Since its’ creation in 2004, Facebook has been battling to keep its’ hold over the social networking world. First came MySpace, Facebook’s first true competitor, but the old king was launched into obscurity by Zuckerberg’s trendy new platform. Since 2010, the Silicon Valley based social media firm has ruled without great opposition (or at least a dangerous opponent). Sure, there has been discussion about how Twitter could unseat Facebook but the odds of that are fairly low until Twitter can field a larger army of users. While we do not believe that Facebook will be overthrown anytime soon, there may be a possibility that a long overlooked social media platform could overthrow Facebook’s stranglehold on advertising. We’ll give you a hint, it starts with an ‘L.’
An Unlikely Successor
Digital marketing professionals are always looking for the best return on investment (ROI) they can find. Facebook has just about ended its’ use of organic reach which means that their advertising rates are only going to go higher (and that may not be an investment your small business wants to make). The traditional alternative would be to go to Google+, Twitter or Instagram with your advertisements. But, tradition doesn’t always pay off in digital marketing (although Instagram’s fledgling ad platform is pretty intriguing) whereas exploring new territory can make your company seem groundbreaking, innovative and exciting. Something your company can do through a LinkedIn ad campaign.
Overlooked and Misunderstood
Most digital marketing professional’s only see LinkedIn as a business to business (B2B) site (not exactly the most attractive platform to convert potential customers). Trying to relay your company’s marketing message can also be a bit daunting due to a much smaller audience than Facebook or Twitter. But, a smaller reach does not necessarily inhibit your ability to market to potential customers.
Target Acquired: Using LinkedIn to Boost Your Conversion Rate
Imagine you’re giving a speech at a large venue and the microphone goes out. You can yell as loud as you want but your voice will probably not reach the back row but it will travel to those sitting closest to you. The same concept applies to your LinkedIn ad campaign. Facebook audiences can be massive and overwhelming (especially when you’re trying to manage them all alone). With LinkedIn you can precisely target customers by their job title, employer, skills and interests which may give you access to more useful (professional) information than what you may find on customer Facebook pages. The advertising service is also are very similar to those provided by Facebook and Google+. That means you won’t have to retrain one of your employees and can get started with your campaign almost immediately. LinkedIn could be a marketing asset for you and your business if you decide the platform is right for you. Let us know how it goes at 516-535-5353 or e-mail us at sales@fatguymedia.com. We look forward to hearing from you!