LinkedIn Tips

Feb 5, 2025

10

min

How to Write LinkedIn Retargeting Ads That Convert

LinkedIn retargeting ads help you reconnect with people who’ve already interacted with your brand, turning warm leads into paying customers. By using tools like the LinkedIn Insight Tag, you can track behavior and retarget users effectively. Here’s how to make your ads work:

  • Target the Right Audience: Use LinkedIn’s Matched Audiences to focus on engaged users (e.g., website visitors, video viewers). Exclude current customers and employees to optimize your budget.

  • Choose the Right Ad Format: Pick from single image ads, video ads, lead gen forms, or carousel ads based on your campaign goals.

  • Write Engaging Copy: Reference past interactions, address pain points, and include clear CTAs.

  • Use Strong Visuals: Ensure professional, eye-catching visuals with proper LinkedIn sizing.

  • Test and Optimize: Experiment with headlines, visuals, CTAs, and formats to improve performance.

Start small, analyze results, and scale what works. LinkedIn retargeting is most effective when paired with consistent testing and audience insights.

Related video from YouTube

Steps to Create LinkedIn Retargeting Ads That Work

To make LinkedIn retargeting ads effective, you need a well-thought-out plan that connects with your audience and encourages action. Here's how to craft ads that get results.

Identify and Refine Your Target Audience

LinkedIn's Matched Audiences feature allows you to target specific groups with precision. Start by uploading customer data to create custom audiences. Then, segment these audiences based on their engagement, such as:

  • Video views

  • Website visits

  • Ad interactions

  • Downloads of gated content

To avoid wasting your ad budget, exclude current customers and employees by uploading their email addresses in CSV format. This ensures your ads reach the right people [1].

Pick the Best Ad Format

Choose an ad format that aligns with your campaign's goals. Here's a quick breakdown:

| Ad Format | Best For | Benefits |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Single Image Ads | Awareness and product focus | Simple, high visibility |
| Video Ads | Explaining and storytelling | Engaging, great for complex messaging |
| Lead Gen Forms | Capturing leads directly | Easy conversion with pre-filled forms |
| Carousel Ads | Highlighting multiple points | Interactive and sequential storytelling

Write Ad Copy That Connects

Your ad copy should speak directly to your audience's previous interactions. For example, if someone downloaded a cybersecurity whitepaper, your ad could promote related solutions or case studies [1][2].

Key tips for writing effective copy:

  • Reference their past engagement

  • Address specific pain points

  • Use action-oriented language

  • Include social proof

  • Create a sense of urgency

Create Attention-Grabbing Visuals

Your visuals should enhance your message and grab attention. Stick to professional, relevant imagery that aligns with your brand. Include clear calls-to-action (CTAs) and ensure visuals are properly sized for LinkedIn. Experiment with different styles to see what performs best [2][3].

Once your audience, ad format, copy, and visuals are in sync, you're ready to refine your strategy and optimize for even better results.

Tips for Improving LinkedIn Retargeting Ads

Once your ads are ready, the next step is making adjustments to ensure they deliver the best results.

Segment and Exclude Audiences

Break down your audience based on how they interact with your content - like video completion rates or website visits. To avoid wasting budget, exclude groups like current customers, employees, and recent converters. You can do this by uploading their email addresses in CSV files. This way, your ads reach potential customers who are more likely to engage [1][3].

Test and Adjust Ad Performance

LinkedIn retargeting works best when you test and refine your ads systematically. Focus on one element at a time to see what drives better results. For instance:

| Element to Test | What to Vary | Why It Matters |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Headlines | Pain points vs. solutions | Tests which emotional approach works best |
| Visuals | Photos vs. graphics | Identifies the style that grabs attention |
| CTAs | Different wording | Finds the phrases that prompt action |
| Ad Format | Single image vs. carousel | Shows which format resonates with your audience

Give each test at least two weeks to gather enough data before making decisions [2][3].

Use Analytics to Improve Results

Track key metrics to refine your campaigns:

  • Click-through rates (CTR): Break it down by audience group.

  • Cost per conversion: Compare across ad formats.

  • Return on ad spend (ROAS): Evaluate each campaign’s profitability.

Tools like Podify.io can help you dive deeper into audience behavior, allowing you to create even more precise campaigns [2][3].

These adjustments can set the stage for more advanced retargeting strategies down the line.

Advanced Ways to Boost Conversions

Combine Retargeting with Marketing Tools

Pairing LinkedIn retargeting campaigns with tools like Podify.io can help simplify content creation and distribution while improving how you target your audience. These tools let you analyze user behavior, deliver tailored content, and keep your messaging consistent across channels. Plus, you can track engagement across various touchpoints and adjust your targeting strategies based on actual performance data.

Use a Sequence of Ads

Take your prospects through the sales funnel with a well-planned sequence of ads. Start by building awareness with brand stories, then highlight your credibility using testimonials, and finally drive conversions with demos or special offers. Aim to rotate between 5-12 different content pieces that highlight various parts of your brand story [4].

This approach keeps your audience engaged while guiding them step-by-step toward taking action. Each ad should build on the last, creating a seamless journey from initial interest to conversion.

Try Different Bidding Strategies

Managing ad spend effectively means deciding between manual and automated bidding. Manual bidding is ideal for campaigns with specific cost-per-click (CPC) goals, giving you full control over costs and flexibility to adjust bids. On the other hand, automated bidding is great for testing new campaigns or when you need to save time, as it uses LinkedIn's algorithms to optimize delivery [2][3].

To get the most out of your campaigns, regularly review performance data with LinkedIn's Insight Tag. This tool provides detailed audience insights, helping you refine your targeting and improve results over time [3][4].

Conclusion and Final Advice

Summary of Key Points

The core of a successful LinkedIn retargeting campaign lies in clearly identifying your target audience. This ensures your ad spend is focused on reaching the right people. Crafting ad copy that connects with your audience's previous interactions with your brand is equally important for boosting engagement.

Tools like Podify.io can streamline content creation and help maintain consistent messaging in retargeting campaigns. The trick is to use these tools wisely as part of a broader strategy while staying aligned with your campaign goals.

Once these basics are covered, focus on fine-tuning your strategy through testing and making adjustments based on what works.

Final Advice for Success

Begin your LinkedIn retargeting efforts with smaller budgets to experiment with different strategies. Once you identify what works, scale up those successful campaigns. A thoughtful testing process might include:

| Testing Element | Recommended Approach | Expected Outcome |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad Creative | Test 3-4 variations of visuals and copy | Discover which designs perform best |
| Audience Segments | Start with 2-3 distinct groups | Identify which segments drive conversions |
| Bidding Strategy | Start manually, then try automated | Achieve better cost per conversion

Patience and regular tracking are key to success. For example, Impactable effectively used demo videos in their retargeting strategy, which significantly improved conversion rates by matching content to their audience's stage in the buyer's journey [4].

Ensure your branding stays consistent and take advantage of LinkedIn's automation tools to fine-tune campaigns. Regularly review your metrics to spot areas for improvement and keep your campaigns delivering results. Updating your audience lists and tweaking your strategy based on performance data will help keep your retargeting efforts on track. By combining these tactics with earlier insights, you can build retargeting campaigns that truly resonate with your audience.

FAQs

How to write a good LinkedIn ad copy?

Creating LinkedIn ad copy that drives results starts with clear messaging and precise targeting. Here’s a quick guide to the key elements:

| Element | Best Practice | Why It Works |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Offer Clarity** | Highlight the value proposition upfront | Grabs attention instantly and qualifies viewers |
| **Character Usage** | Use a strong call-to-action (CTA) | Makes the message and desired action clear |
| **Audience Targeting** | Mention specific roles or industries | Ensures relevance and builds connection |
| **Headline Length** | Keep under 70 characters | Keeps headlines fully visible on all devices

When writing your ad copy, be specific. For example, instead of saying, “Improve your marketing,” go with something like, “Increase B2B leads by 45% in 60 days.” Specificity helps potential customers understand exactly what they’ll gain.

Great ad copy ties together targeting, formats, and visuals to create a seamless retargeting campaign. To structure your copy effectively:

  • Start with a strong opener and clear value proposition.

  • Add social proof to build trust.

  • End with a bold call-to-action (CTA).

"Be very clear about what the offer is and who it's for in your LinkedIn ad copy... Use the full character count but ensure the call-to-action (CTA) is above the fold" [3]

Tools like Podify.io can simplify the process by generating multiple ad variations while keeping your brand message consistent across segments.

Finally, don’t forget to test. Experiment with different versions of your ad copy and track metrics like click-through rates and conversions to find what resonates best with your audience [2][5].

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