How To Send Sponsored Messages on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn allows you to send sponsored messages to reach and engage with your target audience. Sponsored messages are a form of paid advertising that appear in the LinkedIn messaging inbox of your desired recipients. They are an effective way to get your message across to the right people and generate leads.

Benefits of LinkedIn Sponsored Messages

Here are some of the benefits of using LinkedIn sponsored messages:

• Reach your target audience directly – You can target your messages based on criteria like location, job title, company, skills, interests etc.
• High engagement rates – Sponsored messages get much higher engagement and response rates compared to organic content.
• Lead generation – You can include call-to-action buttons in your messages to drive visits, downloads, sign-ups etc.
• Brand awareness – Sponsored messages help increase awareness and mindshare for your brand or business.
• Trackable results – You can track metrics like click-through rate, conversions, impressions etc. to optimize your campaigns.

Step 1: Upgrade to a Premium Account

To send sponsored messages on LinkedIn, you need to first upgrade your account to a premium plan. The premium plans that support this feature are:

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator Professional
• LinkedIn Recruiter Professional
• LinkedIn Sales Navigator Team
• LinkedIn Recruiter Corporate
• LinkedIn Recruiter Enterprise

So if you are on LinkedIn’s free plan, you will need to upgrade. Each of these paid plans comes with a monthly fee, but allow you to send a certain number of sponsored messages every month. The higher plans have higher message send limits.

Step 2: Create Your Sponsored Message

Once you have upgraded to a premium plan, you can start creating your sponsored message campaign. Here are the key steps involved:

1. Click on the “Campaign Manager” tab in your account menu bar. This is where you manage all your LinkedIn ad campaigns.
2. Click the “+” button and select “Sponsored Message” to create a new message campaign.
3. Give your campaign a name for your reference.
4. Enter the message text. You can type up to 300 characters.
5. Add a subject line – this is critical to get your message opened.
6. Include a call-to-action button (optional) – Example “Learn More”, “Sign Up”, “Download” etc. You can link the button to any URL.
7. Upload an image or logo (optional) – Images can help grab attention.
8. Preview how your message will look on desktop and mobile.
9. Click “Next” after finalizing your message.

Step 3: Target Your Audience

Now you need to narrow down who receives your sponsored message. LinkedIn allows you to target by:

• Location – target people in specific countries, cities, zip codes.
• Company – target people who work at specific companies.
• Industry – target people who work in specific industries.
• Job Title – target specific roles like HR managers, CTOs etc.
• Job Function – Engineering, Marketing, Finance etc.
• Seniority – Entry level, Manager, Director, CXO etc.
• Skills – target people who have specific skills listed on their profile.
• Gender – Male, Female.
• Age – target specific age groups.
• Interests – Sports, Technology, Business News etc.
• LinkedIn Groups – target members of specific LinkedIn groups.

Use the various filters to create your ideal target audience. The more specific your targeting, the better your results will be.

Step 4: Set Your Budget

Next, you need to set a budget for your sponsored message campaign. You can choose:

• Daily budget – Maximum amount you want to spend per day
• Total budget – Total amount you want to spend over the full duration
• Duration – Number of days you want your campaign to run
• Impressions – Number of times you want your message to be shown

Try starting small, like $10-$20 per day. Monitor the results and then scale up your budget. LinkedIn bills you only for the amount you actually spend.

Step 5: Make Payment

The final step is making payment to activate your campaign. You can pay with a credit card. LinkedIn will charge your card as your campaign spends the allotted budget.

And that’s it! Your sponsored message campaign will start running shortly.

Tips for Effective LinkedIn Sponsored Messages

Here are some tips to make your LinkedIn sponsored messages more effective:

• Personalize the message by including the first name of the recipient. This boosts open and response rates.
• Keep the message text simple and scannable. Get to the point quickly.
• Test different subject lines and CTAs and see what works best.
• Send messages on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Avoid Mondays and Fridays.
• Follow up unanswered messages with a second attempt. Response rates improve.
• Track open and click-through rates to refine your targeting and messaging.
• Offer something of value – free trial, discount, whitepaper etc. to generate interest.
• A/B test your images to see which ones perform better.

LinkedIn Sponsored Message Guidelines

When sending LinkedIn sponsored messages, you should follow these guidelines:

• No spam or promotional messages – focus on value.
• Respect member preferences and consent.
• No false or misleading claims.
• No offensive, political or illegal content.
• Honor opt-out requests promptly.
• No 3rd party ads or promotions.
• Comply with all LinkedIn policies.

Violating these guidelines can lead to your account being restricted by LinkedIn.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many sponsored messages can I send?

This depends on your LinkedIn premium plan. For example, Sales Navigator Professional allows you to send 50 messages per month. The higher plans have higher sending limits.

What type of content works best?

Personalized messages focused on value and relevance work best. Avoid spammy sales pitches. Share useful advice, insights, or offers.

Can I target by seniority and department?

Yes, you can target by seniority levels like manager, director etc. Department targeting is not available, but you can target by job function like marketing, IT, HR etc.

How much do sponsored messages cost?

You only pay for the number of messages shown. The cost per message shown is around $2 – $4 based on factors like targeting and competition.

When is the best time to send messages?

Mid-week days like Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday tend to have the highest response rates. Early morning or late afternoon are also good times.