Why B2B Marketers Should Test LinkedIn Conversation Ads

Bassem Salem February 19, 2025


Traditional ads can feel impersonal and static. LinkedIn Conversation Ads are a breakthrough form of Native advertising. These ads allow advertisers to engage directly with professionals and business decision-makers via LinkedIn Messaging, developing dynamic, two-way interactions with their audience to ensure further engagement and a seamless experience.

This post will explore the significance of testing this innovative ad format and offer strategies for optimizing message sequences and aligning them with ABM goals to boost conversion rates.

Introduction to LinkedIn Conversation Ads

LinkedIn Conversation Ads are a form of native advertisement that allows businesses to start meaningful conversations with their target audience through LinkedIn Messaging. These ads are designed to encourage engagement and drive conversions, making them a valuable addition to any LinkedIn marketing strategy. With Conversation Ads, businesses can create interactive and personalized conversations that build a stronger connection between the brand and its audience. Leveraging the power of LinkedIn Messaging, these ads offer a unique opportunity to engage users more directly and conversationally, ultimately leading to higher engagement rates and more meaningful interactions.

Understanding LinkedIn Conversation Ads

LinkedIn Conversation Ads allow businesses to send targeted messages directly to their desired audience’s LinkedIn inboxes. These ads offer a high level of personalization, making them an effective way to cut through the noise and grab the attention of potential customers.

Key Advantages of LinkedIn Conversation Ads

Personalized and Authentic Messaging

LinkedIn Conversation Ads are crafted to feel personal and authentic, which makes them more likely to resonate with the target audience. Businesses can create a sense of connection and build trust with potential customers by using a conversational tone and addressing the recipient by name. This personal touch can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your message ads.

Tailored and Specific Messaging

Conversation Ads allow businesses to tailor their messages based on the recipient’s job title, industry, company size, and other relevant factors. This level of personalization ensures that the message is eye-catching and specific, increasing the likelihood of a positive response. You can drive higher engagement and conversions by customizing your message ads to align with the specific interests and needs of your target audience.

Cut Through the Noise

In today’s digital landscape, where audiences are overwhelmed by countless advertisements, LinkedIn Conversation Ads offer a unique opportunity to stand out. These ads allow you to deliver messages directly to decision-makers’ LinkedIn inboxes utilizing LinkedIn’s precise targeting capabilities to connect your business with the right individuals. The immediacy and exclusivity of LinkedIn Ads make them a powerful tool for marketers looking to engage with potential customers in a more direct and targeted way.

How Impactful are LinkedIn Conversation Ads?

These ads are a key pillar of enterprise sales as they provide highly personalized experiences to the recipient. LinkedIn Conversation Ads are delivered directly to a decision maker’s LinkedIn inbox. Compared to other LinkedIn ads, such as Message Ads, Conversation Ads can set up multiple call-to-action buttons that link to your landing pages, open a Lead Gen Form, or drive engagement with more information in the next message. Here is an overview of the benefits of Conversation Ads:

Receive Higher Engagement

LinkedIn Conversation Ads win the battle when it comes to engagement. Thanks to their functionality, which resembles chatbots, they have higher open rates, as users find a decision tree that allows them to pick a route based on their interests. These ads are accessible on both desktop and mobile devices, enhancing their reach and engagement.

Setting the Stage for Lead Nurturing

These interactive ads are a prime candidate for nurturing leads; they set the stage for tailoring the conversation to the user’s choices, which ensures addressing specific issues and pain points.

Incorporating lead gen forms into LinkedIn Conversation Ads simplifies the lead nurturing process by gathering information from potential leads. Advertisers can use multiple call-to-action buttons to link to landing pages or open a LinkedIn Lead Gen Form, encouraging user engagement and capturing high-quality leads.

Potentially Reduce Costs

Compared to conventional methods, LinkedIn Conversation Ads feature a lower CPL, making them an ideal choice for those aiming to whittle down costs while maintaining exposure to warm leads.

Guide Decision-Makers and Target Audiences

Throughout the complex sales funnels, Conversation Ads guide decision-makers by offering multiple CTAs within a single ad, helping them navigate different stages of their decision-making process—whether seeking information, scheduling a demo, or downloading content. LinkedIn Conversation Ads provide various call-to-action buttons, allowing users to engage and progress through each stage of the decision-making journey.

Additionally, decision-makers at advertising companies can review customer responses to prompts, allowing them to continuously refine their outreach strategy to align with the preferences of their audience.

Targeting Your Audience with Conversation Ads

LinkedIn offers a range of targeting categories such as job title, industry title, company size, seniority level, skillset, and more. This allows businesses to more accurately reach the individuals who fit their ideal customer profile. Additionally, businesses can upload their own company lists or contact lists from outside LinkedIn to further hone their targeting. LinkedIn’s Audience Expansion option also enables businesses to target individuals who are similar to their current customers, website visitors, or people on their email lists.

By utilizing these advanced targeting features, businesses can ensure their Conversation Ads reach the most relevant and engaged audience. Targeting a specific audience through personalized and interactive advertising campaigns on LinkedIn can increase engagement, enhance brand loyalty, and ultimately improve returns on investment.

Creating Effective Conversation Ads

Creating effective Conversation Ads requires a deep understanding of the target audience and their needs. Businesses should start by defining their ideal customer profile. Then, set a clear objective for their campaign, whether it’s driving brand consideration, generating leads, or driving website conversions. Next, they should craft a compelling message that resonates with their target audience and includes a clear call-to-action (CTA). LinkedIn offers multiple CTA options, such as “Learn more,” “Sign up,” “Download,” or custom CTAs. By using these CTAs strategically, businesses can guide users through the conversation and prompt them to take the desired action. Conversation Ads are meant to create meaningful connections with your target audience.

Strategies for Optimizing Your LinkedIn Conversation Ads and Ad Formats

Below are some successful strategies for enhancing message sequences to align with ABM objectives:

  1. Target the Right Audience: Define your ideal customer profile and use LinkedIn’s sophisticated targeting options to reach specific demographics, industries, and job titles relevant to your message.
  2. Test a Variety of CTAs: Experimenting with different CTAs allows B2B marketers to highlight which resonates with their audience. Continue to test and improve your messaging for better results. A clear CTA is crucial to improving click-through and conversion rates.
  3. Tweak Ad Content: Advertising can feel useless if the ad’s content isn’t properly crafted. We recommend including rich media like images, vectors, and illustrations to engage your recipient. Visuals grab the recipient’s attention while effectively conveying your message.
  4. Write a Compelling Headline: Embrace the bitter truth that you’re not the only advertiser in the game. Customers are bombarded with dozens, if not hundreds, of daily ads. To capture their attention and encourage them to take action, you must excel in crafting compelling opening texts and engaging teaser formats; this will help reduce the high drop-off rate often seen after the first message.
  5. Conduct A/B Tests: The advertisement content is crucial in getting customers to engage with a LinkedIn Conversation Ad. This emphasizes the significance of A/B testing, which helps identify the most effective versions of messaging that resonate with a broader audience. Make sure to test different messaging to see if you can improve your response rate.
  6. Leverage Comprehensive Reporting: B2B marketers can access detailed reports from LinkedIn Campaign Manager, which provide valuable insights into customer behavior influenced by various factors. This data-driven approach lets them fine-tune their ads for better alignment and effectiveness.
  7. Align with ABM Techniques: LinkedIn Conversation Ads align perfectly with ABM by enabling precise targeting of high-value accounts. They guarantee personalized engagement and interactive two-way communication.These ads help qualify leads, integrate with CRM tools, and provide measurable results, which allows B2B marketers to offer custom experiences, track account-specific interactions, and boost ROI within ABM campaigns.

Measuring Success with Conversation Ads

Measuring the success of a LinkedIn Conversation Ad campaign requires tracking the right metrics. Businesses should focus on metrics such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and return on ad spend (ROAS). LinkedIn’s Campaign Manager provides valuable insights into campaign performance, including detailed click reporting and demographic reporting. By analyzing these metrics, businesses can gain a deeper understanding of how their Conversation Ads are performing and identify areas for improvement. This data-driven approach allows businesses to refine their targeting strategies, optimize their ad creative, and improve the overall effectiveness of their Conversation Ad campaigns. By continuously monitoring and adjusting their campaigns based on these insights, businesses can maximize their return on ad spend and achieve their marketing objectives. Tailoring the next message based on recipient engagement and responses can lead to better user engagement and impressions in advertising campaigns.

Conclusion

LinkedIn Conversation Ads are messaging-based, budget-friendly ad formats that enhance engagement by functioning as chatbots; these ads incorporate a decision tree that addresses users’ pain points throughout the complex sales funnels.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to qualify leads more effectively using LinkedIn Conversation Ads?

Qualifying leads is a game of accuracy. Asking the appropriate questions within your Conversation Ads can help with this. These questions should focus on the customer’s pain points, interest level, and budget restrictions.

What can B2B marketers achieve through LinkedIn Conversation Ads?

These ads allow marketers to drive more conversions by merging ABM techniques. They also set the stage for increasing brand awareness, getting customers’ feedback, and promoting upcoming events.

What trends can we expect for the future of conversational marketing?

Many shifts are anticipated, including an increased reliance on AI to deliver highly personalized experiences. Additionally, the integration of voice commands will enable more seamless and time-saving interactions.

Partner with Avid Demand to Take Your LinkedIn Ads to The Next Level

Primed to take your B2B marketing to the next level? Discover how LinkedIn Conversation Ads can revolutionize your strategy and boost your engagement rates. Contact Avid Demand today to grasp how our expertise can help you develop and implement strategies that drive real results.

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Bassem Salem is a Senior Paid Media Manager at Avid Demand. He has extensive experience managing successful campaigns across nearly all ad platforms.