LinkedIn Ads: How to Use It for Sales Lead Generation

Of all the social media networks, none are more effective for B2B lead generation than LinkedIn. LinkedIn is designed specifically for business owners, managers and other professionals, so it reaches more prospective buyers than all other social media networks. Perhaps this is why nearly nine in 10 B2B companies use it to generate sales leads. While you can generate sales leads on LinkedIn through a traditional Company Page, though, you'll likely experience better results when using the network's paid advertising service.

What Is LinkedIn Ads?

LinkedIn Ads is LinkedIn's advertising network. Available by clicking here, it uses a bidding system where you place bids on ad placements. In other words, you must specify the maximum amount of money your B2B company is willing to pay for each click. Known as a maximum cost-per-click bid, it will dictate your LinkedIn Ads expenditure. A higher bid will drive more traffic, but it will also cost your B2B company more money.

Benefits of LinkedIn Ads

Using LinkedIn Ads, you can create custom text, image and/or video ads targeting your B2B company's buyer personas. You aren't restricted to creating generic text ads; LinkedIn Ads support visual ads as well.

LinkedIn also offers a wide range of targeting options. Not everyone who uses LinkedIn will see your ads. When you set up a campaign, you can target specific groups of users. Along with basic demographics, you can target users by the company for which they work, education, job experience, job title and more.

Tips on Using LinkedIn Ads for Lead Generation

To generate B2B leads with LinkedIn, you must target the right users with the right ads. Think about who, exactly, purchases your B2B company's products or services. While different B2B companies have different audiences of buyers, most of them consist of C-level executives. These C-level executives are decision-makers who have the authority to buy products and services, making them prime candidates for sales leads.

LinkedIn Ads has a special feature that's designed for sales lead generation. Known as Lead Collection, it allows you to send traffic from your ads to a landing page with a call-to-action (CTA) button on it. While optional, Lead Collection is highly effective at cultivating leads on LinkedIn.

You should also optimize your Company Page when using LinkedIn for lead generation. Prospective buyers may check your Company Page after seeing one of its ads. If your Company Page is incomplete or otherwise poorly optimized, it may deter them from engaging with your B2B company.

Another Quality Lead Source

Another quality sales lead source is SalesLeads. Project Reports are identified projects within our industry and have been tracked by our researchers. We provide pertinent information such as overview, what is the opportunity, along with contact names, emails and direct phone. 

Combining the SalesLeads Project Reports along with LinkedIn is a great way to keep the sales funnel full.