LinkedIn has announced that on February 29th, 2024, they will be removing Lookalike Audiences as an ad targeting option. This change could significantly impact the way marketers reach their target audiences on the platform.
Lookalike Audiences were introduced in March of 2019 as a way for marketers to target ads to those similar to existing clients. The Lookalike Audience feature allows you to provide LinkedIn with a set of customer attributes, it then scans this information for various characteristics, identifying users with similar traits and potentially connecting you with individuals who share a comparable profile. Years later, the option is being discontinued as more robust and flexible options exist on the platform.
On February 29, 2024, LinkedIn’s lookalike audiences will be discontinued. This means that new lookalike audiences can’t be created and existing lookalike audiences can’t be edited. Existing lookalike audience data will no longer refresh, and a lookalike audience will become a static lookalike audience. Any active campaigns using lookalike audiences will continue to deliver using the static audience.
Impact on current campaigns
Ad campaigns currently utilizing Lookalike Audiences must migrate to predictive audiences or expand their audiences to maintain dynamic targeting. LinkedIn will allow unused Lookalike Audiences to be accessed for 30 days before archiving.
LinkedIn will also remove its API for developing Lookalike Audiences with HubSpot. Marketers that use those linkages to grow audiences will need to look for alternative methods.
Alternatives
While Lookalike Audiences are no longer available, LinkedIn still offers powerful targeting options to help you reach the right audience with your campaigns. Consider exploring the alternatives below to continue expanding reach to your desired audience.
Predictive Audiences
The first alternative to consider is “Predictive Audiences” which enable you to create, essentially, a Lookalike Audience in the same way, but from fewer data sources. Predictive Audiences can be created via info gathered directly from LinkedIn’s Lead Gen Forms, your contact list in the app, and conversions data generated via the Insight Tag. The main characteristic that sets Predictive Audiences apart from Lookalike Audiences is that the data being used is sourced specifically from LinkedIn, which may provide better results.
Audience Expansion
LinkedIn also suggests that brands consider using “Audience Expansion”, an option which enables you to reach users with related interests. Audience Expansion, much like Lookalike Audiences allows you to reach people with similar attributes to your target audience. The difference is this option allows for more flexibility and control, allowing you to target specific professional demographics, not just your existing audience.
Tips you should know
- Hootsuite offers The Complete Guide to LinkedIn Ads in 2024, a useful guide to discover the types of ads available and the kinds of goals they can help you achieve.
- If you’re looking for even more detail, check out Your Guide to LinkedIn Ad Specs 2023, a useful guide on the specifications for each LinkedIn Ad type that’ll give you some of our expert advice on how to make your ads perform their best.
Have questions? Get in touch with an expert today.
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