There is a multitude of ways to generate leads using social media. However, not all of them are created equal. One of the most effective social media sites for generating business-to-business (B2B) leads is LinkedIn.
LinkedIn was designed to be a place for professionals to connect. Those who join are there to find trusted connections and networking relationships. This makes LinkedIn lead generation advertising a great way to reach people within your professional circle and beyond.
You may already know that LinkedIn is a great place for lead generation. What you may not know is how to create LinkedIn ads that will successfully generate leads. Read on to get some helpful hints about how to create ads on LinkedIn.
Know the Types of LinkedIn Ads
The first step in learning how to create ads for lead generation on LinkedIn is to know a bit more about the ads themselves. LinkedIn offers several types of ads. Not all of them are intended to generate leads, but all can be used to reach a targeted audience:
- Carousel ads: For these ads, you will choose a series of images, which will play as a slide show, to tell your story. The variety of images and the curiosity of what comes next will encourage recipients to stick around.
- Message ads: These appear as direct messages to your chosen recipients and allow you to answer their questions directly.
- Event ads: Use these to highlight upcoming LinkedIn events. The more successful these are, the more people will tune into your next event, allowing you to showcase your brand and services.
- Follower ads: Use these to promote your LinkedIn page and encourage people to become followers.
- Single Image ads: Choose your image well and you may not need more than one to attract the attention of prospective clients or customers.
- Text ads: These are the least expensive ads offered by LinkedIn and also the easiest to create and manage on your own.
- Video ads: These offer a great way to attract attention and maximize positive responses with a short and informative video.
Lead generation forms (lead gen forms) that are already partially filled out using the information in an ad recipient's LinkedIn profile can be added to any of these ad types for an additional charge.
What Are LinkedIn Lead Generation Forms?
LinkedIn’s lead generation forms can be added to any ad type. They provide a quick and easy way for any of your ads' recipients to respond to your ads.
With a single click, the potential client can open a form that has already been largely filled in using their LinkedIn profile. By answering a few questions, they can be registered with your business as a person worthy of follow-up. These forms can be used to encourage downloads, create a sales base, encourage involvement in your cause, or even to post job openings. Regardless of what you need them to accomplish, lead gen forms give you access to leads that have already shown an interest in your goods or services.
LinkedIn Ads That Easily Leverage Lead Generation Forms
LinkedIn ads are grouped by their objectives. Some are best suited to raise awareness of your brand. While these may also provide some lead gen opportunities, it’s probably best if you let your potential customers get to know your brand a bit before hitting them with a hard sell.
Consideration ads are designed mostly to drive traffic to your website or LinkedIn page. The real advantage to this group of ads is that they create traffic to your site. Once they have arrived at your site or page you can encourage them to become a lead.
Conversion ads are the ones that are intended to create leads. These are the ones that are most beneficial to add your lead gen forms to. This group of ads includes:
- Carousel ads
- Message ads
- Single image ads
- Video ads
If the primary objective of your LinkedIn ad campaign is to generate leads, these are the ad types you should consider first. It’s important to note that lead gen forms are not automatically included as a part of any LinkedIn ad campaign but they can be added to any type by choosing lead generation as your objective.
Best Practices for Creating LinkedIn Ads That Generate Leads
Here are some ways to accomplish lead generation with LinkedIn ads:
- Attract attention: Use bold images, humor, and interest-piquing questions to attract the eye and encourage the viewers to want to know more.
- Limit the number of questions you ask: There will be time to get more information later. Don’t give your ad viewers time to rethink their decision to fill out the form by asking too many questions.
- Optimize your target audience: Only send ads to the demographics that are most likely to have a need or desire for your goods or services. An audience that is too broad will waste time and money.
- Refresh your forms frequently: If the information contained in your forms is outdated or irrelevant it will not instill confidence in the recipients.
- Start strong: Develop a clear, concise message and make sure it appears front and center in your ads.
- Test and tweak: Compare similar campaigns and messages to find out which ones are the most successful.
Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile
Make sure that you have optimized your LinkedIn page. This is the place prospective clients will turn to find out more about your business. To do this, be sure that your page showcases your brand logo, a complete description of your business, including the city and country you’re based in, and a clear link to your website.
If there’s a specific person that will be handling the leads generated by the LinkedIn ads, it’s wise to optimize their profile as well. Finding updated content and relevant information on the primary contacts page will reinforce the idea that your company is capable and ready to take on new clients or customers.
It’s also important to keep the content included with your page fresh and interesting. This will help you to build your audience which will, in turn, increase your credibility.
Get the Help You Need
If you’re still struggling with how to create LinkedIn ads that supply you with viable leads, turn to the experts. Cleverly knows how to generate leads on LinkedIn. If you need help creating an effective ad strategy or implementing the one you already have, contact us at Cleverly to set up your free consultation.
