Will Microsoft Ads’ New LinkedIn Targeting Attract B2B Clients?

At the beginning of the month, Microsoft announced that it was rolling out LinkedIn targeting options to search engine marketing agencies in several countries, including Canada. The move could have major benefits for business-to-business (B2B) advertisers, not to mention Microsoft itself.

LinkedIn has historically been viewed as an expensive advertising option. Its targeting is sophisticated – advertisers can target users by industry, by company, by the size of their employer, and more – but ads tended to reach users at the ‘awareness’ stage of their buyer’s journey.

At the same time, many B2B advertisers have struggled to create truly efficient search engine marketing campaigns, due in large part to the fact that individual users and prospective business clients tend to search in the same way, using the same keywords.

By adding LinkedIn targeting options to Microsoft Ads, B2B advertisers may be able to reach to a more qualified search engine audience who are further into the buying process than users reached on LinkedIn.

As Search Engine Journal said in its report on the news: “Combining the highly-regarded targeting options with the lower-funnel user in search is potentially a huge win-win for PPC managers.”

Of course, as with every new advertising process, the proof will be in the pudding. If the new targeting options succeed in generating qualified leads for B2B advertisers, Microsoft may be able to attract new base of ad clients.

As a Google Premier Partner search engine marketing agency, GrowthEngine media has unique insights on Google’s preferred practices. Although the majority of our search engine marketing efforts revolve around Google Ads, we recognize that different clients have different needs, some of which may be better addressed through alternative platforms, like Microsoft Ads. We’re proud to offer a wide range of digital marketing services on a variety of platforms and networks. To learn more about how our services can help your business improve its online performance, contact us today.

 

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