LinkedIn campaigns allow businesses and organizations to promote their products, services, content, and events to a targeted audience on the LinkedIn platform. Campaigns can take various forms such as sponsored content, sponsored InMail, dynamic ads, etc. On the other hand, LinkedIn groups provide a way for professionals to connect, network, and engage with others who share similar interests and goals. While campaigns are a paid feature aimed at promotion, groups are more organic communities focused on relationship building.
Overview of LinkedIn Campaigns
LinkedIn campaigns allow businesses to reach their target audience and promote their brand and content on the platform. Here are some key things to know about LinkedIn campaigns:
- Various ad formats – Sponsored content, sponsored InMail, dynamic ads, Conversation ads, etc.
- Targeted reach – Target audience by location, industry, job role, interests, etc.
- Pay per click – You bid for clicks and only pay when someone engages with your ad
- Powerful analytics – Detailed metrics on impressions, clicks, engagement, conversions, etc.
- Managed through Campaign Manager – Create, launch, optimize, and track campaigns
LinkedIn campaigns provide businesses an opportunity to get their brand and content in front of a professional audience. The targeting capabilities allow you to reach your ideal customers and the flexible formats let you promote content that aligns with campaign objectives. Overall, LinkedIn advertising is focused on driving engagement, traffic, and conversions for brands.
Overview of LinkedIn Groups
LinkedIn groups provide an opportunity for professionals to connect, network, and share content with others in their industry or with shared interests. Here’s an overview of what LinkedIn groups offer:
- Forum for discussion – Members can post discussions and comments to engage with others
- Share content and ideas – Useful for sharing insights, articles, tips, job openings, etc.
- Networking – Allows connecting with other professionals in your niche or industry
- Thought leadership – Share your expertise and build brand awareness
- Recruitment – Some groups are dedicated to job postings and hiring in specific industries
- Various group types – Alumni, student, professional associations, etc.
The group format enables ongoing conversations vs. the one-off nature of campaigns. Members often join groups to establish connections, learn from experts, promote their business, find/share job opportunities, and more. Moderators and active members help set the tone and topics for each group.
Comparing Campaigns and Groups
While both LinkedIn campaigns and groups can help businesses achieve their marketing objectives, there are some key differences:
Purpose
- Campaigns – Promote products, content, brand awareness, generate leads
- Groups – Facilitate networking, discussions, relationships between members
Audience
- Campaigns – Can tightly target your ads to reach your ideal audience
- Groups – Established based on shared interests/goals, more self-selecting
Content
- Campaigns – Business controls the messaging and content promoted
- Groups – Discussions and content created by group members
Engagement
- Campaigns – One-way engagement, business to audience
- Groups – Multi-way engagement between members
Cost
- Campaigns – Pay per click model, advertising investment required
- Groups – Free to join groups, no cost for basic membership
In summary, campaigns are paid advertising that allow precise targeting, while groups enable organic community building around shared interests. Both can be valuable tools on LinkedIn depending on a business’ specific goals and budget.
Should You Use LinkedIn Campaigns, Groups, or Both?
When developing a LinkedIn marketing strategy, businesses should consider how campaigns and groups can work together to support their goals:
- Use campaigns to increase awareness and generate leads from your target audience
- Leverage groups to establish connections and credibility with your niche
- Promote your group content and discussions through sponsored updates
- Target your ads to engaged group members who already know your brand
Here are some best practices for using groups and campaigns together:
Align Messaging
Keep your ad messaging and group discussions consistent and complementary. Reinforce key brand messages across both.
Cross-Promote
Promote your group content and discussions through campaigns. Highlight your ad offers and promotions within relevant group discussions.
Target Engaged Members
Use lead generation campaigns to reach engaged group members like those who regularly post and comment. They signal interest.
Gather Insights
Pay attention to group discussions to identify pain points, trends, and topics to inform campaign messages.
Automate Campaigns
Use rules to automatically boost performance of ads based on group engagement levels and metrics.
By coordinating your groups and campaigns together, you can maximize their impact and influence on LinkedIn. Test different approaches and find the right balance that fits your goals and audience.
Best Practices for LinkedIn Campaigns
To get the most out of LinkedIn ads, keep these proven best practices in mind:
Target Carefully
Take advantage of LinkedIn’s powerful targeting capabilities. Target by location, company, job title, skills, interests, and member demographics.
Align with Buying Stage
Tailor your messages and offers to where leads are in the buying cycle – awareness, consideration, decision.
Test Creative
Develop and A/B test multiple ad variations with different text, images, captions, and calls-to-action.
Retarget Engaged Leads
Remarket to people who have already engaged with your ads or site to move them further into the funnel.
Measure Conversions
Track ROI beyond just clicks and impressions. Set up goals and conversion tracking for sign-ups, purchases, etc.
Optimize Campaigns
Continuously refine targeting, bids, budgets, and creative based on performance data and insights.
Expand Your Budget
Scale spend on well-performing campaigns to increase reach and conversions once you’ve optimized approach.
Promote Varied Content
Feature different offers, content assets, and promotions across campaigns to appeal to various interests.
Best Practices for LinkedIn Groups
To build an engaged LinkedIn group that delivers value, focus on these best practices:
Have a Clear Purpose
Define the group’s scope and objectives upfront when setting it up and communicating to members.
Appoint Active Moderators
Recruit reliable members to help moderate discussions and engage with new members.
Encourage Quality Discussions
Prompt members for input with thoughtful questions. Respond and steer conversation.
Share Relevant Content
Post articles, resources, tips, and insights aligned with group topics and interests.
Promote Outside the Group
Increase membership and activity by promoting your group across other channels.
Frequently Add New Members
Refresh membership by inviting targeted new connections to join the group.
Segment Discussion Topics
Use group sections or hashtags to organize topics and make discussions searchable.
Highlight Active Members
Recognize valuable contributors by featuring them in discussions when relevant.
Real-world Examples
Here are some real-world examples of how brands effectively leverage LinkedIn campaigns and groups:
Microsoft
- Ran LinkedIn sponsored content campaigns promoting their software and cloud solutions targeted to IT decision makers
- Leveraged groups like “Microsoft Partners” to build relationships with their partner ecosystem and share program updates
HubSpot
- Created nurturing campaigns with gated offers to generate inbound leads
- Established popular groups like “Inbound Marketers” to engage their target audience
Hootsuite
- Promoted free trial offers through Lead Gen Form ads targeted using buyer intent data
- Fostered discussions and connections in owned groups like “Hootsuite Academy Alumni”
Salesforce
- Drove high-value leads using Conversation Ads with customized messaging
- Leveraged groups like “Salesforce Trailblazers” to build brand community
In each case, these brands use LinkedIn advertising to reach qualified audiences and convert high-value leads. They complement this with organic engagement in relevant industry and brand groups. The combination allows them to achieve brand awareness, lead generation, and relationship-building goals.
Tips for Getting Started
For businesses new to LinkedIn looking to leverage campaigns and groups, here are some tips to get started:
Build Your LinkedIn Presence
Start by establishing your brand’s LinkedIn Page and building up an engaged follower base. This provides a foundation.
Audit Your Audience
Research your target LinkedIn demographics and interests. Analyze competitors’ followers and groups.
Set Marketing Goals
Define your KPIs. What actions and metrics of success are you driving towards? Get specific.
Launch Small Pilots
Test out a few small, short-term campaigns and join a few key industry groups.
Analyze and Refine
Review results and optimize your targeting, messaging, creative, engagement, etc.
Expand thoughtfully
Ramp up spend, audiences, groups, and effort level based on what delivers results.
Coordinate Efforts
Tie campaigns and groups together with integrated messaging and cross-promotion.
With consistent optimization, you can develop an impactful presence using LinkedIn campaigns and groups together over time. Track performance diligently and keep refining your approach.
Conclusion
LinkedIn campaigns provide a paid advertising opportunity for brands while groups enable organic community engagement around shared interests. Businesses can leverage both solutions in a coordinated way to achieve awareness, lead generation, and relationship-building goals. By targeting campaigns to reach ideal audiences and participating actively in relevant groups, brands can increase their visibility and connection with the LinkedIn professional community. With the right strategy, implementation, and optimization, LinkedIn campaigns and groups offer a powerful 1-2 punch.