10 Tips to Create Winning LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads
Since their introduction in 2023, Iâve run hundreds of LinkedIn thought leader ads, for my demand gen agency, Omni Lab, and for my clients in B2B SaaS.Â
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Through my experimentation with this format, Iâve developed a list of best practices to maximize the chances of success.Â
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Iâll be sharing all my insights below đ
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TABLEÂ OFÂ CONTENTS
- Tip #1: Remember that thought leader ads are just sponsored posts
- Tip #2: Make sure your ads connect to your product
- Tip #3: Create content people would pay for
- Tip #4: Add Premium CTAs to your LinkedIn profile
- Tip #5: Test Non-Employee Influencer Campaigns
- Tip #6: Optimize your LinkedIn profile as if it were a landing page
- Tip #7: Look at the right metrics
- Tip #8: Give yourself a reality check
- Tip #9: Put yourself in your buyerâs shoes
- Tip #10: Focus on Awareness, Not Conversions
âTip #1: Remember that thought leader ads are just sponsored posts
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First of all, remember that thought leader ads are not a silver bullet that will save your marketing program â theyâre simply sponsored organic posts that can fit into your larger content strategy.Â
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This isnât to downplay the power of this format; targeting your ICP with content from your thought leaders is one of the most effective approaches to build brand awareness and mental availability.Â
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That being said, your thought leader ads wonât be successful if you donât have great positioning, messaging, content, or targeting.Â
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The standard rules of marketing still apply.Â
âTip #2: Make sure your ads connect to your productÂ
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If youâre putting ad dollars behind organic posts, make sure they connect back to your product in some capacity.Â
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I donât mean adding a demo request CTA to every post, but the content you promote should have a core dotted line back to your product.Â
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For example, at Omni Lab, I could promote a post highlighting our unique POV and approach to Google Ads, which is one of the services we offer. If this POV resonates with my audience, theyâll most likely think of me when theyâre looking for support with their Google Ad campaigns.Â
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Personal posts, such as occasional pictures of food or selfies on the beach, are okay, but they donât deserve to be promoted.Â
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At best, they wonât generate significant awareness for your product, and at worst, theyâll end up confusing your audience.Â
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If your ICP loves you but they have no idea what you do, you probably wonât be in business for long đŹ
Tip #3: Create content people would pay for
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No matter how great your targeting or technical setup, you wonât get very far if you donât have amazing content that people would be willing to pay for â this is true for ads in general, and especially true for thought leader ads.Â
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Take some time to reflect on your offer. Are you just providing generic tips that people have heard many times? Or are you offering something unique and valuable that will pique the interest of your audience?Â
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To give an example, for Omni Lab, I could run thought leader ads highlighting Google Ads bidding strategies. But it would be more effective to share in-depth campaign recommendations for my target accounts.Â
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Or, if youâre a company like Navattic, you could run ads talking about interactive demos, but it would be more powerful to build out personalized interactive demos for your dream companies.Â
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Next time you run a thought leader ad campaign, focus on increasing the perceived value of your offer, and youâll see a massive improvement in performance.Â
âTip #4: Add Premium CTAs to your LinkedIn profile
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If youâre looking to funnel people into an owned audience, such as your newsletter, consider adding a Premium CTA to your thought leader ads. This is something I do at Omni Lab, and itâs helped me generate hundreds of high quality email subscribers.Â
This CTA option is only available to LinkedIn Premium users:Â you can add CTAs such as View my newsletter, Visit my website, View my blog, etc., depending on the action youâd like your audience to take.Â
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If you donât have LinkedIn Premium, consider editing your post once the organic reach has died down (usually within 72 hours), adding a CTA with a link to your website.Â
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Even though the primary goal of thought leader ads should not be to drive direct clicks and conversions, adding a CTA allows people to learn more about your company without having to go on a scavenger hunt.Â
Tip #5: Test Non-Employee Influencer Campaigns
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After running hundreds of thought leader ads, both for Omni Lab and for my clients, Iâve found that thought leader ads from non-employees consistently outperform promoted posts from employees.Â
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For example, at Omni Lab, we built out a media plan and campaign strategy for Navattic, and their Head of Growth and Operations (Natalie Marcotullio) made a post related to this.Â
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We boosted this post to our target audience, and it was one of our top performing ads of all time, significantly outperforming all the thought leaders ads from me and my cofounder.Â
Clay is another great example of non-employee thought leadership. Members of their creator program post about how they use the software, and Clay promotes these posts to increase awareness for their company, while simultaneously expanding the reach of their creators â theyâve created a symbiotic relationship where everybody wins.
If youâre working with well-known people in your industry, consider how you might be able to partner with them: this could look like an audit, a strategy, a discount, access to exclusive features, etc. in exchange for promotion on LinkedIn.Â
Tip #6: Optimize your LinkedIn profile as if it were a landing page
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When youâre running thought leader ads, your LinkedIn profile turns into your landing page â itâs the place where people go for more information about you and your company.Â
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Here are a few tips to optimize your profile that I always share with my clients:
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1. Make sure you have a banner image explaining what you do at a high level.Â
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2. Make sure your profile photo is up to date, and use your primary brand color as the background.Â
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3. Add what you do + the category you play in to your headline
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4. Use the About section to explain why your company exists and how you approach things differently (bonus if you can also add a few testimonials)
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5. Use the featured section to highlight your core CTA + top performing posts demonstrating your expertise
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âTip #7: Look at the right metrics
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Letâs say you have all the fundamentals in place: an optimized profile, great content, solid targeting, etc.Â
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Now, the next step is to ask yourself: What metrics should we look at to understand if our content is working?
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Hereâs what I recommend to my clients:Â
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1. First of all, check your LinkedIn demographics report to make sure that youâre actually reaching your ICP.Â
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2. Check in-platform metrics such as impressions, engagement, and CTR. If these metrics look healthy, youâll know that your audience is finding value in your content.Â
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3. Look at smaller microconversions, such as engaged visits on your website. Are the people reading your thought leader ads eventually navigating to your site to learn more?Â
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4. Look at the self-reported attribution field on your demo request form. Are more people mentioning your thought leaders? If the answer is yes, youâll know that your content is building trust with the right people.Â
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5. Finally, you can look at more bottom of funnel metrics, such as sign ups or meetings booked, but ultimately, DO NOT obsess over these metrics. Prioritize numbers 1-4 to understand if your content is resonating â it might take a while to see a significant impact on pipeline and revenue.Â
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Pro Tip: If youâre not sure what content to promote as thought leader ads, look for posts that had a 2-3% CTR organically. In my experience, these posts with a higher organic CTR are also the top performing ads. â
Tip #8: Give yourself a reality check
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Most people â and B2B buyers especially â arenât making impulse decisions and canât be pushed through a funnel.Â
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As the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute has highlighted, if you look at how often prospects make a purchase in your category, youâll quickly realize how few of the people youâre targeting are actually in-market.Â
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Even if you run the greatest ads in the world, you canât expect people to schedule a demo if they arenât actively looking for a solution.Â
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And even if they do book a demo, if you have a higher ACV, youâll probably have an extremely long sales cycle.Â
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My point is, you canât expect hundreds of demos or millions in revenue right away. â
Tip #9: Put yourself in your buyerâs shoes
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This is a fun exercise I like to do with my clients.Â
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I ask: âWhen you see posts on LinkedIn, what actions do you usually take?â
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Usually, the response is something along the lines of:Â
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âI read and keep scrollingâŚâ or âIf I like something, I might react or leave a commentâŚâ
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Then I ask the follow-up question: âIf you see a post you like from a company youâve never heard of before, would you immediately book a demo?â
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And typically the answer is âNo, of course I wouldnât.â
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Our prospects arenât that different than we are; if we wouldnât buy immediately, they probably wonât either.Â
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If youâre getting good engagement and starting to see other signs of life (such as engaged website visits), youâre headed in the right direction, even if youâre not seeing more demos and sign ups right away. â
Tip #10: Focus on Awareness, Not Conversions
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Think of thought leader ads as a brand awareness play, not a direct response tactic.Â
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Like any good brand marketing, your thought leader ads should relate to key buying situations, or category entry points.Â
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For example, if I promote posts about how we help our clients improve their lead quality, prospects may think of Omni Lab if they ever run into lead quality issues.Â
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Or maybe I talk about how we use paid media to increase brand awareness, and prospects may think of us if theyâre having a brand awareness problem.Â
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The key to succeeding with thought leader ads is putting the right messages in front of the right people. If you do this over a long enough period of time, the pipeline and revenue will follow.
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Hope you found this article helpful!
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Feel free to reach out on LinkedIn or Omni Lab with any questions about demand gen or paid media.Â
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By highlighting well-known companies that already work with you, you can gain the trust of senior leaders much faster and accelerate the sales process.Â
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Example 1: MarketerHireÂ
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Example 2: MutinyÂ
#3: Demonstrate why youâre better than competitorsÂ
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This approach is powerful, especially when you target prospects who are currently using your competitors. Since theyâre already in-market, if theyâre frustrated with their current solution, theyâll likely end up switching over (or at least consider it).Â
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Example 1: Apollo ââÂ
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Example 2: ApolloÂ
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#4: Highlight integrations with partner technologies
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This approach is particularly effective if you have a seamless integration with a well-known technology. Do you work well with HubSpot, Salesforce, Sales Nav, Wordpress, etc.? Target a list of companies within your ICP who are using the technology you integrate with, and show them why youâre the best choice.Â
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Example 1: Typeform
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Example 2: Typeform
#5: Showcase your product
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Many times, all prospects need to take the next step is to get a glimpse of your software. Also, this is an especially great approach because it sets the sales team up for success â when prospects jump on a demo call, theyâll already have some familiarity with the product.Â
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Example 1: HockeyStackÂ
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Example 2: LoxoÂ
#6: Stand out with humorÂ
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B2B leaders are still people. Humor thatâs relatable and clearly highlights a pain point works better than corporate jargon 99% of the time.Â
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Example 1: Chili PiperÂ
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Example 2: Cognism
#7: Try hyper-personalized messagingÂ
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This approach, often referred to as 1:1 ABM, relies on extreme personalization. You specifically call out the company that youâre prospecting into, and maybe you take it a step further and create a personalized video or asset just for them. CTRs will be super high and even if prospects donât convert on an initial touchpoint, youâll make salesâs job significantly easier by generating awareness within a target account.Â
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Example 1: UserGems
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Example 2: HockeyStack
#8: Use statistics
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This isnât the flashiest or most exciting strategy, but it works. Numbers give prospects a sense of security that theyâll get a positive ROI if they invest.Â
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Example 1: UserGemsÂ
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Example 2: Lavender
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#9: Leverage Incentives
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Incentives are controversial, which is understandable.Â
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The concern is that by offering an incentive you lower the quality of your leads. But thatâs only true if your targeting is weak. If itâs spot on, incentivized demo ads are amazing generators of pipeline and revenue â they serve as a tiny nudge to encourage leaders to find some time in their calendar.Â
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Amazon or Doordash gift cards work well, but you can always get more creative with your offer.Â
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Example 1: MetadataÂ
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Example 2: Cognism
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#10: Show how much better life would be with your product
This approach clearly emphasizes the pain point your product will solve, leading prospects to take action.Â
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Example 1: Motion
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Example 2: WorkvivoÂ
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#11: Test ads in different languages
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A lot of B2B SaaS companies are hyper-focused on North America, and their content for Latin America, EMEA, and APAC is just an afterthought. Running high quality ads in the language of the specific region youâre targeting can be a game changer as far as driving pipeline and revenue.Â
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Bonus: If you take into account regional differences in consumer behavior and product usage when creating ads for different regions, your content will end up resonating even more.Â
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Example 1: Pandadoc
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Example 2: Miro
#12: Announce a new product update
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This is a great way to re-engage people who may have considered your solution in the past but werenât fully convinced. By showing prospects how much better your product is after the updates, you can convince them to take the next step and request a demo.Â
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Example 1: Zoominfo
#13: List the features that your ICP would be most interested in
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As marketers, weâre always told to focus on pain points instead of features. But listing your top features can help prospects fully understand how powerful your product is, encouraging them to request a demo.
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Example 1: Workvivo
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#14: Host a live demo
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Promoting a live demo is a great way to get qualified prospects to see your product without having to go through the traditional (and higher commitment) demo process.
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Prospects who are interested in your product may not be ready to talk to the sales team right away â a live demo can serve as a bridge, moving them further down the funnel.Â
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Example 1: Metadata
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Example 2: Motion
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Final Recommendations
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If youâre trying to drive more demos, in addition to testing out these capture strategies, I recommend doing a comprehensive audit of your audiences. Ask yourself:Â
â
- Â Am I targeting my warmest prospects who have already engaged with my content in some capacity?Â
- Am I reaching prospects with the right company sizes, seniorities, job functions, job titles, and industries?Â
- Â Am I excluding the LinkedIn audience network and disabling audience expansion?Â
- Am I making all the necessary exclusions (interns, unemployed, competitors, customers, etc.)?Â
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Without precise targeting, even the best strategies will fail.Â
â
Resources for mastering B2B advertising
If youâre serious about mastering B2B advertising then you definitely need to join 1,000+ B2B marketers leveling up their paid advertising skill sets in AdConversion.Â
âHereâs 4 reasons why you should consider joining. Every one of our on-demand courses are:
â Â 100% free access.
â Â Taught by vetted industry experts.
â Â Have workbooks, resources, and templates.
â Â Less than 10 minutes per lesson.
We believe every marketer should know how to scale paid ads so they can:
- Â Scale their ideas
- Level up their careers
- Make a positive impact
Click Here to Join 1,000+ B2B Marketers Today and start leveling up your advertising skill set.
Takes < 90 seconds to sign up (seriously we timed it đ)
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How to Choose The Best Ad Platforms For B2B SaaS
Donât want to make a mistake investing in an ad platform that wonât work?Â
Regardless of what you hear online, no one can promise you that ( including me).Â
But thankfully success leaves clues and we surveyed 60Â B2B marketers to find the answer.Â
So regardless if youâre a new advertiser, startup founder, or agency owner reading this.
Weâve got you covered, letâs dive in đ
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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- Where can you advertise online?
- How to decide on the best ad platform?
- Which ad platforms are best for B2B lead generation?
- Which ad platforms are best for B2B awareness?
- Which ad platforms are most popular for B2B?
- Which ad platforms are most B2B marketers planning to invest in?
- Making your final decision on where to advertise
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Where can you advertise online?
There is no shortage of opportunities where you can advertise online.Â
Most channels can be grouped into these five primary categories:
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This isnât an exhaustive list of every available ad platform but it gives you a sense of whatâs possible.
Now that youâre aware of the various ad platforms available, how do you decide which to choose?Â
How to decide on the best ad platform?
When considering investing in a new ad platform hereâs four key criteria to consider:
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With these four criteria in mind letâs go through the qualitative results from our study and what B2B marketers have reported as their best ad platforms.
Which ad platforms are best for B2B lead generation?
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After reviewing the responses from 60 B2B marketers hereâs what we found:
- 52.7% reported Google Ads
- 38.2% reported LinkedIn Ads
- 3.6% reported Facebook Ads
- 1.8% reported Capterra Ads
- 1.8% reported Instagram Ads
- 1.8% reported Native Ads
Which ad platforms are best for B2B awareness?
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After reviewing the responses from 60 B2B marketers hereâs what we found:
- 56.1% reported LinkedIn Ads
- 12.3% reported Facebook Ads
- 12.3% reported YouTube Ads
- 10.5% reported Google Ads
- 3.5% reported Connected TV
- 3.5% reported Display Ads
- 1.8% reported Instagram Ads
Which ad platforms are most popular for B2B?
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After reviewing the responses from 60 B2B marketers hereâs what we found:
- 20.2% reported Google Ads
- 18.8% reported LinkedIn Ads
- 13.0% reported Facebook Ads
- 11.2% reported Instagram Ads
- 9.0% reported YouTube Ads
- 8.3% reported Microsoft Ads
- 5.8% reported Capterra Ads
- 5.& reported Display Ads
- 2.5% reported Reddit Ads
- 2.2% reported Native Ads
- 1.8% reported X (Twitter Ads)
- 1.1% reported Connected TV
- 0.4% reported Quora Ads
Which ad platforms are most B2B marketers planning to invest in?
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After reviewing the responses from 60 B2B marketers hereâs what we found:
- 13.5% reported YouTube Ads
- 12.1% reported X (Twitter) Ads
- 10.6% reported Reddit Ads
- 9.9% reported Connected TV
- 9.2% reported Audio Ads
- 7.8% reported Display Ads
- 7.1% reported Microsoft Ads
- 7.1% reportedFacebook Ads
- 7.1% reported Capterra Ads
- 5.7% reported Instagram Ads
- 4.3% reported Native Ads
- 3.5% reported Apple Search Ads
- 1.4% reported LinkedIn Ads
- 0.7% reported Tiktok Ads
Making your final decision on where to advertise
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All in all take these survey results as suggestions to see what other B2B marketers are reporting is working for them and what platforms theyâre interested in exploring.Â
Ultimately donât forget the four key criteria when making your decision of where to advertise.
When you finally decide, run a small pilot of $100-$1,000 just to get your baselines.
From here youâll have a better idea of if this channel will make sense.Â
Hope you found this article helpful!Â
â
Resources for mastering B2B advertising
If youâre serious about mastering B2B advertising then you definitely need to join 1,000+ B2B marketers leveling up their paid advertising skill sets in AdConversion.Â
âHereâs 4 reasons why you should consider joining. Every one of our on-demand courses are:
â Â 100% free access.
â Â Taught by vetted industry experts.
â Â Have workbooks, resources, and templates.
â Â Less than 10 minutes per lesson.
We believe every marketer should know how to scale paid ads so they can:
- Â Scale their ideas
- Level up their careers
- Make a positive impact
Click Here to Join 1,000+ B2B Marketers Today and start leveling up your advertising skill set.
Takes < 90 seconds to sign up (seriously we timed it đ)
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How to Write Effective Responsive Search Ads in 3 Simple Steps
Google Ads responsive search ads (RSA) donât leave a ton of room available.Â
With 30 character headlines, and 90 character descriptions.Â
Itâs tough to write persuasive and effective copy.Â
In this article youâll learn a simple 3-step framework to write responsive search ads.Â
Letâs dive into it đ
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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- The 3-Part RSA Writing Framework
- The Anatomy of a Responsive Search Ad
- Should you pin headlines and descriptions in Google Ads?
- Advanced copy tips for writing Responsive Search Ads
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The 3-Part Google Ads RSA Writing Framework
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Here's a simple 3-part framework for writing Google Ads copy:
- The goal of headline 1 = match intent
- The goal of headline 2 = differentiate between other results
- The goal of headline 3 = provide a clear CTA
Keyword: b2b google ads course
- H1: Free B2B Google Ads Course (matches intent)
- H2: No Lesson Longer Than 10-Mins (differentiates)
- H3: Join 1,000+ B2B Marketers (clear CTA)
Here's what it looks like in practice (image below):
When writing, always assume the H3 isn't visible, and if only the H1 was displayed would they get it?Â
(Google is always testing different display variations)
From here you would write different variations per position.Â
With ensuring legibility between headline combinations.Â
Simple but effective âď¸letâs dive into each headline further.Â
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The goal of headline 1 = match intent
Youâve got a fraction of a second for a prospect searching on Google to understand if your ad is relevant to their search term.Â
Donât mess this up by being vague, asking rhetorical questions, or wasting valuable characters.Â
When it comes to Google Ads the headline 1 position would be eighty cents out of your dollar.Â
Maximize your headline 1 by adding the primary keyword in your copy to match intent.Â
This is such a simple thing to do, and equally not to.Â
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The goal of headline 2 = differentiate between other results
Now that youâve caught the searchers attention by matching intent itâs time to stand out.Â
Hereâs a real example of what NOT to do from ads that appeared searching SOC2 compliance:
The sequence of which you write your headlines matter.
This is why I recommend following the 3-part framework as shown.Â
Use the headline 2 position to write a core benefit or outcome for differentiation.Â
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The goal of headline 3 = provide a clear CTA
Finally in the third headline itâs time to provide a clear call to action.Â
This can be as simple as:Â
- Request a Demo
- See For Yourself
- Learn More Today!Â
When writing your H3 just assume it wonât be visible most of the time as Google is always experimenting with how they display headlines.Â
The Anatomy of a Responsive Search Ad
Now that you understand how to approach writing RSA copy.
Letâs discuss how responsive search ads actually function.Â
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Character counts for Responsive Search Ads
- You can write up to 15 headlines, and 4 descriptions.Â
- 30 characters available per headline
- 90 characters available per descriptionÂ
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How Responsive Search Ads work
The idea behind responsive ads is Google will take your 15 headlines and 4 descriptions and automatically combine them to find the optimal variations based on machine learning.Â
The promise is you can leverage Googleâs AI to do the heavy lifting as it will take into account a multitude of factors including keywords, search terms, devices, audience demographics and more.Â
Google also tries to guide advertisers on how well their doing when writing responsive search ads with their Ad Strength metric đŠ(which weâll cover in detail shortly).Â
With each headline and description you have the opportunity to pin positions.
This is where youâre forcing Google to only serve those variations within that specific placement.Â
Should you pin headlines and descriptions in Google Ads?
The answer here is an unequivocal YES, because if your ads arenât legible they wonât be clicked.Â
In a perfect world Google will automatically combine your headline and descriptions perfectly based on performance AND legibility but in reality it doesnât happen.Â
Instead you end up with a bunch of variations like this:Â
I personally would LOVE âĽ ď¸ if Googleâs AI can mix and match ads perfectly for performance and legibility but unfortunately the tech still isnât there.
So in order to prevent this from happening I recommend strategic pinning.Â
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How to pin Google Ads headlines strategically
In order to get the benefits of both Googleâs AI to mix and match top performing headline/description combinations AND legibility youâll need to pin strategically.Â
Hereâs what it looks like in practice:Â
- Write 2-3 variations of Headline 1 and pin to position 1
- Write 2-3 variations of Headline 2 and pin to position 2
- Write 2-3 variations of Headline 3 and pin to position 3
- Write 2 variations of Description 1 and pin to position 1
- Write 2 variations of Description 2 and pin to position 2
This will give you the benefit of testing multiple variations per position but safely as you can control which possible combinations are matched for legibility.Â
What is Ad strength and does it matter?Â
Ad strength is a score created by Google to help advertisers optimize their ad performance ranging from Incomplete â Poor â Average â Good â Excellent.Â
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Ad strength misconceptions to be aware of
- Ad strength has ZERO bearing on actual performance, it's just a predictor of it.Â
- Having a poor ad strength doesnât mean your ad wonât actually perform well.
- Having a poor ad strength doesnât mean your ads wonât receive impressions.Â
What determines if your ad appears is your Ad Rank.Â
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Pin strategically with 2-3 variations of headlines and youâll be ok, itâs also what Google suggests if you decide to pin.Â
Advanced copy tips for writing Responsive Search AdsÂ
Now that you know how to write effective responsive search ads letâs wrap with some advanced tips you can implement to make your ads perform even better.Â
Implement Dynamic Keyword Insertion (DKI)
Dynamic Keyword Insertion allows you to change your ad copy in real time based on the keywords that are triggering your ads in order to create more relevant experiences.Â
Currently there are 3 types of DKI available:
- Keyword Insertion = insert the keyword that triggers your ad
- Countdown = insert a timer that counts down to an event
- Location insertion = insert the location that triggers your adÂ
Test variations of your RSAs using relevant DKI parameters vs not to see if it impacts performance.Â
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Leverage Business Name, Logo, and Image Ad Extensions
Now that Google allows you to highlight your business name and logo in your RSA, don't waste the characters anymore referencing your brand in your ad copy.Â
Save those valuable characters as youâre already getting brand awareness and instead maximize each character according to the 3-Part Google Ads RSA writing framework. Â
Ad extensions should always be used as a best practice but when it comes to writing effective Google Ads copy donât forget to utilize your extensions to provide more information.Â
Hope you found this article helpful, best of luck on your next set of ads!Â
â
Resources for mastering B2B advertising
If youâre serious about mastering B2B advertising then you definitely need to join 1,000+ B2B marketers leveling up their paid advertising skill sets in AdConversion.Â
âHereâs 4 reasons why you should consider joining. Every one of our on-demand courses are:
â Â 100% free access.
â Â Taught by vetted industry experts.
â Â Have workbooks, resources, and templates.
â Â Less than 10 minutes per lesson.
We believe every marketer should know how to scale paid ads so they can:
- Â Scale their ideas
- Level up their careers
- Make a positive impact
Click Here to Join 1,000+ B2B Marketers Today and start leveling up your advertising skill set.
Takes < 90 seconds to sign up (seriously we timed it đ)
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How to Create a Winning Google Ads Budget Strategy for B2B SaaS
Thinking about investing in Google Ads for your SaaS but not sure how much it will cost?Â
In this article Iâll break down how to create a winning budget strategy step by step.Â
Youâll walk away knowing how much youâll need to invest on a daily, monthly, and quarterly basis.Â
And most importantly if Google Ads makes sense for your business.Â
Letâs dive into it đ
â
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- How much budget is required for a starting Google Ads budget?
- How to forecast a daily, monthly, and quarterly Google Ads budget
- How to allocate Google Ads budget by campaign strategy
- Frequently asked Google Ads budget questions
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How much is required for a starting Google Ads budget?
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This is the first question that usually comes to mind when considering Google Ads.Â
Which will then be met with a variation of questions such as:Â
- Is $10/day enough for Google Ads?
- Is $100/day enough for Google Ads?
- Is $1,000/day enough for Google Ads?
And so on, and so onâŚÂ
When the reality is itâs all circumstantial based on the keywords youâre looking to target.Â
Equally important to how much is required is how many people are searching?Â
You could have a keyword that costs $0.01 per click but if only 5 people search is it really worth it?Â
So in order to answer this question you have to perform keyword research with the Keyword Planner.
Navigate to Tools > Planning > Keyword Planner within your Google Ads account to access it.Â
It doesnât cost anything to open a free Google Ads account so anyone can access this tool.Â
Within the Google Ads Keyword Planner enter your dream keyword you want to research.Â
For example, Iâll use âgoogle ads coursesâ as an example:Â
After researching I can see the following keyword costs and monthly volume estimates:
I recommend always using the top of page bid (high range) as your estimate.Â
Iâve never seen these estimates be 100% accurate and youâll never know your real CPC until launch.Â
To account for this margin of error I recommend adding +20% on top of your top of page estimate.Â
This means in our google ads courses example:
- It would potentially cost me $13.7 per click ($11.42 +20%)Â
- I can receive up to 1,600 clicks per month in the USA.Â
Based on these two data points we can assume itâs possible to spend up to $21,920 per month on this keyword ($13.7 * 1,600).Â
Outside of the return on investment, donât forget about return on effort.Â
If your dream keywords have very limited search volume (ex: < 100/month) it might not be worthwhile.Â
How to forecast a daily, monthly, and quarterly Google Ads budget
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Once you know your estimated cost per click youâre ready to put together a forecast.Â
Weâve created a free Google Ads Budget Calculator tool that you can use to easily plan your daily, monthly, and quarterly budget.Â
Youâre going to need the following information for the forecast:Â
- Your average cost per click (from the Keyword Planner or real data)Â
- Your quarterly sales goalÂ
- Your average win rateÂ
- Your average revenue per sale
With all this information at hand youâll plug these different values into the calculator.Â
Based on your landing page conversion rates you can model a worst, moderate, and best case.Â
From here you can see how much it will cost to acquire a customer and the budget required to hit your sales volume target.Â
I highly recommend paying attention to the number of clicks required per lead, this will help frame expectations on how much traffic youâll need and if your search volume is sufficient.Â
As youâll see, your landing page effectiveness is essential at reducing costs đĽ
With this forecast at hand youâll know exactly how much to invest.Â
How to allocate Google Ads budget by campaign strategy
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You should be clear on how much youâll need to invest in your Google Ads campaigns.Â
Now the next step is to figure out how youâre going to allocate your budget.Â
In my experience managing Google Ads campaigns for B2B SaaS companies, there are five proven campaign themes to invest in; NonBrand, Brand, Competitive, RLSA, and Content.Â
Hereâs my recommendation on budget allocation by each if you want to maximize volume.Â
Use all of these as starting points and modify the amounts based on your data/nuances.Â
NonBrand = 40% of total budget
NonBrand campaigns are where youâre bidding on high-intent keywords that donât include your brand, for example google ads courses would be non brand for us at AdConversion.Â
Think about your keywords youâd like to cover that problem aware prospects would search for.Â
NonBrand keywords typically contain high-intent modifiers such as:Â
- Software
- Platform
- Tool
- Technology
- Solution
If you have enough search volume on non brand keywords thereâs no easier way to drive conversions than showing up for people looking for solutions to their problems.Â
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Brand = 20% of total budget
Brand campaigns are commonly referred to as âdefenseâ campaigns where youâre bidding on your own brand name to outrank competitors bidding on yours. Â
You can make the case that people searching your branded terms would convert anyways and itâs not worth the investment.Â
This is why I recommend no more than 20% of the total budget on this campaign initially.Â
Iâve seen exceptions here with some of our clients where they saw net new revenue decline significantly from pausing their branded campaigns.Â
Let your data guide your allocation.Â
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Competitive = 25% of total budget
Competitive campaigns are the opposite of brand where youâre bidding on competitors' names to appear for their existing customers and prospects.Â
These campaigns can be really hit or miss depending on your execution.
Make sure youâre doing it in a classy way and have dedicated comparison pages.Â
This theme can be really powerful at driving qualified traffic as these searchers are solution aware.Â
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RLSA = 10% of total budget
RLSA stands for remarketing list for search ads.Â
This just means search remarketing, anyone that searches your keywords AND is part of an audience.Â
For example, anyone that has been to your site in the past 90 days and is searching your keywords.
RLSA campaigns can be really powerful when you have enough site traffic and are dealing in competitive niches.Â
Depending on your available remarketing audience sizes you can decide if this makes sense initially.Â
Given the limitation of size we typically only allocate 10% here to begin.Â
Content = 5% of total budget
Content campaigns are great for supporting SEO efforts.Â
If you have certain keywords youâre struggling to rank for, content campaigns are worth investigating.Â
This is where youâre going to bid on longtail content related keywords that typically have much lower cost per click prices and drive that traffic to a blog or relevant content piece.Â
Depending on your content strategy Iâd give this some consideration.Â
Hope you found this article helpful! and now know how to create a winning Google Ads budget strategy.Â
Frequently asked Google Ads budget questions
â
Does Google Ads work on a small budget?
Yes, and no. Small is relative to your average cost per click prices.Â
Iâd recommend being able to afford at least 100 clicks per month.Â
â
Does Google Ads work for B2B SaaS?Â
Absolutely, intent is what makes Google Ads so powerful.Â
The biggest challenge for B2B SaaS is scale.Â
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What is a good Google Ads budget?Â
A Google Ads budget is one where you can support your business objectives.Â
Using the following information you can create a forecast to understand what is good:Â
- Your average cost per clickÂ
- Your quarterly sales goalÂ
- Your average win rateÂ
- Your average revenue per sale
â
Resources for mastering B2B advertising
If youâre serious about mastering B2B advertising then you definitely need to join 1,000+ B2B marketers leveling up their paid advertising skill sets in AdConversion.Â
âHereâs 4 reasons why you should consider joining. Every one of our on-demand courses are:
â Â 100% free access.
â Â Taught by vetted industry experts.
â Â Have workbooks, resources, and templates.
â Â Less than 10 minutes per lesson.
We believe every marketer should know how to scale paid ads so they can:
- Â Scale their ideas
- Level up their careers
- Make a positive impact
Click Here to Join 1,000+ B2B Marketers Today and start leveling up your advertising skill set.
Takes < 90 seconds to sign up (seriously we timed it đ)
â
14 Powerful LinkedIn Thought Leader Ad Strategies Worth Testing
Everyone knows that B2B buying has changed.Â
People trust people more than they trust companies, making thought leadership ads more important than ever before.Â
If youâre looking to use thought leader ads in your LinkedIn ad strategy but arenât sure how to get started, this article is for you.Â
Here are 14 thought leader ad plays and examples you can test.Â
Letâs jump into it! đ
â
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- Play #1: Announce new product features, integrations, and partnerships
- Play #2: Highlight the main problem your product solves + the solution it provides
- Play #3: Highlight a case study featuring your own company
- Play #4: Highlight a case study featuring one of your customersÂ
- Play #5: Generate buzz before attending an in-person event
- Play #6: Stay top of mind after an event
- Play #7: Promote your own event
- Play #8: Promote an upcoming webinar
- Play #9: Promote your newsletter
- Play #10: Celebrate Customer Wins
- Play #11: Demo different use cases of your product
- Play #12: Share long-form content with insights that your ICP would be interested in
- Play #13: Provide practical advice based on insights from your platform
- Play #14: Leverage social proof from existing customers
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Play #1: Announce new product features, integrations, and partnerships
â
đ to success: Trust your audience. Target the experts and speak to them like theyâre experts. Show them all the cool things theyâll be able to achieve with your product.Â
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Example 1: Dreamdata
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Example 2: GongÂ
Example 3: UserGemsÂ
Example 4: Dreamdata
Play #2: Highlight the main problem your product solves + the solution it provides
â
đ to success: After prospects read your content, they should be able to clearly articulate the problem your product solves + the solution it provides. If they canât, you need to simplify your messaging.Â
â
Example 1: Apollo
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Play #3: Highlight a case study featuring your own company
â
đ to success: Show how your team is using YOUR tool to reach YOUR goals â your company can serve as its own case study.Â
â
Example 1: UserGems
Example 2: Apollo
Example 3: Sendoso
Example 4: Salesloft
Play #4: Highlight a case study featuring one of your customersÂ
â
đ to success: Clearly articulate how youâve been helping an existing customer achieve their goals.Â
â
Example 1: LavenderÂ
Example 2: LoxoÂ
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Play #5: Generate buzz before attending an in-person event
â
đ to success: Use an ABM list of attendees or ABM list of companies + key job functions to make sure youâre getting in front of the right people.Â
â
Example 1: HockeyStack
Play #6: Stay top of mind after an event
â
đ to success: Have an attendee post a recap after an event so that your brand is staying top of mind in the following weeks. The idea isnât to push your product, but to keep raising awareness within key accounts.Â
â
Example 1: Sendoso
Play #7: Promote your own event
â
đ to success: Have your event speakers announce their participation on their personal pages and boost the posts to increase overall reach. This is a win for the speakers and for your company â speakers will feel supported and your event will get more registrations.Â
â
Example 1: GleaninÂ
Example 2: GleaninÂ
Play #8: Promote an upcoming webinar
â
đ to success: Clearly highlight the value of the webinar for your audience â what will they learn by attending? Make sure to tag the speakers to generate more interest.Â
â
Example 1: SendosoÂ
Example 2: Copy aiÂ
Example 3: DoWhatWorks
Play #9: Promote your newsletter
â
đ to success: Keep it simple & highlight what people will get out of subscribing.Â
â
Example 1: MotionÂ
Play #10: Celebrate customer wins
â
đ to success: Highlight customers when they win an award or achieve something big. This strategy provides social proof to help with prospecting efforts, but itâs also a great retention play, as it makes existing clients feel supported.Â
â
Example 1: Sendoso
Example 2: Lavender
Play #11: Demo different use cases of your product
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đ to success: Have a senior leader â from your own company or one of your customers â educate prospects on how they can use your product to achieve their business goals.Â
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Example 1: DreamdataÂ
Example 2: ClayÂ
Example 3: Clay
Play #12: Share long-form content with insights that your ICP would be interested in
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đ to success: Donât tell everyone how great your product is â instead, show them the insights they could have access to if they used it. Also, make the content industry-specific. For example, content about conversion impact or email subject lines in B2B SaaS will be much more powerful than content about conversions or email in general.Â
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Example 1: HockeyStack
Play #13: Provide practical advice based on insights from your platform
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đ to success: Donât provide generic advice that people have heard many times. Instead, give advice that your ICP may find surprising, and always back it up with data from your platform. This strategy is powerful because potential buyers will be grateful for the thought leaderâs recommendations AND theyâll also relate the thought leaderâs content to your organization (and hopefully be interested in learning more).Â
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Example 1: Lavender
Play #14: Leverage social proof from existing customers
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đ to success: Promote content from respected customers within your target industry highlighting the use cases and overall impact of your product.
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Example 1: UserGemsÂ
Example 2: Clay
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Putting LinkedIn Thought Leader ads into action
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If youâre excited about thought leadership ads and want to start running them right away, hereâs what I would recommend:
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1. Find a few people at your organization that would be great thought leaders. They donât need to be influencers with 50K followers â they simply need to have a deep understanding of your product and your ICP (bonus if they also enjoy writing). Â
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2. Once youâve selected your thought leaders, choose the top 3 strategies from this playbook that youâd like to begin with. I donât recommend starting with all 14 strategies at once, since that could get pretty overwhelming.Â
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3. Have your thought leaders post a few times per month and boost their content to your ICP.
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Thatâs all you need to get started.Â
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P.S.
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If youâre starting out with thought leadership ads, I recommend using the engagement objective to build your retargeting audiences in a cost-effective way.Â
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And if you want a complete masterclass on LinkedIn ads objectives, ad types, and bidding strategies, I highly recommend checking out this article by Ali Yildirim.Â
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