Live Webcast: LinkedIn's Jon Lombardo and AJ Wilcox from B2Linked discuss strategies for success with Sponsored Updates on LinkedIn

1. Jon Lombardo
LinkedIn
Content Marketing Lead
AJ Wilcox
B2Linkedin.com
Founder
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR TARGETING
LINKEDIN SPONSORED UPDATES TO
BUSINESS AUDIENCES AT SCALE

2. TODAY’S
AGENDA

3. AGENDA
1. WHY CONTENT MARKETING?
2. WHAT ARE SPONSORED UPDATES?
3. 5 TIPS FOR CREATING COMPELLING SPONSORED UPDATES
4. B2LINKED.COM AND THE B2B ADS LANDSCAPE
5. LINKEDIN ADS, RETARGETING, AND THE FUNNEL
6. MEASURING SUCCESS
WHAT WE’LL COVER THIS MORNING

4. THE SOPHISTICATED
MARKETER’S GUIDE TO
SPONSORED UPDATES

6. WHY GREAT CONTENT
IS ESSENTIAL IN MODERN
MARKETING

7. Content Matters:
10
Number of pieces of content buyers engage with to
research their purchase.
-Source: Google, Zero Moment of Truth Study
74%
Of B2B buyers choose a vendor that’s first to help
them with useful content.
-Source: Inside Sales
90%
Amount of purchase process that buyers complete
before making contact with vendor.
-Source: Forrester
PEOPLE BUY YOUR PERSPECTIVE FIRST AND
YOUR PRODUCTS SECOND

8. Keys to Great Thought-Leading ContentYOU NOW SELL WITH YOUR
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
PRO TIP: FOR THE 8 CRITERIA OF THOUGHT LEADERSHIP,
CONSULT THE BLOOM GROUP’S BLOG POSTS.

9. On LinkedIn, Speak to the Professional Mindset
-Source: The Mindset Divide: Revealing the Emotional Differences
Between Personal and Professional Networks
LINKEDIN MEMBERS ASK FOR THOUGHT
LEADERSHIP FROM BRANDS

10. WHY
SPONSORED UPDATES?

11. DELIVER NATIVE ADVERTISING IN THE WORLD’S
ONLY PROFESSIONAL NEWSFEED

12. THREE FEATURES
THAT SET SPONSORED UPDATES APART
ACCURATE PROFILE-BASED TARGETING
PROFESSIONAL MINDSET CREATES A FAVORABLE
CONTENT MARKETING ENVIRONMENT FOR BRANDS
PREMIUM AUDIENCE AT SCALE

13. THREE REASONS TO INCLUDE
SPONSORED UPDATES IN YOUR MEDIA MIX
MOBILE-OPTIMISED ADS AT SCALE
USEFUL FOR BRAND BUILDING, CONTENT ENGAGEMENT
& LEAD GENERATION
PERFORM 3X-5X BETTER THAN TYPICAL DISPLAY ADS

14. [5] TIPS FOR
TURNING YOUR CONTENT INTO
COMPELLING SPONSORED
UPDATES

15. Target Your Content to the Right Customers1. FOCUS ON YOUR AUDIENCE

16. Think Like a Journalist2. THINK LIKE A BUSINESS JOURNALIST

17. PRO TIP: IMAGE POSTS *GET UP TO 2X
PERFORMANCE
3. INVEST IN STRONG VISUALS

18. Make Your Pages Mobile Ready4. DESIGN FOR MOBILE-FIRST
PRO TIP: 75% of Sponsored Updates
engagement comes from mobile

19. 5. ‘FRAME ALL THE THINGS’
PRO TIP: REVIEW UPWORTHY’S SLIDESHARE
ON ‘THE SWEET SCIENCE OF VIRALITY’ FOR MORE TIPS

20. On LinkedIn, Speak to the Professional MindsetGREAT CONTENT POSSESSES
IMAGE, HEADLINE, AND URGENCY

21. INTRODUCING
B2LINKEDIN.COM AND
THE B2B ADS LANDSCAPE

22. B2B CHALLENGES
​Business-to-Business (B2B)
• Selling to a business rather than the end user/consumer
• Business users are still consumers
• 72% of the Fortune 1000 are B2B
• B2B is less sexy than B2C, but it’s where the money’s at

23. • Paid Search (AdWords/Bing Ads) keyword-based targeting
• Intent-based
• CEOs type the same keywords as janitors
• How do you ensure your dollars are spent on someone with BANT?
HOW DO YOU REACH THESE BUSINESS MEMBERS?

24. • Industry Publications
• Advertise in industry rags (ChiefExecutive magazine)
• AdTech Vendors
• Bizo
• Quantcast
• DemandBase
• Paid Social
• Twitter – Weak B2B targeting
• Facebook – Decent B2B targeting, personal focus
• LinkedIn – precise targeting, business focus
B2B AD OPTIONS

25. • Up to date (self selected)
• Robust targeting
• Near-unlimited traffic
• Business mentality
LINKEDIN ADVERTISING

26. • SaaS software
• Recruiting
• That hard-to-reach professional
• Reaching influencers
WHY IS IT SUCCESSFUL?

27. • Before 2012
• LinkedIn visited when members wanted to update their resume
• 2012
• LinkedIn releases InFluencer program to allow influential business professionals to write long-
form content
• 2013
• LinkedIn acquires Pulse news service and begins to serve relevant professional content
• Sponsored Updates ad units rolled out
• 2014
• Long-form publishing made available to all members
• In just a few short years, LinkedIn made the move from resume site to
content hub
• Also, more ad inventory…
ISN’T LINKEDIN A RESUME SITE?

28. ​Sponsored Updates – News feed
• 800x400px image (180x110 desktop)
• .4% CTR is good
• Character limits
• 150 char intro
• 55 char title
• 155 char description
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT SPONSORED UPDATES

29. ​Targeting (profile completeness dependent)
• Job Title (Project Manager)
• Job Function (Marketing)
• Seniority (Manager)
• Company Name (Microsoft)
• Category/Industry (Hi-tech, consumer goods)
• School Name (Stanford)
• Skills (nunchuck, MySQL)
• Group (Project Management R Us)
• Gender (M/F/Both)
• Age (55+)
• Company Size (51-2000)
• Geography (San Francisco Bay Area)
• In any combination
• & Exclusions!
ROBUST TARGETING OPTIONS

30. 1. Titles
2. Job Function + Seniority
3. Skills + Seniority
4. Groups (+ Seniority)
4 METHODS FOR TARGETING SPONSORED
UPDATES

31. CMO
Groups
Job
Function
Titles
Skills

32. THE REDHEADED STEPCHILD?

33. Blog
Post/Infographic
Guide /
Whitepaper
Ebook
Webinar
Low Friction
High Friction
Retargeting
Marketing
Automation
THE CONTENT MARKETING FUNNEL

34. ​Ads = Manipulation
​Content = ?
OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ADS

35. 1. Paid Search retargeting = Building audience around keyword
2. LinkedIn retargeting = Building persona!
• Deliver content tests to your ideal audience
• Continue nurturing dream audience
GLORIOUS RETARGETING

36. ​LinkedIn.com/Ads
• Excellent for savvy PPC marketers
• Test into the channel
• Run both Sponsored Updates & Text Ads
• Prove out LinkedIn traffic to scale
LINKEDIN SELF-SERVICE ADS

37. B2Linked engineers LinkedIn advertising accounts for optimal
tracking, attribution, and success.
​AJ@B2Linked.com
​@WilcoxAJ
​www.B2Linked.com
LET US HELP YOU

38. MEASURING
SUCCESS

39. “Always Be Optimizing”MAKE SURE YOU TRACK YOUR POST TRAFFIC

40. On LinkedIn, Speak to the Professional MindsetLINKEDIN CAN HELP YOU MEASURE SUCCESS

41. Q&A

42. THANK
YOU