Messages That Drive Sales

– These findings are based on data from promotional content on LinkedIn and reveal what works in B2B marketing,” says Sander Sørhaug, partner and strategic advisor at Kommunikasjonshuset.

It is said that half of your marketing budget is wasted—the challenge is figuring out which half.

– We want to help companies invest their resources in the right half, Sørhaug says.

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Economy trumps sustainability

Sørhaug has A/B tested messages for a number of companies on LinkedIn—this is a test where two versions of a message are compared to find out which performs best.

In one of the tests, he compared a focus on cost savings with sustainability. The results were surprising.

– With all the focus on sustainability, I almost expected that message to win. But we clearly see that the economic perspective trumps it, he says.

The message emphasizing economic benefits received 160% higher engagement.

– If you want to sell more, it might be wise to consider whether you should position your product or service as a sustainable alternative, or if you should rather play on the economic angle, Sørhaug advises.

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Design increases the likelihood of sales

In some tests, the messaging was similar, but the visuals had two different designs. Here, too, there were significant differences in results.

– If you want your message to get through, it pays off to spend a little extra time on the visual design. This tends to be taken for granted, but our A/B testing shows that people engage more when the visuals are perceived as clean and harmonious.

– And it doesn’t stop at engagement. The company received more inquiries from the version with the sleek design, Sørhaug says.

He speculates on why this is:

– People are busy and have to deal with large amounts of information daily. Maybe people subconsciously avoid content with cluttered design?

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Less engages more

Sørhaug points out that the context of the message must always be considered.

– We have tested different messages for companies in various industries. The trends we see can of course vary between industries and target groups—and over time. Still, they give us an indicator of what we can do more of moving forward

We have tested different messages for companies in various industries. The trends we see can of course vary between industries and target groups—and over time. Still, they give us an indicator of what we can do more of moving forward

The results also support the timeless claim that “less is more.” The common thread across the tests was that simple messages focusing on one feature of the product or service resulted in far more website visits—and potential customers.

– Many probably think they need to give customers as many reasons as possible to get in touch. Logically, that makes sense, but humans are not always that logical, Sørhaug says.

That is why Sørhaug recommends that companies be disciplined when crafting their messages.

– It can be good to present everything, but highlight one thing at a time. That works best.