Twitter and LinkedIn recently revamped their advertising platforms to court more advertisers and join in the social advertising frenzy created by Facebook. Here’s my take on the latest social ad options.
As we all know, dynamic social media content (i.e. infographics, video, photos, etc.) outperforms text. Tapping into our collective desire for short, snackable video content, Twitter announced the Promoted Video, a new Twitter Video Card that builds upon the Twitter Amplify program launched in 2013.
What’s cool about Twitter Video Cards is you only pay when someone actually clicks the “play” button. Unlike Facebook, where videos automatically play when they appear in the newsfeed (hate this feature? Turn it off), Twitter is attempting to offer value-based engagement with their video content.
Twitter is also working hard to deliver advertising tools that generate highly qualified leads via its Tweet Card tool. Also referred to as Twitter’s Lead Generation Card, these Cards allow Twitter users to securely share their email addresses with a brand without leaving Twitter. Note that while Tweet Cards are free, you have to advertise first before having access to the capability. But if you’re advertising anyway – no matter what your budget – why not take advantage of this perk?
Like Twitter, LinkedIn is switching things up to generate more revenue from highly targeted ads on its network. I love this platform because you can get very specific with your target audience. Where else can you deliver a native ad to a target group identified by job function and geography? Sponsored Updates are useful on LinkedIn. But if you’re trying to grow your page and reach new audiences beyond those who currently like your page, try a Direct Sponsored Content (DSC) campaign. With DSC, the advertisements won’t post to your brand page. This feature differentiates DSC from Sponsored Updates.
We recently managed a DSC campaign and learned some interesting lessons along the way. First, LinkedIn needs to hire more ad sales reps! It took them a whopping 28 hours to approve our DSC. We’ve had Facebook approve ads in less than two minutes. Keep this time delay in mind when planning campaigns.
Here are a few more insights for your next LinkedIn campaign:
* Test different content. Mix it up with various images, headlines and commentary
* Call out to the people you are trying to reach. For example, if you are trying to reach marketers, direct the communication to them: Attention savvy marketers…
* Test a few different campaigns to hone in on the right audiences
* Include a call to action. For example, if you’re trying to grow followers, ask users to follow the page
The social media realm is ever-changing and all of these new tools help content communicators deliver content in a way that is meaningful, relevant and engaging. What’s your experience with Tweet Card and/or LinkedIn DSC?
Share your stories with us in the comments section.
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