by | Feb 19, 2015

How much attention does your social media strategy devote to LinkedIn?
There are many reasons to build your business’s presence on the social network designed for working professionals. For one, the average user’s income is $83,000, according to the platform’s product marketing director. As a result, LinkedIn is well suited for gaining visibility with decision makers.
To distinguish yourself from competitors on LinkedIn, use Sponsored Updates. This paid LinkedIn service lets you distribute content such as blog posts to LinkedIn users. Of course the content should engage readers and create value – otherwise there is minimal value in executing these campaigns.
Here’s why you should use LinkedIn Sponsored Updates to distribute your top content:

Adaptable Advertising

Working within a limited budget, especially for small- and medium-sized businesses, is always a challenge. That’s why you can access LinkedIn Sponsored Updates in two different ways:

  1. Deliver updates on a cost-per-click (CPC) plan. Through this option, you only pay when a user clicks on an update.

Use this option when your goal is to drive engagement – they entice users to read, comment, or follow links to your business’s website.  As we’ve discussed with Twitter, it’s best to include images. Images lead to a 98% higher comment rate, according to LinkedIn.

  1. Post updates on a cost-per-thousand-impressions (CPM) plan. You’ll pay based on the number of “impressions” (the number of times the update appears on users’ screens).

Choose this approach when your goal is to gain exposure by letting people know that your services and products exist.

Real-time Analytics

Campaign effectiveness and return on investment are every company’s primary concerns when paying for exposure.
To address this concern, LinkedIn Sponsored Updates give you access to a suite of analytics tools. You can, for example, track who clicks on your content based on their location, industry, and level of seniority.
By tracking these metrics, you can easily start, stop, and make adjustments to sponsored updates. If the campaign simply isn’t working, you can cancel it and start a different one with a few clicks.

Precise Reach

Targeting a specific audience is an essential marketing practice. As different demographics respond to different messages, it’s imperative to deliver content that directly appeals to them. Doing so captures interest and builds credibility.
Perhaps the most impressive feature is that LinkedIn Sponsored Updates allow for precise target marketing.
You have options to promote content based on:

  • Jobs: You can target audiences with specific titles, functions, and seniority levels.
  • Locations: You can post content for people in specific continents, countries, provinces, and cities. Doing so is best for businesses that operate in designated areas.
  • Companies: Your content may be designed for a certain industry or companies with a defined number of employees. Sponsored updates let you speak to their needs and interests.
  • Non-followers: Your business’s followers already receive your updates and can directly communicate with you. You can solely promote content to non-followers, in an effort to boost subscriptions.
  • User Characteristics: Content you promote may only be for users of a certain age, gender, skillset, or education. You have the ability to reach these niche markets.

Taking advantage of LinkedIn’s Sponsored Updates offers an opportunity to develop visibility and credibility with your target audience. Use it strategically to build your online relationships, and ultimately, to generate inbound leads.
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Ben Molfetta
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