B2B Monday Myth: I Don’t Need LinkedIn Ads For My Business
by MGB2B
The Myth: I Don’t Need LinkedIn Ads for My Business
The Truth: LinkedIn Is a Top Platform for B2B Lead Generation
Professionals and businesses alike know that a presence on LinkedIn is important. But what you might not know is that you don’t have to stop at just creating a profile. LinkedIn can actually become a lead generator when used correctly. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of LinkedIn ads for B2B marketing and the best way to use the medium.
Why LinkedIn?
According to LinkedIn back in 2015, 80% of leads from social media come from LinkedIn. The professionals who are on LinkedIn are already in a business mindset, which makes them more receptive to strategic B2B advertising. You have the unique opportunity to reach the people in executive positions and all along the decision-making chain with significant purchasing power. You can even target by job function to make sure you’re reaching the right people.
Sponsored Content
LinkedIn has several different capabilities for advertising. First, you can create Sponsored Content that reaches audiences on desktop, mobile, and tablets. These ads can spark conversation and reach a specifically targeted group of professionals. And, best of all, you can set your own budget by choosing from cost-per-click or cost-per-impression options.
Sponsored InMail
Another option is Sponsored InMail. This feature lets you send personalized messages to prospects on LinkedIn messenger. It’s a great way to send event invitations or insightful content to those who will be receptive to it. They will only be sent while the recipient is active online, and there is a limit to how frequently they are sent, which optimizes viewing.
Text Ads and Target Audiences
Next, the more traditional Text Ad lets you create your own advertisement and choose the audience you want to reach. Using LinkedIn Matched Audiences, you can very precisely customize your targeting. You will be able to target by company, experience, education, industry, and even job function, which can greatly increase the effectiveness of your B2B ads. Real, member-generated demographic data is used to ensure you’re reaching a higher quality target audience.
Data and Analytics
You also have the opportunity to track conversions with LinkedIn. The platform lets you record website conversions from your Sponsored Content or Text Ad campaigns, so you can track things like downloads, sign-ups, and purchases. You’ll do this by adding the LinkedIn Insights Tag to your website — a piece of JavaScript code that lets you track conversions from your campaign. What’s particularly helpful is that you determine what a conversion is; you specify which actions qualify.
Campaign Manager
As your campaign runs, LinkedIn’s Campaign Manager will let you monitor your results. You’ll be able to calculate your LinkedIn advertising ROI with their built-in analytics tool within the Campaign Manager. You’ll also be able to see the value you’re getting from both desktop and mobile, including return on ad spend, cost per conversion, and conversion rate. And most important – you can fine-tune your campaign to make it more effective over time.
While LinkedIn is likely not the right approach for most consumer brands, the platform is ideal for B2B brands. With detailed targeting capabilities and a variety of ad content options, LinkedIn is an avenue you should at least take into consideration.
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17 Smart B2B Marketing Tips for 2017
by MGB2B
As 2016 draws to a end, it’s nearly time to close the books and open the bubbly. In the spirit of the New Year, we’d like to send you off with 17 (yes 17!) of our best B2B marketing tips for 2017. These 17 tips cover the top tools, strategies, and marketing advice that will help carry you confidently into the new year. So brush up on everything from Marketing Plans to deciding whether or not to hire an SEO Specialist. Then grab a glass, and set your own plans in motion.
17 Smart B2B Marketing Tips for 2017
Marketing Strategy
1. Make sure you have these 3 key ingredients in your 2017 marketing plan to start off a successful year.
Branding
2. Get answers to the burning questions about B2B taglines that you were too afraid to ask.
3. Find your brand’s voice. It’s important to know it like the back of your hand before you start advertising.
Content
4. Find the right mix of B2B lead-generating content.
5. Add some spice to your B2B content while keeping it effective.
6. (Finally) understand the difference between inbound and content marketing.
Social Media
7. Consider a tiered social media strategy for your company’s brands or global locations.
8. Take advantage of free tools for curating social media content.
Email Marketing
9. Fine-tune your email segmentation game, and watch your CTR go up.
10. Try breaking up with unresponsive contacts — the results might surprise you.
11. Kick high email bounce rates to the curb.
Design
12. Use this simple trick to streamline your advertising messages and visuals.
13. Create a snazzy yet cost-effective marketing video for your company.
Media Buying
14. Cultivate relationships with your industry trade publications.
15. Feed your sales funnel with the right creative media mix.
Search
16. Keep these important changes in mind when building your 2017 search campaigns.
17. Consider bringing an SEO specialist on board.
With these tips in hand, you can march your brand confidently into 2017. Now, go open up a bottle of champagne, and say cheers to another year in the books! We hope 2017 finds you healthy, happy, and successful. Happy New Year!
Continue ReadingB2B Monday Myth: I Don’t Need Twitter Because I’m Already on LinkedIn
by MGB2B
The Myth: I don’t need Twitter because I’m already on LinkedIn.
The Truth: When used correctly, Twitter can be an amazing marketing tool for expanding your business.
Twitter and LinkedIn are easily two of the biggest social media platforms utilized by expanding businesses. However, some believe that LinkedIn is the only platform you need to make lasting connections with potential customers. They simply aren’t aware of the benefits of Twitter for B2B brands. The truth is, Twitter and LinkedIn have different pros and cons, and when you use both, they complement each other quite nicely.
According to the Content Marketing Institute’s report: 2016 B2B Content Marketing Trends, 55% of B2B brands found Twitter to be effective, while 66% found LinkedIn to be an effective social media platform. The difference in number may be rooted in the approach that businesses take on Twitter. Twitter is not a “set it and forget it” platform – it requires planning and attention. When you put the effort into it, Twitter opens you up to a whole new world of users that may not be available to you on LinkedIn at all.
Here Are the Benefits of Twitter for B2B Brands:
- You Can Post As Often As You Like. We don’t recommend that companies post content on LinkedIn more than twice a day, max. On Twitter, you can have several posts a day. In fact, it’s smart for your brand to do so. Especially with the accompanied use of hashtags to grab audiences searching for topics that are related to your business.
- It’s a Great Listening Tool. Twitter is the perfect spot to listen to both your customers and your competitors. The platform makes it very easy to make lists and categorize users (i.e. competitors, industry experts, prospective customers) that post content that is useful to you. You can more efficiently find out what’s going on in the industry, see what your competitors are doing right or wrong, and what your target audience values most – all in real time.
- You Can Use Twitter to Build Relationships. Use retweeting as a conversation starter. If you agree with something a prospect posted or have something to add, you can retweet their post, mention them with the “@” and use that retweet to talk to them about what matters to them (and you) most.
- Or to Fix and Solidify Relationships. Address the concerns of your followers on Twitter to show the world that you are willing to help them out as quickly as possible. This shows that you are interested in remaining completely transparent. Twitter also offers great tips for both addressing customers’ concerns and harnessing the power of their positive reviews on the platform.
- Lead Generation via Ads. While you may attract a few more bots than you would with a LinkedIn ad, Twitter ads can actually be very effective. That’s because you can use keywords to target ads based on relevant conversations people are having on Twitter. You can also use ads for event targeting to grab the attention of prospects when they are the most actively engaged on what’s going on in your industry.
For the most part, you can think of Twitter as bottom-floor networking. Once you get to know someone through Twitter, then you can take the relationship to the next level — LinkedIn. The trick is doing it in a way that is subtle, friendly, and engaging. Plan out your Twitter presence carefully, and it can be a very lucrative part of a full B2B campaign.
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