“Have you ever noticed how sometimes an ad pops up so often that you start ignoring it? Or how, at other times, you barely even see an ad enough to remember it? That’s where LinkedIn Ad frequency comes into play. It determines how often your target audience sees your LinkedIn Ads within a specified time frame.
This factor is crucial for the success of your LinkedIn Ad Campaigns. Too high a frequency might cause your audience to feel overwhelmed, diminishing the campaign’s effectiveness and leading to a lower conversion rate. On the flip side, if the frequency is too low, your ads might not get the visibility they deserve, leading to the same outcome: a reduced conversion rate.
Striking the right balance in ad frequency is the key to a thriving LinkedIn Advertising campaign.”
How to Calculate LinkedIn Ad Frequency
LinkedIn Ad frequency is the average number of times an individual in your target audience sees your ad. Here’s how to figure it out:
Formula: Ad Frequency = Total Impressions / Unique Views
Example: Suppose you ran a LinkedIn campaign for 30 days, targeting 10,000 people. If this campaign produced 50,000 impressions, your ad frequency would be 5. This means, on average, each person in your target audience saw your ad five times during the month.
Projection: If your campaign continues at this rate, over 60 days, the ad frequency might climb to 10, and by 90 days, it could reach 15.
So, what can you do with this information? Refresh your campaign!
Let’s say you decide to add 3 more ads, making a total of 5 ads in your campaign. Over 90 days, each ad would then be served roughly 3 times. This approach ensures your audience sees a variety of ads, keeping the content fresh and engaging.
By regularly checking the ad frequency, you can make informed decisions about when to introduce new ads, ensuring your audience doesn’t tire of seeing the same content. Sounds like a game-changer, right?
How to Optimize LinkedIn Ad Frequency Settings
By default, LinkedIn’s ad frequency settings are performance-driven. This means campaigns automatically allocate more budget to ads that perform well.
Consider this scenario: You’re launching a retargeting campaign for website visitors and have prepared 10 diverse creatives to display over 90 days. If you leave settings on performance optimization, LinkedIn will predominantly showcase the top-performing ads — those driving the most conversions. However, if your goal is to evenly present all your creatives, adjusting to the ‘even distribution’ or ‘ad rotation’ setting is your best bet.
Repeatedly showing the same ad can wear out its welcome. To maintain audience interest, it’s crucial to balance ad frequency with ad rotation. After all, variety is the spice of ad campaigns!
Ad Frequency by Ad Types
Different LinkedIn ad types come with distinct frequency behaviors. Grasping these can better guide your optimization efforts.
1. Single Image Ads
Often hailed as the marketer’s favorite, Single Image Ads are a prevalent choice on LinkedIn. However, a heads-up: while they’re popular, they also tend to have the lowest ad frequency and a notably higher CPC.
LinkedIn’s algorithm tweaks the frequency of these ads based on factors like audience size, budget, and campaign objectives. On average, a user encounters a Single Image Ad about 6-8 times over a 90-day period. To amplify your campaign’s impact, consider incorporating multiple Single Image Ad creatives and adjusting settings for even distribution.
2. Video Ads
Similar to Single Image Ads, the average ad frequency for Video Ads on LinkedIn is 6-8 times over a 90-day span. To maximize engagement and maintain viewer interest, it’s recommended to diversify your campaign with an additional 5-10 video creatives.
3. Text Ads, Spotlight Ads, and Follower Ads
These LinkedIn ad types are notable for their higher frequency and cost-effectiveness. On average, Text Ads, Spotlight Ads, and Follower Ads rack up between 15-30 impressions per user over a 90-day period.
While they might not be the frontrunners for direct conversions, their heightened frequency can significantly boost brand visibility. To optimize engagement, consider experimenting with 20-30 variations of each ad, playing around with diverse copy and designs.
4. LinkedIn Carousel Ads
While Carousel Ads are currently enjoying popularity among marketers, they come with a catch: their frequency is surprisingly low. In fact, they lag behind even Single Image and Video Ads in terms of how often they appear to users.
Tips to Harness the Power of Ad Frequency
1. Set Clear Campaign Goals
Before launching any campaign, establish its objective. Determine how many different content pieces you wish to display to your audience throughout the campaign.
2. Front Load Your Ad Frequency
In the initial stages of your campaign, aim for a higher ad frequency. This helps in ensuring that your audience encounters your content multiple times early on.
3. Monitor and Adjust
Keep a close watch on your ad frequency over the campaign’s duration. If, for instance, you have an audience size of 5,000 and observe a dwindling ad frequency over the last 30 days, consider dividing the audience in half and launching two separate campaigns. Conversely, if the ad frequency spikes, it might be wise to expand your audience size.
4. Align Ad Timing with the Buyer’s Journey
Ensure the frequency and pacing of your ads correlate with your customer’s buying journey and your product’s sales cycle.
5. Understand Your Sales Cycle
For brands with extended sales cycles, it’s beneficial to nurture potential customers over time with a gentler ad frequency. However, for B2C brands with shorter sales cycles, a higher frequency might prove more effective.
In Conclusion
Achieving a high ad frequency might be on every marketer’s wish list, but it’s vital to remember that it’s not just about quantity. Strategically leveraging ad frequency, considering factors like campaign goals, the buyer’s journey, and sales cycles, is crucial for impactful campaigns.
Interested in elevating your ad frequency game? Feel free to book a one-on-one consulting call with me. Always here to assist!
