Solved: LinkedIn Ads Not Generating Leads for Student System

Hi there,

Happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance on your LinkedIn advertising for your new student information system. It sounds like you're having some trouble getting those decision-makers at universities and colleges to engage with your ads, so let's see if we can pinpoint some areas for improvement. B2B can be a proper pain, getting the right offer and website is really key, as otherwise, the campaign will likely fail. To get started, here are my initial thoughts.

We'll need to look at the landing page/brochure...

First thing's first, lets get your brochure sorted. Ask yourself: Is your brochure really offering value to these decision-makers? Or is it just a thinly veiled sales pitch? Tbh, most people can smell a sales pitch from a mile away and they aren't going to waste time on it. What do these college and uni decision makers really care about and are struggling with? Do they struggle with data protection? Meeting student expectations? Show how your system can solve these specific problems. Give them actual insights and data relevant to their challenges. Do that, and it'll be much more attractive. You want them to actually want to download it, not feel like they're doing you a favour.

On a similar vein, what’s the landing page like? People in B2B are unlikely to convert on a whim, especially for complicated software. They need to be persuaded, and you need to make a very strong first impression. You're selling a student information system – that's a significant investment for universities and colleges. Your landing page needs to reflect that. It needs to look professional, trustworthy, and clearly communicate the benefits of your system. Make it easy for them to see the value you offer. Get some professional copy written - that usually helps, and it makes your page seem a lot more legit.

What offer do you have for the OP? The best offer by far is a free trial, with people able to try out the key features. I understand that might be hard in practice, but perhaps a demo will be sufficient. Just having a gated "request a demo" page can work wonders for B2B, and it allows the sales team to get people on a call and walk them through the product. I wouldn't expect anyone to spend money on a B2B product without trying out a free trial, and seeing what they are getting for their money. Remember, its a proper effort for people to change student information systems, and it might take months for them to make this decision. You need to make the offer compelling and persuasive.

I'd say you need to improve the targeting...

Next up: Targeting. LinkedIn can be powerful, but only if you're targeting the right people. It's no use just blasting your ads out to anyone with "university" in their job title. Think about the specific decision-makers you need to reach.

• What are their job titles? Be as specific as possible. "Head of Student Services," "Director of Admissions," "Chief Information Officer" - the more precise, the better.
• What departments do they work in? Targeting by department can help you narrow down your audience even further.
• What are their interests? Are there any professional groups or associations they might belong to?

I recall working with a software client and seeing a significant improvement in lead quality when we focused on very specific job titles and tailored ad copy accordingly. Think outside the box, and don't be afraid to experiment with different targeting options. This'll help get more qualified leads - its better to get fewer but more qualified leads. The narrower you can get the target audience, the better.

You probably should test different ad formats...

Now, let's talk ads. Are you only using lead gen forms? They can be a quick win, but they're not always the most engaging. Consider testing different ad formats to see what resonates best with your target audience. Here are a few ideas:

• Sponsored Content Ads: These ads appear directly in the LinkedIn feed and can be a great way to share valuable content, such as blog posts, case studies, or even short videos.
• Video Ads: Video can be super engaging, especially if you can showcase your student information system in action. Consider creating a short demo video or a customer testimonial.
• Conversation Ads: These ads allow you to have a direct conversation with potential leads through the LinkedIn messaging platform. This can be a great way to qualify leads and answer their questions in real-time.

I usually find that for high ticket B2B offers, lead gen forms are probably not the best approach, instead I would look to use sponsored content ads and point them to the website. The traffic is likely to be better qualified.

You'll need proper testing...

Are you split testing? With different questions, ad copy, creatives, offers, and landing pages? You gotta test everything out, and see what sticks.

• Ad Copy: Test different headlines, body copy, and calls to action. See what resonates best with your audience.
• Creatives: Experiment with different images and videos. Use high-quality visuals that are relevant to your message.
• Landing Pages: Test different layouts, headlines, and calls to action. Make sure your landing page is optimized for conversions.

I've detailed my main recommendations for you below:

Hope this gives you some ideas for how to proceed. It can be a lot of work to get a B2B campaign off the ground, especially on LinkedIn. If you're struggling to get results, it might be worth considering expert help. We offer a free initial consultation where we can review your strategy and account together, and give you some tailored advice on how to improve your results. I remember one campaign we ran for a software company targeting B2B decision makers on LinkedIn, where we achieved a cost per lead of $22. Feel free to book in a call if you'd like to chat!

Regards, Team @ Lukas Holschuh