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LinkedIn Ads

LinkedIn Ads for B2B Lead Generation: A Complete Guide

5 min read

How to run profitable LinkedIn advertising campaigns for B2B clients, from targeting to creative to conversion.

Why LinkedIn for B2B

LinkedIn is the most powerful B2B advertising platform. Nowhere else can you target by job title, company size, industry, and seniority with such precision. Yes, CPMs are higher than Facebook—but the quality of leads often justifies the premium for B2B clients.

Targeting Strategy

Start narrow and expand. Target specific job titles at companies in your ICP. Layer on company size and industry. Use matched audiences for retargeting and ABM campaigns. Avoid targeting by skills or groups—these audiences are too broad and often irrelevant.

Ad Formats That Work

Sponsored Content performs best for most objectives. Single image ads with clear value propositions outperform complex carousels. Lead Gen Forms reduce friction significantly—use them when lead quality isn't a concern. Video ads build awareness but rarely drive direct conversions.

The Content-to-Conversion Path

LinkedIn users aren't ready to buy immediately. Build a funnel: Thought leadership content → Gated asset (ebook, webinar) → Product demo. Each stage warms the audience for the next. Expect a longer sales cycle than consumer advertising.

Budgeting and Optimization

LinkedIn requires meaningful budgets—plan for $3,000/month minimum to gather useful data. Start with manual CPC bidding, then transition to automated bidding once you have conversion data. Refresh creative every 4-6 weeks to combat frequency fatigue.

Resources & Further Reading

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