Follow these three best practices and golden rules to lay a solid foundation for your campaign.
LinkedIn, by its default settings has Audience Expansion turned on. This can stretch your audience beyond the targeting you've set.
Activating audience expansion means LinkedIn will aim to reach potential users who it believes could be interested in your ad, even when they don't match your precise criteria.
However, the consensus is that it's generally better to keep this feature disabled to ensure your ads resonate with the audience that you've created.
LinkedIn's audience network is a collection of partner website, similar to Google's display network, where your ads can reach LinkedIn users beyond the platform itself.
This network encompasses a myriad of third-party websites - some are well-known, others less so - creating a diverse landscape for your ads.
However, this diversity can also lead to uncertainties about the quality of traffic these lesser-known sites can generate. The main negative is that you are not targeting users on LinkedIn.
This setting also takes over campaigns. You will find that > 90% of your budget will be spend on the Audience Network if you leave this setting on. For most advertisers, you will be more likely to succeed when targeting users on the LinkedIn platform, so it's best to turn this off.
Let's dive into the third golden rule - starting with manual bidding. This approach hands you the reins of your ad spend, resulting in lower costs per click (CPC) than what automated bidding strategies might offer.
Here's a simple way to kick things off:
By opting for manual bidding, you're effectively taking control of your budget allocation. Especially for smaller budgets, automated bidding alternatives such as maximized delivery may lead to higher CPC and a less efficient utilization of your budget.
Keep in mind, as you monitor your campaign's performance, be ready to tweak your bids based on what resonates best with your specific objectives and audience. It's all about flexing and adjusting your strategies for optimal results.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, follow these three golden rules – Disabling audience expansion, turning off the audience network, and starting with manual bidding to lay the foundation for a successful LinkedIn ads campaign.
By implementing these strategies, you'll have better control over your ad spend, improved targeting, and ultimately, more successful results. Remember that LinkedIn ads require ongoing optimization, so keep testing and refining your approach to achieve the best possible outcomes for your business.
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