Take a look at this recent LinkedIn research on the automotive industry. Great deep dive into the B2B and B2C buyer's journey and how you can influence your prospects with intelligent targeting and content

1. AUTOCONNECT 2016

2. WELCOME

3. L I N K E D I N ’ S M I S S I O N
Connect the world’s professionals
to make them more productive
and successful

4. SCHOOLSCOMPANIES KNOWLEDGESKILLSMEMBERS JOBS
27k7M 8M10B467M 6M
Weekly SharesEndorsements
T H E E C O N O M I C G R A P H

5. LEARNSELLMARKETHIRE
CUSTOMER VALUE PROPOSITION

6. Rosie Lowrie
Agency Account Director

7. Brief history of LinkedIn
Launch may 5th 2003
4,500 at the end
of the 1st month

8. 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
450M+
32M
150M
4.5K
2 new members
each second
across the world
Our members

10. The largest global community of professionals
61M
senior-level
influencers
40M
decision makers
10.7M
opinion leaders
6.8M
C-level execs
22.8M
Mass Affluent
8.4M
career changers
467Mprofessionals are on LinkedIn

11. LinkedIn members are the most influential & affluent audience on the
Internet
11
of Europe's Business
Elite visit LinkedIn
weekly1
46%
More business decision
makers than comparable
business site
2.8X
Higher buying power
index vs. comparable
business and social sites
28%
1Ipsos European Business Elite; “Business Elite” are senior decision makers (senior manager+) in companies with > 150 employees.

12. We can target your specific targets are on LinkedIn in the UK
22Mprofessionals are on LinkedIn
300K
career changers
1,4M
SMB Decision Makers
710K
construction
1,2M
C-Suites
1,6M
User Choosers590K
Fleet Decision Makers

13. C L I E N T S W A N T T O W O R K W I T H U S

14. Mercedes connect their brand with the
concept of great performance
Conversion rates
trebled auto industry benchmarks
“We’ve developed a program that really
thrives on the ecosystem of LinkedIn
and really leverages the behaviour of its
users.” Mark Aikman, Digital Marketing
Manager at Mercedes Benz
Is your colleague driven to perform?

15. 15
Objective: Identify ambitious SMB leaders with an appetite for
growth and invite them to join the LinkedIn Showcase Page and
engage in discussion
Results
 35,000 followers for the Business is GREAT Showcase Page
 Followers visiting the Showcase Page monthly have a 79%
favourable opinion
 LinkedIn investment outperforms all other digital platforms

16. ENERGY | EMEA
This approach has proved the value of
executives publishing thought-leadership
content on LinkedIn and humanising our
brand. We achieved over 270,000
impressions with engagement rates well
above what we normally achieve for
corporate content. And we now have
several other senior executives keen to
publish posts in a similar way to David
Americo Campos Silva
Global Head of Social and Alternative Media Shell
OBJECTIVE:
• Pave the way for discussion and collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders
• Enable an elevated discussion around energy challenges
SOLUTIONS:
• LinkedIn Pulse posts from Shell’s Chief Climate Change Adviser, David Hone
• Amplified through Shell’s LinkedIn Groups and Company Page and through media
executions
RESULTS:
10,000
views
10,000 views of David
Hone Pulse posts (100x
the number of views on
David’s own blog)
1,845
Followers in
one month
David went from zero to
1,845 followers in one
month
High levels of engagement
with key stakeholders, with
posts generating up to 37
comments
High
Engagement
levels

17. P R O D U C T S &
U P D A T E S T O
T H E P L A T F O R M

18. Sponsored Content
•Engage your prospects with relevant content in the world’s only professional feed

19. Send timely, convenient, and relevant private messages
to the people that matter most to your business
LinkedIn Sponsored InMail

20. • Members first approach allows advertisers to confidently reach the
audiences that matter and maximize their advertising investments
Quality Audience
4 out of 5 members drive
company business decisions
High Viewability
Low ad load means more of your
impressions are viewable
Brand Safe and Secure
Log-in requirement eliminates
click fraud concerns
Programmatic Display

21. Investing in our product - Product Roadmap
Product call-outs: InMail selfserve, Conversion Tracking, Autofill, Campaign Manager analytics
Prove the value of your
marketing
M E A S U R E S U C C E S S
Engage your audience
on LinkedIn and beyond
B E Y O N D T H E F E E D
Optimise the impact of
your marketing
N E X T L E V E L
P E R F O R M A N C E

22. Conversion Tracking – Optimise beyond the click

23. Audience Retargeting & Marketing Automation Contact Target Q1 2017

24. In Ad Lead Generation
Q4 2016

25. Scaling Sponsored Updates off Platform Q4 2016

26. Autofill increasing conversion rate & quality Q4 2016
Catavolt trialled sponsored update
activity combined with Autofill and saw:
• Up to 25% lift in lead conversion for
eBooks
• Up to 10% lift in lead conversion for
webinars
• Significantly lower cost per conversion
than other methods
• Overall increase in lead data quality

27. 27
Insights Into The
Automotive Buyers Journey
Unlocking opportunity through understanding the buyer’s
journey…

28. Agenda
The opportunity to access high value potential customers
Identifying optimal times to engage new potential customers
Efficiently activate your target audiences by understanding the buyer’s journey

29. I d e n t i f y i n g N e w O p p o r t u n i t y :
How new audiences represent value and opportunity to you…

30. LinkedIn members represent potential high value customers…
3.2x 3x 3.7x
More likely* to be
looking for a new car
More likely* to own
multiple cars (>3)
More likely* to own
a luxury car

31. Due to the higher affluence of the member base compared to other
platforms…
142
112
99
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook
Top 25%
earners
154
131
104
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook
Business
decision
makers

32. Providing access to audiences relevant to the Automotive Industry…
B2C B2B
Size of Audience
(Europe)
LinkedIn Audience
Definition
Luxury Car Buyers User Choosers Fleet Managers
9.6m+11.8m+ 1.8m+
Professionals with a seniority
level of Director and above
Professionals with a seniority
level of ‘Manager’ and above
who operate in Business
Development, Operations or
Sales Job Functions
Professionals with a seniority
level of ‘Manager’ and above
who operate in Administrative,
Finance or Purchasing Job
Functions

33. Where they are already demonstrating the behaviour on platform you
can take advantage of…
24%> 30%> 26%>
20%> 40%> 30%>
103%> 86%> 43%>
more likely to
spend time on
the homepage*
more likely to
follow companies
on LinkedIn*
more likely to
share content*
B2C B2B
Luxury Car Buyers User Choosers Fleet Managers

34. We found that 45% of car purchases in Europe are triggered by a
professional reason…
12%
15%
15%
22%
Changed/expect to change my
job or career, and current vehicle
no longer fits work needs
Achievement such as promotion
or graduation
Want a vehicle that fits my
professional image
Received/expect a raise, bonus
or other new work-related income

35. 35
And we can identify job trigger points via our custom segments, to reach
auto buyers in a timely manner
Company changers
Career changers
Career starters
Promotion at different company in last 6 months
Promotion in company in last 6 months

36. H o w c a n w e a c t i v a t e a n d
e n g a g e t h i s a u d i e n c e :
Understand exactly who your audience are and the journey they
take leading up to a buying decision…

37. LinkedIn research on user-choosers
Field research:
Dec 2015 - Jan 2016
Scope: LinkedIn
members in Europe
(UK,NL,FR,ES,DE)
Respondents: 235 user
choosers – people who have
influence when deciding on a
company car

38. There are numerous touch points European car buyers take before making a
decision….
0.5
1.2
1.1
2.1
1.8
2.1
Decision phase
Information
phase
Offline Online Dealer
Number of touchpoints used in the car buying journey1
(Average number by phase, Europe)2
5.4
3.4
1 in 10
Go to the dealer and
trust his/her advice
without using the web2

39. Engage with and influence your audience early and directly as they are the
ones making the decisions…
6% 62% 23%
9%
Chosen by me
Chosen by my
employer
Entirely by me1 With some restrictions2 From a finite list of
specific vehicle options3
91%
91% user-choosers in Europe can decide on their vehicle

40. As they are in the market right now, but are as yet undecided as to which
brand to choose…
of European LinkedIn members
in market for a vehicle
are undecided about the brand1
​67% 55%
Have a budget of £40k+ for
their next car

41. Provide them with the content that they want to help aid their buying
decision….
European user choosers seek a corporate car fitting their personal needs (important features)
9%
11%
15%
16%
20%
34%
39%
40%
43%
47%
Engine size
Features
Innovation
Style
Design
Safety
Fuel efficiency
Comfort/space
Car that suits my family needs
Technology

42. Deliver it through the mediums that they prefer to engage with….
7%
8%
9%
16%
18%
29%
40%
49%
Information about the company
White papers
Webinars/demos using video
Case studies
Topics/themes that are affecting the…
Buying guides
New automotive model launches
Third-party vehicle reviews
A varied content mix is relevant to European user choosers for auto purchases, going way
beyond product content

43. Combine these insights with understanding exactly WHO your audience
are and HOW they differ can inform a robust strategy…
With 8.1m members, tailoring your targeting and content can help ensure your message
resonates with them on a more personal level…
Industry
Manufacturing
Construction
Tech
Medical
Seniority
91% Manager+

45. Content Planning

46. The auto industry on LinkedIn is still in
a growth stage

47. Why Content Marketing?
47

48. “According to our findings, the death of the traditional sales
funnel is imminent…the explosion of digital channels has
enabled marketers to bombard potential customers with sales
incentives and special offers, yet conversion rates are in free-fall
as most of this marketing material ends up, unread, in the
recycling bin.
• Fleet News article on Sewells research study
Traditional advertising is ineffective for fleet sales

49. Purchase Influence comes from nearly every place
EXCEPT advertising
0%
0%
0%
3%
3%
4%
4%
5%
6%
7%
9%
10%
11%
14%
14%
20%
20%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
Online Video Sites
Direct Mail
Advertising
Automotive Market or Review Sites
Search Engines
Word of Mouth
Dealer website
Magazines
Online Industry Communities
Industry Associations
Manufacturer's Websites
Dealership visits
Manufacturer Representatives
Social Media Sites
Blogs
Industry Conferences or Shows
Manufacturer Sponsored Events
% of respondents who
considered the source
"extremely influential"
Source: FleetAnswers.com Purchase Influence Study 2012

50. LinkedIn is the second source of information for
many purchase influencers
Source: FleetAnswers.com Purchase Influence Study 2012

51. 51
So, fleet purchasers are on LinkedIn, consider it
influential, but ads are not the most influential way
to reach them. So let’s talk about Sponsored
CONTENT

52. Content marketing is
building a relationship with a
constituency by consistently delivering
helpful, inspirational,
or entertaining content

53. Tap into the aspirational mindset
Members’ top reasons for engaging with content range from education
to inspiration…
• Source: LinkedIn Content Research, June 2016
1. It’s educational or informative 62%
2. It’s relevant to me 61%
3. To stay on top of the latest trends 48%
4. It’s inspiring 40%
5. It helps with skill development 38%

54. A varied mix of content is relevant to ‘user choosers’ for auto purchases,
going way beyond product content
7%
8%
9%
16%
18%
29%
40%
49%
Information about people at the
company
White papers
Webinars/demos using video
Case studies
Topics/themes that are affecting the
motor industry
Buying guides
New automotive model launches
Third-party vehicle reviews
Source: Source: LinkedIn member survey, 2016, N =235, Europe (UK,NL,FR,ES,DE), users who are involved in choosing their company car;
Question: Which of the following information types or sources would be most helpful for you to receive when deciding on an automotive brand?
FR, UK, DE, NL, ES

55. Where does great content come from?

56. People

57. Publishers

58. Brands

59. Best In Class: People, Publishers, and
Brands Unifying Around A Message

60. Finally, the top sponsored updates on LinkedIn speak directly to
a specific audience

61. To Recap
​1. Content marketing bridges the gap between advertising and dealers/reps
to help your audience at every stage in their research process.
​2. In order to do that, your content should be able to take many forms:
reviews, product launches, buying guides and industry trends
​3. It should also incorporate a human element, whether that means using
humour, writing for a specific audience, or sourcing content directly from the
employee voice

62. But I Don’t Have Any Content
62

63. Let’s Find Some

64. 64
Blogging Food Groups
Categories Content Examples
Raisin Bran content: The basic, everyday content that
you can dish out quickly
• How-to posts
• Third-party posts
• Useful, relevant Articles
• Repurposing of old content
• Blog Posts
Spinach content: The stuff that’s good
for you, even if it’s difficult to chew
• Thought leadership pieces
• Guest Topics/ Blog Posts
• Case Studies
Roasts: The valuable, time-consuming projects that
leave your guests begging
for more
• Strategic research and analysis
• Trends POVs
• Big Inititatives
Chocolate cake content: Everyone wants
a second piece of this sweet treat
• Light-hearted, easily-digestible content
• Cultural content (e.g. Day in the Life)
• Amusing videos, graphics, stories
Tabasco* content: Sometimes you just need a little fire
on the tongue
• Bold statements with strong POV
• Calculated and strategic
And Put It In An Editorial Calendar

65. The Content Food Groups
A steady diet of quality content for your channels
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Case studies
Expert blog posts
Reviews Product
innovation
Electric
vehicles
Videos
Industry
trend
reports
Offers and discounts

66. Distribution

68. Mobile First
68
12:00
PM
6:00
AM
9:00
PM

69. Best Practices for Effective Sponsored Updates
Address Your
Audience Directly
A/B test and
optimise
Use targeting
effectively, but at
scale

70. Targeting
SME Company
size
Industry/Vertic
al

71. “While white-collar businesses such as solicitors, accountants or creative professionals focus on
brand image and providing perk cars to attract talent, administrative services companies who are
completely reliant on cars and vans tend to spend the bare minimum on keeping their employees
mobile.”
Targeting: testing SME message segmentation

72. Targeting: Industry + seniority + function
The profile of European luxury car owners on LinkedIn can inform
your targeting
- Manufacturing (incl. oil & gas)
- High tech
- Finance
- Medical
- Sales
- Operations
- Project & program management
- Engineering
Sources: LinkedIn member survey, 2014, N = 630, UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands
Top FunctionsTop sectors Manager +
75%

73. Targeting: Industry + seniority + function
As the profile of fleet influencers is quite similar, just a bit broader
- Manufacturing (incl. oil & gas)
- High tech
- Finance
- Medical
- Corporate
- Construction
- Sales
- Operations
- Project & program management
- Finance
- Marketing
- Business Development
Top FunctionsTop sectors Manager +
91%
Source: LinkedIn member survey, 2016, N =235, Europe (UK,NL,FR,ES,DE), users who are involved in choosing their company car;

74. Content – Best in Class

76. 76
Tip# 1: Show, don’t tell
Demonstrate a spirit of innovation rather than
just talking about it.

77. 77
75%Neurons in our
brains process visual information
60,000visuals are processed faster than text
44%followers + likely to engage with brands if they
post pictures
Tip #2 Power of Visuals

78. 78
• Choose an objective to measure
78
Tip# 3: A/B test single elements

79. 79
3 updates
per week
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
By posting several updates simultaneously, the algorithm would optimize the
delivery to the content that performs best
Tip# 4 Consistency, Always-on!
​Be consistent with testing new content elements and audiences. Always start broad!

80. 80
Access Toolkit – 7 free resources

81. PRODUCT OVERVIEW AND
BEST PRACTICES

82. SPONSORED INMAIL

83. LinkedIn Sponsored InMail
• Send timely, convenient, and relevant private messages to
the people that matter most to your business
CTR Benchmark : 3-5 %, Open rate 30-50%
Leads : Test drive, Technical specs Auto

84. Tips to optimize your Sponsored InMail Campaign
Importance of subject line and description
Personalise with the audience
Mobile friendly : short and landing page importance
CTA relevant and consistent
A/B testing : person VS company page

85. Captivating subject line
Message fits in well to be sent
from a company
Call-out that this is a once in a
lifetime opportunity
Message has a sense of limited
availability and time sensitivity
InMail Best Practise

86. Automotive Example

87. SPONSORED CONTENT

88. Engage your prospects with relevant content in the world’s
only professional feed
Sponsored Content
CTR Benchmark : 0.30-0.35 %,
Engagement rate 0.40-0.50%
Branding CPM / Lead CPC

89. Tips to optimize your Sponsored Content Campaign
Catchy headline
Keep it short (think mobile)
Engage with the specific audience
Make it visual
A/B test

90. Personalise the message to the audience
38%
CTR*
lift
* Total clicks, including social actions

91. Keep it positive/inspirational/actionable
* Total clicks, including social actions
85%
CTR*
lift

92. Short and sweet: Intro less than 150 characters
* Total clicks, including social actions
156%
CTR*
lift

93. Mercedes Benz USA plays with seasonality

94. Jaguar & Renault tap into the professional context

95. A Picture speaks a 1000 words

96. Fiat What Bad Boys drive

97. INTERNATIONAL CASE
STUDIES

98. CASE STUDY

99. Agenda
marketing and business objectives
solutions
results

100. Marketing & business objectives
Context : launch of the new SUV « Levante » Q2 2016
Targets : Mass Affluent People
Objectives : - Brand Awareness
- Lead Generation

101. Solutions
Mix Product : Sponsored content + Inmails to
increase the results

102. Results
Campaign Results
• A/B test to improve the results
• CTR and Engagement rate 200%+ higher than the LinkedIn benchmarks on Content
• Open rate and CTR 60%+ higher than the LinkedIn benchmarks on Inmails
• 50%+ earned media
• Product uplift : Increase of Open Rate (+24%) and CTR (+53%) for members who saw the
2 formats
Marketing Results
Increase of awareness
Number of leads over expectations
Quality of lead in the Maserati benchmark

104. MERCEDES-BENZ
UPGRADE ON YOUR CV
UPGRADE ON THE ROAD

105. • Support the Mercedes-Benz drive
towards leadership in the global premium
auto segment
• Increase awareness of the full Mercedes-
Benz portfolio
• Depending on their financial means,
engage potential buyers on an individual
basis in trigger career moments, and
nurture them towards conversion
MERCEDES-BENZ – THE CHALLENGE

106. • LinkedIn data enables targeting of all those
making positive career moves in the last 60 days
• Segmentation according to users’ seniority (Senior
– A-Class, Manager/Director – C-Class, CXO – S-
Class)
• Targeted display ads drive awareness of the most
relevant Mercedes-Benz models
• Sponsored InMails deliver personalised
congratulations, with an invite to try the new car
MERCEDES-BENZ – THE SOLUTION

107. Consumer lands on
LinkedIn site
Depending on seniority
level, consumer is served
one of three banners
Separately, InMails are sent out to
consumers that fit targeting criteria
Messaging:
‘Congratulations on
your promotion!’ Both direct to general model
landing page
1
2
3
MERCEDES-BENZ – THE USER JOURNEY

108. • The campaign reached almost two million new
auto buyers in Germany, Sweden, Turkey and
Portugal
• Conversion rates trebled auto industry
benchmarks
• The campaign was awarded ‘Best Digital Media
Idea’ at the prestigious Deutscher Mediapreis
(German Media Awards)
MERCEDES-BENZ – THE RESULTS

109. LAUNCHING
THE MINI
CLUBMAN
ON LINKEDIN

110. MINI CLUBMAN – TARGETING
Progressive
Mainstream
15%
Upper Liberals
70%
Mature
Connoisseurs
35%
Business
Customers
35%
Post Moderns
15%

111. MINI CLUBMAN – ECOSYSTEM
BMW Group Company Page MINI Showcase Page

112. MINI CLUBMAN – PHASE 1: INSPIRATION
- Inspirational content which is of interest for target groups
- Content related to the makers of the car, not product
- Video and image

113. MINI CLUBMAN – PHASE 2: ASPIRATION
- Product is mentioned
- Attention-grabbing infographics
- Communication still related mainly to
motto of the campaign, not to product
- Infographics

114. MINI CLUBMAN – PHASE 3: REVELATION
- Product is revealed
- General focus on car, not on details
- High-class photography

115. MINI CLUBMAN – PHASE 4: PRODUCT
COMMUNICATION
- Focus on product details
- Explanation of advantages for user
- Images and drawings

116. MINI CLUBMAN – PHASE 5a: ACTIVATION
- Focus on design and engineering, feeling on the road
- Direct call-to-action for test drive
- Images

117. MINI CLUBMAN – PHASE 5b: ACTIVATION
- Personalised
messaging, tailored to
target group
- Direct call-to-action
for dealer event
- Sponsored InMail

118. MINI CLUBMAN – A TRULY GLOBAL CAMPAIGN
Japan, Germany, UK, France, Turkey, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Russia, Guadeloupe