LinkedIn website retargeting allows advertisers to show ads to people who have previously visited their website. It works by placing cookies on the visitor’s browser when they land on the advertiser’s site. Then, when that visitor goes to LinkedIn, they can be shown relevant ads reminding them about the advertiser’s products or services.
What is website retargeting?
Website retargeting, also known as remarketing, is a form of online advertising that shows ads to people who have previously interacted with your website. The most common type of retargeting is showing ads to people who have visited your website but did not take a desired action such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter.
Retargeting works by placing a cookie on the visitor’s browser when they land on your site. This cookie contains a unique identifier that allows your ads to be shown to that same browser in the future. So as that person browses other sites and apps where you have advertising placements, your ads can appear, enticing them to come back and complete the intended action on your site.
Benefits of website retargeting
Some key benefits of website retargeting include:
- Increased conversion rates – Reminding visitors of your products/services can turn more abandoned carts into sales
- Improved ad relevancy – You can show ads for the exact products the visitor viewed
- Lower cost per acquisition – Retargeting converts at a higher rate so you can get more bang for your ad budget
- Brand familiarity – Repeated brand exposure nurtures familiarity and trust
How website retargeting works
Here are the key steps involved in website retargeting:
- Visitor lands on your website. A cookie is dropped on their browser to record their visit.
- Visitor leaves without converting. The cookie allows you to track and identify this browser.
- You create targeted ads in your preferred ad platform – these will only be shown to cookied browsers.
- When the visitor goes to sites/apps in the ad platform’s network, your ads are shown, enticing them back to your site.
- If they click and return, the cookie helps attribute this as a retargeting conversion.
So in summary, the cookie left by the initial visit allows you to identify and target that visitor for your ads when they go elsewhere online. The cookie lasts for a timeframe you specify, usually 30-90 days.
How does LinkedIn website retargeting work?
LinkedIn website retargeting works similarly to retargeting on other major ad platforms like Google and Facebook. Here are some key details on how it works specifically on LinkedIn:
Placing the LinkedIn Insight Tag
To enable retargeting on LinkedIn, you first need to install the LinkedIn Insight Tag on the relevant pages of your website. This tag will drop a cookie on visitors to record they visited your site:
- The tag should be installed on any important landing pages you want to retarget from
- This typically includes your homepage, product pages, blog, contact pages etc
- The tag only needs to be placed once per page
- It should be implemented high up in the section of the page code
With the Insight Tag implemented, you can now configure audience targeting in LinkedIn Campaign Manager based on website visits.
Creating Website Retargeting Campaigns
In LinkedIn Campaign Manager, you can create campaigns targeted to website visitors:
- Select “Website Retargeting” as the objective
- Enter the domain(s) you want to target visitors from
- Choose the number of days to look back for visitors (e.g. 30 days)
- Create ads and select the target audience for retargeting
- Place your ads through the LinkedIn ad network
- The Insight Tag cookies allow matching your ads to the right visitors
You can further refine your targeting to go after high-intent visitors, such as people who visited pricing or contact pages.
Retargeting Options
Some ways to customize your LinkedIn website retargeting campaigns:
- Lookalike audiences – Target people similar to your visitors
- Remarketing lists – Create lists of visitors to target across campaigns
- Exclusions – Exclude people who have already converted
- Page visit retargeting – Target people who visited specific pages
This allows you to get very precise with who you choose to retarget and what messaging you show them.
Why use LinkedIn for website retargeting?
There are a few advantages to using LinkedIn for your website retargeting efforts:
Professional Audience
LinkedIn’s audience is predominantly professional/business people. This makes it ideal for B2B companies to reach their target buyers who have visited their sites.
Quality Traffic
LinkedIn visitors tend to be higher-intent than social media platforms. Retargeting them can convert at a higher rate.
Detailed Targeting
LinkedIn’s depth of professional data allows detailed targeting options like job title, industry, skills, and more.
Range of Ad Options
You can retarget through a variety of ad formats on LinkedIn:
- Sponsored Content in the LinkedIn feed
- Text ads
- Dynamic ads
- Message ads
This allows you to use the ideal creative approach for your campaign.
Best practices for LinkedIn retargeting
Here are some top tips for running effective LinkedIn website retargeting campaigns:
Use detailed targeting
Leverage LinkedIn’s profile data to target your ads beyond just website visits. Focus on job role, industry, skills, company details, and other professional variables.
Retarget warm audiences
Prioritize targeting visitors who showed high intent, such as people who visited pricing or contact pages.
Create customized ads
Tailor your ads specifically for people who visited your site – remind them what they were looking at or offer an incentive.
Set frequency caps
Cap how often someone sees your retargeting ads to avoid oversaturation. 3-4 impressions per month is a good range.
Measure ROI
Analyze the return from your spend by tracking website conversions driven by your LinkedIn retargeting campaigns.
Split test different creatives
A/B test different versions of your ads to see what messaging and offers work best.
Remarket ongoingly
Continuously remarket to your website visitors – set your cookie duration long enough to capture ongoing interest.
Conclusion
LinkedIn website retargeting is a highly effective tactic for B2B companies and advertisers looking to turn high-value website visitors into conversions. With precise professional targeting and LinkedIn’s quality traffic, retargeting campaigns can yield strong ROI if executed well. By placing the Insight Tag, creating targeted campaigns, and optimizing your ads, you can keep your brand top of mind and prompt action from your ideal audiences across LinkedIn.
