LinkedIn DirectAds

I was recently looking for a new day job and, being a technophile, I used the internet to my advantage. At first, I solely used SEO (search engine optimization) so when you Googled my name, my LinkedIn profile would be in the search results and also appear as an ad.  I then received $100 in free LinkedIn DirectAds advertising through a promotional mailing, so I figured that was even better than the Google AdWords platform since folks are only on LinkedIn for professional things whereas they are on Google for many things. My experience with LinkedIn Ads was largely negative. The only good thing about it was that it was easy to set up. Since I had the free Ads to use, I set the maximum budget for my ad at $100, but it quickly used it somehow. When I noticed this, I immediately turned the ad off. The DirectAds platform reported that I caught it before any clicks sent me over budget, but soon after I was charged $79.56 because the system failed to turn my ad off. I spent approximately 2 months dealing with customer service trying to get a refund. The Ads Specialist I dealt with at first, Troy, was extremely rude and unhelpful. I told him I wanted to escalate to a supervisor and he said he was the person who made decisions about refunds. I went over his head and got my refund anyway.


This past Friday I received an email from a LinkedIn Product Manager asking me about my experience with LinkedIn DirectAds. I told him exactly what I wrote above. In fact, I copied most of the above from the email I sent back to him. Now last night I got an email from LinkedIn's "social media guy" asking if I'd like to participate in a social media ad campaign for LinkedIn DirectAds. Really? I mean, you obviously got my information from the Product Manager - the one that knows my experience was bad. You want to share that? Apparently he doesn't want to share it, so I'm doing it for him.


Don't get me wrong, I find LinkedIn to be a fantastic product, but LinkedIn DirectAds is like LinkedIn's step-child that the parents lock in a dog cage so they can go bar hopping every night. The Ads Specialist (read: customer service) was rude and unhelpful. Now, months later, they ask for my experience? Check your records and you'll have an answer. Then I sent the answer that they should already have had and they obviously didn't even bother to read it or else why would they pass it along so I could potentially participate in an ad campaign for them? Come on, LinkedIn DirectAds, and therefore LinkedIn, get your shit together! I'm so glad you chose not to hire me for the position I applied for! I guess they only want incompetent illiterate folks - that's not me!


PS - Google's AdWords ROCKS. If you want to do an SEO campaign, go with Google.

LinkedIn DirectAds fails The Trav Test with an F.


• Category: Products
• Location: Online
• Cost: Expensive since their shit doesn't work properly
• Ease of use:
 Easy
• The Trav Test grade: F