Best practices for the XING AdManager
To realise the full potential of your XING Ads and achieve the desired results, it is important to know and apply best practices.
With the growing abundance of advertising content and the limited attention potential of users, it is crucial that ads are eye-catching, relevant and engaging.
By standing out from the crowd, XING Ads can attract the attention of the target audience, pique interest and achieve a higher click-through rate as well as a better conversion rate.
Learn how to use creative design, engaging messaging and clear targeting to increase the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns and effectively achieve your business goals.
Our products in the marketing funnel
Our diverse products, comprehensive targeting options and high-quality B2B data enable you to increase your brand awareness, generate qualified leads and maximise your conversions.
What goes into a good ad?
Activate the audience
Activate users by using clear call-to-actions, such as:
- Buy now!
- View now!
- Download free of charge!
Position yourself as a problem solver
Find out your target group's pain points, name them in the XING ad and present the solution through your product, service or content.
Put the focus on added value.
What increases the click rate?
Use elements of trust
- Use quotes and testimonials from customers to strengthen your reputation.
Tease exclusive content
- Quote a surprising statistic or ask an interesting question in the first sentence of the ad that the audience would like to know more about.
Use incentives
- A trial period or free offer lowers the hurdle for users. Exclusive vouchers or special offers also increase clicks.
How do I use images?
Use eye-catchers
Don't use generic material, but authentic images that attract attention in the news stream and evoke emotions, e.g. with:
- People,
- color contrasts,
- well-known brand logos.
Little text in the image
Avoid text in the image and visuals that are too small; on some placements, the XING Ad is also displayed without an image and must then also work!
Test your hypotheses and generate facts!
We recommend using A/B testing to increase ad performance:
Create several variants of an advert with different images or texts to find out what actually excites the target group.
Also test different targeting parameters for each advert against each other to find out which criteria work best for you.
Variante A
Variante B
How do I use targeting?
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Break down target groups
On average, six to ten people are involved in B2B purchasing decisions*.
So break down buyer groups, e.g. by field of activity, and address the personas individually.
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Finding a good balance
‘As broad as possible and as narrow as necessary’ is a good guiding principle for targeting.
Reaches of 50,000 people or more are common, but a smaller reach can also be attractive for very specific target groups.
* Source: Gartner study (2021): The new B2B buying journey and its impact on sales.
Break down target groups - example
Different people in the company are involved in the purchase decision for a business product. Ideally, each person is addressed differently - with the arguments that are relevant to them.
Here is the share of the purchase decision using the example of a B2B software product.
Age structure of the XING Audience
Targeting by age
Ideally, you should use job level targeting to address specific age groups and avoid classic age targeting.
Because: Not everyone in your target group likes to share their year of birth and would then fall out.
How do I use the budget correctly?
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Generate relevant advertising pressure
The right budget depends, among other things, on the desired results, the target group and the campaign duration. Pay attention to the recommendation in XING AdManager for the right bid!
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Continuity is important
Purchase decision processes are lengthy and can take months. That's why we recommend ‘always-on campaigns’!
Because: Continuous visibility is essential to accompany the buyer journey and generate the decisive conversion.
Was ist die richtige Gebotsstrategie?
CPC or CPM?
With the CPC bid, you can precisely control the costs of your performance-orientated campaign. The CPM bid is best suited for adverts with a focus on maximum reach.
How does the Bidding Recommendation help?
Depending on the targeting, the XING AdManager recommends a suitable bid. If short-term results are desired, this should be understood as a minimum bid. For always-on campaigns, you can bid lower on a trial basis.
How does the Second Price Auction work?
In XING AdManager, you only pay what the second highest bidder was no longer willing to bid. This means that the CPC or CPM actually paid is often less than your stake. Don't be afraid of offensive bids!
Daily budget & ad pacing
Please specify a daily budget to ensure that an advert is evenly distributed. If no daily budget but a start and end date is specified, the total budget is distributed over at least 75 % of the ad duration.
Use video ads!
XING Video Ads are an effective tool for making your campaigns on XING even more successful. Use moving images to tell an authentic story about your brand.
This is how you capture the attention of users and create a lasting memory. At the same time, video ads create a strong visual and emotional connection between the target group and your brand.
Experienced advertisers know that accompanying branding measures can significantly increase the conversion rate of a campaign.
Noch Fragen?
Melden Sie sich bei Ihre·r Account Manager·in für eine individuelle Beratung und einen Check Ihrer Anzeigen im XING AdManager.
Alternativ können Sie uns auch hier über unser Kontaktformular erreichen.