LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 800 million members worldwide. It provides a powerful platform for businesses to advertise to and engage with professionals and companies in their target demographics. With LinkedIn’s detailed targeting options based on job title, industry, skills, company size and more, it has become an essential advertising channel for B2B marketers and recruiters.
To effectively manage LinkedIn ad campaigns, most businesses use LinkedIn’s built-in Campaign Manager. However, to maximize results, many marketers prefer using a specialized LinkedIn ads management platform. These tools provide robust targeting, bidding, analytics and optimization capabilities to get the most out of LinkedIn advertising budgets.
In this 5000 word guide, we will cover everything you need to know about the top apps to manage LinkedIn ads, including:
Table of Contents
– The benefits of using a LinkedIn ads management app
– The top 7 LinkedIn ads management platforms
– Key features to look for when choosing a LinkedIn ads manager
– Setting up and optimizing campaigns in LinkedIn ads managers
– Reporting and analytics capabilities
– Tips for selecting the right LinkedIn ads management app for your business
So if you want to improve your LinkedIn advertising results, then read on to discover the best LinkedIn ads management apps available today.
The Benefits of Using a LinkedIn Ads Management App
While LinkedIn’s built-in Campaign Manager allows you to create, run and monitor LinkedIn ad campaigns, it does have some limitations. Here are some of the key benefits of using a dedicated LinkedIn ads management platform:
More Robust Targeting Options
LinkedIn ads managers provide expanded targeting capabilities to allow you to precisely hone in on your ideal customers on LinkedIn. This includes options to target by job title, skills, groups, interests, company attributes, lead scores and more.
Automated Bid Management
The platform will automatically optimize your bids to balance budget, impressions and conversions to get you the most cost-efficient results. This saves you time compared to manually managing bids.
Advanced Audience Insights
LinkedIn ads management tools give you access to detailed analytics on your target audience and accounts to inform your ad strategy and targeting.
Sophisticated Campaign Management
Easily manage large, complex LinkedIn campaigns across multiple accounts, funnels and initiatives. Track performance centralally to identify top converting messaging and audiences.
Deep Reporting and Attribution
LinkedIn ads managers give you clear visibility into your LinkedIn ad performance with customizable reporting and multi-touch attribution modeling to understand your customer journey.
Real-Time Alerts and Notifications
Get notified immediately if there are any issues with your campaigns or changes in performance so you can take swift action.
Integration with Other Ad Platforms
Some LinkedIn ads management platforms allow you to connect other advertising channels like Google Ads, Facebook Ads and more for consolidated cross-channel reporting.
Enhanced Efficiency
Automation, workflows and collaboration features streamline processes to make managing large-scale LinkedIn advertising easier for your marketing team.
Next, let’s look at the top LinkedIn ads management platforms on the market today.
Top 7 LinkedIn Ads Management Platforms
Here are 7 of the top apps to manage your LinkedIn advertising:
1. Kenshoo
Kenshoo is a robust ads management platform supporting LinkedIn, Google, Facebook and other networks. Key LinkedIn advertising features include:
– Advanced audience segmentation and targeting
– Auto-bidding algorithms to optimize CPA and ROAS
– Sophisticated campaign management and workflows
– Cross-channel and multi-touch attribution modeling
– Real-time performance alerts and notifications
– Customizable reporting and analysis
Kenshoo is a great choice for large brands managing complex cross-channel ad campaigns.
2. MarinOne
MarinOne is an AI-powered advertising platform with powerful options for LinkedIn ad management including:
– Audience intelligence to build targeted lead lists
– Automated bidding optimized for conversions
– Unified workflows to easily manage campaigns
– Customizable dashboards with deep analytic insights
– Integration with Salesforce and other CRMs
– Account management portal for collaborating with clients
MarinOne is ideal for B2B companies with Salesforce integration needs.
3. AdStage
AdStage helps businesses manage LinkedIn, Google, Facebook and other paid advertising all in one intuitive interface. Key LinkedIn advertising capabilities:
– Granular demographic, firmographic and interest targeting
– Auto-bidding algorithms to maximize conversion value
– Quickly duplicate high performing ads and audiences
– Click fraud monitoring and blocking
– Customizable reporting and scheduled reports
AdStage is designed for mid-market companies looking for an easy-to-use consolidated marketing platform.
4. WordStream
WordStream offers a suite of software to optimize digital advertising activities. For LinkedIn, WordStream provides:
– Audience building with matched audiences and lookalike modeling
– Auto-tagging ads with optimal keywords
– Automated bid adjustments to meet ROI goals
– Lead management integration with Salesforce and other CRMs
– Customizable dashboards with campaign insights
WordStream suits mid-market companies needing expanded LinkedIn targeting and automation.
5. Optmyzr
Optmyzr specializes in advanced PPC campaign optimization including for LinkedIn ads. Key features include:
– Sophisticated and customizable bid management
– Automated ad testing framework
– Rules engine for auto-optimizing campaigns
– Data-driven reporting and analytics
– Integration with Salesforce, HubSpot and 25+ other platforms
– Scripts for applying optimizations across accounts
Optmyzr appeals to skilled PPC experts looking to maximize campaign performance.
6. Acquisio
Acquisio provides an AI-powered advertising platform to optimize LinkedIn and other paid ads. Key LinkedIn advertising capabilities:
– Detailed audience targeting by firmographic, intent and engagement data
– Behavioral targeting like exam readiness and skills mastery
– Automatic campaign pacing to maintain budgets
– Intelligent creative optimization testing
– Unified cross-channel reporting and attribution
– Predictive lead and revenue forecasts
Acquisio suits mid-large companies needing automated optimization of LinkedIn and other advertising channels.
7. Adalysis
Adalysis offers automated optimization and management for LinkedIn ad campaigns. Key features include:
– Audience recommendation engine
– Deep analysis of audience metrics and trends
– Auto-generated ad creative with dynamic keywords
– Auto-bidding based on conversion value and ROAS
– Easy-to-use workflow to launch and manage campaigns
– Customizable reporting dashboards
Adalysis is purpose-built to make LinkedIn advertising easier for small businesses and startups.
This covers the top dedicated LinkedIn advertising management platforms available today. But how do you determine which one is right for your business? Next, let’s explore the key factors to consider when selecting a LinkedIn ads management app.
Key Features to Look for in a LinkedIn Ads Manager
Here are some of the top features and capabilities to evaluate when choosing a LinkedIn ads management platform:
Targeting Options
Look for sophisticated audience targeting based on professional demographics, interests, company attributes, lead scores and more. This allows you to hone in on your ideal accounts.
Bidding & Budgeting
Seek platforms with automated bidding to maximize conversions within your budget. Look for flexible bid strategies optimized for CPA, ROAS or other KPIs.
Campaign Management
Evaluate workflow efficiency, collaboration features, and how easily you can structure complex campaigns across initiatives, accounts and ad sets.
Performance Monitoring
Assess the dashboards, reporting, attribution modeling, notifications and analytics tools to monitor campaign performance and results.
Automation & Optimization
Consider the platform’s capabilities to automate testing, adjustments, creative generation and more based on data and insights.
Integrations
Review which CRM, MAP, web analytics and other marketing tools the platform connects with for unified data and workflows.
Training & Support
Factor in the vendor’s account management, onboarding, training resources and customer support services to ensure you can effectively use the platform.
Evaluating products against these criteria will help you determine the right LinkedIn ads management solution for your business needs, resources and experience level.
Next, let’s go over how to use these platforms to set up, manage and optimize your LinkedIn advertising.
Setting Up and Optimizing LinkedIn Campaigns in Ads Managers
Here is an overview of using a LinkedIn ads management app to create, organize, enhance and monitor LinkedIn ad campaigns:
Connect LinkedIn Account(s)
First, you’ll need to connect and authenticate your LinkedIn advertising account(s) with the platform. Most managers support managing multiple LinkedIn accounts from one interface.
Import Existing Campaigns
If you already have LinkedIn campaigns running, you can usually import them into the platform to start managing them there. This preserves your historical campaign data.
Create New Campaigns
Within the platform, you can create new LinkedIn advertising campaigns and ad sets from scratch. You typically structure campaigns based on initiatives, business units, or major product/service lines.
Configure Targeting Settings
Build your ad audience targeting based on professional demographic, firmographic, interest, engagement and other filters. Many LinkedIn ads managers tap into LinkedIn Matched Audiences for targeting too.
Design Ad Creative
Develop your LinkedIn text ads, dynamic ads, Sponsored Content and other creative within the platform. Look for ad builders with dynamic customization.
Set Up Automated Bidding
Choose an automated bidding strategy based on your KPI – like target CPA or max conversions – and apply it to your LinkedIn advertising. The platform will then automatically adjust bids to optimize delivery.
Establish Campaign Tracking
Configure conversion tracking and build custom reports to monitor campaign metrics like cost per lead, click-through rate, conversion rate, ROAS and other KPIs.
Review Performance Analytics
Analyze campaign performance leveraging the platform’s reporting tools. Run A/B tests to see how different messaging and audiences perform.
Apply Performance Insights
Use key insights from your campaign analytics to optimize your LinkedIn ads. Make adjustments to audience targeting, bids, budgets, ad copy and other parameters to improve results.
Monitor & Nurture Leads
For many B2B marketers, the ability to capture and integrate LinkedIn leads with a CRM is vital. Quality LinkedIn ads managers will facilitate this lead management process.
Following this general framework will allow you to effectively set up, manage, enhance and track LinkedIn advertising campaigns using a specialized ads management platform. The added targeting, automation and analytic capabilities will help unlock more value from your LinkedIn ad spend.
Now let’s look at some of the powerful reporting and analytics features you gain access to with a LinkedIn ads management app.
Reporting and Analytics Capabilities
Harnessing performance data is vital for optimizing campaigns and gleaning insights into your ideal audiences and messaging. Here are some of the robust analytics and reporting features offered by leading LinkedIn ads management platforms:
Customizable Dashboards
LinkedIn ads managers allow you to build customized dashboards to monitor the campaign metrics most important for your strategy and objectives. Display charts, graphs and tables showing real-time data.
Cross-Channel Reporting
For consolidated advertising campaigns, view performance insights across LinkedIn, Google, Facebook and other integrated channels within one reporting interface.
Real-Time Alerting
Set parameters like cost thresholds or performance targets and receive alerts when they are exceeded to enable agile optimization.
Ad Performance Analytics
Drill down into metrics for individual ads and ad sets. See impressions, clicks, CTR, reach, frequency and conversion data to optimize targeting and creative.
Conversion Path Analysis
With multi-touch attribution, track the customer journey to see which LinkedIn ad placements led to conversions within complex campaigns.
Audience Insights
Analyze the demographics, industry focus and interests driving engagement and conversions within your LinkedIn target audience.
Campaign Trend Tracking
Visualize how your LinkedIn campaign metrics like CPC, CPM, conversions and CTR trend over time to assess ongoing optimization tactics.
Automated Reports
Schedule customized reports on LinkedIn campaign performance metrics to be auto-generated and sent to stakeholders.
Cost & Budget Tracking
Monitor spend across campaigns, accounts and time periods. Forecast future budget needs based on performance data.
Lead & Pipeline Tracking
For B2B marketers, track LinkedIn leads generated and progression through sales funnel stages powered by integrations like Salesforce.
With data-driven insights from LinkedIn ads management platforms, you can make smarter optimization decisions and demonstrate LinkedIn advertising ROI.
Next let’s discuss how to select the right platform for your unique business needs.
Tips for Selecting the Right LinkedIn Ads Manager for Your Business
With an array of LinkedIn ads management platforms available, how do you determine the right solution for your business? Here are some top tips for selecting a LinkedIn ads manager:
Assess Your Current LinkedIn Advertising Approach
First, look at how you currently manage LinkedIn ads – number of campaigns, ad formats used, targeting methods, bidding strategy, budget and resource allocation. This establishes your requirements.
Define Your Goals and KPIs
Be clear about what you want to accomplish with LinkedIn advertising and how you determine success – sales leads, web traffic, brand awareness? Align features to goals.
Review Targeting and Automation Needs
Do you want to refine audience targeting? Implement sophisticated auto-bidding? Prioritize platforms with robust capabilities in your focus areas.
Evaluate Your Team’s Skills
Determine the experience your team has with managing LinkedIn advertising and PPC campaigns in general. Seek platforms tailored to your skill level.
Assess Available Resources
Factor in the budget and personnel you can allocate to LinkedIn advertising management. Some platforms offer enterprise packages and others are designed for lean teams.
Compare Platform Integrations
See what marketing tools like CRM, web analytics, email services each platform connects with. The more integrated, the better.
Read Independent Product Reviews
Leverage unbiased reviews on software review sites to validate strengths and weaknesses of different LinkedIn ads managers.
Sign Up for Free Trials
Don’t just take the vendor’s word for it – sign up to pilot platforms firsthand. Assess usability and results.
Evaluating LinkedIn ads managers against these criteria will help you select the right solution tailored to your business’s unique needs and resources.
Conclusion
Managing LinkedIn advertising through the platform’s self-serve Campaign Manager allows you to directly control spend and Creative. However, to truly maximize LinkedIn advertising ROI, leveraging a purpose-built ads management platform is key.
Sophisticated targeting, automation, analytical capabilities and tight platform integrations within these apps gives marketers the tools needed to execute highly effective LinkedIn ad campaigns. Dedicated LinkedIn ads managers empower you to:
– Engage your ideal professional audiences with precision
– Continuously optimize performance through automation and machine learning
– Gain actionable insights through robust analytics
– Achieve greater efficiency through workflows and collaboration tools.
Carefully assess your business objectives, resources and team capabilities. And take advantage of free trials to find the right fit. Adopting one of the leading LinkedIn ads management platforms profiled will provide the infrastructure to get the best results from your LinkedIn advertising investment.