While document ads aren’t as popular as some other ad formats when it comes to LinkedIn advertising, they are great at engaging audiences, boosting brand awareness and lead generation. This post will focus on what LinkedIn document ads are, how they work and how businesses can utilise them effectively.
What Are LinkedIn Document Ads?
As the name suggests, LinkedIn document ads allow marketers to promote documents directly within the platform. In other words, it makes the document directly accessible, eliminating the need for them to click a link to the brand’s website and download it there.
In essence, LinkedIn document ads are quite straightforward, but their simplistic nature does not limit their effectiveness. Advertisers also have the added benefit of attaching a lead gen form to the document ad. While this does lock the content behind a gate or wall, it does add the ability to generate leads, increasing the effectiveness of the ad.
The 4 Key Benefits of Adding LinkedIn Document Ads to Your Marketing Strategy
When implemented properly, document ads are great for educating, acquiring leads and driving engagement with a brand’s audience. Here’s a quick look at the 4 primary benefits of this ad format:
1. Showcasing In-Depth Content In a Non-Intrusive way
The great thing about document ads is that they allow the business to showcase longer/ in-depth content right in the user’s LinkedIn feed. They are ideal for case studies, reports, guides or research assets. As users can view the document without leaving the platform, it creates a seamless experience.
Meaning, that users have the ability to view or download the asset in their feed, without it disrupting their browsing and scrolling habits. Thanks to this smooth interaction, it can result in an overall higher engagement rate and lower bounce rate compared to ads that redirect users to external websites.
2. Acquire High-Quality Leads
Another key benefit of this ad type is that it allows brands to collect leads directly in the LinkedIn platform. Companies can choose to gate their document content behind a lead gen form, requiring users to provide their contact information before accessing the resource.
Brands can also allow prospects to see a preview of the asset to help generate interest. This can create intrigue and motivate them to get the full document in exchange for their information. When done correctly, this ad type can be an effective way of generating high-quality leads.
3. Strengthening Brand Presence and Nurturing Audience Relationships
Through educational content, you can build trust and establish your brand as an expert within the industry. Let me explain: with companies consistently promoting different informative materials, they increase their brand’s visibility and establish themselves as a trusted authority.
This consistency nurtures prospect relationships, encouraging them to see your brand as a reliable source. As more users continue to interact with your documents, they develop a deeper connection that helps to create loyalty, making them more inclined to consider your services in the future when the time has come.
4. Tracking Audience Interest in Your Content
LinkedIn document ads provide analytics — impressions, clicks, and downloads — that help you understand how key audiences engage with your content. This gives you insight into prospects’ interest in your materials allowing you to refine future campaigns based on this data.
In addition, if you choose to add a lead gen form, you can look at the completion metric to understand how effective your content is at generating leads.
What Are The Specs of a LinkedIn Document Ad?
When you create document ads there are a few specifications you need to keep in mind. Here is a quick overview:
- File format: PDF, DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX (We recommend PDF)
- Page limit: 300 pages max or 1 MM words
- Aspect ratio: Horizontal, Square and Vertical
- Size: 100MB
Here are the additional specs for the ad text:
- Optional ad name: 255 Characters
- Headline: 70 Characters
- Introduction text: 150 Characters
How Businesses Can Use LinkedIn Document Ads More Effectively
When you are trying to get the most out of your document ads, there are a few tips and strategies you could employ:
1. Align Content With Audience Pain Points
Focus on creating content that helps to address issues that your target audience experiences. Use whitepapers, case studies and reports that provide solutions to specific challenges that potential prospects will find useful. Doing so will allow your document ads to engage audiences and nurture them further along in the sales funnel.
2. Create a Learning Series
Instead of creating a one-time document, consider doing a whole series that further expands on the topic. You can also explore related aspects to provide additional insights. This will spark interest which will help to build anticipation for the next part of the series.
3. Focus on Delivering Value Content That Showcase Industry Expertise
You will want to promote content that your target audience will find valuable and that will help them in their affairs. This will also allow you to demonstrate your expertise positioning you as an industry leader in your field. This approach will aid in building trust and establishing your brand as a reliable source.
4. Implement Lead Gen Forms
Implementing lead gen forms takes your documents up a notch. Instead of only sharing content, you now have the ability to capture quality leads as well. This increases the overall effectiveness of your document ads and allows you to nurture potential prospects. According to LinkedIn, the average conversion rate for lead gen forms is 13% which is considerably higher than a Landing page’s average conversion rate — 4.02%.
5. Use Retargeting
To get the most out of your document ads, consider using LinkedIn retargeting. This allows you to retarget users who have engaged with your ad before. In other words, you can set up campaigns to re-engage users with a different document ad who have clicked or downloaded one of your assets in the past. Enabling you to engage them again and guide them further down your marketing funnel.
To Sum Up
LinkedIn Document Ads are great for promoting valuable content, encouraging engagement and acquiring leads. That being said, this ad type goes further than just sharing content. Its goal is to inform, build connections and position a brand as an authoritative and credible source within its sector.
If you’re ready to elevate your B2B marketing efforts or need guidance in connecting with your target audience, Snowball Creations is here to help. Simply fill out the contact form below and together we’ll create a powerful marketing strategy that drives real results.