LinkedIn: the world’s largest professional network, and an essential platform for anyone looking to make their way in the competitive business world. You might view it as one of the newer social media platforms, but LinkedIn is in fact older than Facebook, YouTube AND the hit 2004 Disney movie The Incredibles. Can you believe that?

In 2016, Microsoft bought LinkedIn for a staggering $26 billion - the largest acquisition in company history. Since this daring move, the user base has more than doubled to over 950 million, with over 63 million companies using the platform as part of their digital marketing strategy.

Unlike platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, LinkedIn focuses on nurturing professional relationships between its users, showcasing their work-based skills, experience and achievements and connecting those in similar industries. This opens businesses up to a whole new world of social media advertising - and it’s important to understand exactly what LinkedIn can offer you before you take the plunge.

LinkedIn statistics for marketers

• Every week, 52 million people use LinkedIn to search for jobs

• An ad on LinkedIn can reach 14.6% of the world’s population

• Brands have seen a 33% increase in purchase intent resulting from ad exposure on LinkedIn

• Marketers see up to 2x higher conversion rates on LinkedIn

LinkedIn’s demographics

More than 80% of LinkedIn users are under the age of 34. This is a pretty incredible statistic, particularly when you consider that less than 70% of Instagram users and 44% of Facebook users are under 34. In fact, less than 3% of LinkedIn users are aged over 55 - a fact you should keep in mind when creating your advertising campaigns. 

Nearly 80% of LinkedIn’s userbase is located outside of the United States, with members residing in over 200 different countries. The UK has more than 36 million users, which isn’t too far behind Facebook’s 45 million British users - despite LinkedIn’s global userbase being around a third of the size of Facebook’s. 

Though LinkedIn is mostly associated with B2B (business-to-business) marketing, it can still play an important role in the digital marketing strategies of B2C (business-to-consumer) companies. All professionals are consumers too, so if your target audience overlaps with LinkedIn’s userbase, it could be a great way to reach them.

LinkedIn’s key marketing features

LinkedIn Live

LinkedIn Live is the live streaming feature offered by Linkedin which allows users to broadcast real-time video content to their LinkedIn connections and followers. This is an effective tool for allowing individuals and organisations to connect with their target audience, share expertise, and build their personal or company brand in a dynamic and interactive way.

Product pages

LinkedIn Product Pages are specialised pages dedicated to showcasing specific products or services offered by your company. These pages provide a designated space to highlight key details about your offerings, such as product descriptions, images, videos, pricing information, as well as customer reviews.

Newsletters

This feature allows users to distribute regular updates, insights, and articles to their network of connections and followers. LinkedIn users can subscribe to newsletters they find interesting, allowing them to receive regular updates and stay informed about topics and trends relevant to their professional interests. This feature encourages knowledge sharing and engagement within the LinkedIn community and helps individuals establish themselves as authoritative voices in their respective fields.

Sponsored posts

LinkedIn’s paid advertising campaigns are referred to as sponsored posts, and allow businesses to promote their content to a wider, more targeted audience. Sponsored posts can include articles, images, videos, or other types of content and appear in the LinkedIn feeds of users who fit specific demographic or professional criteria, helping to increase brand visibility, drive website traffic, and generate leads.

Analytics

LinkedIn provides a variety of performance analytics tools including unique page visitors, custom button clicks, follower demographics and competitor performance. These features allow businesses to understand which types of posts perform best as well as track various KPIs over time.

Limitations of marketing on LinkedIn

Limited reach

As LinkedIn is a more niche social media platform, it’s not used by as many people as Facebook, Instagram or TikTok. This means that your adverts may not reach as many audiences - though this can actually be more efficient if your offering appeals more to professionals than casual social media users.

Complex ad creation

Due to the specialised and professional nature of LinkedIn, adverts designed for the platform must be particularly compelling and engaging to be successful. It’s often worth enlisting the aid of an experienced professional to ensure you get the most return on your investment. 

Lack of interest-based targeting

Whilst LinkedIn does offer a simple way to target various groups of professionals according to the industry, job title or company size, the targeting feature is limited outside of this. Whilst other social media platforms allow businesses to target ads based on user demographics and interests, it can be more challenging to reach specific audiences on LinkedIn.

Slow results

LinkedIn is not the platform to go to if you’re looking for a quick fix or speedy results. Slow and steady wins the race on the professional networking site - the most effective way to gain a following and build brand awareness is by cementing yourself or your business as an expert in your industry, and that doesn’t happen overnight. Instead, implementing an effective long-term LinkedIn marketing strategy can have a positive impact on your business in the long run.

UNBXD is a Creative Digital Agency which specialises in social media marketing using platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn and Instagram to create exciting, innovative solutions for breakthrough brands. We are experts in supporting brands to outline clear objectives, develop strong communication strategies and create unique content which truly engages their audience. Come and see what we can do for you