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Evaluating Paid Digital Marketing Strategies to Raise Brand Awareness in B2B Startups
Petter, M.M. (2025) Evaluating Paid Digital Marketing Strategies to Raise Brand Awareness in B2B Startups.
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| Abstract: | Building brand awareness efficiently is essential for B2B startups. They often operate with limited time and resources, and without a clear plan, which increases the risk of budgets being wasted on ineffective marketing activities. Digital marketing offers opportunities, particularly through paid advertising. For B2B companies, LinkedIn Ads and Google Ads are often considered the most relevant platforms. Nevertheless, there is a lack of scientific evidence on which of these two platforms is most suitable for B2B startups. According to the AIDA model, the first step in the purchasing process is to generate attention, which was the focus of this study. As a result, startups are unsure where to allocate their limited resources best. This study, therefore, investigated the following question: Which paid digital marketing strategy – LinkedIn Ads or Google Ads – is most suitable for B2B startups to increase brand awareness? To answer this research question, an A/B test was conducted to compare the effectiveness of LinkedIn Ads and Google Ads in increasing brand awareness for a B2B startup. One advertisement was placed on both platforms, promoting the same service to a comparable target audience. The experiment was carried out for a company that provides services to schools. The results indicate that Google Ads outperformed LinkedIn Ads in both reach and cost-efficiency. While LinkedIn Ads generated only 16 clicks at an average cost per click (CPC) of €8.75 and a click-through rate (CTR) of 0.38%, Google Ads achieved 1,419 clicks with a significantly lower CPC of €0.10 and a CTR of 1.5%. This means a click via LinkedIn was approximately 8,650% more expensive. These results align with previous studies that emphasize the effectiveness of Google Ads in generating traffic. Although LinkedIn is generally regarded as an effective B2B marketing platform, this study suggests it is less efficient in generating attention. For B2B startups with limited budgets, it is therefore recommended to invest primarily in Google Ads during the awareness phase. This channel provides greater visibility and engagement at lower costs. LinkedIn may be considered in later stages of the marketing funnel, such as lead generation and conversion, but appears to be less suitable for initiating brand awareness. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 85 business administration, organizational science |
| Programme: | Business Administration MSc (60644) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/106435 |
| Export this item as: | BibTeX EndNote HTML Citation Reference Manager |
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