Hack LinkedIn Ads With Sales Navigator [2023 Complete Guide]

In this tutorial, you will learn how to build super-targeted Linkedin Ads audiences using Linkedin Sales Navigator.

Linkedin Ads are the most expensive ads on the market. So you better spend some time to building targeted audiences before opening your wallet.

How To Target Sales Navigator Leads with Linkedin Ads

To target sales navigator leads with linkedin ads:

1. Extract accounts from Linkedin Sales Navigator
2. Upload your Sales Navigator export to Linkedin Ads
3. Modify your file to match the Linkedin Ads template
4. Add lead filters on Linkedin Ads
5. Upload lead lists on Linkedin Ads

1. Extract accounts from Linkedin Sales Navigator

First thing you will need to do is to extract targeted accounts from Linkedin Sales Navigator.

Sales Navigator got amazing search filters that allow you to build target lead lists. However, Data Export is not a native linkedin sales navigator feature, so you will a need a third party tool to do this.

Evaboot is excellent at doing this job.

Here is a video tutorial

2. Upload your Sales Navigator export to Linkedin Ads

Next step is to upload the data you just extracted from Sales Navigator into LinkedIn Ads.

For that, you need to click on Word > Advertise

Then, create an add account or select one if you already have created it.

Click on Create > Campaing

Then select your campaign goal, scroll down a little bit and click on Audience > List Upload

Click on Company List

Then click on Upload a List

You will land on the upload interface of Linkedin Ads.

Before you upload your file, you will need to modify it so it matches the templates linkedin is expecting.

That’s precisely what I am going to show in step number 3.

Let’s dive in.

3. Modify your file to match the Linkedin Ads template

Here is the type of file linkedin is expecting to create a Linkedin Ads audience from your Linkedin Sales Navigator export.

Evaboot does not provide the right headers name (as they are not clear and Evaboot is not only used for Linkedin Ads)

You will need to two things.

The first one is to delete the unnecessary columns.

If you export your data with Evaboot, you can simply keep:

• company name
• company website
• company page URL

These 3 fields are enough for Linkedin to retrieve the companies in its database (especially the Linkedin URLs!)

Once your file matches the template you can click on Select List and upload your file.

Your list will now appear in the Linkedin Ads interface and you will be able to select it by ticking the checkbox next to the name.

The next step?

Click on Narrow Add some lead filters to target decision makers.

4. Add lead filters on Linkedin Ads

You have told Linkedin you want to target people into your account list.

Now, it’s time to give the algorithm more precision to help him identify the right decision makers.

For that, click on Audience attributes > Job Experience

Then click on Job Titles

You will be able to precise exactly which job titles you want to target inside these accounts.

DISCLAIMER: you can only add job titles proposed by Linkedin. They are broad categories that regroup variations of the same job title. It works exactly like in LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Like here in this example, the category “Head of Sales” does not include people which position is exactly “Head of Sales” but also slightly different titles like “Head of Digital Sales”, “Head of Marketing and Sales” etc…

If you target really specific job titles that are not so common, you may not find what you want with this filter.

But no worries, there is a way get around this if you need to.

5. Upload lead lists on Linkedin Ads

If the job title you are targeting is too specific and you can’t find it on Linkedin search engine, you can upload your lead list to narrow down your audience.

DISCLAIMER

For this technique you must upload at least 300 people in linkedin ads.

For that Linkedin ask for:

• Email of the linkedin account
• First name
• Last name
• Job title
• Country

As you did for accounts, you can create another sheet and modify the Evaboot file to fit the prospect upload template.

To sum this up, in case you can’t find your job titles:

1. Upload your account list
2. Click on “narrow” and upload your lead list

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This was the technical part. Now, let’s see how to integrate this into your linkedin lead generation strategy

Using Linkedin Ads for Account Based Marketing

If you want to start using Linkedin Account Based Marketing to generate leads, these strategies are really efficient.

There are 4 concepts to master:

1. The Mere Exposure Effect
2. Warm-up Ads
3. Cover Ads
4. Wake-up Ads

1. The Mere Exposure Effect

The mere-exposure effect is a psychological phenomenon by which people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them

The more your prospect will be exposed to your brand throughs ads or content, the more they will feel familiar with your sales.

The more they will feel familiar with your sales, the more they will be likely to take meetings with them.

2. The Warm-Up Ads

The goal of this campaign is to slowly introduce your brand to your prospect before your start your linkedin prospecting campaign.

Indeed, if you tickle the curiosity of your prospect before your SDR start contacting them, the reply rate might increase has your prospects might have already thought several times of your offers.

Getting contacted by a Sales is a great opportunity to ask them!

3. The Cover Ads

The goal of these campaigns is to stay top of mind while your SDR’s are talking with your prospects.

Imagine your SDR send a follow-up and your prospect doesn’t reply.

Two days later, he sees your ads on his Linkedin feed and think: “Oh, i’ve forgotten to reply to the guy from this company, let’s do it right now”

Running Ads while you’re talking to your prospect is a great way to follow-up without sending linkedin messages.

4. The Wake-Up Ads

A good part of your prospects won’t reply to your prospecting messages even after 4 follow-ups.

Is it a reason to give them up?

Not at all!

You obviously don’t want to seem pushy.

So why don’t you retarget them with ads?

Maybe your prospects just needed time to consider your offer.

By running Linkedin Ads after your prospecting campaigns, you are sure to stay top of mind even if you stop your linkedin outreach for a month or two.