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, 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 “Companies":
   
   
   
   
10. Click Continue to test.
    
    
11. Validate the test is successful:
    
    
    
    
12. You do not need to publish the Zap at this stage. Please note that it can take up to 72 hours for the audience to be fully created. Status will show as "Building" until the audience creation is complete:
    

Create an Automated Program in Act-On

1. When signed in to Act-On, go to Automation > Automated Programs.
2. Create an Automated Program. 
3. Name the Automated Program, for example, "A LinkedIn Ad" 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 External API call step 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).

Configure an External API Call from Act-On

1. Go to Automation > Automated Programs and open the Automated Program created above.
   
   
2. In Build > Program flow, click (Add new step).
   
   
3. Select API:
   
   
   
   
4. Use the checkboxes to include the fields required/recommended by LinkedIn to target the correct audience such as "Company". These are the fields that can be mapped in the next section Add a Zapier Action.
   
   
   
   
5. Click Submit to save the step in the Automated Program.
   
   
6. Complete your Automated Program flow and click Save.
   
   
7. 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 Company to Audience.
   
   
4. Click Continue.
   
   
5. In Audience, choose the LinkedIn trigger you created earlier:
   
   
   
6. Map the desired field Company:
   
   
   
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.