LinkedIn offers highly targeted advertising options that allow businesses to reach specific audiences based on various criteria. One of the most useful targeting options is the ability to target ads by industry. LinkedIn’s detailed member profile data makes it possible to serve ads to users who work in or have an interest in specific industries.
In this article, we’ll explore how LinkedIn ad targeting by industry works, the benefits it provides, and some best practices for utilizing industry targeting effectively.
How Does LinkedIn Ad Targeting by Industry Work?
LinkedIn allows advertisers to target ads by industry using their detailed targeting options. You can choose to show your ads to members who list specific industries in their LinkedIn profiles. Some examples include:
- Technology
- Financial Services
- Healthcare
- Higher Education
- Manufacturing
You can select one or multiple industries to target with your campaigns. LinkedIn will then show your ads to users who are part of those industries based on the information in their profiles.
LinkedIn Profile Data Enables Precise Industry Targeting
LinkedIn requires members to complete detailed profiles that include employment history, education, skills, and interests. This rich profile data is what makes industry targeting possible.
For example, if a member lists “Software Engineer at Microsoft” as their current position, LinkedIn knows they likely work in the technology industry. If another member went to “Harvard Medical School” and lists “Oncology” as a skill, LinkedIn can infer they probably work in healthcare.
LinkedIn uses this profile data to determine which members belong to the industries you want to target. It’s not reliant on users actively specifying an industry themselves.
Various Options for Industry Targeting
When setting up a LinkedIn ad campaign, you have a few options for targeting by industry:
- Select specific industries – Choose from LinkedIn’s list of industries.
- Target by company – Show ads to employees of specific companies.
- Target by job title – Reach people with relevant job titles.
- Target by skill – Target ads to members who have listed specific skills.
These options allow you to precisely hone in on your target audience within different industries. You can be very selective in who will see your ads.
Benefits of Targeting LinkedIn Ads by Industry
There are a number of benefits to targeting LinkedIn ads by industry, including:
Reach a Relevant Audience
The ability to target specific industries allows you to deliver your message and offerings to audiences that will find them most relevant. If you sell software for pharmaceutical companies, you can target just members who work in the pharmaceutical industry. This results in higher engagement and conversion rates.
Promote Business Listings
Another great use of industry targeting is promoting your LinkedIn Company Page or Showcase Pages. You can target your own industry to encourage followers and engagement amongst peers.
Build Your Brand in the Industry
Running LinkedIn ad campaigns targeted to your own industry is a great brand building exercise. It raises awareness of your company as an industry thought leader.
Drive Event Attendance
When promoting industry events or conferences, you can target ads specifically to people working in relevant fields who are likely to attend. This results in higher registration and attendance numbers.
Refine Messaging for the Industry
Targeting by industry also allows you to customize messaging to resonate with members of that specific vertical. You can tailor ad copy, offers, and creative to what matters most to the target industry.
Best Practices for Targeting Ads by Industry
Here are some top tips to use when targeting LinkedIn ads by industry:
Leverage Detailed Targeting Options
Take advantage of the detailed targeting options LinkedIn provides like job title, skill, company size, and more. Layer these on top of your industry targeting for greater specificity.
Test Multiple Industries
Try targeting a few different industries that could benefit from your offering. You may find greater success in verticals you hadn’t considered before.
Use Matched Audiences
Upload your customer lists to LinkedIn and target similar audiences. This amplifies your reach within your best customer industries.
Analyze Performance Data
Review analytics to see which industries are driving the most clicks, conversions, and engagement. Double down on high performing verticals.
Retarget Engaged Members
Use LinkedIn’s retargeting capabilities to follow up with engaged members from your target industries after they view or click your ads.
Align with Thought Leadership Content
Develop LinkedIn posts, long-form articles, and other content tailored to your target industries. Then promote that content with aligned ads.
Optimize Ad Copy
To maximize relevance, include industry-specific messaging, terminology, and keywords in your ad headlines and descriptions.
LinkedIn Ad Targeting by Industry Example
Here is an example of how a software company could leverage industry targeting with LinkedIn ads:
Target Audience
IT professionals and technical decision makers in the telecommunications industry.
Targeting Criteria
- Members who list telecommunications as their industry
- Job titles like IT Manager, Chief Technology Officer, Systems Administrator
- Skills such as Network Administration, Telecommunications Engineering, VoIP
- Companies in the telecom industry
Ad Message
“Access real-time network insights with [Software Company’s] telecom analytics platform. Request a custom demo today.”
This showcases how the software could be positioned specifically to resonate with and drive action from the targeted telecom industry audience.
Conclusion
Targeting LinkedIn ads by industry is a powerful capability to reach relevant professional audiences. Take advantage of LinkedIn’s expansive member profile data to hone in on the verticals that matter most to your business. Implement best practices like thorough audience targeting, optimized copy, and analytics analysis to get the most value from industry-focused LinkedIn ad campaigns.