Using LinkedIn Conversation Ads for B2B Lead Generation
Generating leads using LinkedIn marketing can be a time consuming task, but now there’s an easier way: LinkedIn Conversation Ads.
What are LinkedIn Conversation Ads?
Launched in March 2020, the latest ad feature from LinkedIn, Conversation Ads, aims to simplify the process of finding and reaching out to potential customers.
Sending messages to prospects with details of a your latest offer or event – and dealing with their responses – can now be accelerated and partially automated with LinkedIn Conversation Ads.
In much the same way that Facebook Messenger Ads enable marketers to send personalised messages at scale, LinkedIn Conversation Ads provide an at-scale solution for sending messages to prospects based on your own unique target criteria.
How do LinkedIn Conversation Ads work?
Anybody familiar with LinkedIn Message Ads or Sponsored InMail will know the power of ‘message outreach’ on LinkedIn. These legacy ad formats allowed B2B marketing teams to send direct messages en masse to LinkedIn users via a simple build-and-launch interface.
LinkedIn Conversation Ads are an extension of these older ad formats, boasting the ability to create custom message paths and unique CTAs depending on the response each prospect provides.
The consequence of offering prospects a customised response path for every sent message prompts increased action and better response rates.
Compared to email marketing, the results can be surprisingly positive; LinkedIn says that the number of messages sent on the site has quadrupled during the last five years, with reply rates up 30%.
How much do LinkedIn Conversation Ads cost?
Exact costs depend on who you are targeting. Generally speaking, the more senior the target the higher the cost. This can also vary from one sector to another, largely determined by how many other advertisers are trying to target to same group of prospects.
From our own experience, each sent message typically costs around £0.50. Based on a budget of £1,000 an advertiser could expect to reach 2,000 prospects. Using a fairly conservative estimated response rate of 5% would yield 100 responses. Compared to traditional channels LinkedIn Conversation Ads can provide a meaty ROI.
How do I setup a LinkedIn Conversation Ads campaign?
Before creating a LinkedIn Conversation Ads campaign you’ll need a verified LinkedIn profile and company page, a verified LinkedIn Ads account, and payment method to pay for your ad spend.
Next, you’ll need to decide:
- Who to target, either by job title, seniority, company, location, or a combination of all these
- Your proposition or offer
- What you want to say to each prospect
- How you plan to structure the response path
- Who you want to send messages on behalf of – this could be you or a senior member of your biz dev team
- How you’ll track the campaign’s results.
For more information on how to create an effective LinkedIn Conversation Ads campaign take a look at this guide.
If you fancy a chat about any of this with us, don’t be shy. Call 01635 800868; we won’t bite!
