Back in 2016, Microsoft made the news when they acquired LinkedIn, and the companies are in the headlines again. Now with Bing Ads, another Microsoft company, Microsoft is offering a new and unique feature: LinkedIn Profile Targeting. This is something that PPC managers and digital marketers have been waiting for for years.
Advertisers can now target users on Bing Ads using the information provided on users’ LinkedIn profiles. This feature is not available on Google or any other advertising platforms.
Currently, the feature is “bid only” which means it does not narrow your audience. Rather, it allows you to bid up or down based on information users provide on their LinkedIn profiles. This may change as the feature develops over time.
LinkedIn Profile Targeting Capabilities
There are three LinkedIn dimensions that can be targeted:
- Company
- Job Function
- Industry
Below are additional details about each of the LinkedIn targeting options.
Company: 80,000 companies available to target.
Choose to bid up or down on users who work at specific companies. Perfect for advertisers who have a client/customer “wish list.”
Job Function: 26 job functions available to target.
If your business knows that the people they need to talk to work in an Administrative or Operations role, for example, Job Function Targeting allows advertisers to bid up on people whose LinkedIn profile is categorized under those groups. Of course, there are many other job functions to target in addition to this example.
This is a great option for advertisers who may or may not know the companies they want to target but know who they need to talk to within any given company.
Industry: 145 industries available to target.
Similar to job function, if your business has a good idea about the industry that your target audience would fall into, then Industry Targeting would be a useful tactic. Industry targeting allows you to reach people based on the industry group they fall into on their LinkedIn profiles. A sample list includes Pharmaceuticals, Logistics & Supply Chain, and Apparel & Fashion.
Why is LinkedIn Targeting on Bing Ads Important to Advertisers?
The LinkedIn Profile Targeting feature allows advertisers to bid differently with LinkedIn profile data that is unique to Bing and never before available.
Advertisers can now leverage this data to improve their Bing Ads targeting and focus more on the users that matter most to their business.
Get Started with LinkedIn Profile Targeting for Bing Ads
When creating a new campaign:
During the campaign creation process, select the LinkedIn profile targets you want to use under the Campaign Targets dropdown.
To add LinkedIn profile targeting to existing campaigns:
- Select the campaign.
- Go to the campaign Settings tab
- Scroll down to the Campaign Targets section
- Select Edit Target Categories and add LinkedIn profile targets to your campaign.
To review the performance of LinkedIn profile targets:
- Go to the Demographics tab
- Select either Company, Industry, or Job Function to view the performance of each of your targeted segments.
- Add columns to see the specific performance metrics you want to see.
- Within the Demographics tab, you can change/update bid adjustments, add additional LinkedIn profile targets, or delete existing targets.
The Future of LinkedIn Profile Targeting for Bing Ads
LinkedIn Profile Targeting is a valuable feature that will inevitably evolve over time. Below are a few predictions.
I anticipate the ability to only target people who are part of the selected LinkedIn targeting groups (more commonly known as “target and bid”).
You can not entirely exclude LinkedIn profile targets at this time; you can only decrease bids by up to -90%. I see target exclusions as an option in the future.
Expanding the LinkedIn targeting options to include additional fields, for example, education. This could mean targeting based on field of study, education level attained, and/or college attended.
Conclusion
LinkedIn Profile Targeting is a powerful feature that should be added to every advertiser’s marketing strategy. At WTM Digital, we’ve tested it, gained insights, and ultimately helped clients gain a competitive advantage. If you’re not utilizing the Bing-LinkedIn targeting feature, you’re missing out.
Currently, this feature is in beta, so it is not available to all advertisers. As a Bing Ads Partner with a dedicated Bing Ads team, WTM Digital has enabled numerous clients to get up and running with Bing-LinkedIn targeting. Contact WTM Digital to learn more and get started today!