1.
Top Sponsored Content
A gallery of creative executions
and best practices from around
Europe and the Middle East
LinkedIn, April-June 2017

2.
Methodology

3.
How we find the top performers
featured here
Methodology
• Impressions – only posts serving
more than 25,000 impressions
were reviewed
• Target audience – all posts were
targeted to audiences throughout
Europe and the Middle East
• Vertical – The sponsoring
advertiser must be categorized into
a vertical according to LinkedIn
company page data
• Engagement rate- posts earning a
higher-than-benchmark
engagement rate were considered

4.
Top updates are taking a
few forms…

5.
1. Turning a case study into
a story

6.
A non-profit celebrates its director
• While the intro copy is long,
it is essential in tagging the
partners of the story and in
setting the scene
• The video is well-produced,
short, and simple
• The post draws interest in
the organization without
having to promote a product

7.
Learn from the best
• This post uses several best
practices: short intro copy,
visualization, trackable hashtag
• Three big-name companies are
listed immediately, inferring
success stories will follow
• Recent analysis by Buzzsumo
reveals that headlines starting
with “how” “what” or “why”
generate high engagement on
LinkedIn1
1 http://buzzsumo.com/blog/write-engaging-b2b-headlines-analysis-10-million-articles-shared-linkedin/

8.
Promote people, not programs
• ESSEC uses a student story to
illustrate the program
experience
• Uses campus photography, not
stock
• The copy addresses seasoned
professionals specifically,
making it feel targeted and
relevant

9.
Capture the drama
• The new trend in case studies:
video storytelling. Video as a
medium allows for more detail
around a story while still
keeping time demands to a
minimum
• YouTube-hosted video plays in
the feed
• The story captures the drama
of competition while still
delivering a business message

10.
Words can be powerful
• The intro copy manages to
capture an entire story in five
words
• The intro copy and title of the
post are complimentary
• The “rags to riches” storyline
lives on in a customer case
study

11.
2. Adding context to
industry news and trends

12.
Bring simplicity to the complex
• The intro copy addresses
the complexity of the VAT
situation in the region, while
the title of the article
promises a simple guide
• Getting to the heart of
issues that are vital to your
client’s business builds trust
and authority

13.
Create urgency with a key fact
• The point outlined in the
graphic creates a sense of
urgency for businesses
• The intro copy adds context to
the message in the image.
Thinking visual-first is essential
to earning engagement in a
crowded news feed

14.
Create reports that follow up on big news and trends
• Investing in a “big rock” piece
of content pays off when key
business trends are going to
remain relevant in the long-
term
• Using “download” in the call-to-
action sets expectations that
the content being promoted will
be lengthy, but the intro copy
promises a lot of value in return
for the time investment

15.
Invest in imagery
• You can talk about trends in
business and still
incorporate vibrancy into
your brand. For Adobe’s
CMO.com, the image works
to grab attention while the
copy addresses the retail
industry specifically, adding
relevance to the message

16.
3. Practical tips and
information

17.
Expertise + audience need = success
• This sponsored article from
themuse.com is an example of
how branded content can work
when you understand your
audience and match the
message to the channel

18.
Content for all phases of the buying journey
• While ING is out to help
consumers make the most of
their money, they are still
mapping content to a decision-
making journey. This helpful
piece on the ROI of buying an
electric vehicle would be
essential reading for anyone
seeking practical information on
the topic

19.
A little empathy goes a long way
• Stating the pain that the content is trying to address turned out
to be an effective strategy for Oracle Marketing Cloud
• They sweetened the hook by including a statistic in the intro
copy, as well

20.
4. Taking brand beyond
consumer advertising

21.
Employee stories are pivotal to a strong talent brand
• Allergan tells its employer
brand story through the lens of
its employees
• The story compliments other
messaging, including the fact
that the company was named a
Top Company by LinkedIn this
year

22.
The Red Bull brand spans consumer and B2B
• The image in the feed is
instantly recognizable; the
surprise comes in the message
to businesses to put Red Bull
fridges in the office

23.
5. Leveraging the
aspirational mindset of
LinkedIn

24.
Promote awards, grants, and incubators
• LinkedIn is the perfect place to
reach people who want to grow
their business. Cartier
leverages this aspirational
mindset to promote an award
with a substantial cash prize

25.
Looking towards the future
• Aerial photography and time-
lapse video are fitting ways to
demonstrate physical growth
and scale. Al Maryah Central
taps into the buzz surrounding
the growth in Abu Dhabi as it
paints a picture of what the
region will look like in the near
future

26.
Key Takeaways

27.
3 Key Tips
Make your content
newsworthy
Be the trend
Video case studies
are increasing in
popularity as brands
realize the impact of
telling a full story
Tell stories
LinkedIn is an
aspirational place to
be, whether
members are trying
to grow their
business or achieve
personal goals
Inspire