Microsoft-owned professional network LinkedIn has launched a new service that will provide advertisers with an opportunity to buy inventory on a network of mobile sites and applications that it does not operate but still use LinkedIn's demographic data to target and broadcast their content.
Audience networks are increasingly common among companies with immense advertising potential including both Yelp and Pandora which both made similar announcements last week.
The new LinkedIn Audience Network will cover thousands of sites initially, as well as ad exchanges like MoPub, Sharethrough, Google Ad Exchange and Rubicon (along with other Microsoft-owned properties including MSN.com and Outlook.com).
The audience network is rolling out globally to all English-speaking countries first and follows a limited beta from the beginning of this year, which saw over 6,000 LinkedIn advertisers participate. Those early users, LinkedIn said, had between three and 13 percent more unique impressions served and up to 80 percent more unique clicks.