Electric Vehicles (EVs) are making the move into the mainstream – but that doesn’t mean that all auto buyers are travelling down the road to buying an EV at the same speed.
When a new technology approaches the tipping point, the key to securing momentum and growing market share is identifying the audiences who are most advanced in their consumer journey. Many auto buyers still need to be reassured and informed about the benefits and the experience of driving electric – but a growing number are already convinced of these things. They are actively consuming information on EV models, features, technology, infrastructure and driving experience. Brands that can reach and engage them effectively are able to make a head-start on their EV campaigns. They can start generating demand by jumping straight to talking about vehicle selling points, without having to make the case for electric first.
In our Journey to Electrification Study for 2020, we found that the proportion of LinkedIn members considering an EV purchase has trebled in the last three years – from 12% in 2017 to 38% today.
We’ve responded to the high proportion of members engaged with EV on LinkedIn by developing a new custom targeting segment. The Electric Vehicle Affinity segment is available to use in campaign targeting right now. It plugs you directly into the LinkedIn members who are actively engaged with EV content – and are more likely to consider an EV for their next vehicle purchase.
How do you spot the drivers ready to buy electric?
To build the Electric Vehicle Affinity segment, we created a range of signals that identify LinkedIn members who are informed and inspired about driving electric. The segment is made up of LinkedIn members who are actively and currently engaged with EV content in any of the following ways:
- They follow the LinkedIn Pages of EV automotive brands
- They follow EV-related hashtags
- They have engaged with companies’ content mentioning EV keywords and topics, within the last six months
This adds up to an audience of 17.5 million LinkedIn members globally – members who have already navigated some of the perceived barriers to owning and driving an EV. They understand the environmental and efficiency benefits – but also that they don’t have to compromise on style or performance. Roughly 40% of the LinkedIn members we surveyed for the Journey to Electrification study said that they appreciate the visual appeal, acceleration and performance of EVs.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, LinkedIn members in the Electric Vehicle Affinity segment also show strong interest in topics like technology, science and the environment. They have a stronger than average interest in society and culture. They are likely to work in IT, Construction and Financial Services and they have a clear appetite for staying informed. After Tesla, the organisations they’re most likely to follow on LinkedIn are BBC News, TED Conferences and The Economist.
Going further with the Electric Vehicle Affinity audience
Building additional targeting around the Electric Vehicle Affinity segment provides marketers with a foundation for tailoring an audience to each particular brand and model. Adding Luxury Affinity targeting helps premium brands tailor messages around performance, style and craftsmanship to an audience likely to respond. When you overlay Experience targeting you can adjust to the different EV motivations of various demographic groups. And with Fleet managers become increasingly focused on sustainability, combining the Electric Vehicle Affinity segment with Fleet audiences will ensure the EV message hits the most relevant business decision-makers.
The Electric Vehicle Affinity segment is available right now – reach out to your LinkedIn Marketing Solutions contact to activate it for your campaigns today.
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