LinkedIn recently revamped its Sponsored Updates advertising option with the release of Direct Sponsored Content, a solution that allows users to test, tailor and target messages before publishing them. Prior to the update, brands could only sponsor messages that they first posted to their LinkedIn pages as organic content, which limited the ability to test content before publishing it.
Although LinkedIn’s ad business isn’t as large as other social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter, the platform is the ideal place for business-to-business companies to reach their target audiences. For agencies like ours that work with a number of business-to-business clients this is a great opportunity to promote a company’s key messages to the right audiences. Although Direct Sponsored Content allows you to test your content prior to publication, it can still be tricky to nail down your messaging. Here are a few tips that can help you get it right the first time:
- Make it shareable. Create content that will inspire people to engage with your post and share it. This will also help extend your reach organically. This can be achieved by including a question in the copy or developing a funny headline. It’s also helpful to include rich media such as a compelling image, video or a slideshow. In addition, be sure to optimize the post for easy viewing on mobile devices as well as desktops.
- Align your content with your audience. Even if you filter your post perfectly to reach your ideal audience, your campaign will fall flat if your content isn’t relevant. Do your research to ensure your intended audience will find your post interesting; otherwise the benefits of LinkedIn’s filtering feature will be negated.
- Link to informative content. Producing quality material that offers valuable insights to your audience is much more effective than focusing on products. In our experience, posts that are heavy on content and educational information have performed better than those that are sales focused. This can be done by offering solutions to common problems your audience might face and including visionary industry insights, data points and customer success stories.
- Leverage other platforms to increase visibility. Cross-platform integration can amplify visibility across multiple groups and increase engagement. Sponsored Updates enables you to link to your client’s Facebook page or Twitter feed, which can help you reach a wider audience. If you decide to do this, be sure to tailor the message based on the audience that each platform draws.
These are just a few of the ways to leverage LinkedIn’s native advertising tools. Do you use LinkedIn’s Sponsored Updates as part of your social media strategy? If so, what other tips do you have?