LinkedIn has introduced new advertising features aimed at helping marketers connect more effectively with their audiences.

With 81% of B2B ads struggling to capture attention or drive recall, LinkedIn’s new capabilities focus on improving how brands engage with buying groups, particularly through video, live events, and influencer content. The new product offerings are designed to address the needs of buyers who rely increasingly on expert voices and multimedia content to inform purchasing decisions.

In addition to unveiling new research on B2B buyer preferences, LinkedIn is enhancing its AI-driven campaign tool, Accelerate, to offer video ads and expanded campaign objectives. These updates aim to help marketers build stronger relationships with the 95% of buyers who are out of the market but are still consuming content that may influence future purchasing decisions.

New Research Highlights Buyer Preferences for Video and Influencer Content

LinkedIn’s latest research, “Business of Influence,” surveyed over 1,700 B2B tech buyers in the US, UK, and India to uncover insights into how buyers prefer to receive information about new products. The findings show that video content is particularly influential, with 63% of respondents saying short-form video helps inform their buying decisions. Furthermore, 80% of those consuming video content stated that video-focused influencer content is among the most trusted forms of B2B information.

Influencer marketing plays a crucial role in the consideration phase of purchasing decisions. According to the research, 67% of respondents aware of B2B influencer marketing said that content from influencers is a critical factor during this stage. Expertise is key, with 53% of buyers stating that subject matter expertise is the most important trait in a B2B influencer. Additionally, 67% of respondents who engage with B2B influencer content said that expert content helps build trust and increase awareness of different products and solutions.

Video continues to grow rapidly on LinkedIn, with uploads increasing by 34% year-on-year. LinkedIn’s position as a leading platform for B2B video marketing has been reaffirmed, according to a report by eMarketer on B2B video marketing for 2024.

New Advertising Capabilities for Live Events and Accelerate

To help businesses capitalise on the growing demand for video and expert-led content, LinkedIn has introduced several new advertising capabilities. These include enhanced features for promoting live events and additional options for customising campaigns through the Accelerate tool.

Live Event Ads are a key new feature, following a 14.4% increase in live events hosted on LinkedIn over the past year. LinkedIn is introducing the ability for marketers to promote member posts about live events hosted by their company pages using Thought Leader Ads. These ads, which link directly to the event, aim to drive registrations and boost participation. Marketers will also be able to offer a 30-second video preview to encourage engagement both before and after the event. In addition, regional targeting options will allow for more personalised event promotion.

The Accelerate tool, which uses AI to streamline campaign creation, is also receiving new updates. With campaigns created using Accelerate showing up to a 42% lower cost per action compared to traditional campaigns, LinkedIn is expanding the tool’s functionality. Starting this quarter, marketers will be able to add video or document ads, such as eBooks, whitepapers, or customer testimonials, in addition to single-image ads. New campaign objectives—including brand awareness, engagement, website conversions, and video views—are also being rolled out gradually across global markets.

Accelerate is now available to all advertisers worldwide for lead generation and website visit objectives, while AI-powered creative tools remain accessible only in English. These updates aim to give marketers more flexibility in tailoring their campaigns to achieve specific business goals.

Customer Success with LinkedIn’s Accelerate Campaigns

Several companies have already experienced success using LinkedIn’s Accelerate tool. Advantive, for example, reported strong lead generation across various verticals thanks to LinkedIn’s campaign management tools. Phillip Montalvo, Senior Manager of Demand Generation at Advantive, noted the success achieved by having the right team and tools at their disposal, which he expects to strengthen further over time.

Veronica McGhee, VP, Paid Social Director at Cramer-Krasselt, praised Accelerate for reducing cost-per-click (CPC) by more than 50% while improving campaign management efficiency. José Manuel Campos Rey, Marketing Department Director and Partner at Femxa, highlighted the competitive CPC and above-average click-through rates achieved with Accelerate campaigns. Femxa used audience segmentation to expand its reach without compromising click quality.

Soumyajit Day, Global Head of Digital Experience Optimisation at Thoughtworks, reported a 30% reduction in campaign setup and launch time, thanks to Accelerate’s user-friendly interface and scalability. This efficiency has made it an ideal solution for streamlining campaign launches across the company’s digital marketing efforts.

Looking Ahead: Global Rollout of New Features

All the new features, including Live Event Ads and the expanded capabilities in Accelerate, will begin rolling out globally this quarter. These updates aim to provide B2B marketers with a broader range of tools to connect with buyers through multiple content formats, including video and live events.

LinkedIn’s VP of Product, Lindsey Edwards, has indicated that these new capabilities are part of the platform’s broader strategy to help businesses build influence and improve engagement with their target audiences through personalised, content-driven marketing approaches. As the use of video and AI-powered tools grows, LinkedIn aims to remain a central platform for B2B marketing innovation.

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