What are LinkedIn lead gen forms?

First, you need to understand exactly what lead gen forms are. Lead gen forms allow you to include a specific form in your LinkedIn ads which is pre-filled with information from users’ profiles. This reduces how long users spend manually filling in forms and improves their user experience. Users can send their professional information and contact details in a few clicks without leaving the LinkedIn platform. 

If you’re looking for general advice on LinkedIn ads, check out our blog, ‘Everything you need to know about running ads on LinkedIn’. 

Why you should use lead gen forms on LinkedIn

Designed for mobile use 

LinkedIn lead gen ads are optimised for mobile users. Why is this important? Well, 80% of engagement with LinkedIn sponsored content is from mobile users. Using lead gen forms is a simple way to connect with this huge audience without impacting their user experience. 

Simple for users 

Filling out long forms can be time-consuming for users, which might lead to them leaving your site entirely. Lead gen forms remove this fiction by pre-filling in forms with existing profile information. All users need to do is click to open the ad, click on the call to action, and click to submit their information. By streamlining this process, lead gen ads help to generate more leads than standard forms. 

Highly flexible 

Lead gen forms are highly flexible and can be used across campaigns with different goals and actions. They can encourage users to sign up for events, email lists, and webinars or allow users to submit their information to access gated content. 

Opportunity to convert users twice 

With lead gen forms, you have the chance to convert users twice. You have their email and contact information which you can use to re-target them or involve them in an email campaign. However, you also have a chance to convert them when they click on the link on the ‘thank you’ page.

How do lead gen forms work?

So how do these revolutionary forms work? When a user clicks on your ad, a pre-filled form with information from their LinkedIn profile is shown to them. They then review the information and then submit the form. You’ll then be sent their information (including name, email address, job title, location, and any other information you specified).

After they’ve submitted their information, the user will be shown a ‘thank you’ page with your personalised message and a link back to your site or a dedicated landing page. 

6 tips for creating effective lead gen forms 

1. Don’t use too many form fields 

Although LinkedIn recommends using 3-4 fields for your lead gen ads, using more than this amount can significantly harm the number of leads or conversions your ad obtains. Try not to ask for any more information that you truly need. 

If you notice a high click-through rate, but very few users are completing the form, this might mean you’re using too many fields. You should experiment using fewer fields and see if the conversion rate improves. 

2. Don’t use any form fields that need manual input 

Try not to include any fields in your lead gen form that require information not in users’ LinkedIn profiles (such as gender or phone number). If you do, users will have to input this information manually. This will likely reduce the number of users that complete the form. It’s best practice to only ask for information that’s available on their profiles to make it simple and frictionless for users to submit the forms. 

3. Create a compelling headline and description

When you set up your LinkedIn lead gen form, include an enticing headline and description that compels users to take further action and complete your form. Your headline should clearly explain the offer you’re making, while the description should further explain the benefits of your offer and what users will get by completing the form. 

4. Spend time crafting an effective ‘thank you’ page

Although one of the key benefits of lead gen forms is that they keep users on the LinkedIn platform, there is an opportunity to divert users to your site after submitting your form. This effectively gives you a second chance to convert users. You should take time designing your ‘thank you’ page with this in mind.

5. Include a URL to a dedicated landing page 

Following our previous tip, consider building a dedicated landing page for your lead gen form ad. You can then treat this page as a standard LinkedIn landing page and add UTMs to track users and create retargeting campaigns. 

6. Use high-quality copy in your lead gen form

Users won’t visit your website until the very end of the process (or at all), so it’s essential that you take the time to write quality copy for your lead gen form, much like you would a landing page. You should be clear about the benefits of filling out your form and what users will get in return to help increase conversions. Your copy must be concise and persuasive, as there are limited text characters. 

When to get help with your LinkedIn ads 

If you want to start using lead gen forms but need help implementing them, getting specialist help could transform your LinkedIn results. 

At Logica Digital, we’ve been running effective LinkedIn ad campaigns for our clients for over a decade. We can use lead gen forms alongside other forms of LinkedIn ads to maximise your return on investment and drive real results! After a free initial audit, our PPC experts will evaluate your current paid social performance and analyse your wider marketing strategy to see where and how we can help you get your desired results!

Contact the team today to learn more about what we do and our experience with LinkedIn ads. 

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