Hi there,
I'm happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance on your LinkedIn campaigns for your cybersecurity training platform. It sounds like you're facing a pretty common challenge post-Series A: scaling efficiently and getting the right leads.
We'll need to look at your targeting...
Right, first things first. You mentioned your sales team is complaining that the leads don't even know who you are. That's a big red flag that your targeting is too broad. With LinkedIn, you've got a goldmine of B2B targeting options, so you need to be laser-focused.
Think about it: who are the exact people within those companies that are making the decisions about cybersecurity training? Are you targeting job titles like "HR Manager," "IT Director," or "Chief Information Security Officer" (CISO)? If you're just targeting "HR" or "IT," you're going to get a lot of noise.
I remember one campaign we worked on in the software space where we initially targeted a broad audience. To improve lead quality, we refined the targeting by company size, focusing on businesses with 10-50 employees.
Consider targeting specific industries that are particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks, too. Financial services, healthcare, and government are all good starting points. You can also use LinkedIn's "company followers of" targeting to reach people who follow specific cybersecurity companies or industry publications.
Geographical targeting matters, too. Are you focusing on regions where there's a high demand for cybersecurity professionals? Major tech hubs are obvious choices, but don't overlook areas with growing economies and increasing cybersecurity threats. Don't make the missstake of just putting in the UK without specifying where your ideal clients are based.
I'd say you really need to refine your ad copy
Next up, your ad copy. It needs to be hyper-relevant to the specific pain points of your target audience. Ditch the generic "cybersecurity training platform" language and get specific. What are the biggest challenges that HR and IT managers face when it comes to cybersecurity? Are they worried about data breaches? Compliance regulations? Employee negligence?
Your ad copy should address these concerns directly. Use strong, action-oriented language and highlight the unique benefits of your platform. For example, instead of saying "Our platform is easy to use," say "Reduce your employee training time by 50% with our intuitive platform." Use numbers. Use testimonials if you have them.
I cannot stress this enough: always, always be split testing your ad copy. Test different headlines, body copy, and calls to action. Even small tweaks can make a huge difference. When we ran lead gen campaigns for B2B Software, we made sure that we'd get very persuasive ad copy that goes straight to the point to generate demo requests.
With video ads, a testimonial or demo reel showing how easy it is to use your platform may work well to get people interested.
You probably should optimise your landing page...
Okay, now let's talk landing pages. You mentioned you're getting clicks that go nowhere, which suggests your landing page isn't converting. Your landing page needs to be a seamless extension of your ad copy. It should reinforce the message you're sending in your ads and make it incredibly easy for people to take the next step, whether that's requesting a demo, signing up for a free trial, or downloading a resource.
Make sure your landing page has a clear, compelling headline that grabs attention. Use persuasive copy to highlight the benefits of your platform and address any potential objections. Include strong calls to action that tell people exactly what you want them to do.
The form to book a demo should be short and sweet. Don't ask for unnecessary information. The less friction, the better. You could also include testimonials, case studies, and trust badges to build credibility.
Here's a mistake I see many clients make: Not optimising the landing page for mobile. A large percentage of your traffic will be coming from mobile devices, so make sure your landing page is responsive and looks great on all screen sizes.
You'll need conversion optimisation
Finally, make sure you're tracking your conversions closely so you know what's working and what's not. Use LinkedIn's conversion tracking to track leads, website visits, and other key metrics. Then, use this data to optimise your campaigns and improve your ROI. I'd definitely optimise for conversions if conversions are the goal.
Once you've got those foundations in place, you can experiment with different ad formats, targeting options, and bidding strategies. The best ad platform is where the target audience can best be reached with the ad platform’s available targeting options.
Wrong ad platform = wrong targeting = difficult to achieve results. And to optimise performance, I’d always split test creative and targeting within the same campaign.
I've detailed my main recommendations for you below:
| Recommendation | Action |
|---|---|
| Refine Targeting | Hone in on specific job titles, industries, and geographic locations. |
| Improve Ad Copy | Address specific pain points, use action-oriented language, and split test. |
| Optimise Landing Page | Create a seamless experience, use persuasive copy, and include strong calls to action. |
| Track Conversions | Use LinkedIn's conversion tracking to optimise campaigns and improve ROI. |
Scaling a cybersecurity training platform is no easy feat, especially in the B2B space. If you're struggling to get the results you want, it might be worth considering expert help. We've helped a number of B2B SaaS companies just like yours scale their lead generation efforts on LinkedIn and other platforms, so we know what it takes to succeed. I recall one campaign we ran on LinkedIn Ads where we achieved a cost per lead of $22 for B2B decision makers in the software niche.
We offer a free initial consultation where we can review your current strategy and account together and give you some personalised recommendations, and it's usually super helpful and gives potential clients a taste of the expertise they'll see going into their project if they decide to work with us.
Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh
