LinkedIn Shares Data-Backed Ad Tips

LinkedIn has shared some new tips on how to maximize the effectiveness of your LinkedIn ads, based on internal research conducted on the best performing LinkedIn campaigns over the past year.

And if you’re looking to use LinkedIn for your brand outreach, these are some key contextual notes that will help you better understand the platform’s audience, and how to engage them in-stream.

First off, LinkedIn says that marketers should be aware of cultural context in the app, and the conversations that LinkedIn users are interested in.

As per LinkedIn:

“LinkedIn is a dynamic network of niche communities uniting like-minded members around specialized interests. Nearly 50% follow sports, 38% are fashion fanatics or auto enthusiasts. Tap into these intersecting interests to create content that connects.”

This emotion map highlights the key connective elements on LinkedIn, which you should be considering in your outreach. As you can see, “Community and Care” is the main focus, and content based around these elements is most likely to resonate with LinkedIn users, while focusing on the other highlighted elements will also help you tap into the emotional triggers that drive LinkedIn engagement.

Sparking emotional response is key to maximizing engagement, and LinkedIn says that these are the key emotions that engage its audience best (though in most cases, and likely on LinkedIn as well, anger and fear drive the strongest emotional response, but that may not be useful in an ad context).

LinkedIn has also shared some ad design tips, noting that vertical-aligned ads perform best.

LinkedIn says that marketers should also design their ads with “divided attention” in mind, meaning that you’ll need to capture user focus as they scroll.

“Pleasing aesthetics, strong contrasts and dynamic movement catch the eye. The most effective LinkedIn ads pair striking visuals with an emotional hook or intellectual surprise. A counterintuitive statistic, an unexpected perspective, or a compelling human story can stop even the busiest member mid-scroll.”

LinkedIn also suggests that brands look to establish a distinctive presence, which is imbued across all of their campaigns, posts and updates.

“Your brand DNA should unify the expression of your brand consistently across different dimensions, channels, touch points and funnel stages. Connect all your content via one cohesive red thread, where every piece reinforces and amplifies your brand’s distinct identity.”

While LinkedIn also notes that humor resonates in the app:

These are some interesting notes, not totally unexpected or out of the ordinary, but valuable in a LinkedIn-specific context. The insights here could help to get you thinking about your LinkedIn campaigns, and how to best connect with the platform’s growing professional audience.

You can check out LinkedIn’s full ad tips overview here.