December 3, 2024
LinkedIn’s recent research into what its audience is looking for shows a cry for more creativity from CMOs – they see marketing for what it really is, and they aren’t overly impressed. While voices on the platform want to network, others want to learn and be entertained. So, what did the report uncover?
Vertical is the way
Vertical orientation ads received, on average, 11% higher CTR and 31% higher engagement rates. 1:1 (or square) receive 4% and 16% respectively – which indicates that landscape is…well, not winning. Given we’ve spent years consuming film/TV and YouTube in horizontal format, it’s not a surprise the users of social default that way when it comes to content creation – but what’s clear is that shorter content is better digested in square formats, or kept vertically to adhere to mobile users.
It’s boring to boring..
LinkedIn says that 81% of ad campaigns either ‘fail to grab attention or drive brand recall’. That is a staggering number – what’s more, when you consider the budgets involved in those campaigns that never land, it’s eye watering! LI says distinctiveness wins – so be unique. OK, that’s a bit simplistic – but it comes back to really knowing your audience, not your brand guidelines. Know their pain points, and talk about them – do you need to solve them? In the end yes, but connections are made by an understanding – not always by solving.
Think of social as a friend to lean on – I want you to hear me, not necessarily solve my problems.
Brand consistency
Yes, it’s marketing 101 – but it’s so important. Ensure that, across all platforms, your visuals and messaging are cohesive and consistent. That does not mean, by any stretch, that everything should look the same – but ring fence your branding practices.
Emotional! Me?!
LI states that funny content drives 65% higher engagement on its platform. It’s going to be tough to explain to your senior stakeholders that making a campaign ‘funny’ will pay off – seriously, it may not be worth it. But this does show that personality wins. Inspiration or relatable content doesn’t have to be amusing, it can still cut through. Connections in marketing are often made by way of common ground – so even if you can tap into your customers’ pain points in mildly humorous ways, that could go some way to increasing that engagement rate.
Be disruptive
Have an opinion. Put your head above the parapet and don’t just repurpose and treat your audience like an echo chamber. Most people looking for inspiration don’t want to be told what they know, they want to be lead into new directions… by data!
Test and learn
Organic is your training pitch – see what works and then put onto paid.
Some of this might seem obvious – but it is staggering how few brands are actually adhering to this advice. Get ahead of your competition now and use these smarts today!
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