How to Create a LinkedIn Advertising Campaign That Reaches Professionals

LinkedIn is a social media site designed for business professionals. It allows users to connect with colleagues and potential clients, as well as search for jobs and employees. LinkedIn also offers advertising capabilities, which can be used to target specific demographics within the professional community.

If you’re looking to reach professionals in your industry, LinkedIn advertising may be the perfect solution.

In this article, we’ll walk you through step-by-step how to create a LinkedIn advertising campaign that reaches your target audience. We’ll also provide tips on optimising your campaign for success.

Creating a LinkedIn Advertising Campaign

Let’s first walk through the steps required to set up a LinkedIn advertising campaign.

1. Go to the LinkedIn Campaign Manager page and click Create > Campaign.
2. Select the group for your campaign. If you’ve never made a campaign before, you can input a name for the group now or opt to use the default name, which is New Campaign Group.
3. Next, pick the objective for your campaign. Your options are split into three categories: Awareness, Consideration, and Conversions. 
4. On the next page, you’ll be asked to select your target audience. LinkedIn offers a variety of targeting options, which we’ll discuss in more detail below. For now, let’s say we want to target professionals in the United Kingdom.
5. Next, pick your ad type then your ad placements. For instance, you can select a single image ad then opt to have it placed on LinkedIn or on the LinkedIn Audience Network.
6. On the next page, you’ll be asked to set your budget and bid type. 
7. Then you’ll need to create your ad. LinkedIn offers a variety of ad formats, including text, image, and video. Here, you can upload image or video assets to accompany your text ad, should they be applicable. 
8. Next, review your ad and make changes before it goes live. Once you’re happy with your ad, click Launch Campaign. 
9. Your ad will now go through a review process. LinkedIn will review your ad to make sure it meets their guidelines and is appropriate for their platform. Once your ad has been approved, it will start running.

So that’s a very top-down view of the process. But let’s go into a bit more detail now about some of these aspects.

Creating an Ad

When creating your ad, you’ll be asked to select a format. LinkedIn offers three different formats: text, image, and video.

• Text ads are the simplest type of ad and consist of a headline, copy, and website URL. These ads are best used when you’re trying to generate awareness or clicks to your website.
• Image ads are similar to text ads, but they also include an image. These ads are best used when you want to add some visual interest to your ad and capture attention in the LinkedIn feed.
• Video ads are the most complex type of ad, but they can also be the most effective. Video ads can be up to 10 minutes long and can include a custom thumbnail image. These ads are best used when you want to tell a story or provide more information about your product or service.

Once you’ve selected your ad format, you’ll be asked to enter your headline, copy, and website URL.

Your headline should be attention-grabbing and relevant to your target audience.

Your copy should be clear and concise. It’s also important to include a call-to-action (CTA) in your copy, such as “Learn More” or “Sign Up Now.”

Your website URL is where you want people to go when they click on your ad. Make sure the URL is relevant to your ad and that it takes people to the right page on your website.

Selecting a Target Audience

When selecting your target audience, LinkedIn offers a variety of targeting options.

You can target people based on their location, job title, company size, or even their interests.

You can also create a custom audience, which allows you to target people who have visited your website or who are similar to your current customers.

LinkedIn also offers a lookalike audience feature, which allows you to target people who are similar to your current customers. This is a great way to reach new people who are likely to be interested in your product or service.

Setting Your Budget and Bid Type

LinkedIn offers two bid types: cost-per-click (CPC) and cost-per-impression (CPM). 

CPC bidding means you’ll pay for each click on your ad, while CPM bidding means you’ll pay for each 1,000 impressions of your ad.

As an example, you may wish to select CPC bidding and set your budget at $10 per day.

Reviewing and Approving Your Ad

Once you’ve created your ad, you’ll need to review it before it goes live. This is your chance to make sure everything looks correct and that you’re happy with your ad.

A few things got look for here include:

• The headline and copy of your ad
• The image or video you’re using
• The website URL you’re sending people to

Tips for Optimising Your LinkedIn Advertising Campaign

There are a few things you can do to optimise your LinkedIn advertising campaign for success.

Make Sure You’re Targeting the Right Audience

LinkedIn offers a variety of targeting options, so you can be as specific or broad as you want with your target audience. If you’re not sure who you should be targeting, consider running a couple of different campaigns with different target audiences to see which one performs best.

Create a Strong Offer

Your offer is what will entice people to click on your ad and visit your website. Make sure your offer is something that’s relevant to your target audience and that will give them a reason to want to learn more about your product or service. A strong offer consists of:

• A headline that’s clear and concise
• Copy that tells people what they’ll get by clicking on your ad
• An image or video that’s eye-catching and relevant to your offer
• A CTA that tells people what they need to do next

Don’t Forget to Measure Your Results

LinkedIn provides a variety of reporting tools that you can use to track the performance of your ads. A few key metrics you can consistently monitor within LinkedIn include:

• Impressions
• Clicks
• Website conversions
• Leads generated

By tracking your results, you can see what’s working well and what’s not. This information will help you to make necessary changes to your campaigns so you can continue to generate leads and grow your business.

Launching an LinkedIn Advertising Campaign Doesn’t Have to be Difficult

By following these tips, you can create a LinkedIn advertising campaign that’s sure to reach your target audience and generate leads for your business. So what are you waiting for? Get started and watch your business grow!