LinkedIn Sponsored Updates

In July 2013, LinkedIn announced that the platform would introduce LinkedIn Sponsored Updates. This feature will allow any company or organisation which is active on the platform to promote their updates. By promoting their updates, it is hoped that their content will then reach a much wider audience than it otherwise would. LinkedIn Sponsored Updates differ to other ad campaigns as they will be targeted towards different portions of the platforms audience according to data provided in user’s profiles.

Why are LinkedIn Sponsored Updates better?

There are a number of reasons why Sponsored Updates are more useful than LinkedIn’s current advertising system. The main reason is that the Updates are integrated into your newsfeed. In the current Ad system they appear in a sidebar. This greatly increases the chances that users read and interact with your posts. Initially, Sponsored Updates were available to accounts with a company representative. However, over time, the plan is to extend this to anyone who has a company page. Sponsored Updates are designed with high levels of customer interaction in mind. Due to this, they can be liked, shared and commented on. Furthermore, Updates are available in 20 languages and provide real time analytics. This enables users of Updates to change them as users interact with them.

What does this mean for your company?

This is excellent news for any businesses which are currently using the platform. This is due to the business driven nature of LinkedIn as a social media platform. This means that users will already be looking for what your business has to offer them. Sponsored Updates give you an opportunity to demonstrate to these users exactly what you are offering.

The data from companies who are making use of Updates shows that they are working. Users exposed to posts from Abode were found to be 50% more likely to agree with positive statements about the company than users who had not seen the Updates. This data agrees with existing studies. These studies have demonstrated that content marketing increases company authority, sales, and number of followers on various social media networks. Sponsored Updates are an easy way for your business to improve its presence on the platform, whilst also reaping the advertising sales benefits which go hand in hand with brand expansion. Click here to read more about LinkedIn as a company.