After completing a pilot program involving over 100 advertisers, LinkedIn (NYSE: LNKD) has now opened its sponsored inmail ad doors to all of its marketing partners. Utilizing its growing user data analytics capabilities, those ad partners will now be able to “target audiences in a personalized, direct and meaningful way” via email.
After determining the appropriate target markets, advertisers can craft relevant messages to unique groups of LinkedIn members, as well as include a call-to-action button on either a mobile or desktop device. The company said it will strictly monitor the frequency of inmail ads sent to members to ensure they aren’t inundated, as well as provide marketers with the biggest bang for their advertising buck.
It’s not surprising LinkedIn is working diligently to improve its monetization capabilities ahead of its $26.2 billion acquisition by Microsoft, and its new inmail ad feature offers the added benefit of helping to diversify its revenue sources.
As it stands, LinkedIn continues to generate the vast majority of its sales from its talent solutions division. Last quarter’s 24% jump in talent solutions revenue to $623 million was great, and a key component in pushing total sales to $960 million, up 23% year over year. However, that one division accounted for 65% of revenue in the quarter.
To put LinkedIn’s reliance on its job-related revenue into perspective, marketing solutions is its second-largest unit as measured by its $175 million in sales last quarter, but that accounted for just 18% of its revenue.
A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity
The world’s biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn’t miss a beat: There’s a small company that’s powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here.
Tim Brugger has no position in any stocks mentioned.
{loadposition user99}