How do I integrate LinkedIn ads to Google Data Studio?

LinkedIn ads provide a powerful way to reach your target audience and drive conversions. However, to maximize their effectiveness it’s important to track and analyze their performance. This is where integrating LinkedIn ads with Google Data Studio comes in handy.

Google Data Studio is a free reporting tool that allows you to connect various data sources and create interactive dashboards to visualize your data. By connecting your LinkedIn ads account to Data Studio, you can gain valuable insights into your campaign’s metrics and KPIs.

In this article, we will walk you through the step-by-step process of integrating your LinkedIn ads with Google Data Studio. We will cover:

• Why integrate LinkedIn ads and Google Data Studio
• How to connect LinkedIn ads to Data Studio
• Setting up your LinkedIn ads reporting metrics in Data Studio
• Creating interactive LinkedIn ads dashboards in Data Studio
• Tips for analyzing your LinkedIn ads data

Whether you are new to LinkedIn ads or Data Studio, by the end of this guide you will have the knowledge to connect the two and start visualizing your LinkedIn advertising data through insightful dashboards.

Why Integrate LinkedIn Ads and Google Data Studio?

Here are some of the key benefits of integrating your LinkedIn ads with Google Data Studio:

• Track campaign performance in one place – Data Studio allows you to connect data from multiple sources, so you can analyze LinkedIn ads alongside your other marketing channels.
• Visualize campaign analytics – Create interactive dashboards that bring your LinkedIn ads data to life.
• Real-time reporting – Data Studio updates reports as soon as new data comes in, so you can monitor campaign performance in real-time.
• Keep stakeholders informed – Share live dashboards with clients and team members to provide transparency.
• Spot trends and patterns – Identify peaks and valleys in your LinkedIn ads metrics to optimize campaigns.
• Free to use – As Google Data Studio is free, there are no additional costs to integrate and analyze your data.

In summary, integrating LinkedIn ads reporting into Data Studio results in optimized LinkedIn ads campaigns through accurate, comprehensive, and shareable data analytics.

How to Connect LinkedIn Ads to Google Data Studio

Connecting your LinkedIn ads account to Data Studio is simple and straightforward. Follow these steps:

1. Create a LinkedIn ads reporting tag

The first step is to create a LinkedIn ads reporting tag in your LinkedIn ads account:

1. Go to the “Reporting Tags” section under “Campaign Manager”.
2. Click + Add new tag.
3. Give your tag a name (for example “Data Studio Integration”).
4. Under “Tag Type” select Website.
5. Toggle “Enable tag recording” to On.
6. Click “Add tag” to save your changes.

This creates a tracking tag that will collect data on your LinkedIn ads account activity.

2. Locate your LinkedIn ads reporting ID

Next, you need to find your 10-digit LinkedIn ads reporting ID to integrate with Data Studio:

1. In LinkedIn ads, go to “Account Assets”.
2. Click on “Reporting Tags”.
3. Locate the tag you just created.
4. Copy the 10-digit ID next to the tag name.

This ID will be used to authorize the connection between LinkedIn and Data Studio.

3. Set up the LinkedIn ads data source in Data Studio

Now we can connect LinkedIn ads by adding a new data source in Data Studio:

1. In Data Studio, click “+ Add Data” and select “Connectors”.
2. Search for “LinkedIn” and select the LinkedIn Ads Reporting option.
3. Enter your LinkedIn ads reporting ID and click “Connect”.
4. Select your LinkedIn ads account and click “Allow” to authorize the integration.

The LinkedIn ads data source will now be available to use in your Data Studio reports.

Setting up LinkedIn Ads Metrics in Data Studio

Once your LinkedIn ads account is connected to Data Studio, it’s time to add metrics to track campaign performance. Here are some essential LinkedIn ads metrics to include:

Campaign metrics

• Impressions – Number of times your ads were shown.
• Clicks – Clicks on your ads.
• Click-through rate (CTR) – Clicks divided by impressions.
• Cost – Total ad spend.
• Conversions – Number of conversions tracked.
• Cost per conversion – Ad spend divided by conversions.
• Conversion rate – Conversions divided by clicks.

Ad level metrics

• Impressions by ad – Breakdown of impressions for each ad.
• Clicks by ad – Breakdown of clicks for each ad.
• CTR by ad – Breakdown of CTR for each ad.
• Conversions by ad – Breakdown of conversions for each ad.
• Cost by ad – Breakdown of spend for each ad.
• CPA by ad – Breakdown of CPAs for each ad.

Audience metrics

• Impressions by audience – Performance by target audience.
• Clicks by audience – Clicks broken down by audience.
• CTR by audience – CTR broken down by audience.
• Conversions by audience – Conversions broken down by audience.
• CPA by audience – CPAs broken down by audience.

Demographic metrics

• Impressions by age – Performance by age groups.
• Impressions by gender – Performance by gender.
• Impressions by job title – Performance by job titles.
• Impressions by seniority – Performance by seniority level.

You can add these metrics by dragging and dropping them into your Data Studio report. Filter, segment, and compare them to gain insights.

Creating LinkedIn Ads Dashboards in Data Studio

Once your metrics are set up, it’s time to turn your data into impactful dashboards. Here are some tips for creating effective LinkedIn ads reports in Data Studio:

• Group metrics into logical sections – For example, have one section for campaign metrics, one for audience metrics etc.
• Visualize data using charts – Use column, bar, line and pie charts to visualize trends.
• Add tables for detailed data – Use tables to showcase metrics broken down by dimensions like age groups.
• Make it interactive – Add filters, date pickers and controls so users can interact with data.
• Include explanatory text – Use text boxes to explain metrics and provide analysis.
• Optimize layout – Use pages, tabs and columns to structure your layout effectively.
• Customize branding – Add colors, logos and themes to match your branding.

Some examples of LinkedIn ads dashboards you can create in Data Studio include:

LinkedIn Ads Overview Dashboard

Show high-level campaign metrics in one consolidated view with charts for clicks, impressions, CTR, conversions, cost per conversion and conversion rate over time. Use sparklines to visualize daily trends.

LinkedIn Ads Audience Insights Dashboard

Analyze performance by audience attributes. Include breakdowns of impressions, clicks, CTR, cost per click, conversions and conversion rate by target audience, age, seniority level and job title.

LinkedIn Ad Performance Dashboard

View stats for each ad including impressions, clicks, CTR, cost per click, conversions, conversion rate and cost per acquisition. Rank ads by performance.

LinkedIn Ads Spend Dashboard

Visualize spending over time by day, week or month. Show breakdown by campaign, ad group and creative with sparklines. Add target and actual spend metrics.

By tailoring dashboards to different goals and stakeholders, you can maximize the value derived from your LinkedIn ads data in Data Studio.

Tips for Analyzing Your LinkedIn Ads in Data Studio

Here are some best practices for using Data Studio to gain insights from your LinkedIn ads campaigns:

• Segment data by time frame – Compare week-over-week, month-over-month etc.
• Break down metrics by campaign, ad creative, audience etc – Isolate what content and targeting is most effective.
• Identify trends and patterns – Use line charts and sparklines to spot upward/downward trends.
• Set targets – Add targets to track metrics against goals.
• Compare time periods – Contrast metrics weekdays vs weekends or months with seasonal differences.
• Check for correlations – Cross-reference metrics like impressions vs CTR to identify relationships.
• Share dashboards – Let important stakeholders access dashboards to stay informed.

By actively analyzing your LinkedIn ads data within Data Studio, you can gain the insights necessary to optimize your campaigns and improve performance over time.

Conclusion

Integrating LinkedIn ads with Google Data Studio unlocks a wealth of opportunities for better ad reporting, visibility and optimization. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can get your LinkedIn ads data into Data Studio and start creating custom dashboards tailored to your business needs. The capabilities for visualizing, segmenting, monitoring and analyzing your LinkedIn advertising performance are immense within Data Studio. Use these best practices for connecting your accounts, setting up metrics, building dashboards and interpreting your data to get the most value. With the powerful combination of LinkedIn ads and Data Studio, you have an invaluable toolset to boost your LinkedIn advertising ROI and take your marketing efforts to the next level.