Given the significant amount of traffic generated by social media platforms today, incorporating dedicated social media landing pages into your marketing plan is crucial. It’s essential to recognize that individuals clicking on your ads and links from social media platforms and sponsored campaigns are valuable prospects who have actively shown interest in your brand on those platforms. In fact, J. Crew found that: “customers who interact with us through our social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram) typically spend around double the amount of an average J.Crew customer” Generating twice the revenue is a significant achievement! Therefore, it’s important to provide a tailored experience and avoid directing your social media followers to a generic homepage.

Numerous principles applicable to PPC landing pages hold true for social media landing pages as well. The key elements include:

• Maintaining consistency between landing page content and ad content (both text and visuals)
• Presenting a clear value proposition and a compelling call to action
• Using simple and concise language
• Considering the visitor’s origin The last point highlights a critical distinction for social media landing pages, representing a significant factor to consider. Your landing pages should cater specifically to the unique requirements and mindset of individuals coming from social media platforms. Examining examples is an effective way to understand this concept further, so let’s delve into some illustrations! You can directly navigate to the following sections:
• Facebook Landing Pages
• Twitter Landing Pages
• Pinterest Landing Pages
• LinkedIn Landing Pages
• More Landing Page Resources

Facebook Landing Pages

We’ll commence with the most widely recognized social network – Facebook. Many businesses invest a significant portion of their advertising budget on Facebook. However, based on the examples observed, a considerable number still haven’t grasped the appropriate approach to Facebook advertising. Let’s begin by analyzing a Facebook ad and its corresponding landing page from JibJab.

Clicking the ad leads us to…

This landing page is quite effective. Upon clicking the ad, we are directed precisely where we anticipate, and the sample video displaying an empty face illustrates the offer concept clearly without requiring additional text. Strengths:

• Minimal text, as the page’s video effectively conveys the concept of inserting one’s face into the video (even the thumbnail before playback showcases the empty face, allowing users to comprehend the concept without watching the video).
• A prominent green button with a clear “make your own” call to action.
• Relevant related content – although it’s not always advisable to promote other offers on a landing page, the approach works well in this instance, generating excitement among visitors to create more JibJab videos. Areas for Improvement:
• While it’s commendable that the Facebook ad text is repurposed in the landing page’s text field, incorporating the Facebook ad headline, Add Your Face to “Happy”, would be beneficial. It would strengthen the connection between the ad and the landing page and provide more compelling copy compared to the “Dances” “Happy” or “video” headline and sub-headlines.
• The “tags” section appears superfluous and should likely be concealed, serving solely for site structure and filtering. The space could be utilized for social proof elements instead (e.g., 4,327 individuals have created their own “Happy!” videos. Are you next?). Overall Grade: B Moving on, we have a Facebook ad by Health Line First, accompanied by the ad text “providing information that’s usually difficult to find.” While not particularly informative, it does pique curiosity.

Clicking the link directs us to their Facebook page.

Strengths:

• Limited positives. At the very least, they have a profile picture in place. Areas for Improvement:
• Their Facebook page fails to provide any details about the company – only the same ad text, which now seems more absurd than intriguing. The logo reappears, but the significance of the number 7 in relation to Health Line First remains unclear. They haven’t even taken the effort to incorporate a cover photo. This is as subpar as it gets – a poorly executed ad followed by an equally disappointing landing page. Overall Grade: F Let’s now examine a social media landing page example from The Honest Company, commencing with this Facebook ad.

This ad leads us to the following Facebook landing page…

Strengths:

• A concise form field with a prominent button and contextually appropriate button text (“order your trial” aligns better with the offer compared to a generic “submit”).
• Effective use of color – the color scheme is visually appealing, and the orange button against the blue form background naturally draws attention to the button and its associated offer.
• Ideally, it would be preferable to see the same image from the ad replicated on the landing page, but we encounter the next best alternative – a highly similar image maintaining the aesthetic of the first. The ad photo and the landing page photo exhibit visual harmony, employing analogous lighting and colors. Areas for Improvement:
• The absence of the offer presented in the Facebook ad is conspicuous. Visitors are left feeling disoriented. While a free trial offer is visible, the ad we clicked advertised two complimentary sample kits – a significantly different offer from the ambiguous “free trial” that lacks any further explanation. This discrepancy is a substantial issue, and it’s plausible that this social media landing page experiences low conversion rates due to the inconsistency and confusion between the Facebook ad offer and the landing page content. Overall Grade: C _The grade for this page could have been higher, but deductions were made for the mismatched offers. Next up, we have a Facebook ad from Lumo.

Strengths:

• The incorporation of scarcity, indicating limited availability (19 units remaining), is an effective strategy to encourage purchase decisions.
• The inclusion of social proof elements, though subtle (16,000 units pre-ordered), is a wise choice.
• Utilizing video is an excellent method to provide a more comprehensive explanation of a product. Areas for Improvement:
• The overall design appears somewhat disjointed, with considerable wasted space. Selecting a single compelling product photo and eliminating the white-on-white photos, where the product is barely discernible against the background, would be advisable.
• The page lacks concise bullet points. While the video is informative, it shouldn’t be a prerequisite for understanding the product. The video should serve as an additional resource for learning more, not a crutch for conveying essential details. Remember, you have a limited window of approximately 8 seconds to capture users’ attention and convince them to stay on your page! It’s imperative to present essential information above the fold.
• While the scarcity element is appreciated, the accompanying bar is unclear – is it a visual representation of the scarcity number? If so, a meter displaying a low value should be orange or red, not green, which implies abundance. Removing the bar entirely is recommended, as it appears unnecessary.
• The social proof points could be more prominent! If you have impressive figures, showcase them with confidence. Scrolling down below the fold reveals additional information.

Relocating those trust signals above the fold, along with the mini-illustrations, would be beneficial. Visually, this section is more impactful than the content currently positioned above the fold. Currently, there’s a prominent trend of minimalist homepages featuring a single striking image. While this style has its merits, it also has significant drawbacks and won’t be suitable for every business. As a novel and innovative product, Lumo cannot effectively utilize a minimalist page design because they need to dedicate space to explaining their unique product and its underlying concept. Numerous landing pages fall into the trap of this ultra-minimalist trend, and it’s crucial to understand why it’s not always effective, despite its popularity. When discussing best practices for landing pages, we often advise against excessively text-heavy content, but going to the opposite extreme with minimal explanation is equally detrimental. Overall Grade: C Next, we have a Facebook ad and landing page for Downy Wrinkle Releaser.

The ad’s lack of intent is immediately apparent. While it states what the Wrinkle Release product does, it fails to present a clear offer or call to action. Let’s see what the landing page looks like…

This social media landing page is actually a custom Facebook tab integrated into Downy’s main Facebook page. Creating custom Facebook tabs is a common tactic for contests or promotions. However, this particular instance is problematic. Strengths:

• The countdown clock effectively creates a sense of scarcity, reminding visitors of the limited time to participate in the contest. Areas for Improvement:
• The offer – a promotional video contest – appears entirely random. There’s no mention of any contest in the Facebook ad. Why didn’t the ad include a call to action such as “enter our video contest to win a free vacation?” This entire scenario lacks coherence.
• Assuming the primary objective of the page is to encourage contest entries, the entry instructions are inexplicably minuscule. They are easily overlooked. Text size is a crucial element in conveying the relative importance of different text sections. In this case, the contest instructions have the smallest font size on the page, making it likely for visitors to skim over them. Conversely, the voting instructions are displayed in a larger font, even though encouraging votes is not the page’s main goal. This text is also largely redundant – it’s self-evident that clicking a video will play it.
• The issues with the contest entry process are compounded by the entry button, whose color and text match the non-clickable submissions header below. At first glance, the button appears to be another non-interactive header element. This is a significant design flaw.
• While we’ve already dissected this page extensively, there’s one more glaring issue: the absence of entries. This unfortunate contest has no submissions. The reasons for this are unclear – perhaps it’s the contest’s first day. However, the filtering system makes the lack of entries even more conspicuous, particularly in conjunction with the vast expanse of white space. How can this be rectified? One solution is to omit the voting section altogether until a handful of entries are received or, at the very least, relocate the submissions below the fold and utilize the additional space to promote contest participation more effectively! Including a sample video or even a Downy promotional video would be preferable to an empty and uninviting space. Overall Grade: D+ The mismatch between the Facebook ad and landing page offer is a major issue, and even if they were aligned, the landing page would still require substantial revisions to receive a passing grade. Regrettably, our Facebook landing page examples have not fared well. While it may seem overly critical to scrutinize so many flawed pages, the reality is that many businesses still struggle to create effective social media landing pages. Let’s hope for better results as we move on to Twitter landing pages. [ RELATED: Social Media Images Guide: Optimizing Images For Facebook, Twitter, & More! ]

Twitter Landing Pages

When it comes to Twitter landing pages, it’s essential to cater to the Twitter mindset – concise, engaging, and to the point. The majority of links shared on Twitter direct to articles and blog posts, so the need for a dedicated Twitter landing page may not always be applicable. However, as Oli Gardner of Unbounce highlights, Twitter visitor intent can be quite specific regarding your Twitter profile link. If a Twitter user clicks the link embedded in your personal Twitter profile, they are likely interested in discovering more about you and your online presence. It’s essential to create a tailored page with these visitors in mind. Include a welcoming message acknowledging their arrival from Twitter, a concise bio akin to an About Me page, and links to your other social media profiles. You might also consider incorporating links or references to your most popular blog posts or content to showcase your expertise. A prime example is provided by blogger Darren Rowse.

Strengths: Notice how Darren’s headline prominently displays his Twitter @username. The opening line establishes an immediate connection with the visitor’s entry point by stating, “Thanks for clicking the URL in my Twitter profile…” Below, he discusses his ProBlogger Twitter account and outlines the type of content followers can expect from his tweets. Darren also mentions his book and provides information on connecting with him through other social media platforms. Areas for Improvement: Some might argue that the page is slightly lengthy, but the use of multiple headings effectively breaks up the content, so there’s little room for criticism in this regard. Overall Grade: A Now, let’s shift our attention to a different type of Twitter landing page, one that resembles the other social media landing pages we’ve examined, utilizing paid Twitter ads to direct users to a guide or resource. Take this example from HootSuite.

Strengths:

• HootSuite places a strong emphasis on content marketing, so it’s no surprise that their social media landing pages are well-designed. The bullet points enhance readability, and the trust signals in the lower right corner instill confidence in visitors. Areas for Improvement:
• A shorter form and a more compelling “submit” button would enhance the user experience. Using “download” instead of “submit” might be more enticing, as visitors are more interested in downloading the guide than simply submitting their information. Landing pages should always prioritize the offer and the visitor’s perspective. Overall Grade: B Next, we have an example from SendGrid.

Strengths:

• SendGrid adheres to numerous landing page best practices by incorporating bullet points, images (even a small guide image like the one shown here is a significant improvement over no image at all), and trust signals.
• The bright orange form button stands out against the blue background (contrast is crucial), and the “Start Reading” button text, along with the accompanying mini-image, adds a nice touch. Areas for Improvement:
• The “6 kickass emails that leverage marketing” mentioned in the Twitter post are absent from the page. If the goal is to create a truly customized Twitter landing page, reusing that attention-grabbing tweet text in the offer description would be beneficial.
• The main headline should ideally be limited to two lines. Overall Grade: B It’s a missed opportunity not to leverage the captivating initial tweet, which could add further value to the landing page.

Pinterest Landing Pages

Official Pinterest ads are on the horizon and appear to be quite expensive. However, numerous businesses leverage Pinterest for marketing purposes without spending a fortune, and we will focus on these types of pins and landing pages. So, what constitutes an ideal Pinterest landing page? Pinterest is a visually driven platform, so incorporating compelling visual elements into your Pinterest landing page is crucial. Additionally, it’s important to consider your target audience – Pinterest users are predominantly female, making up 80% of the user-base. Let’s examine some examples of Pinterest pages, beginning with this social media image ad showcasing a beautiful necklace from Stuff 4 Multiples.

Clicking the pin directs us to an order landing page.

Strengths:

• The images are visually appealing, and the on-neck image effectively illustrates the chain length.
• The savings discount and sale indicator create purchase incentives. Areas for Improvement:
• The process for ordering the necklace is unclear. The most significant issue with this page is that the order option is positioned below the fold (under Choose Options). This is a major oversight – the order button should never be hidden below the fold, as it’s the page’s primary call to action!
• Relocating the email, review, and question options further down the page, especially if it provides more prominence to the order button, would be advisable. Overall Grade: C- Positioning the order options below the fold is a major flaw that negatively impacts this landing page’s effectiveness. Moving on to another Pinterest ad example from Human.

This Pinterest post leads us to…

Strengths:

• The page is straightforward – a standard online apparel page with a prominent “Add to Cart” button.
• Showcasing the same shirt design on different clothing styles beneath the main photo is a nice touch. These “you might also like” recommendations work well because they are extensions of the product already being viewed, not random links to other pages that might distract from the purchase.
• Incorporating social proof through buttons is a nice addition, although removing the lesser-known “Fancy” and “Wanelo” buttons might be worth considering. Areas for Improvement:
• Some elements are unnecessary – the search tags could be removed, and sizing options could be hidden behind a link.
• The bright green “What’s your favorite color?” banner is distracting and out of place. Is it an ad or a link to another page? It’s unclear and detracts from the main message. The option to view more styles and colors is already available in the link above, making this large green banner redundant. Overall Grade: B-

LinkedIn Landing Pages

While not as prevalent as Facebook, LinkedIn ads and landing pages should not be disregarded, especially considering the platform’s status as the leading professional social networking site and its continuous growth. Given LinkedIn’s professional environment, your landing pages should reflect a sophisticated design and maintain a professional tone. Let’s explore some LinkedIn landing page examples. This sponsored LinkedIn post from CallidusCloud promotes a free marketing automation guide.

Strengths:

• The page design aligns with LinkedIn’s aesthetic – clean, sleek, and professional.
• The image used on the page matches the image featured in the LinkedIn ad. Areas for Improvement
• The form button lacks visual appeal, and the “get it now” text feels uninspired – A/B testing could significantly improve this element.
• Incorporating some variety into the text using different colors or bolding would enhance readability.
• The form headline could benefit from some refinement. Even a simple change to “Download the free marketing guide” might be more effective. The content visitors are about to download should be immediately clear. Overall Grade: B Finally, let’s examine a landing page example from All Covered:

Strengths:

• The guide image is visually appealing and consistent with the ad image. The bullet points are strategically employed to break down the guide’s main topics.
• Using red for the sub-heading effectively emphasizes its importance – bold text or contrasting text colors help readers discern information hierarchy (i.e., which lines of text are more important than others). Areas for Improvement:
• The form is excessively long – remember to request only the essential information. Could more detailed information like the phone number be obtained on the “thank you” page? Requesting too much information can lead to an increase in your drop-off rate to nearly 70%,, so it’s crucial to determine if obtaining those digits is worth the potential loss of leads. Is it truly necessary to ask for both the Company Name AND Website URL? One will inevitably lead to the other, so avoid burdening visitors by requesting both when it’s not essential.
• Numerous lines of text wrap onto a second line unnecessarily, making the page appear cluttered. Shortening the red header to a single line and reducing the image size slightly would allow each bullet point to occupy only one line. Overall Grade: B-

Room for Improvement in Social Media Landing Pages

Numerous low grades were assigned during this social media landing page evaluation, indicating that marketers still have much to learn when it comes to creating effective, customized social media landing pages for their ads. Let’s strive to improve – apply the lessons learned today to surpass previous efforts and achieve greater success. Eager to learn more about landing pages? Check out…

• 24 Tips for Creating Great Landing Pages
• Guide to Video Landing Pages
• More Landing Page Examples