For many marketers, LinkedIn is the go-to platform for B2B advertising. Its unmatched targeting capabilities offer tremendous opportunities for reaching decision-makers, but small missteps in campaign setup can quickly derail your efforts and burn through your budget. If your LinkedIn ads aren’t delivering the desired results, it’s likely you’re making one of these five common mistakes. Here’s how to fix them and ensure you’re getting the best possible ROI.
1. Over-relying on Age as a Targeting Criterion
One of the most frequent targeting mistakes in LinkedIn ads is using age as a criterion. While LinkedIn may try to estimate a user’s age based on their graduation year, this method is flawed and not the most reliable. People’s educational paths vary, especially for those who have studied abroad or followed unconventional routes. Instead, target by years of experience. This metric offers a much clearer indication of an individual’s decision-making power, making it more relevant for your messaging.
By using years of experience, you can more accurately assess the level of authority a user holds within their company, helping you tailor your ads to the right audience.
2. Enabling Audience Expansion Without Adjustments
LinkedIn’s audience expansion feature can be a double-edged sword. While it might seem like a good idea to let the platform expand your audience to include anyone who fits one of your targeting criteria, this often leads to lower-quality leads that aren’t aligned with your ideal customer profile (ICP).
Instead, consider using predictive audiences. By leveraging LinkedIn’s data, including lead generation forms, conversions, and retargeting strategies, you can ensure that your expanded audience is still highly relevant to your business goals. This approach helps you maintain a tight fit with your ICP while benefiting from LinkedIn’s audience-building capabilities, leading to a better ROI with reduced costs.
3. Ignoring the LinkedIn Audience Network
Many marketers opt for the LinkedIn Audience Network (LAN) to extend the reach of their ads beyond LinkedIn’s platform. While this can seem like an easy win, many advertisers fail to properly optimize this feature. Without a carefully selected block list or brand-safe websites for your ads to appear on, you risk showing your ads on irrelevant or controversial sites that may harm your brand’s reputation.
It’s essential to take the time to optimize the LAN by selecting trusted sites and blocking those that don’t align with your brand values. Additionally, ensure you’re not targeting the wrong audience by relying on LinkedIn’s broad estimates of who fits your criteria, especially if a user is not logged in or browsing a third-party site.
4. Failing to Set Up Website Actions
One of the easiest ways to enhance your LinkedIn Ads strategy is to track website actions. Many marketers overlook the LinkedIn Insight Tag, which allows you to track vital actions on your website, such as form submissions, button clicks, and page visits. This simple tracking tool provides valuable insights that can help you optimize your ad campaigns and create better remarketing opportunities.
By setting up website actions, you can not only track conversions but also retarget visitors based on their actions on your site. For example, you can create targeted campaigns for users who visited your product or pricing pages, while excluding those who landed on non-relevant pages such as login or support. This ensures you’re reaching the most engaged potential customers.
5. Sticking to Just One Ad Format
Many businesses, especially those with smaller budgets, may feel that investing in high-production ad formats like video or carousel ads is out of reach. However, LinkedIn offers more affordable ad formats, such as document ads and thought leader ads, that can provide significant value without the high cost of production.
A document ad is a simple yet effective format that works well for lead generation. However, don’t make the mistake of using generic PDFs designed for desktop viewing. Instead, ensure your PDFs are optimized for mobile users, as most LinkedIn users browse on their phones. Additionally, avoid gating the content too early—provide enough value upfront before requiring users to fill in forms.
On the other hand, thought leader ads are a great way to create personal, engaging content that feels less like an ad and more like valuable advice or insight. These can be videos or written pieces by employees, clients, or partners discussing relevant topics in your industry. A clear call-to-action (CTA) is crucial to guiding your audience towards the next step.
Final Thoughts: Make Your LinkedIn Ads Work for You
Avoiding these common LinkedIn Ads mistakes can significantly improve your campaign’s performance. By refining your targeting, optimising your ad formats, and tracking website actions, you can unlock the full potential of LinkedIn’s advertising platform. As with any platform, the key is in the details. By applying these best practices, you’ll not only improve your ROI but also strengthen your overall B2B marketing strategy.
So, the next time you set up a LinkedIn ad campaign, take a moment to review these tips. Making these adjustments will put your account on the path to success, ensuring your ads are seen by the right people, in the right way, and at the right time.
Source: https://martech.org/five-common-linkedin-ads-mistakes-and-how-to-fix-them/
