One of the questions we get asked the most in our social media workshops is “What is the difference between advertising on Facebook and LinkedIn”. The purpose of this article is to shed some light on LinkedIn paid advertising – something most people know very little about.
To put it out there, LinkedIn advertising is considerably more expensive than other forms of social media marketing. The adverts are less visually appealing, but the results are often more valuable. When it comes to LinkedIn you are looking for quality, not quantity.
There are three types of LinkedIn adverts
Sponsored Content
Sponsoring content is similar to boosting a post on Facebook – this form of paid advertising allows you to bring attention to your content for the right professional audience. LinkedIn offers industry and job-specific targeting options to ensure that your content is seen by the correct audience. Sponsored content also helps to increase engagement.
Text Ads
With text ads (and sponsored content) you can choose to pay per click or per 1000 impressions – and you only pay for what works. You set your own budget and can adjust it as time goes on, and as you begin to see results. These adverts help you to get your brand in front of your chosen audience and drive that professional audience to either your website, landing page or your LinkedIn page.
Keep the following in mind when using text ads:
- The images are small and difficult to see (50 x 50 px), unlike other social media platforms where visuals are the focus.
- We suggest using your company logo or icon for text ads.
- Ensure that your text is sharp and includes a strong call to action as this is what will convince people to click.
- Your text is limited to a headline of 25 characters and a description of 75 characters.
Sponsored InMail
This type of advert lets you send personalised messages to a targeted audience via LinkedIn Messenger. This helps to:
- boost registrations
- drive conversions
- promote content downloads
- increase event attendance
According to LinkedIn, InMail messages drive more conversions than email.
Unlike Facebook where targeting is based on personal interests, family situation, relationship status, etc., LinkedIn’s targeting is business orientated, focusing on company and industry, experience, education, skills etc.
With LinkedIn, you can rest assured that you are targeting a quality audience, including decision-makers and influencers, and that your advertising budget will not be used up showing your adverts to time wasters. LinkedIn’s targeting is more accurate than that of any other platform because its users have a professional obligation to keep their profiles truthful and up to date.