Dom D'Angelillo
Live From #INBOUND2021
We’ve all been there. That lightbulb moment when we realise all of our customers are on LinkedIn and we realise we can reach out to them.
But what is the best way? Do we just post and hope that it gets in front of the right people at the right time, or should businesses focus more on adverts and specifically targeting their demographic?
It’s the (social media) age-old question.
Going head-to-head at INBOUND2021 were LinkedIn Professionals AJ Wilcox and Michaela Alexis, both who have different approaches to reaching the customer and getting the best bang for your buck.
Who Uses LinkedIn Ads Vs Organic
When it comes to both options, the duo were split over who should be using Ads and Organic. Michaela, who was very much in the corner of organic posting admits that, very obviously, organic is for anybody on Linkedin. There’s no cost and anybody can set up an account.
However, when it comes to Ads, AJ mentions that because of the relative ad price, by comparison, it’s limited to those businesses who are willing to put a significant investment behind it – around $5,000 a month to really get bang for buck!
Top Tips To Your LinkedIn Approach
The battle then moved on to the pair’s relative approach to their LinkedIn posting.
AJ has a clever acronym – AMO – which when combined he states that ‘you can do no wrong.' Define your audience, think of the message, and include your offer.
On the organic side of things, Michaela really drilled home the point of optimization and investing in your presence, think about the content you are creating and how that will be perceived by the intended audience. But most importantly, be proactive.
What Challenges Do The Sides Face?
It was really interesting to hear both AJ and Michaela discuss the opposing sides challenges. AJ gave a great example about a client who had had a post go viral and therefore stopped their ads. But when the leads dried up, they soon returned and had their ads switched on.
This was because of the limited reach, even when you go viral, you’re really only covering your network and your network’s network. Ads can be much more specific.
From Michaela’s side, the challenge was obvious.
Price.
Not everyone can afford the expense that is targeted LinkedIn ads so it can’t work for everyone.
Common LinkedIn Mistakes
The duo concluded by delving into the most common mistakes that can be made surrounding LinkedIn Ads and Organic posting, and what you should avoid.
One key point that AJ made was that in setting up your Ads, LinkedIn has the tendency to try and throw in additional people (at an extra cost) – Make sure you uncheck that box!
He also suggested that you switch from maximum delivery bidding (again, the standard) to a manual cost per click, this approach will help you save money.
Organic, on the other hand, is all about not think about ‘either/or’. A lot of businesses aren’t sure if they should use a personal page or a company page.
Michaela points out that you should actually do both. Visualise your LinkedIn presence like a funnel, your personal account is at the top making first impressions and being personal, then, when the time’s right, point them in the direction of your company page.
Summary
The 30-minute debate flew by, but it was packed with information, tips and tricks to consider whether you’re using LinkedIn Ads or organic.
The general consensus, as with most things is ‘it depends'.
There are advantages and disadvantages of both and really it comes down to the individual as to what they prefer.
If I was to take one thing away from the debate it was testing. Test a small core ground and then you can expand, whether organically or through ads.
Another really insightful and jam-packed INBOUND session!
About Insynth
At Insynth we deliver a predictable flow of leads, customers, and specifications for building product brands through our inbound marketing approach, proven to reach a technically demanding audience.
We use the latest marketing techniques such as construction inbound marketing, to equip building product companies to grow sustainability in this era of digital transformation.
As the only HubSpot certified agency to major in construction marketing. We have a proven formula of bringing a variety of functionalities together including CRM Implementation, Web Design, Sales Automation, SEO, and Email Marketing to achieve your ultimate aim: Growing your business and gaining new specifiers and customers.