Social media networks are great for advertising (duh). They have a wide audience base, allow experts to reach a targeted audience, and can be good tools for generating brand awareness. Unfortunately, not all are made equal so marketers must be careful about their investment. As social media advertising strategy requires a considerable amount of time and effort, choosing a lucrative platform is essential. Here are some facts to consider:
Who is This Platform For?
Experts agree that LinkedIn is ideal for a B2B company because it is a network used by professionals. Most content is business-focused and users visit it for professional connections. These factors make LinkedIn a good choice for companies advertising to professionals or work-related services. For example, an accountancy firm for enterprise-level clients will be better-served advertising on this network than on Twitter or Facebook.
There’s Less Competition
LinkedIn isn’t as popular an advertising network as Facebook. Most marketers prioritize Facebook because of its reach and the number of options available on the platform. This has led to high levels of competition, which makes brand visibility difficult. The social network giant gets 90% of its income from ad revenue so you get less ROI. LinkedIn only gets 25% of its revenue from ads as most B2C experts don’t bother with it. Less competition means you get higher visibility and more leads, which can deliver better ROI.
Accurate Targeting Platform
Other systems rely on guesswork algorithms while reaching audiences, but this network relies on user fed parameters. Targeting isn’t just based on board categories like gender, location, or age; this platform also considers factors like company, industry, title, and groups. You can come up with a buyer persona and create a precise ad campaign that targets people most likely to convert. This also has a positive impact on ROI because you direct ads at fewer people but get more conversions.
Audience Sizing
The LinkedIn audience sizing feature is very useful, allowing you to compare numbers and refine ad campaigns accordingly. You can see how many people might see the new ad-based on parameters you put in. For example, if you are targeting IT professionals in the US, this social media network will display precisely how many IT professionals are active on it. Marketers can compare this number to the number of impressions and clicks after an ad is launched, which lets them know how successful it is.
Ok, so?
Unfortunately, all is not golden in LinkedIn land as experts have noticed a big drawback. The biggest complaint is against ad size as it is limited, so marketers only get 25 characters in the headline, 75 characters in the body, and a 50×50 image. Small ads are less visible and limited amount of text hinders your ability to make a unique advertisement. This network is also a little more expensive than Google or Facebook, which has an impact on marketing budgets.
A business owner must weigh the pros and cons of advertising on this platform carefully. It’s a good idea to run a few test campaigns to determine just how much LinkedIn can help you before making a decision, and definitely make sure you’re in the right industry.
