LinkedIn as a Marketing Platform - Paid Ads, B2B vs B2C & More

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LinkedIn was born as a platform for professionals and companies, but over the years it has evolved into something even more. It is sometimes even referred to as the forgotten social media platform. But a fact is that while people keep their eyes on the big-name platforms for signs of saturation, user alienation, and stagnation, LinkedIn continues to own and grow its valuable niche.

It has transitioned from being “just” a recruitment platform to also being a professional network where people go to educate themselves. That means LinkedIn is a valuable platform for content marketers, especially in B2B. The LinkedIn organic algorithm works in such a way that personal connections are ranked above other “big name” celebrities or brands.

This allows for the same organic reach and growth that Facebook had pre-2012.

1. B2B Marketing on LinkedIn

Here are a few statistics that should help you get a better understanding of the potential of the platform in terms of B2B marketing.

  • 30 million companies are on LinkedIn: That is like a goldmine for B2B businesses who want to sell their services to other companies.
  • 89% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn for lead generation: On top of that, almost 62% of marketers say that it is successful in generating good quality leads.
  • Sponsored InMail has a 52% open rate: The open rate of an email doesn’t even come close to that. The only problem is that you need to be able to convey your message and value to a person directly through a message if you want to make your InMail ads work.
  • Cost per lead on LinkedIn is 28% lower than on Google AdWords: That much difference in the cost per lead could make or break your marketing campaign. So, if you’re running Google Ads, you should consider testing out LinkedIn as well. (if your target audience is using the platform of course)

(Source: 20 LinkedIn Statistics That Matter to Marketers in 2020)

2. B2C Marketing on LinkedIn

When you think about B2C, LinkedIn isn’t the really 1st platform that comes to your mind and that’s fair. Mainly because it has always been advertised as a platform for professionals & businesses... But you need to realize that they’re consumers as well.

Here are 5 reasons to market on LinkedIn for B2C brands:

  • It has very unique targeting capabilities, which are always helpful for brands.
  • You won’t see a lot of B2C content on LinkedIn, hence there’s a gap that can be filled there.
  • The audience on LinkedIn hasn’t been exposed to much advertising yet, hence they are less desensitized towards ads
  • Most of the content on LinkedIn is very professional which leads to a higher degree of trust among the users on the platform.
  • It has a well-educated, professional user base with some serious purchasing power.

Take the example of luxury cars: on LinkedIn, marketers can directly target the segments who can afford the car. They can even go deeper, and identify people who have recently changed roles or been promoted, who may be “very receptive to the offer of rewarding themselves with a new car, or watch, or business travel luggage.” (Source:7 B2C Brands Who Are Crushing It on LinkedIn (Yes, Really))

This is genius and not a lot of brands have been able to tap into this platform yet.

This is probably the perfect time to start marketing on LinkedIn (using organic or paid methods)