LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 690 million users worldwide. With such a massive user base, LinkedIn advertising presents a huge opportunity for businesses looking to reach relevant professionals and decision makers. One of the most effective LinkedIn advertising options is sponsored content also known as sponsored posts.
Sponsored posts allow you to publish native content directly into the LinkedIn feed for maximum visibility. They appear in the same format as regular LinkedIn posts and are labeled as “Promoted”. This native ad format leads to high click through rates compared to banner ads as it doesn’t interrupt the user experience.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll go over everything you need to know about creating a successful sponsored post campaign on LinkedIn including:
- How Sponsored Posts Work
- LinkedIn Sponsored Post Guidelines
- How to Create Sponsored Content on LinkedIn
- Best Practices for LinkedIn Sponsored Posts
- Measuring Results of Sponsored Posts
Let’s get started!
How Do LinkedIn Sponsored Posts Work?
LinkedIn sponsored posts appear in the feed just like organic content posted by connections. The Promoted label indicates that the post is sponsored.
When you sponsor a post, you specify the target audience you want to reach based on professional details like job title, industry, company, skills, interests etc. Your sponsored post is then displayed to your target audience on LinkedIn across desktop and mobile.
The post is distributed via the LinkedIn feed as well as on the right rail on desktop. You pay based on the number of impressions received.
There are 3 types of sponsored posts on LinkedIn:
Sponsored Content
This allows you to publish long-form posts natively within the LinkedIn feed. You can include images, infographics, videos etc. Sponsored content is ideal for thought leadership articles, whitepapers, ebooks etc.
Sponsored InMail
This allows you to reach your audience via targeted direct messages that hit the primary inbox on LinkedIn. You can personalize InMails by using merge fields to include the member’s name in subject line/message body.
Lead Gen Forms
You can generate and collect leads directly from LinkedIn by sponsoring posts withLead Gen Forms. Users fill out the form without leaving the LinkedIn platform which improves lead quality.
In addition to feed distribution, LinkedIn sponsored posts are also shown on Elevate which is LinkedIn’s content recommendation platform. So your post can get additional visibility there.
Next let’s look at the requirements for creating effective LinkedIn sponsored posts.
LinkedIn Sponsored Post Guidelines
To ensure your ads drive relevance and engagement, LinkedIn has guidelines on sponsored post content, targeting and delivery. Here are the key requirements to keep in mind:
Content Guidelines
- Posts must provide value and relevant insights to the target audience
- Avoid using excessive ad messaging – Focus on quality content
- Images/videos should be eye-catching and aligned to the post copy
- No gated content – Provide key takeaways in the post
- Text-image ratio should be balanced
- Call-to-actions and contact information are allowed. But avoid hard sells.
Targeting Guidelines
- Target based on professional details like industry, job role, skills, company size etc
- Don’t target by protected characteristics like – age, gender, religious or political views
- Minimum audience size 2000 members
Delivery Guidelines
- Headlines must match post content
- No auto-redirecting to external sites
- Rotating multiple creatives within one campaign is allowed
- Retargeting audiences is permitted
Follow these rules to ensure your posts meet LinkedIn’s guidelines and deliver value. Now let’s look at how to create a LinkedIn sponsored post campaign using LinkedIn’s advertising platform.
How to Create Sponsored Content on LinkedIn
Here are the key steps to set up LinkedIn sponsored posts:
Step 1) Compelling Content
Start by developing an interesting post that covers insights and value that would appeal to your target audience. Include relevant images, stats, videos etc.
Step 2) Define Your Campaign Objective
Be clear on what you want to achieve with your sponsored post campaign – Brand awareness? Lead generation? App installs? Your campaign objective impacts other elements like targeting and bidding strategy.
Step 3) Target Audience
Use LinkedIn’s detailed targeting options to define whom you want to reach with your post and which types of professionals would find it most relevant.
Step 4) Campaign Settings
Configure campaign settings like – locations, devices, bid amount, duration, budget etc. Use automatic bidding unless you have a specific CPM/CPV bid in mind.
Step 5) Measurements
Pick metrics to track campaign performance based on your goals like – impressions, engagement, conversions, leads etc.
Step 6) Place Your Order
Review your campaign setup and place order. LinkedIn will first review your post content and campaign targeting before approving it.
Once approved, your sponsored post will start being displayed to your target audience!
Best Practices for LinkedIn Sponsored Posts
Here are some tips to maximize the impact of your LinkedIn sponsored content:
Relevant Audience Targeting
Laser focus on your ICPs (Ideal Customer Personas) by targeting the right titles, skills, company sizes etc. Broad targeting leads to low relevance and engagement.
Compelling Content
Speak to your audience’s pain points and interests. Include stats, expert tips, case studies etc. that professionals find useful. Avoid hard sells.
Engaging Headline
Catch attention with headlines focused on providing value based on target audience needs and interests.
Stellar Visuals
Use eye-catching and relevant images, infographics and videos. Ensure proper image sizes and aspect ratios.
Clear Call-to-Actions
Guide readers on the desired next steps whether it’s content download, contact, free trial sign up etc.
Social Sharing Buttons
Add LinkedIn share buttons to increase visibility and engagement. Aim to inspire readers to share your content within their network.
Retarget Engaged Visitors
Create remarketing campaigns and target visitors who have previously engaged with your sponsored posts.
A/B Test Content
Try different content formats like infographics vs blogs or comparison posts vs how to guides to see what resonates best.
Measure ROI
Track beyond vanity metrics like impressions and optimize based on business impact – leads, conversions, pipeline etc.
Following these best practices will set you up for sponsored post success on LinkedIn. Next let’s go over how you can monitor and measure campaign performance.
Measuring Results of Sponsored Posts
LinkedIn provides robust reporting to analyze your sponsored posts performance across metrics like:
Impressions
Number of times your post was shown to users. Indicates reach and visibility.
Clicks
Count of clicks on your sponsored post. Shows content relevance.
Engagement Rate
Engagement as a % of impressions. Benchmarks your content quality.
Cost Per Click
Average cost incurred for each click. Used to optimize bid amount.
Conversions
Number of desired post-click actions like content downloads, contact requests etc.
Leads
Quality leads captured via lead gen forms. One of the strongest ROI measures.
Analyze performance across devices – desktop vs mobile. See which audience segments are engaging most. Continuously refine your targeting, content and bidding to improve results.
You can also integrate LinkedIn reporting with other analytics tools. With proper measurement, you can truly unleash the power of sponsored content marketing on LinkedIn.
Conclusion
Sponsored posts are a highly effective LinkedIn advertising method allowing you to reach your professional target audience natively as they consume content daily.
With compelling and relevant posts focused on delivering value, you can drive strong visibility, engagement and conversions with LinkedIn sponsored content.
Follow LinkedIn’s guidelines, implement best practices, focus on laser targeted audiences and continuously optimize based on performance data. This will enable you to execute high-performing sponsored posts that move the needle for your marketing objectives.