b2b lead generation for social media advertising

Chicago • November 4–7, 2013 • #SESCHI @SESConf

B2B Social AdvertisingAmplify Your Lead GenerationJohn A. LeeClix MarketingManaging Partner

Chicago | November 4–7, 2013 | #SESCHI | @SESConf

@john_a_lee

Social Media Advertising


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You’ve Heard it All Before…

Social media ads don’t convert!

It’s too complicated!Social ads are only for big brands

with big budgets!


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There is a Better Way!

• Understand the social ad platform features to kick start your lead generation efforts.

• Target the “what” AND the “who.”• Integrate social media advertising with your

entire marketing plan and lead nurturing campaigns.


@john_a_lee

What You Should Expect to Learn Today

• Universal truths of social media advertising.

• B2B lead generation:– 5 tips for Facebook Ads– 5 tips for LinkedIN Ads– 5 tips for Twitter Ads– 5 tips for YouTube Video Ads

• Bonus targeting tip!


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UNIVERSAL TRUTHS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING

B2B Social Advertising: Amplify Your Lead Generation


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Work Smarter, Not Harder

• Repurpose creative and research from other marketing efforts.– Personas– Image creative– Ad messaging– Competitor research


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Organize Creative Assets• Landing pages

– Reuse existing pages to start.– Plan to develop pages tied to

specific layers of social targeting.

• Images– Facebook: 1200x627– LinkedIN: 50x50– YouTube: 300x60, 74x74

• *Not* for GDN placement.

• Video– 15-30 second– 1+ minute “full length”


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Prioritize Tracking & Reporting

• Conversion tracking within social advertising platforms is in short supply.

• Prioritize URL tagging for 3rd party tracking tools:– Analytics (Google Analytics, Omniture)– 3rd party tools (Acquisio, Marin)– CRM software (Salesforce, Hubspot,

Infusionsoft)– Call tracking (Mongoose Metrics)


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Be Prepared to Test Ads. Then Test Again

• In social advertising, ad degradation is real.• Create a schedule for consistent testing.• Infinite combinations to test!


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FACEBOOK ADS5 TIPS FOR LEAD GENERATION



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Facebook #1

• Align personas to Facebook targeting parameters:– Geography.– Demographics: age, gender.– Precise Interests: Common

traits, cultural influences, professional identifiers.

– Broad Categories: big picture interests (e.g. new smartphone users, alternative music, baby boomers, etc.).

Match Personas to Core Facebook Targeting Parameters


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Facebook #2

• Put big data to use in your Facebook campaigns.

• Data from Acxiom, Datalogix and Epsilon.

• Exciting opportunities to match persona research to Facebook targeting.– Job roles, purchase activity,

financial status, business types, occupation, etc.

Partner Categories


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Facebook Partner Categories


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Facebook #3

• Upload email addresses or phone numbers; create custom lists of Facebook users to target.– Secondary use for purchased

lead lists.– Align with lead nurturing and

email drip campaigns.– Target even more Facebook

users with lookalike audiences!

Custom Audiences


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Custom AudienceCreate Similar Audience (“lookalike audience”)


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Facebook #4

• Use of an external landing page limits ad placement to right-hand column on desktops.

• Test sending traffic to Facebook pages to expand targeting to mobile and newsfeed placements.

Test Landing Page and Ad Placement


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Facebook Ad Placements

Image source: Techcrunch

http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/27/cheapest-way-to-buy-facebook-fans/


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Facebook #5

• FBX remarketing is run through DSPs or services like AdRoll.*

• Delivers ads to previous website visitors.

• Segment remarketing audiences by service, website activity, etc.

• Align with lead nurturing campaigns.

Facebook Exchange (FBX) & Remarketing

* Facebook is preparing to offer their own alternative remarketing service within the Facebook Ads platform.


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Integrate Facebook with Lead Nurturing Campaigns

Custom Audiences

Create custom audience and serve ads with messages based on current lead nurture stage.

Email Blast

Distribute lead nurture email blast as usual.

FBX Remarketing

Create remarketing list of visitors who hit lead nurture landing page. Ads act as reminder for those yet to convert.


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LINKEDIN ADS5 TIPS FOR LEAD GENERATION



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LinkedIN #1

• While Facebook has similar feature, LinkedIN allows you to limit updates distribution.– Allows for “clean” (er) data.

• Organic nature of sponsored updates and newsfeed placement increases click-through-rate and engagement.

Sponsored Updates


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Sponsored UpdateNewsfeed Ad Placement


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LinkedIN #2

• LinkedIN Ads campaign set up lends itself to “messy” organization.

• Isolate audience characteristics (targeting parameters) into unique campaigns:– Companies (industry,

company name)– Job title (job title, function)– Groups

Isolate Targeting Parameters


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LinkedIN #3

• Create a list of ideal and/or desired prospects.

• Create campaigns that target employees of these companies.– Write ads that explain how

your service benefits their business specifically.

Target Ideal or Desired Prospects


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LinkedIN #4

• Test the Lead Collection feature.

• Users can contact you directly via LinkedIN.– Keeping users engaged

without leaving LinkedIN can increase click-through-rate and conversion rate.

• Negative drawback: you are forced to respond to these leads within LinkedIN as well.

LinkedIN Lead Collection


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LinkedIN Lead Collection


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LinkedIN #5

• LinkedIN has a minimum click-through-rate threshold around 0.025%.

• Ads that fall below this threshold will fall out of rotation.

• All social channels have issues with ad degradation, but not always as marked as with LinkedIN.

• Always be testing to improve click-through-rate and stay above 0.025%.

Beware the CTR Threshold


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TWITTER ADS5 TIPS FOR LEAD GENERATION



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Twitter Ads #1

• Target Twitter users similar to your followers.

• Research competitor and/or thought leader Twitter @handles.– Target users similar to their

followers.• Effectively a built-in lookalike

audience.• Report on @handles like

keywords and exclude as necessary.

Promoted Tweets for Followers


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Add @usernames and Import in Bulk


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Twitter Ads #2

• Obtain lead information within the Twitter timeline.– Sign ups, offers, email

subscriptions, free trials.• Download lead data via

CSV.• Sync with CRM software via

APIs.

Lead Generation Cards


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Twitter Lead Generation Card*Image courtesy of the Twitter blog.


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Twitter Ads #3

• No, it isn’t the Twilight Zone. Twitter Ads allows you to target keywords with broad, phrase and exact match types.

• Target keywords in Twitter search.

• Target keywords in Twitter timelines.– A contextual match, though

match types focus relevancy.

Keywords with Match Types!


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Twitter Ads #4

• Like most social media, Twitter is a multi-device medium.

• Twitter’s mobile usage is higher then either Facebook or LinkedIN.*– >60% compared to >50%, >40%

respectively• Target mobile devices in

isolated campaigns to control eCPC and report on mobile vs. desktop conversion rates independently.

Isolate Mobile Targeting

* Data:• Twitter:

http://marketingland.com/twitter-60-percent-of-users-access-via-mobile-13626

• Facebook: http://www.techradar.com/us/news/internet/facebook-mobile-usage-outstrips-web-for-first-time-ever-1128489

• LinkedIN: http://www.strategyanalytics.com/default.aspx?mod=reportabstractviewer&a0=8933


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Twitter Ads #5

• URL shortening services keep you under 140 characters.

• Test if there is a difference in ad click-through-rate between bit.ly, t.co or ow.ly.

• Test customized shortened URLs for keyword-targeted campaigns. – Keyword-specific URLs will

improve relevancy and potentially increase click-through-rate.

Test URL Shortening Strategies


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Customize Shortened URLs


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YOUTUBE VIDEO ADS5 TIPS FOR LEAD GENERATION



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YouTube Video Ads #1

• InStream is the only ad unit that pushes viewers directly to the landing page of your choice.

• Create succinct, call-to-action focused videos at 15-30 seconds in length.

• Targeting functions much like Google Display Network. As such, base targeting on personas:– Interest categories– Topics– Contextual keywords– Remarketing

Focus Time & Budget on InStream Ads


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• InSearch and InDisplay ad units send traffic to either your Channel or Watch page on YouTube.– Chosen when creating the ad.

• This is not a “typical ad.”– You do not get to send visitors

directly to a lead gen landing page. – The advertising goal is the act of

watching a video.• Optimize Channel and Watch

pages to emphasize your calls-to-action in descriptions.

Optimize Channel and Watch Pages


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InSearch and InDisplay Point to Channel or Watch Page


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• Get clicks to your website anyways!

• Create CTA Overlays.– Includes a thumbnail image

and text ad with your video.– You choose the landing page.

• CTA Overlay is associated with the video – NOT a campaign.– Organic and paid YouTube

traffic can click this ad.

Call-to-Action (CTA) Overlay


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Call-to-Action Overlay


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• Link YouTube Channel to Google AdWords.– Automatically creates remarketing lists

based on users who watched your YouTube content.

– Gain access to remarketing lists in AdWords Shared Library.

• Create video ad campaigns that target custom combinations of YouTube and/or AdWords audiences.

• Exclude visitors who have previously converted or taken another action on YouTube or your website.

• Align with lead nurturing campaigns.

YouTube Remarketing


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• Piggy back on your YouTube and AdWords remarketing lists.

• Create Similar Audiences based of these lists.– Target video ads to countless

individuals who have not yet engaged with you on YouTube or your website via another channel.

Similar Audiences


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Bonus! The Social Ads “Back Door”

• Target social media websites via Google Display Network.

• YouTube is a well known placement on GDN.

• Facebook and LinkedIN use the GDN to backfill unused ad inventory.– Placement target

linkedin.com, facebook.com and layer with contextual keywords.


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Thanks!

Have [email protected]

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b2b lead generation for social media advertising

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