Here’s What That Means for Your Healthcare Marketing
If you’ve ever used LinkedIn Sponsored InMail ads, you know these strategically targeted messages can be very effective for getting the attention of B2B healthcare audiences to generate referrals, recruit talent and build your brand. Unfortunately, LinkedIn is retiring that ad format. But worry not. They’ve replaced it with a new tool that will help you generate higher engagement by giving your target audiences more options and by creating two-way conversations.
They call it, unsurprisingly, “Conversation Ads.”
The concept is the same. You’re able to send a personalized direct message to your target audience from a real sender. The difference is that you can now use up to five calls-to-action in your messages and send tailored follow-up messages based on the actions your audience takes.
Essentially, with Conversation Ads, you give your targets the power to choose their own path.
Here are a few tips and tricks for getting the best results:
- Don’t Be a Stranger. While you CAN target audiences using the usual LinkedIn parameters, it’s best to target people who have already visited your website or have already interacted with other ads. Keep in mind that you are still sending a personalized message to an individual – so preexisting brand affinity facilitates better engagement. If you don’t have it, create some.
- Mind Your Sender. Before selecting a sender, ask yourself who would be the most natural choice? If you’re trying to reach a physician audience, a physician peer would make sense. Make sure the sender’s LinkedIn page is standing tall and has a visible profile picture. And if you’re not sure who to choose, try sending the same ad from different senders to test for effectiveness.
- Play the Long Game. Rather than creating ads that try to immediately close the deal, create a series of ads that invite your target audience to read a blog, download a case study or watch a pre-recorded webinar. Think of these ads the same way you would an account-based marketing campaign, where you nurture your leads, offer high-value branded content and then drive them toward becoming a customer.
- Make Your First Sentence Count. With Conversation Ads, you can send a string of messages like you would if you were personally chatting with someone on LinkedIn. There are no subject lines in Conversation Ads. Like any other LinkedIn message, the first sentence appears as the subject. Make it count! The first message should introduce who you are and let recipients know why you’re reaching out. Subsequent messages should include consistent branded language or a call-back to the preceding message.
- Keep It Short. Keep it Human. While you may be engaging a B2B audience, remember that it’s people who make the decisions. They want to know that your brand is human, authentic and worth their time. Keep your messages short, friendly and conversational. Let them know you understand their challenges, wants and needs by acknowledging them. Then, entice them to interact with your landing page to learn how you can make their lives better.
Conversation Ads are a great new tool, but you need to use them effectively. If you’re not sure how to get started, or if you even should, drop us a note. We’re happy to chat. And visit LinkedIn’s Conversation Ads page for case studies, inspiration and more tips and tricks.
Let’s talk about how Conversation Ads can help you reach your healthcare marketing goals!
