Update LinkedIn Audience from Act-On

Customers can include targeted ads on LinkedIn as part of an Automated Program. This strengthens their position within the buyer’s journey and ensures the targeted ad content on LinkedIn is aligned with the message the contact receives via email from the Automated Program.

LinkedIn Ads has external APIs that can be used to build an integration with Act-On via our webhooks, however, the process of setting up the authentication requires building a developer app. We recommend using Zapier to bypass the process and simplify the integration setup. To do this, carry out the following steps in order.

Create an Audience on LinkedIn in a Zapier Action

1. Sign in to Zapier and create a New Zap:
   
   
   
   
2. Ignore the Trigger and select the Action section:
   
   
   
   
3. Search for and select the LinkedIn Ads app:
   
   
   
   
4. In Event, select Create Audience:
   
   
   
   
5. Click Continue.
   
   
6. Sign in to authenticate.
   • Use the same sign-in as used earlier.
     
     
7. Click Approve:
   
   
   
   
8. From the Trigger drop-down, choose the LinkedIn trigger.
   
   
9. Choose your LinkedIn account and select the Audience Type “Contacts":
   
   
   
   
10. Click Continue to test:
    
    
    
    
11. Validate the test is successful:
    
    
    
    
12. You do not need to publish the Zap at this stage.

Create an Automated Program in Act-On

1. When signed in to Act-On, go to Automation > Automated Programs.
2. Create an Automated Program. When selecting Contact Sources, choose a segment with just one contact (that has mailing address fields complete) to limit the cost when testing.
3. Name the Automated Program, for example, "Update LinkedIn Audience" and save the program as a draft for now (we'll be coming back to this later) and move to the next steps.

Create a Zap (Trigger) in Zapier

1. Sign in to Zapier and on the left, click Create a Zap.
   
   
2. Select the Trigger section:
   
   
   
   
3. Search for “Act-On” in the App field:
   
   
   
   
4. Select the New Automated Program External Call trigger:
   
   
   
   
5. Connect the Act-On account that you used to create the Automated Program above.
   
   
6. Choose the Automated Program, for example:
   
   
   
   
7. Click Continue.
   
   
8. Copy and store the URL (you will need this to setup the webhook in Act-On):
   
   
   
   
9. Skip the trigger test & go to Create a Webhook in Act-On below (unless you are comfortable mapping the trigger payload using personalized tokens, rather than using the mapping feature in Zapier).

Create a Webhook in Act-On

1. Go to Settings > Connectors > Custom Integrations > Outgoing Webhooks.
2. In the Endpoints tab, at the top right, click + Add Endpoint.
3. In the Custom URL tab:
   • In the Endpoint URL box, enter the URL you stored when you created a Zap above.
   • Description: Optional but recommended you add a description that is relevant to the use case.
     For example, "Send contact to LinkedIn Audience (AJB program: x)"
   • In Message Filtering, select automated-program-step.executed
   • At the bottom, click Create.
4. Run a test to validate the webhook has been set up correctly and send a test payload to Zapier that can be used to map the Action field.

Add the Webhook to the Automated Program in Act-On & Test

1. Go to Automation > Automated Programs and open the Automated Program created above.
   
   
2. In Build > Program flow, click (Add new step).
   
   
3. Select Outgoing Webhooks:
   
   
   
   
4. Name the step and from the Select Endpoint dropdown, select the endpoint URL of the webhook created above:
   
   
   
   
5. Use the checkboxes to include the fields required/recommended by LinkedIn to target the correct audience. These are the fields that can be mapped in the next section Add a Zapier Action.
   
   
6. Click Submit to save the step in the Automated Program.
   
   
7. Complete your Automated Program flow and click Save.
   
   
8. Test run the Automated Program. This should send data to Zapier that can be used.

Add a Zapier Action

1. In Zapier, go to the Zap you created earlier, and select the Action section.
   
   

2. Search for “LinkedIn Ads” and click the app:
   
   
   
   

3. In Event, select Add Contact to Audience:
   
   
   
4. Click Continue.
   
   
5. In Audience, choose the LinkedIn trigger you created earlier:
   
   
   
   
6. Map the desired fields; email, name, title, etc.:
   
   
   
   
7. Test the Action.
   
   
8. Publish your Zap.

Complete and Run the Automated Program in Act-On

1. Return to your Automated Program in Act-On.
2. Update it with the Contact Sources you want. 
3. Start the program.