B2B advertising on LinkedIn – a newcomers’ guide

It seems easy, doesn’t it? Everyone is on social media, and anyone can advertise on social media. So let’s just do it. 

Well, yes. But there is a reason the likes of Facebook and Microsoft make so much money, not least the fact that many people spend far too much on social media ads without really getting value back. Social media can easily suck up your budget like Dracula on a big night out.

The great strength of these tools is targeting. The ability in theory to fire rifle shot messages to exactly the right people. You can even fine tune your message to the needs of subgroups of your target market. You can focus on certain client types, certain job roles etc. 

You can target pretty much down to an individual level if you wish, though this mainly applies to LinkedIn as Facebook’s targeting is more about sending your material to people who engaged with it before: it’s a “learning loop”. Both sites have fantastic how-to guides and tips for would-be advertisers, so take advantage of them.

Take a step back and consider the basics

If you are thinking about using these sites, you need to start at the beginning. First, are your clients on a particular social media site like LinkedIn? If they are, why are they there and what do they do on the site? 

Next, you have to acknowledge how social media is used. Context is everything. My own perspective is that for the most part social media is entertainment and a break from work. More light-hearted and enjoyable content will work well. Punchy and brief informational guides work too. Don’t go to heavy and serious too soon.

Second, what role will paid advertising play in your marketing mix alongside other options? Do you expect the ads to do everything from brand awareness, to lead generation, to acting as a reminder of your brand? Chances are that different tactics will work better for each task. If you have a clear idea, then make sure you measure the right things so you know if your spend is working hard for you. For example, measure views for awareness and clicks for engagement.

When to pay and when not to pay

The conversion funnel is as good a framework as any other. First, we have to get people to know we exist. It’s unlikely they will make any effort to engage if they have never heard of us. Second, we need to build trust and credibility with them, so that our ideas and thinking carry some weight. Only then can we ask for direct interaction to get a lead into a conversation – the usual goal. 

Social media is great for the first two, but not necessarily with paid advertising. People using LinkedIn, for example, are there to read the content and make new connections, NOT to read the ads. In truth, most ads sail past them in the feed with barely a glance. I’d go as far as to say that the label “promoted” almost guarantees two-thirds of people will blank it out.

For that reason, among others, the first two tasks are best done with content, by which I mean creating worthwhile material others will want to read. Talk about things you know well that your clients want to learn from, and put out free quality material such as best practice guides that help them understand you and your market better.

Be generous with your advice

Be patient. The more you give, the more goodwill and trust you build. Don’t “gate” your content too early by asking for an email etc. Be generous, let your content go out and build your reputation one piece at a time. Maybe gate one or two of your most prestigious pieces over time and give the rest out with no strings. It will be hard to measure what you are gaining, but your next steps will work harder as a consequence. Your content can be multipurposed – used on your website too. That helps with search engine optimisation. Making it more likely people will “find” you.

Another fact about LinkedIn is that it’s far better to develop your presence there as a personalised message. Become the figurehead and representative of your business. People are far more likely to engage with you than just with posts from your company – I’d say by a factor of 10 to 1. 

Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through and post about things that matter to you, so you go broader than just your marketing message. People buy from people in life and social media is no exception. That’s no different to old school face to face sales – build a relationship first.

The role advertising plays

Advertising can work in this first phase, but you need to be subtle. Forget blasting people with shouty ads explaining all your “benefits”. You haven’t earned the right to do that yet, if ever. 

Many companies have had great success with well-produced videos on topics that are of broad interest. Engaging creatively, they can grab attention if they start with the problem the client is worrying about. Video is the best tool to “stop the scroll” and grab eyeballs. The brain is programmed to pay attention to movement. A prospect can appreciate your investment and your ideas this way. But make it brief!

It may be sensible to promote your content rather than buying ads. If you have a piece of content that your clients appear to value and it does well “organically” – i.e. not paid for but it gets attention and likes – it’s a smart thing to use payment to ‘push’ that content out further than your network. 

Bear in mind that social media doesn’t like doing for free what it seeks to charge for. A lot of your material will otherwise just go to the same old small group, probably your colleagues and friends first of all. A bit of money to boost your reach could be very helpful.

Get the look and feel of your ads right

When you do feel ready to buy some ads, hoping your brand has built some reputation, be aware of the visual communication challenges you face. A very small space as more and more usage is on a mobile screen, and only milliseconds to grab attention. 

The visual is key as it’s the first thing that might get attention. Avoid boring stock images or overly simple and dumb graphics. This is a savvy audience. You need an image that starts people thinking and one that’s relevant to the product. Your image can include a hook –a question is often good as human brains engage with questions. Test your idea on your phone, never on your computer screen.

From the image people tend to look downwards, so make your sign-off line interesting and relevant as well. Too often, ads forget to use the end line to reinforce the message. Lastly, look at the headline. Is it simple, punchy and in line with the visual? Avoid repetition and be very succinct.

Make your advertising seamless

The second part of an ad is just as important: the “landing page”, where they go if they click on your ad. It’s no good sending a browsing client to something that’s not bang in line with the image and message of the ad. It creates too much of a disconnect. A click buys you at most a few seconds more and those seconds are precious! For most instances it pays to design a specific page for each individual advert (and maybe test more than one).

The visitor should experience a seamless process, so when they click, they see the same images and messaging which push them a bit further down the learning journey. A video on your landing page would be great, and then some punchy benefits. This is still seen on their phone, so it’s crucial to use the first screen on the landing page (it’s called “above the fold” from the old newspaper term) for maximum impact. 

Finally, the whole thing is a waste of time and money if you don’t capture the lead. So, offer something simple and attractive to get hold of their emails. But remember, it’s a first date so don’t ask for too much. Everyone loves a freebie.

Test and learn

The great thing about social media is the ability to test and learn. Test everything. Compare different images, copy lines, headlines, landing pages. Compare everything. Spending a few hundred quid should mean you end up with a formula that is two to three times more effective than your first efforts. 

Please also measure right up to capturing a lead. There is a risk of attracting the wrong kind of interest – the media company (i.e. Facebook) chews up your budget sending you clicks, but it turns out those ‘clickers’ have little or no interest in your business.  Facebook aren’t bothered as it’s all cash to them. You have to do the work to sweat your money hard.

A final point is that social media is getting swamped. The pandemic has added to the clutter. So, be thoughtful and choose to do a few things well. Be consistent. Keep your messaging going for months, if not years. It may take multiple times before your message finally gets through to any prospect. 

This is not a quick fix. Building a brand and winning trust takes time, even if you can set your ad up in minutes.