Can Ads be Inbound? We recently started to examine how HubSpot customers are successfully using ads and how Ads can amplify the positive effects of inbound marketing. These 5 tips along with the new HubSpot Ads Add-On can help you finally master ads!

1. Can Ads be Inbound?
5 Essential Strategies for
Using Paid Media in Your Next Inbound Campaign

2. Marcus Andrews
@Marcus_Andrews
PMM - HubSpot Ads
#InboundyAds

3. Can Ads Be Inbound?

4. We Used to Think
Traditional
Cold Calling
SPAM Emails
Interruptive Ads
Marketer - Centric
Inbound
SEO and Content
Blogging
Attraction
Customer - Centric
vs
If you bought an ad, you were irritating your customer

5. But we’ve decided to take another look
And were blown away by what we saw
Of HubSpot customers have
used ads this year.
Successfully using ads to amplify the effect of
great inbound marketing campaigns.
53%

6. Inbound and Ads
Amplifying success all the way down the funnel

7. Some Ads Amplify Inbound
Ads that satisfy intent and extend the reach of great content work with inbound

8. Some Ads Amplify Inbound
Ads that satisfy intent and extend the reach of great content
LinkedIn Sponsored Updates
1. Appear in LinkedIn Stream just like content and
powered by content
2. Ability to reach the right audience based on
professional targeting signals
3. Gets the content into the hands of a new audience
who can benefit from it.
4. Amplify the effect of great content - more leads
from existing offers
5. Integrates seamlessly into existing marketing
campaigns

9. Ads Can Be Inbound!
OK but, how do I get good at ads?

10. 1. Find the right Ads for You
There are lots of places
to advertise online
All with unique value.
LinkedIn and Google are leaders in search and
social when it comes to B2B marketing.
1 in 3 professionals on the
planet are on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn Sponsored
Updates amplify content to
the professional audience
you’re targeting.
71% of B2B researchers start
their research with a generic
search.
Google’s search ads give
B2B marketers access to the
top of search results.
LinkedIn Marketing Solutions - ThinkwithGoogle

11. 2. Don’t put Ads First
Campaign A - Put Ads First
Average display ad
The ad is an ad
1. Text
2. Image
3. CTA
Ad drives targeted
traffic to your
homepage.
User clicks around,
then leaves.
Campaign B - Built Ads into Campaign
LinkedIn
Sponsored Update
Ad is content
1. Fits into stream
2. Remarkable content
3. Adds value
Ad drives targeted,
qualified traffic to a
customized landing page.
User clicks, fills out form
and is tracked as a
conversion.
VS

12. 3. Spend the Time on Targeting
Example Buyer Persona:
Marketing Mary
Professional marketer (VP, Director)
● Mid-sized B2B (25-200 employees)
● Arizona, Las Vegas, San Francisco/Bay Area
● Finance Industry
● Small marketing team (1-5 people)
● Comm (BU), MBA (Babson)
● Skills: Social Media
Goals:
● Support sales with collateral and leads
● Manage company communications
Example LinkedIn Targeting
Best Practice: Keep your target audience between
60,000 and 250,000 members.
Location
- N. America
- Arizona, Las Vegas, San Francisco/Bay Area
Companies (Category)
- Financial Services, Accounting
Job Title (by Job Title)
- VP, Director
Skills
- Social Media

13. 4. Measure what Matters
Click Metrics
Good to know but less important
Impressions
Each time your ad appears to a user, it's counted as
an impression.
Clicks and Click-Through Rate (CTR)
The number of users who click your ad. CTR tells
you how many people who’ve seen your ad end up
clicking on it.
Cost-per-Click
How much you pay for every click your ad receives.
A common way to pay for ads.
Conversion Metrics
Metrics you should focus on to evaluate campaigns
Conversions
Number of leads or form fills an ad has generated
Cost-per-Acquisition (conversion)
For ads that generate conversions, the average cost
it takes to deliver one conversion.
MQLs / Customers
Which conversions become MQLs and customers.
ROI (Return on Ad Spend)
The total value of the customers/conversions an ad
generates after the cost of the ad or campaign.

14. 4. Measure what Matters
What are currently able to measure?
Beginner
Expert
Traffic
Success = visits to my site
CPC/CTR
Success = low cost and
high click-through Conversions
Success = Leads and a
strong conversion rate
ROI
Success = Strongest return
on my ad spend and lowest
cost-per-acquisition
Click Focused:
Only measuring what happens with ad.
Conversion Focused:
Measuring the actions ads drive

15. 5. Test and Optimize
Do more or what works and less of what doesn’t
A/B TEST 1 A/B TEST 2 A/B TEST 3
Offer A
Offer B
Test ads/keywords to
different offers with different
creative. See which drives
more conversions.
VS.
2 Conversions
4 Conversions
Optimize ads by building on
what was working and
pausing ineffective ads.
3 Conversions
$12.89 avg
5 Conversions
$7.56 avg
5 Conversions
$35.67 avg
12 Conversions
$7.56 avg
10 Conversions
$6.99 avg
Focus on ROI and
Conversions and increase
budget towards best
performing ads. Continue
process to drive best results.

16. The HubSpot Ads Add-On
The Easiest way to Build, Measure and Optimize Ads

17. Campaign Creation
Build ad campaigns faster and easier - right inside of HubSpot
Creating Campaigns
● We’ve streamlined campaign creation
by integrating your landing pages and
social posts into ads.
● Build targeted ads that reach your
buyer personas and help more
prospects find your content.
● Pause, update and tweak ads right
inside HubSpot to optimize for
success.

18. Campaign Measurement
To master ads you need to know how many leads and customers an ad generates.
Measuring Success
● When you build campaigns in the Ads
Add-On we automatically start tracking
conversions and ROI. Never deal with
tracking codes again.
● Get a complete view of your ads across
networks and campaigns in one place.
Alongside your other marketing data.
● Go beyond clicks with conversions and
ROI data for every ad and keyword.
Allowing you to know exactly what's
working and what’s not..

19. Campaign Optimization
We’ve built knowledge right into the tool. Empowering you to become the ads expert.
Optimize Ads with Conversions
● There can be some bumps along the
way with ads. We removed common
areas of trouble and allow you to
review progress at each step.
● We’ll help you set the right bid based
on your goal and what you set as a
profitable conversion.
● Test and optimize ads based on the
best data available surfaced through
the Ads Add-On.

20. HubSpot Customer?
app.hubspot.com/L/products
Get Started with Ads
Resources to Get Going

21. Not a HubSpot
Customer?
HubSpot.com/Products/Ads
Get Started with Ads
Resources to Get Going

22. Get Started with Ads
Resources to Get Going
Already Running
LinkedIn Ads?
LinkedIn.com/ads