How a leading sports betting API provider generated leads in a niche market with LinkedIn Ads
Optic Odds is a leading provider of sports betting APIs, powering some of the world's biggest sportsbooks and betting platforms. They already have an impressive client roster, working with 200 out of a potential 750 customers globally. However, due to the nature of their business, they faced restrictions advertising on Google Ads. This led them to explore LinkedIn Ads as a way to reach their niche audience and generate high-quality leads.
How a leading sports betting API provider generated leads in a niche market with LinkedIn Ads
Optic Odds is a leading provider of sports betting APIs, powering some of the world's biggest sportsbooks and betting platforms. They already have an impressive client roster, working with 200 out of a potential 750 customers globally. However, due to the nature of their business, they faced restrictions advertising on Google Ads. This led them to explore LinkedIn Ads as a way to reach their niche audience and generate high-quality leads.
Project highlights
Industry:
Software company – sports betting (API provider)
Tools:
LinkedIn Ads
Who I worked with:
CEO, Head of Marketing
Before
Optic Odds had a unique set of challenges:
- Their potential customer pool was pretty small – less than 550 potential customers worldwide
- Even though they're not actually a gambling service, Google kept flagging them as one and requiring a gambling license to run ads
- Their early attempts with LinkedIn Ads, using image-based ads and targeting company lists, weren't generating a ton of leads, even though they were getting a 1% CTR and decent CPC
During
To overcome these challenges, we focused on refining their LinkedIn Ads strategy. We went beyond just targeting specific companies and started:
- Retargeting people who had already visited their website or checked out their company page on LinkedIn
- Targeting folks who were part of those sports betting communities on LinkedIn
We tried out two different ad formats to see what worked best:
- Lead Gen Forms: These ads allow users to easily submit their information directly on LinkedIn without leaving the platform.
- Document ads: We also introduced document ads (eBooks) as a new way to engage their audience. We repurposed some of their blog content and created some visually appealing case studies to grab attention and get people to download them. And of course, we made sure those document ads looked fantastic, using eye-catching visuals to get people to click and learn more.
After
These changes led to significant improvements in their campaign performance:
- By getting smarter with our targeting and using document ads, we managed to get a cost per lead of around $443, even $177 in some cases
- Even though their target audience was small, we still brought in some valuable leads for Optic Odds. These leads were worth a lot to them – potentially up to half a million dollars in annual revenue per closed deal
- As a bonus, the campaign also helped them get their name out there and contributed to increased brand awareness within their target audience
All in all, it was a valuable learning experience and helped Optic Odds connect with potential clients in a whole new way.
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