Introduction
Imagine walking into a room full of potential prospects and briefly introducing yourself to a client. You shake hands, but before you can dive deeper into the conversation, they move on. What if you had the chance to go back and talk to them again, without being intrusive? That’s exactly what LinkedIn re-targeting ads offer.
It gives you a second opportunity to engage with your potential customer, this time with a personalized pitch, increasing your chances of building a meaningful connection.
Staying top-of-mind with potential customers is crucial as 96% of website visitors are not ready to buy on their first visit. It is a sustainable business tactic to direct marketing efforts toward customers who have shown interest in your brand, product, or service in the past.
As per re-targeting statistics by Invesp, “Re-targeted customers are three times more likely to click on an Ad than people who haven’t interacted with your business before. 26% of customers will return to a site through retargeting. 70% are likely to convert.”
In this article, let’s explore how LinkedIn re-targeting works, re-targeting strategies for implementing campaigns, and real-life examples from successful companies that scaled faster using LinkedIn Ads re-targeting.
LinkedIn ads re-targeting: Is it right for your SaaS business?
Re-targeting using LinkedIn Ads can benefit SaaS companies seeking to improve customer engagement and conversion rates because LinkedIn has consistently been ranked as the #1 platform for lead generation. This channel offers access to a professional audience that includes decision-makers across various industries.
LinkedIn re-targeting efforts can prove effective due to the nature of their products which are usually subscription-based, and often require ongoing engagement. LinkedIn brings 80% of B2B leads generated from social media, offering a remarkable return on ad spend (ROAS) that is 2-5 times higher than other social media channels.
1. With over 1 billion members, LinkedIn enables precise targeting by job title, company, and industry.
2. Users on LinkedIn are in a business-oriented mindset, making them more receptive to B2B marketing messages.
3. Re-targeted ads achieve higher engagement rates since they reach an audience familiar with your brand.
How does LinkedIn re-targeting work?
LinkedIn re-targeting operates through the LinkedIn Insight Tag, a piece of JavaScript code added to a website. This tag tracks user behavior on websites and allows you to create custom audiences based on their interactions with your brand.
Key steps in setting up LinkedIn re-targeting:
1. Add the LinkedIn insight tag: This code tracks visitors to your website and then collects user-behavior data such as pricing page or case-study page visits that can be used for informed re-targeting strategies.
2. Use LinkedIn’s matched audiences: Create custom audiences based on user interactions, utilizing data from website visits, CRM contacts, or engagement with content to target users with personalized ads.
3. Create your ad campaign: Use the defined audiences to tailor your ad content and messaging. Choose from the different ad types:
- Sponsored Content: “Promoted” ads that appear in user’s feed;
- Sponsored Messaging: Direct messages sent to user’s inbox;
- Text Ads: Desktop-only text ads; and
- Dynamic Ads: Personalized ads that use viewer data.
4. Set up conversion pixels: Continuously analyze performance metrics and create specific conversion actions to track the effectiveness of your ads, ensuring that leads and sales can be traced back to LinkedIn campaigns.
Re-targeting strategies for LinkedIn
Here are a few LinkedIn re-targeting strategies to make your re-targeting campaign a success:
1. Segmenting audience types for re-targeting
Segmenting your audience is crucial for effective re-targeting. By categorizing users based on their interactions with your brand, you can tailor your messaging to meet their specific needs.
a. Website visitors:
Target users who visited specific product pages but did not convert. Create segments based on pages they viewed, such as pricing or product features.
b. Engaged users:
Re-engage users who downloaded a whitepaper or attended a webinar. Tailor ads that brace their interest and provide additional value.
c. Video viewers:
Serve ads to users who watched a certain percentage of your video content. Tailor ads based on related video topics in a more refined manner.
d. Lead form submitter:
Target users who filled out forms on your site but did not convert. Design ads that address common objections or provide further incentives.
RevvGrowth segmented audiences for Vymo based on engagement levels, targeting website visitors and lead form submitter through LinkedIn Ads with tailored content. Visitors to the product page received ads emphasizing competitive advantages, while demo attendees were shown ads featuring user testimonials.
2. The ‘4 sets of ads’ strategy
Ryan James, the founder of Rocket SaaS, hosted a podcast where he discussed LinkedIn Ad re-targeting tips . There are “4 sets of ads” strategy that includes:
a. Problem-aware ads:
These are directed towards cold audiences who have never heard about your brand but are facing a problem that your brand solves. These ads aim at building awareness about your brand. It can be an image ad that leads to a blog article or even an e-book that teaches your audience how to solve a problem.
Salesforce used downloadable content ads to promote their “State of Marketing Report” to build awareness and authority of their brand.
b. Solution-aware ads:
These are directed to users who know that your brand solves their specific problem and have engaged with your problem-aware ad by visiting the website, filling out a form, or watching a portion of your video. These ads aim at introducing your product and its benefits to such users.
Grammarly‘s short video ads showcased how their AI translation tools can help customer experience agents.
c. Vendor-aware ads:
These are social proof ads directed to users who have interacted with the solution-aware ads but still have not booked a demo. These ads include case studies as well as testimonials in images, carousels, or video formats to encourage leads.
Gong’s case study ads demonstrated the results it brought for its client through their sales enablement solution.
d. Most-aware ads:
These are direct call-to-action ads to encourage conversions like booking a demo or free trial. These ads focus on high-intent leads with image ads showcasing a benefits statement and a strong call-to-action.
PandaDoc used ads for direct calls to action to encourage visitors to take action and schedule a demo with them.
3. Funnel stages re-targeting
Understanding where users are in the sales funnel allows you to create more relevant ads that resonate with their current needs.
a. Top of funnel (TOFu):
Focus on brand awareness and educational content to engage users without immediate pressure to purchase.
b. Middle of funnel (MOFu):
Provide value propositions and unique benefits by utilizing case studies, testimonials, and webinars to support decision-making.
c. Bottom of funnel (BOFu):
Highlight clear calls to action, customer testimonials, and offers e.g. free trials, demos, or limited-time discounts to facilitate purchases.
Adobe utilizes funnel stage re-targeting by serving different types of ads based on user interactions, like educational content for ToFu and customer testimonials for BoFu.
4. LinkedIn ads in unison with Google ads
A company can run a LinkedIn campaign targeting decision-makers while simultaneously using Google Ads PPC (pay-per-click) campaigns to capture search traffic for specific solutions. The LinkedIn Insight Tag can help track engagement and segment audiences for better re-targeting. This multi-channel approach ensures more refined and precise targeting.
Integrating LinkedIn re-targeting with Google Ads can enhance the overall marketing strategy. While LinkedIn excels in B2B targeting, Google Ads can capture users across various search intents.
How to create an effective re-targeting campaign
Creating a successful re-marketing campaign on LinkedIn involves several key components that can improve customer acquisition efforts. Let’s explore each of these components.
1. Sponsored InMail
Sponsored InMail allows you to send personalized messages directly to users’ LinkedIn inboxes, reaching out to potential customers who have previously engaged with your brand or shown interest in your offerings. These InMails have high open rates compared to traditional email marketing campaigns. McKinsey research shows that almost 71% of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions.
BlackLine, a financial software provider, showed that using Sponsored InMail for webinar registrations achieved a 72% open rate and a 15% CTR, effectively reaching qualified audiences.
2. Lead gen forms
Lead Gen Forms simplify capturing leads directly from ads without requiring users to leave the platform. These forms have pre-filled information of users for easy form-fill, have higher conversion rates compared to traditional landing pages, and help automate workflow as these leads can be automatically added to CRM or email marketing systems.
Revv Growth used LinkedIn Insights Tag to collect data from website visits and then re-targeted them using lead gen forms to capture leads on LinkedIn as part of a campaign for Vymo, a cloud-based sales engagement platform. The entire campaign led to a 400% increase in MQL to SQL conversion for the company.
Read more: Vymo increased their MQL to SQL conversion rate from 4.5% to 18% in just three months.
3. Mid-funnel retargeting
Mid-funnel re-targeting focuses on users who have engaged with your brand but haven’t converted. These ads can be used to nurture leads with case studies or testimonials, build trust with valuable content such as pricing or comparison pages, and include call-to-action (CTA).
VistaVu Solutions showed that sponsored content and message ads with downloadable reports led to a 23% conversion rate and a 75% reduction in cost per lead. Similarly, Aspect, a workforce management tool achieved a 290% increase in referral traffic by promoting its whitepapers and webinars through sponsored content.
4. Contact targeting
Contact targeting allows you to reach specific individuals from your existing contact lists. These ads are for precisely targeting high-value accounts with personalized messaging based on the specific interests and behaviors of your contacts, making them more likely to convert.
LinkedIn uses contact targeting to deliver tailored ads to previously engaged decision-makers, boosting their conversion rates. A pilot study with Matched Audiences showed this approach increased click-through rates by 37%.
Benefits of LinkedIn ads re-targeting
LinkedIn re-targeting offers significant advantages, driving better engagement and results.
1. Increased engagement
Re-targeted ads tend to see higher engagement rates compared to standard ads because they reach an audience already familiar with your brand.
A LinkedIn study of over 2,000 Matched Audiences campaigns revealed that companies using re-targeting saw a 30% average increase in click-through rates (CTR) for website re-targeting and a 37% increase for contact targeting.
2. Improved conversion rates
Re-targeting helps convert leads that may have initially shown interest but did not complete the desired action, as the messaging is tailored to user behavior.
“Since using the new re-marketing capabilities for Lead Gen Forms and videos our conversion rate has gone up by 20%, while our cost per conversion went down by 24%.”–Marit van der Louw, Marketing Manager at Inserve
3. Cost efficiency
Re-targeted ads often result in lower cost-per-lead (CPL) due to higher engagement and conversion rates, yielding a higher return on investment (ROI) compared to traditional advertising methods.
According to LinkedIn data, re-targeting by video and lead gen forms leads to 4.5x better ROI.
HubSpot State of Marketing Report 2024 states LinkedIn as a social channel resulted in 16% ROI, a trend likely to gain momentum.
Best practices for LinkedIn ads re-targeting
1. Refine ad content
Refine ads based on performance metrics. For example, a company may find that ads with customer success stories outperform generic ones, prompting a shift towards storytelling.
2. Use multiple ad formats
Experiment with formats like Sponsored Content and InMail. A SaaS company might discover that video ads showcasing product features yield higher engagement than simple images.
3. Test and optimize
Conduct A/B testing on elements like headlines and CTAs. If one ad copy generates significantly more clicks, analyze its success and apply those insights to other campaigns.
4. Adjust frequency capping
Monitor ad frequency to avoid fatigue. For instance, if engagement drops after three impressions per week, set frequency caps to maintain interest without overwhelming users.
5. Maintain ethical practices
Prioritize user privacy and data security. For instance, a SaaS company should clearly explain data collection methods and provide options for data sharing preferences.
6. Post-event analysis
After campaigns or events, analyze performance metrics. For example, review questions from webinar attendees to improve future lead-generation strategies.
Final thoughts
LinkedIn re-targeting is crucial for B2B SaaS marketers aiming to re-engage potential customers. Successful use cases from Salesforce, HubSpot, Grammarly, as well as LinkedIn demonstrate how effective strategies can greatly enhance marketing ROI.
As Dan Slagen, head of paid marketing for HubSpot, remarked, “With LinkedIn Ads, we’ve been able to generate a clickthrough rate that is 60% higher than our average across other social networks. There’s no clutter on LinkedIn – members are there to do business.”
If you are looking for a leading B2B SaaS agency for demand creation using LinkedIn Ads re-targeting, book a call with Revv Growth to craft LinkedIn re-targeting ads that accelerate your growth potential.
FAQs:
1. What is LinkedIn ads re-targeting?
LinkedIn re-targeting allows advertisers to serve ads specifically to users who have previously interacted with their brand or visited their website, increasing the chances of conversion by reminding them of their interest.
2. How do I set up a LinkedIn re-targeting campaign?
Install the LinkedIn Insight Tag on your website then define custom audiences based on user interactions; design ads tailored to those users within Campaign Manager; set up Conversion Pixels to monitor performance metrics for optimization.
3. Why is LinkedIn re-targeting important for SaaS businesses?
LinkedIn re-targeting is crucial for SaaS businesses because it helps re-engage potential customers who have shown interest, increases brand recall, proves cost-efficient, and improves lead conversion through personalized messaging tailored to user behavior.
4. How do I measure the success of my LinkedIn re-targeting campaigns?
Measure success by tracking key metrics like click-through rates, conversion rates, cost per lead, as well as return on ad spend (ROAS) using LinkedIn’s analytics tools to evaluate audience engagement and ad performance.
