be your best acquisition channel. Even if, between you and me, I know from experience that it’s a channel that shouldn’t be neglected.

But in any case, when it comes to Ads, think B2b. B2b

Professional targeting

The great thing about LinkedIn is that your target is right there 🎯 all you need to do is create a buyer persona that’s as precise as possible.

So, first, you need to define a clear target. And LinkedIn helps you do that.

Targeting your audience on the network is much simpler than on others like Facebook or Instagram.

➡️ You can do this according to professional criteria:

– The position 🧑‍💼.
– The company 🏢.
– Field of expertise 🧠.
– Seniority in the company or expertise 📆.
– Demographic data: “age and gender” 👥.
– Studies carried out by the target 🎓.
– Target an e-mail list 📧.
– Target a list of companies 🗂️.
– Target a group or members of a page 📄.

Retargeting

Retargeting (thanks to the matched audience option) which consists of feeding the example machine. Basically, you say to LinkedIn:

“look, this guy, he likes what I do, so I want + guys like him”.

You reach new people who have made a visit or taken an action on your site, and refine your targeting for the future. Note that similar audiences are also used in LinkedIn Ads, in the same way as the LinkedIn algorithm for publications.

So think about retargeting by analyzing the profiles that respond to the call of your ads. 🥳

Exclusion options

Think about excluding people from your lists. 🚪

For example, if you’re searching in a “France” geographical area, you can exclude certain cities like “Marseille” or “Paris” (so as not to make anyone jealous). 😂

How can you promote your business on LinkedIn Ads?

There are several reasons to advertise on LinkedIn:

Improve your brand image and visibility 🌟.
Work on your branding 🎨.
Sell your products 🛒.
Generate a database that you’ll “nurture” (feed, nurture) and sell to later 🌱.

Each of these advertising campaign will convey a different message and therefore needs to be carried out differently.

To promote your business, think about advertising:

Clear and precise about your message 📝.
With quality visuals 🖼️.
Highlight your added value 🌟.
The company name and logo should be visible 🏷️.
Prefer a button to your blog rather than your company page on LinkedIn. There’s more info, it helps convert prospects into customers 🔗.
Avoid long-winded texts, purify ✂️.
Follow your company’s graphic charter 🎨.

To promote your company on LinkedIn you can also:

Optimize your company page 🏢.
Publish quality content on the network 📄 (be recurrent).
Use professional images 📸.
Develop a multi-channel prospecting strategy 🌐.
Run A/B tests – only you will know what works best for your campaigns 🧪.

How to optimize your LinkedIn Ads?

Even if the LinkedIn algorithm is powerful, it’s not enough to let it run without doing anything . In fact, you can, but you risk not maximizing your performance 📉.

The best thing to do is to regularly check your ads on LinkedIn Campaign Manager 🖥️. You can modify and refine them along the way.

To check your results, you have access to several KPI ‘s (indicators) 📊 :

Cost per click (CPC) 💸.
Click-through rate (CTR) 📈.
The number of leads (if you’re running a lead generation campaign) 🧲.

Optimization can involve :

Changing visuals and other graphic elements 🖼️.
Text improvements ✍️.
Adjusting the message and value offered 🎯.

What’s the best alternative to LinkedIn ADS?

There are dozens of tools for prospecting, but some are more effective than others. Our favorite? Waalaxy ! It’s designed to automate your prospecting campaigns on LinkedIn as well as by e-mail. It’s the simplest, most intuitive solution on the market. What’s more, it’s free for life!

This tool has been designed for different types of customer : sales, marketers, managers, agencies, recruiters. 💡

Here are Waalaxy’s main features and benefits:

Automatic lead import. 📥
Deployment of automated prospecting campaigns (200 invitations/week). 🚀
Optimization and personalization of messages and e-mail to maximize conversion . ✨
Response and engagement management via LinkedIn messaging. 💬
Seamless integration with other tools (CRM). 🔄
Use of AI for prospecting and email retrieval. 🤖
Accessible interface and comprehensive user support. 📚

Test Waalaxy for free 🚀

Article FAQ

How do I advertise on LinkedIn Ads?

To create an ad, all you have to do is click on “For businesses” and select “Advertise”. Let us guide you through the rest of the steps. 👀

Choose your format: sponsored messages, ad texts, dynamic ads or sponsored content 💰.
Start bidding 📈.
Follow the Campaign Manager steps 📋.
Analyze your performance and run tests 🧪.
Repeat for your next campaigns 🔄.

How do I set up LinkedIn Ads?

First of all, you need to define your objectives on the network, your budget and your target via the Campaign manager. 💸

Then, you just need to understand what the 4 different LinkedIn offers are so you can select the one that’s right for you, or find another tool to make the most of the network.

Finally, you need to win the auction so that LinkedIn publishes your ad and not your competitors’.👀

What is a good CTR on LinkedIn?

🌟 It’s useful to analyze click-through rates (CTR), as this will help you determine whether you need to modify your communication and webmarketing plan.

📊 A high CTR indicates that the advertiser’s advertising campaign is meeting the expectations of web users who interact with it. For visuals, it means the ads are well targeted. In SEA, a high CTR for an ad equates to correctly chosen relevant keywords. What’s more, the concept of «Good CTR» is very relative. The advertiser‘s degree of relevance depends on the type of ad format , the channel, the device on which it is displayed (SEA, display, mobile…), etc.

📈 Regarding CTR on LinkedIn , it is evaluated as follows:

0 %-2 %: The level of engagement on LinkedIn is insufficient and needs to be improved. A specialized agency should therefore be contacted to review the editorial line and digital communications strategy.
2%-5%: The engagement rate on LinkedIn is good, reflecting the user’s interaction with the content.
5% and more: The engagement rate on LinkedIn is high, the community is active and contributes to improving your reputation.

🔍 What factors influence click-through rates?

There are many factors that can affect click-through rates. These include:

Audience relevance 🎯: Internet users are more likely to click on an ad that matches their needs and interests.
Search engine positioning 🔝: Pages that appear very high up in search engine results (SERP) will have the highest CTR.
Link positioning 🔗: Links and CTA buttons on pages and ads can influence the number of people who click on them.
Visuals 🖼️ : Images, colors, layout and size can affect CTR.
Sectors 🏢: Some sectors have higher click-through rates than others.

All these factors influence CTR on many social media, not just LinkedIn. 🌐

How much does it cost to advertise on LinkedIn (LinkedIn Ads)?

Several factors will determine the price of your ad. First, the budget you decide to allocate to it. Then, the maximum cost per click (CPC) or cost per thousand (CPM) you want to invest. 💰

Next, you’re going to make a bid, and you’re going to be put into competition with other advertisers. The price you’ll pay if you win the auction is not what you originally bid. It’s a pro rata between the score of the second-place advertiser and yours. 👀

Now you know all about LinkedIn Ads! 🚀

Article conclusion

➡️ There are 4 types of LinkedIn Ads:

Sponsored messaging ✉️.
Text ads 📝.
Dynamic ads 🎯.
Sponsored content 📄.

In this article you’ve seen the advantages and disadvantages of these offers, how to win bids to advertise on LinkedIn, and our tips for getting the most out of the network via automation tools.

Ready to launch your first LinkedIn Ads campaign ? 🔥