B2B manufacturers are more and more seeking to combine conventional demand era with humour and character – not at all a straightforward activity.
One model searching for to strike the correct steadiness is US software program agency ServiceNow. From adverts staring actor Idris Elba to whitepapers, the model tries to undertake quite a lot of tones and codecs to develop demand and construct model consciousness. This method is enjoying out on LinkedIn.
B2B manufacturers are more and more seeking to combine conventional demand era with humour and character – not at all a straightforward activity.
One model searching for to strike the correct steadiness is US software program agency ServiceNow. From adverts staring actor Idris Elba to whitepapers, the model tries to undertake quite a lot of tones and codecs to develop demand and construct model consciousness. This method is enjoying out on LinkedIn.
“In relation to B2B, LinkedIn is the place to be by way of a social ecosystem,” says vice-president of promoting for media and sponsorships, Jonathan Vu.
“It’s a extremely correct, holistic advertising and marketing engine that we’ve inside our organisation.”
We have a look at connecting with our audiences as a complete human by way of their broader pursuits.
Jonathan Vu, ServiceNow
Based on inner efficiency information, ServiceNow noticed each elevated model consciousness and stronger lead era when combining in-feed video on LinkedIn with BrandLink advert placements throughout premium publishers.
A LinkedIn/Nielsen Model Raise research discovered a 30% enhance in leads amongst individuals first uncovered to ServiceNow’s BrandLink marketing campaign and a 9% raise in aided consciousness amongst goal audiences. These outcomes, whereas self-reported by LinkedIn, had been sufficient to assist the model make the case internally.
“It’s not a extremely exhausting dialogue to say we should always enhance our finances on LinkedIn, as a result of it’s now not ‘We have to spend money on model versus demand’ or something like that,” says Vu.
The flexibility to attach model publicity to lower-funnel metrics, he argues, has lowered friction with the finance workforce.
“As a result of it’s an end-to-end trustworthy platform, we will join model and addressable media to our demand-gen media and quantify its impression on lower-funnel consideration and in the end pipeline,” Vu explains. “It’s extra exact than different channels.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMDbc2MGTGQ
ServiceNow’s position as an early adopter of social media extends past fundamental advert codecs. Vu describes the model’s philosophy as “making an attempt new issues forward of the curve”, noting that its viewers – together with IT leaders, CIOs and operations groups – are sometimes heavy LinkedIn customers.
The corporate has experimented with LinkedIn’s Related TV (CTV) providing, launched in 2024 as a part of the video advert ecosystem. CTV permits advertisers to achieve skilled audiences on streaming platforms utilizing LinkedIn’s information, which is a notable shift for a platform initially constructed round feed-based interactions. For Vu, the profit will not be attain for attain’s sake, however understanding who’s seeing the adverts.
“[It] permits us to run B2B advertising and marketing in comedy and drama by CTV, and it unlocks a brand new house with extra precision,” he explains.
BrandLink itself, which permits advertisers to run pre-roll towards writer content material on LinkedIn, has been the same testing floor for ServiceNow.
Vu describes it as a approach to steadiness “consumer-style engagement” with the enterprise context the model wants. Based on LinkedIn, persons are 18% extra prone to develop into a lead after being uncovered to BrandLink content material .
At the moment’s thought management
“Over the past a number of years, [LinkedIn has] inbuilt options which might be very a lot akin to client platforms by way of constructing group, thought management, editorial and content material,” Vu says.
For ServiceNow, this implies elevating each company bulletins and management viewpoints. Executives publish repeatedly about operational challenges, trade tendencies and inner tradition moderately than the sanitised, company updates of a decade in the past.
“A part of our technique is also recognising that enterprise determination makers aren’t singularly minded,” he states. “We have a look at connecting with our audiences as a complete human by way of their broader pursuits.”
The largest problem is how you may have breakthrough and differentiated narratives.
Jonathan Vu, ServiceNow
This consists of every little thing from ServiceNow’s AI Enterprise Index to posts tied to cultural moments akin to Ladies in Engineering Day and psychological well being consciousness. Vu avoids any strict system for the content material combine.
“It’s not about saying 50% of content material have to be X,” he notes. “It’s about constructing the correct narrative for the second we’re in.”
Regardless of the workforce’s expertise, Vu acknowledges cut-through on LinkedIn will not be assured. The rise of AI-driven “thought items” and a gentle stream of trade commentary make it tougher for substantive content material to floor.
“We’re a platform that automates workflows…The largest problem is how you may have breakthrough and differentiated narratives,” he notes.
Going ahead, Vu would really like better transparency round how LinkedIn’s algorithm evaluates high quality.
“Everybody has a scorching take now. I do want the algorithm was clearer about indexing substance versus punditry,” he states.
The issue isn’t distinctive to LinkedIn, however the platform’s skilled focus arguably heightens the strain between sign and noise. Advertisers face the identical problem: methods to produce work that feels recent in an surroundings the place the quantity of content material continues to rise.
In the end, Vu says the model’s philosophy is easy: “We’re connecting with individuals, not simply job titles.”
