LinkedIn advertising is daunting. It's almost too perfect of a platform. Billions of people are on LinkedIn and millions of them login daily, ready to ingest work-related materials. Can't say people who log into other social channels are exactly in that mindset!
But despite its popularity, LinkedIn advertising is misunderstood, leaving many to feel burned by the platform and/or avoid it completely. Here's how to find success.
We created Abe because we believe LinkedIn is the most valuable online advertising channel. As mentioned earlier, there are a lot of people on it, and they show up in a professional mindset. But LinkedIn also offers:
Our internal benchmarks, shown below, show LinkedIn as the most cost-effective platform after only Bing, which doesn't offer the same audience relevance.
This objective is perfect for all of your top of the funnel (TOFU) ad content. The objective of awareness content is to get your brand noticed by the right people. It’s to push yourself to the front of your prospects’ consciousness and show them what you know.
Awareness campaigns are usually impressions-based and designed to increase views, inspire engagement, and grow your LinkedIn audience. Ads that tell a personal story, talk about a trending topic that relates to your industry or aggravate a specific pain point are all powerful ways of driving awareness on LinkedIn.
Conversion ads exist to help you seal the deal. It's bottom of the funnel (BOFU) messaging. Here, your content and intent is based on persuading warm leads to invest in what you have to offer.
Use conversion ads when you want people to sign up to your email newsletter, book a demo, register for your webinar, earn more subscribers or sell a particular service or product. You can also use conversion-based ads to attract the right applicants if you’re recruiting for a new job role.
Conversion ads exist to help you seal the deal. It's bottom of the funnel (BOFU) messaging. Here, your content and intent is based on persuading warm leads to invest in what you have to offer.
Use conversion ads when you want people to sign up to your email newsletter, book a demo, register for your webinar, earn more subscribers or sell a particular service or product. You can also use conversion-based ads to attract the right applicants if you’re recruiting for a new job role.
Here are ad types based on location:
LinkedIn text ads contain few visuals, save for a brand logo or other small image. They show up in the sidebar of a user's LinkedIn page on desktop only. You might hear them called "right rail ads". These ads work on a pay-per-click (PPC) or cost-per-impression (CPM) basis and have a simple format:
These ads are ideal for targeting a precise audience when you’re promoting an email newsletter, an exclusive piece of content or an event (in-person or webinar, for instance).
Sponsored content shows up within the LinkedIn feed, the only thing differentiating them from organic social posts is a small "promoted" label in the top left hand corner.
These types of ads are perfect for promoting your brand in a way that’s non-sales-y, demonstrates your authority, and offers actual value to your prospects. There's no pressure, just good old fun.
You might think of feed ads as a static image, but they actually take many different shapes and forms:
LinkedIn also gives you the option to slide into your prospects' DMs with targeted messaging about your brand, products or services. When use wisely, these are highly effective. Generally there are two types:
These ads look and feel like regular DMs. You can add external links and a CTA to these ads to encourage your recipient to take a specific action.
Conversation ads
This format is slightly more interactive (and has a little more pizazz) than a classic message ad. With a conversation ad, you can target users when they’re most active on the platform and spark an interaction. You can also add multiple CTAs to give your prospects a choice of potential actions to take based on your interactions.
Not everyone knows this so consider yourself the chosen few. You can actually use LinkedIn to run ads that show up before somebody streams a video on channels like YouTube, Hulu, Hoopla, and more. They're called CTV ads and they're unmatched for brand awareness, as humans are visual creatures.
💡Tip: You can only use one ad type per LinkedIn campaign. If you want to test different formats, you'll need separate campaigns, even if the goal and audience is the same.
1. Surf on over to LinkedIn’s Campaign Manager.
2. Set up and label a new Campaign Group.
3. Within your Campaign Group, create a campaign. When selecting "Campaign", you'll be prompted to either use "Streamlined campaign creation" or "Classic".
In LinkedIn, a Campaign Group is for organizing ad initiatives. A Campaign is an initiative within the Campaign Group. An Ad is the single ad within the Campaign working towards this initiative.
💡Tip: At Abe, we usually use "Classic", but it's really a personal preference!
4. (In Classic Mode), you'll be asked to name your Campaign and set your target audience.
💡Tip: Instead of relying on the list that LinkedIn auto-populates, we highly recommend that you use your own audience. At Abe, we build all of our customer's audience list by hand, verifying that each account we're targeting is actually a good fit.
5 (Optional) If you use UTMs, you can enter them here.
6. Choose whether you'd like your ads placed on only LinkedIn, or also on LinkedIn Audience Network.
💡Tip: We typically don't recommend expanding reach beyond LinkedIn, but it will depend on the individual campaign or goals.
7. Set your ad budget.
💡Tip: LinkedIn will recommend a minimum daily budget based on your audience size and campaign goals. However, we recommend setting your own budget based on financial modeling and expected ROI.
8. Review, tweak, and hit the publishing button.
9. Track your results, analyze them (see the next paragraph), and iterate upon them!
You can see basic performance metrics in LinkedIn's Campaign Manager, but for more in-depth analysis you'll want to connect to your CRM.
Focus on Impressions, Reach, and Engagement Rate (likes, shares, comments divided by impressions).
These numbers tell you how visible your brand is and whether your content is actually resonating.
Prioritize Clicks, Click-Through Rate (CTR), and Landing Page Views (you’ll need the LinkedIn Insight Tag installed on your site to track this).
If you're using video, look at View Rate, Completion Rate, and Views at 50%/75%/100% to understand drop-off points.
Use Lead Gen Form Opens and Submissions (built directly into Campaign Manager).
Or, if you're sending traffic to your site, track Conversions, Cost Per Conversion, and Conversion Rate via the Insight Tag and your CRM/analytics tool.
Once connected, HubSpot automatically adds tracking parameters (UTMs) to your LinkedIn ads, so clicks are attributed to the right campaigns inside your CRM. Make sure auto-tracking is toggled ON for every campaign.
HubSpot will now automatically pull in any leads submitted through LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms. These leads will show up as new contacts, complete with ad campaign metadata (ad name, form name, campaign, etc.).
Leads submitted through LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms will now flow into Zoho CRM automatically.
Looking for Salesforce?
If you're using Salesforce as your CRM, you'll need a connector like Zapier to connect LinkedIn Ads and Lead Gen Forms with Salesforce. The platforms don't natively integrate.
On LinkedIn, an ad that isn't performing typically has high impressions but low clicks or conversions. If this is happening to you, something’s likely off with the intent or mechanics of your ad. Try testing one of the following:
→ Audience
→ Offer
If you test a new audience and your Click-Through-Rate (CTR) improves but conversions stay low, your offer might be the issue. Test that next.
If you test a new offer and conversions improve, you’re on the right track. The problem was in the value prop, not the targeting.
An underperforming ad on LinkedIn gets some impressions, clicks, and conversions, but in general is more expensive and less effective than LinkedIn benchmarks.
The good news is that if you are seeing some performance, there are small things you can test that take less of a lift than ads that aren't performing. You could test one of the following:
→ Hook / headline
→ CTA
→ Creative
→ Audience segmentation
What you’re aiming for is a more efficient, less costly campaign. If none of these tweaks improve performance, it might be time to revisit your offer or audience targeting.
Abe was created with one vision in mind: to run the best possible LinkedIn ad campaigns for B2B companies. We've given you a lot of information here, but you're not in it alone. Book a call and we can chat about how we can turn your vision into measurable growth.
We understand if you have a complicated relationship with social media—we do! With so many things competing for our attention, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The thing is though, there are quite few brands that are beating the odds with truly great content. Brands that keep you scrolling.
LinkedIn, perhaps, gets the worst rep among social media platforms. But the reality is that LinkedIn is an invaluable tool in B2B marketing. So brands that incorporate LinkedIn with bingeable content? Those are some true leaders at the forefront of B2B marketing.
Consider these tips on promoting your brand on LinkedIn:
Not every post has to be all about your brand (and honestly, it’s way more fun when it’s not).
Walk the talk. If you're a design brand, make sure your design is on point; if you’re a financial analytics company, double-check your math before posting on LinkedIn, and so on.
A cohesive brand identity and design can work wonders for any brand.
It’s all about "stopping the scroll" with something that’s fresh, eye-catching, or downright valuable.
Chili Piper has nailed the art of walking the line between being relatable and avoiding total cringe. They’ve got a sixth sense for trends—rather than just jumping on them, they ride the wave and jump off just before it loses its cool.
If you don’t have someone on your team who's always plugged in to catch those trends, you can still take a page from Chili Piper’s playbook. Try out some fun quizzes or lean into the classic charm of self-deprecation to stay in the loop.
To make this approach work, stay aware of trends without blindly chasing them. Focus on those that genuinely align with your brand’s identity, and use them in a way that feels natural, not forced. Avoid overdoing it—Chili Piper succeeds because they tap into trends just enough, again, without crossing into cringe territory.
The goal is to stay authentic, be discerning with trends, and engage with your audience in a way that feels fresh but not over-the-top. Keep it simple and genuine.
If you don’t have someone on your team who terminally online enough to catch up on trends, you could also take a page out of Chili Piper’s books by making use of quizzes:
Or good ‘ole fashioned self deprecation:
Figma’s got it all figured out. Their platform looks stunning because, well, it has to—they’re selling to graphic designers, after all! As one of the leading design tools in the market, Figma understands a critical aspect of branding: presentation matters. It’s one of the golden rules of branding: if you’re offering a service or product, you’ve got to walk the walk. This means that, as a company or individual, you should be demonstrating the same level of expertise and attention to detail that you expect from others.
In other words, whatever you do for others, make sure you’re absolutely nailing it yourself. This isn’t just about looking good; it’s about showing up with confidence and authenticity. Figma’s success lies not only in its product but also in its brand’s ability to represent the very values it’s promoting. By creating a visually appealing and easy-to-use platform, Figma proves that if you’re serious about your craft, you need to reflect that seriousness in everything you do—especially your branding.
Figma gets it right, and so can you! Nail your craft first, then show it off with confidence. After all, if your brand looks good, people will take notice. A polished, professional image is often the first impression, and it’s one that can leave a lasting impact.
Posthog is famous for their totally wild billboards, starring their hedgehog mascot in all kinds of ridiculously relatable work scenarios. Naturally, this quirky little hedgehog is now available as a plush toy—because, of course! This fits right in with Posthog’s signature brand of bizarre LinkedIn content that often feels like a fever dream.
If you need a good laugh while scrolling, definitely follow their co-CEO, James Hawkins—his posts are sure to have you giggling.
This approach works because it’s bold, fun, and totally unapologetic. By mixing humor with unexpected twists—like those hilarious billboards and a plush hedgehog—Posthog grabs attention and leaves a lasting impression.
To adopt this, get creative and inject some playful energy into your content. Don’t be afraid to break the mold and show your audience you’re more than just a brand—you’re a little bit quirky and a lot of fun. Sometimes, a dash of weirdness is exactly what your brand needs!
Their co-CEO James Hawkins is a good follow if you like to guffaw during your daily scroll:
And then there’s the less silly route—Bereave is on a heartfelt mission to help workplaces handle loss with more care, so it’s no surprise their content is full of empathy. Anything else would just feel... off.
What’s cool is that Bereave addresses where their ideal customers can improve, but instead of making anyone feel bad, they inspire them to do better. It’s all about sparking positive change with a little heartfelt encouragement.
Why does this work? Because it’s all about empathy and lifting people up instead of tearing them down. Bereave nails it by recognizing the sensitive nature of their mission and crafting content that feels supportive, not judgmental. They create a safe space where their audience can grow without feeling bad about themselves.
To make this work for you, get to know your audience’s struggles and talk to them with care and encouragement. Skip the judgment and focus on inspiring them to do better. A little empathy and positivity can go a long way in building a real connection.
Being funny as a brand is no easy feat. Social media users have zero patience for humor that feels too “corporate,” and most brands crash and burn trying to make people laugh. But ClickUp? They’re in a league of their own. Their scripts are on point, and the acting is way better than it has any right to be (seriously, check out this sketch).
ClickUp knows the secret: keep it real and don’t try too hard. Their humor feels natural, not forced, which makes it totally relatable and fun. To steal this playbook, focus on content that stays true to your brand’s vibe and let your personality shine through.
A little humor can go a long way, but the key to being funny is to nott overthink it—just be clever and honest. (They say it’s funny because it’s true). If you keep it authentic and lighthearted, your audience will totally vibe with it and remember you for being fun and real, not trying too hard to be the “funny brand".
In the ever-mysterious world of SEO, it’s a no-brainer for a company to serve up some educational content. SEMRush totally aces this, offering a treasure trove of knowledge that’s both super helpful and easy to digest.
Sure, you’ll find the occasional meme or joke tossed in for good measure, but mostly, it’s packed with clever tips and juicy discoveries that will make you look like the SEO wizard your boss always dreamed of. It’s the perfect mix of brainy brilliance and a sprinkle of fun—because learning should never be boring!
This approach works because SEMRush makes learning feel like a breeze! They serve up useful SEO insights with a side of humor, so you’re not stuck slogging through dry content. By mixing in memes and fun tidbits, they keep things light while still delivering solid knowledge.
Want to do this too? Offer value in your content, but don’t be afraid to let your personality shine! Toss in some humor, relatable moments, or even memes to keep your audience smiling while they learn. This combo of brainy and fun makes your brand unforgettable and keeps people coming back for more!
Ahrefs is always on the move, rolling out new features and updates like clockwork, and they’re fantastic at keeping their audience in the loop with fun and informative LinkedIn posts. They really know how to make sure no one misses out on the latest and greatest!
And let’s not forget about Ryan Law, Ahrefs’ Director of Content. His posts are often thought-provoking and definitely stir up some lively debates, making him the unofficial king of engagement at Ahrefs. He’s got the perfect mix of sharp insights and conversation starters!
This approach works because Ahrefs knows how to turn updates into a fun, engaging experience! They drop valuable info without making it feel like a dry announcement, keeping their audience excited and eager for more.
Want to do the same? Keep your updates lively, relatable, and filled with personality! Don’t just share news—make it fun and interactive. Channel your inner Ryan Law by sparking conversations and getting people to think (and comment). When you mix useful info with a little fun, you’ll keep your audience hooked and coming back for the next update!
We would be remiss if we mentioned Ahrefs without speaking of Ryan Law, their Director of Content, whose posts like the one below often spur debate:
Notion doesn’t just have users—it has an army of devoted fans. And it knows how to make the most of this (in a totally fair, everyone-wins kind of way) by shining the spotlight on user-generated content, like these awesome micro case studies from real-life Notion fans:
But here’s the best part—not only does Notion take inspiration from its fanbase, but it gives back, too! They regularly handpick a lucky group to try out beta versions of brand new features. It’s like an exclusive VIP club, where the fans get to shape the future of the product they love.
This approach works because Notion knows how to turn its users into superfans. By sharing user-generated content and giving fans early access to new features, they create a sense of community and exclusivity. It’s a fun, mutually beneficial way to keep people excited and involved.
Want to try this? Start by engaging with your fans—show off their content and let them know they matter. Throw in some perks like early access to new features or exclusive sneak peeks. Make your community feel like VIPs, and they’ll love being part of your brand’s journey (and tell everyone about it).
They don’t only take from their fanbase either. They give back, offering beta versions of new product features to a select few on a regular basis:
HubSpot is the ultimate LinkedIn marketing sidekick, making it easier than ever to manage campaigns, capture leads, and track results—all in one place! With seamless integration, users can run LinkedIn ads, target the perfect audience, and see how well their campaigns are doing, all without leaving HubSpot. Plus, any leads generated from LinkedIn ads are automatically synced to the HubSpot CRM, so no potential customer slips through the cracks.
HubSpot lets you send InMails and check out LinkedIn insights directly within the platform. With powerful analytics, you'll be able to tweak campaigns and make smart, data-backed decisions.
Here’s the secret: each approach works because it makes everything smoother and more efficient, like a marketing shortcut. By syncing HubSpot with LinkedIn, you’ll easily manage campaigns, zero in on your perfect audience, and track leads—all in one spot. To get started, link your LinkedIn ads to HubSpot and watch those leads get neatly organized. Then, use HubSpot’s analytics to see what’s working and fine-tune your strategy. And don’t forget to send InMails and check out LinkedIn insights right within HubSpot. Follow these steps, and you’ll see your marketing efforts soar with less hassle and more fun!
Gong is crushing it in LinkedIn marketing by serving up a steady stream of high-frequency, data-packed content that builds connections and drops valuable insights. With 10-15 posts a week, they’re way ahead of the pack compared to most B2B and SaaS companies. Their content isn’t just fluff—it’s packed with actionable tips that followers can use right away to level up their sales calls.
So here’s why it works: regular posting keeps you in the spotlight, and sharing data-driven tips gives your audience something they can actually use. To jump on this bandwagon, start by posting frequently—aim for around 10-15 times a week if you're feeling bold!
But don’t just chase leads; focus on building relationships and giving value. Your followers will thank you with loyalty. Don’t forget to check LinkedIn analytics to see what’s clicking, then tweak your approach to keep things fresh and fun. Follow these steps, and you’ll be a LinkedIn rockstar in no time!
Hootsuite is your all-in-one LinkedIn marketing superhero, making it a breeze to manage your social media from one dashboard. You can create, schedule, and engage with content across platforms without breaking a sweat. Hootsuite takes your best organic posts and boosts them for maximum reach and engagement.
Plus, it makes LinkedIn ads a piece of cake, letting you target the perfect audience by job title, location, and more. Want to know what people are saying about your brand? Hootsuite’s social listening tools have you covered! With analytics to track performance, Hootsuite is the ultimate sidekick for scaling your LinkedIn marketing game.
To work like Hootsuite, start by managing all your social media in one place—no more jumping between platforms. Schedule and engage with ease! Next, find your top posts and give them a boost to get more love. For LinkedIn ads, target your ideal crowd based on job titles, location, and more to make sure you're hitting the right people. Use social listening to eavesdrop on brand chats and adjust as needed. Finally, track everything with analytics, and watch your LinkedIn marketing game level up with these simple moves.
Cognism is rocking LinkedIn marketing by supercharging B2B data and sales intelligence to help businesses find and connect with the right decision-makers, boosting revenue along the way. Their platform lets you target specific industries, job titles, and company sizes, making sure your marketing hits the bullseye.
Whether you're diving into demand generation or account-based marketing (ABM), Cognism’s data and insights give you the edge for laser-focused campaigns. Their strategies aren’t just talk—one case study showed a 200% increase in engagement and 120% more reach.
Here’s the magic behind it: targeted, accurate data makes sure you’re talking to the right people—no more wasting time! To get started, use a platform like Cognism to zoom in on your dream prospects by industry, job title, and company size.
Then, dive into demand generation and account-based marketing (ABM) to make your campaigns super personalized. Keep an eye on the results—Cognism’s approach has led to big boosts in engagement! So, tweak and refine as you go. With solid data and a focus on building real relationships, you’ll be a LinkedIn marketing pro in no time.
Uptick is killing it in LinkedIn marketing by creating digital strategies that actually deliver—attracting the right customers, ramping up sales, and boosting ROI! They focus on getting clear results that make a real impact.
Specializing in LinkedIn’s B2B magic, Uptick helps businesses connect with the perfect audience and build solid relationships. They know all the tricks for sharing killer content, growing brand awareness, and earning trust.
On top of that, they’ve got you covered with strategic planning, social media ads, volunteer recruitment, and engagement. With Uptick on your team, your LinkedIn game will be strong, focused, and ready to drive success!
Uptick’s magic is all about getting results that actually matter—like attracting the right customers and boosting your sales! To channel your inner Uptick, start by crafting LinkedIn strategies that focus on real growth. Share content that’s valuable and trust-building, while keeping an eye on your ROI to make sure you’re winning. Use LinkedIn’s B2B powers to connect with your dream audience and nurture those relationships. Get strategic with your planning, throw in some social media ads, and sprinkle in volunteer engagement for extra flair. Stick to the plan, and watch your LinkedIn game level up.
Clari is absolutely owning LinkedIn marketing, especially when it comes to helping revenue teams! Their platform gives businesses full visibility into performance, helping them spot opportunities and risks to keep forecasts on track and operations running smoothly. Think of Clari’s "Revenue Platform" as your secret weapon to optimize everything from sales to boardroom strategies. They focus on a customer-first approach, ensuring you hit your revenue goals with precision.
Clari uses LinkedIn to share industry insights, sales tips, and leadership content, connecting with potential customers and showing off their expertise. With big names like Okta, Adobe, and Zoom in their corner, their platform is clearly a winner. They also highlight their inclusive, fun company culture on LinkedIn, making sure their employees feel valued and engaged!
Clari’s approach works like a charm because it combines smart data with a customer-first focus, helping businesses nail their revenue goals. To jump on this bandwagon, start by getting full visibility into your sales process—just like Clari does.
Use a platform that tracks everything from the sales floor to the boardroom, so you can spot risks and opportunities early. Keep your customers in mind with every move, and use LinkedIn to share cool insights and industry tips. Don’t forget to show off your awesome company culture too—it’s a great way to build connections and boost revenue.
Flexa is flipping the LinkedIn script by using the platform to match job seekers with companies that vibe with their values and preferences. They’re not out to be the top dog in traditional LinkedIn marketing, but they sure know how to make companies shine.
Flexa helps businesses show off their unique culture, values, and work environments to attract the right talent. They’re all about transparency, sharing real, data-backed insights to help candidates make smart choices. Plus, LinkedIn gives Flexa a fun way to test out content, get feedback fast, and connect with ideal candidates—all while focusing on what really matters: values and culture.
Flexa’s strategy works because it’s all about finding the perfect match—just like a dating app, but for jobs! Want to try it? Start by showing off your company’s awesome culture and values on LinkedIn. Be real and share data-driven insights so candidates know exactly what they’re signing up for.
Get chatty with your audience, test out different content, and see what clicks. LinkedIn is your playground for quick feedback, so don’t be afraid to experiment! Focus on what makes your company special—its vibe, values, and culture—and watch the right talent come to you. Easy peasy!
Being a leader is exhausting. Want us to take the reins for a while?
Get in touch with one of our LinkedIn experts and we'll show you how Abe's unique approach to LinkedIn advertising can help your online presence and brand strength.
Conversation Ads land you right in front of your ideal buyer.
If you've ever cast a YouTube video to your TV or binged a series on a streaming platform, you've been face-to-face with a Connected TV (CTV) ad. But what you might not be aware of is that you can run CTV ads with LinkedIn as your vessel. As one of their more unique off-platform offerings, CTV can sometimes get less glory than some of LinkedIn's other offerings. But as the kids would say, don't sleep on CTV. At Abe, CTV is an important part of building brand awareness and a service we often recommend to our clients.
LinkedIn CTV ads are six to 60 second videos that present themselves during long-form video streaming content, including:
It’s possible for your B2B prospects to connect with CTV ads across multiple devices (including TV, tablet, and mobile). This gripping form of native video-based ad allows B2B SaaS businesses (like yours!) to present your ad at the beginning, middle or end of a piece of long-form video content for maximum brand-boosting impact.
One of the things that sets LinkedIn CTV ads apart the most is the fact you can use native LinkedIn targeting to provide a seamless professional viewing experience. Unlike some forms of video ad content that can appear jarring, well-executed CTV ads are contextual, presenting themselves to target prospects in a way that’s relevant and value-driven.
LinkedIn CTV ads (Connected TV ads) and LinkedIn Video ads share similarities but serve different purposes and appear in distinct environments. CTV ads play within long-form video content on conntected TVs (either a smart TV or a regular TV using a streaming stick or other attachment). Both use LinkedIn's targeting system to choose which audience they'll appear to, though they will be meeting their audience at a slightly different timeframe.
Though both of these audiovisual ad types are used for brand awareness, Video Ads offers the opportunity to include a lead generation form. With CTV ads, of course, this isn't a possibility.
FYI: Your audio should also sync seamlessly with your video content and suit the tone you’re looking to convey.
We love how Grammarly leans into self-awareness with this ad. Anyone in tech knows acronyms are everywhere—so when they joke about being “in the same boat,” it’s a knowing wink to the audience. It also touches on a problem that is remarkably relatable for its target audience, which makes the chances high that your ideal viewer is likely to stop what they're doing and watch.
This one features...singing llamas? If it was just going for "bizarre and random", the ad would probably still be memorable, but the fact that this touches on an actual pain point (tech stack oversaturation) allows this ad to fully hit the mark.
Now, all this being said, depending on your brand awareness level, you might be comfortable focusing on your pain points in a more subtle way. Squarespace, a well-known website builder, takes advantage of its notoriety to go with a playful theme that's a bit more "memorable, amusing imagery" than it is chronological storytelling. But that sometimes can be very effective at pulling brand awareness.
One of the biggest advantages of LinkedIn CTV ads is their ability to use LinkedIn’s precise audience targeting. Tap into this to reach decision-makers with the right message at the right time.
Shorter ads (6, 15, or 30 seconds) work best for grabbing attention. Make every second count—hook viewers early and deliver your key message fast.
Your ad is competing with premium content on platforms like Hulu and Amazon Prime. Crisp visuals, smooth motion graphics, and professional editing are non-negotiable. Some companies will choose to reuse smaller portions of larger promotional videos as a cost-saving measure.
CTV ads appear on TVs, tablets, and mobile devices. Ensure your video scales well and remains effective across different screen sizes.
CTV ads are digital, interactive, and highly targetable—unlike traditional TV commercials. Make use of LinkedIn’s audience segmentation to tailor your message instead of broadcasting a generic ad.
Test different creatives, CTAs, and audience segments to see what drives the best engagement and conversions. Small tweaks can make a big impact.
Engagement metrics measure how effectively your CTV ad captures viewers' attention and keeps them interested. Low engagement could indicate issues with your ad’s pacing, messaging, or relevance.
Lead generation KPIs assess how well your LinkedIn CTV ads convert engaged viewers into quality leads. These metrics help you understand the finer details of your ad’s performance, like cost efficiency and user experience. One of the benefits of using LinkedIn to run CTV is that you can see these metrics in-platform!
Conversion metrics evaluate how effectively leads generated from LinkedIn CTV ads turn into customers. Strong performance here means your ads aren’t just attracting leads but driving real business outcomes.
The most common way to measure CTV ads is through "Cost Per Mile" (CPM). This — as is the case for every LinkedIn ad it is applied to — refers to the cost per 1,000 impressions. The CPM range for CTV ads is anywhere from $20 to $50.
...and Abe can get you there! Grab a quick chat with one of our friendly AEs and learn all about how Abe's unique Customer Generation Methodology can rewrite the way you think about LinkedIn ads and bring in unprecedented revenue for your business.
LinkedIn advertising is daunting. It's almost too perfect of a platform. Billions of people are on LinkedIn and millions of them login daily, ready to ingest work-related materials. Can't say people who log into other social channels are exactly in that mindset!
But despite its popularity, LinkedIn advertising is misunderstood, leaving many to feel burned by the platform and/or avoid it completely. Here's how to find success.
We created Abe because we believe LinkedIn is the most valuable online advertising channel. As mentioned earlier, there are a lot of people on it, and they show up in a professional mindset. But LinkedIn also offers:
Our internal benchmarks, shown below, show LinkedIn as the most cost-effective platform after only Bing, which doesn't offer the same audience relevance.
This objective is perfect for all of your top of the funnel (TOFU) ad content. The objective of awareness content is to get your brand noticed by the right people. It’s to push yourself to the front of your prospects’ consciousness and show them what you know.
Awareness campaigns are usually impressions-based and designed to increase views, inspire engagement, and grow your LinkedIn audience. Ads that tell a personal story, talk about a trending topic that relates to your industry or aggravate a specific pain point are all powerful ways of driving awareness on LinkedIn.
Conversion ads exist to help you seal the deal. It's bottom of the funnel (BOFU) messaging. Here, your content and intent is based on persuading warm leads to invest in what you have to offer.
Use conversion ads when you want people to sign up to your email newsletter, book a demo, register for your webinar, earn more subscribers or sell a particular service or product. You can also use conversion-based ads to attract the right applicants if you’re recruiting for a new job role.
Conversion ads exist to help you seal the deal. It's bottom of the funnel (BOFU) messaging. Here, your content and intent is based on persuading warm leads to invest in what you have to offer.
Use conversion ads when you want people to sign up to your email newsletter, book a demo, register for your webinar, earn more subscribers or sell a particular service or product. You can also use conversion-based ads to attract the right applicants if you’re recruiting for a new job role.
Here are ad types based on location:
LinkedIn text ads contain few visuals, save for a brand logo or other small image. They show up in the sidebar of a user's LinkedIn page on desktop only. You might hear them called "right rail ads". These ads work on a pay-per-click (PPC) or cost-per-impression (CPM) basis and have a simple format:
These ads are ideal for targeting a precise audience when you’re promoting an email newsletter, an exclusive piece of content or an event (in-person or webinar, for instance).
Sponsored content shows up within the LinkedIn feed, the only thing differentiating them from organic social posts is a small "promoted" label in the top left hand corner.
These types of ads are perfect for promoting your brand in a way that’s non-sales-y, demonstrates your authority, and offers actual value to your prospects. There's no pressure, just good old fun.
You might think of feed ads as a static image, but they actually take many different shapes and forms:
LinkedIn also gives you the option to slide into your prospects' DMs with targeted messaging about your brand, products or services. When use wisely, these are highly effective. Generally there are two types:
These ads look and feel like regular DMs. You can add external links and a CTA to these ads to encourage your recipient to take a specific action.
Conversation ads
This format is slightly more interactive (and has a little more pizazz) than a classic message ad. With a conversation ad, you can target users when they’re most active on the platform and spark an interaction. You can also add multiple CTAs to give your prospects a choice of potential actions to take based on your interactions.
Not everyone knows this so consider yourself the chosen few. You can actually use LinkedIn to run ads that show up before somebody streams a video on channels like YouTube, Hulu, Hoopla, and more. They're called CTV ads and they're unmatched for brand awareness, as humans are visual creatures.
💡Tip: You can only use one ad type per LinkedIn campaign. If you want to test different formats, you'll need separate campaigns, even if the goal and audience is the same.
1. Surf on over to LinkedIn’s Campaign Manager.
2. Set up and label a new Campaign Group.
3. Within your Campaign Group, create a campaign. When selecting "Campaign", you'll be prompted to either use "Streamlined campaign creation" or "Classic".
In LinkedIn, a Campaign Group is for organizing ad initiatives. A Campaign is an initiative within the Campaign Group. An Ad is the single ad within the Campaign working towards this initiative.
💡Tip: At Abe, we usually use "Classic", but it's really a personal preference!
4. (In Classic Mode), you'll be asked to name your Campaign and set your target audience.
💡Tip: Instead of relying on the list that LinkedIn auto-populates, we highly recommend that you use your own audience. At Abe, we build all of our customer's audience list by hand, verifying that each account we're targeting is actually a good fit.
5 (Optional) If you use UTMs, you can enter them here.
6. Choose whether you'd like your ads placed on only LinkedIn, or also on LinkedIn Audience Network.
💡Tip: We typically don't recommend expanding reach beyond LinkedIn, but it will depend on the individual campaign or goals.
7. Set your ad budget.
💡Tip: LinkedIn will recommend a minimum daily budget based on your audience size and campaign goals. However, we recommend setting your own budget based on financial modeling and expected ROI.
8. Review, tweak, and hit the publishing button.
9. Track your results, analyze them (see the next paragraph), and iterate upon them!
You can see basic performance metrics in LinkedIn's Campaign Manager, but for more in-depth analysis you'll want to connect to your CRM.
Focus on Impressions, Reach, and Engagement Rate (likes, shares, comments divided by impressions).
These numbers tell you how visible your brand is and whether your content is actually resonating.
Prioritize Clicks, Click-Through Rate (CTR), and Landing Page Views (you’ll need the LinkedIn Insight Tag installed on your site to track this).
If you're using video, look at View Rate, Completion Rate, and Views at 50%/75%/100% to understand drop-off points.
Use Lead Gen Form Opens and Submissions (built directly into Campaign Manager).
Or, if you're sending traffic to your site, track Conversions, Cost Per Conversion, and Conversion Rate via the Insight Tag and your CRM/analytics tool.
Once connected, HubSpot automatically adds tracking parameters (UTMs) to your LinkedIn ads, so clicks are attributed to the right campaigns inside your CRM. Make sure auto-tracking is toggled ON for every campaign.
HubSpot will now automatically pull in any leads submitted through LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms. These leads will show up as new contacts, complete with ad campaign metadata (ad name, form name, campaign, etc.).
Leads submitted through LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms will now flow into Zoho CRM automatically.
Looking for Salesforce?
If you're using Salesforce as your CRM, you'll need a connector like Zapier to connect LinkedIn Ads and Lead Gen Forms with Salesforce. The platforms don't natively integrate.
On LinkedIn, an ad that isn't performing typically has high impressions but low clicks or conversions. If this is happening to you, something’s likely off with the intent or mechanics of your ad. Try testing one of the following:
→ Audience
→ Offer
If you test a new audience and your Click-Through-Rate (CTR) improves but conversions stay low, your offer might be the issue. Test that next.
If you test a new offer and conversions improve, you’re on the right track. The problem was in the value prop, not the targeting.
An underperforming ad on LinkedIn gets some impressions, clicks, and conversions, but in general is more expensive and less effective than LinkedIn benchmarks.
The good news is that if you are seeing some performance, there are small things you can test that take less of a lift than ads that aren't performing. You could test one of the following:
→ Hook / headline
→ CTA
→ Creative
→ Audience segmentation
What you’re aiming for is a more efficient, less costly campaign. If none of these tweaks improve performance, it might be time to revisit your offer or audience targeting.
Abe was created with one vision in mind: to run the best possible LinkedIn ad campaigns for B2B companies. We've given you a lot of information here, but you're not in it alone. Book a call and we can chat about how we can turn your vision into measurable growth.
LinkedIn Conversation ("Convo") Ads empower businesses to have highly-personalized chatbot-esque interactions with their target audience directly within the LinkedIn platform. Think of it as the flexibility of email marketing with the specificity of LinkedIn targeting.
The most unique attribute of Conversation Ads is the number of Call-to-Actions (CTAs). Conversation Ads allow you to craft multiple CTAs and give your target more options.
Conversation Ads are an interactive ad format that allows brands (like yours!) to start real-time, value-driven conversations with decision-makers, guiding them toward a demo, a resource, or even a direct meeting.
One of the biggest advantages of LinkedIn Conversation Ads is the ability to leverage native LinkedIn targeting to reach the right professionals with the right message. Unlike static ads that can be easily ignored, well-crafted Conversation Ads feel personalized and engaging. When done right, they also:
The key difference between LinkedIn Conversation Ads and Sponsored InMail (now called Message Ads) comes down to interactivity. Sponsored InMail is essentially a one-way message—delivered to a prospect’s inbox like an email, with a single CTA.
Conversation Ads, on the other hand, are dynamic and interactive, allowing you to create a branched experience where prospects can choose their own path based on multiple response options. This makes Conversation Ads feel more like a real dialogue rather than a cold pitch.
Before you start building your ads, sit down with your team’s stakeholders and decide exactly what you want to get from your campaign. Conversation Ads allow for two different goal types: website visits (for middle-of-the-funnel objectives) and lead generation forms (for bottom-of-the-funnel objectives).
Example of goal setting:
Ads that speak to specific pain points are the most effective. You can target your audience by:
Avoid targeting prospects you've engaged with before using similar messaging. It will offer little return for your efforts and could hurt your brand reputation.
LinkedIn offers conversational flow templates, but avoid using generic options. Your message needs to be succinct, punchy, and offer personal value.
Hi, [Name],
How are you?
I noticed you're interested in [User's Interest]. It’s a space that we at [Brand Name] specialize in—and something we’re hugely passionate about.
Our platform [Solution Name] is designed to help [Job Title] like you [Benefit] by [Explanation of Solution].
Would you like to find out more about [Solution Name] and how we can help you [user goal or pain point] specifically?
LinkedIn Conversation Ads are a powerful tool for B2B marketers looking to engage decision-makers in a more direct and interactive way. Unlike traditional static ads, Convo Ads feel like real conversations, allowing prospects to choose their own path based on their interests. This makes them especially effective for driving high-intent actions like booking demos, downloading whitepapers, or registering for events. With LinkedIn’s advanced targeting, you can reach the right professionals at the right time.
Start like a human, not a marketer. Open with a question or a statement that makes them think, not roll their eyes. Skip the robotic intros—nobody wants to read, “Hi [First Name], I’d love to introduce you to our cutting-edge solution.” Instead, try something that taps into their reality: “Managing pipeline getting messier? You’re not alone.”
Nobody wants to read a wall of text. Keep messages short, punchy, and natural—like how you’d text a colleague. Instead of “Our platform optimizes workflows to improve operational efficiency,” say “We help you cut the busywork so your team can focus on closing deals.” Keep the flow smooth and let them pick their path.
Great ads feel like a 1:1 conversation, not a mass blast. Know your ICP and talk to their specific problems, not vague industry trends. If your ideal buyer is a VP of Sales, focus on revenue and pipeline—not generic business efficiency.
Give them choices that feel useful, not salesy. Instead of just one CTA, offer multiple paths: “Want the quick version? Grab the PDF. Prefer to chat? Let’s book a time.” The goal is to make engaging feel easy, not like committing to a sales pitch.
No one should have to guess what happens after they click. Spell it out: “Grab the guide and get key takeaways in under 5 minutes.” or “Book a time, and I’ll show you exactly how this works in your world.” Clear, direct, and no surprises.
People want to talk to people, not robots. Use conversational language and keep things casual, like you're chatting with a colleague, not pitching a product. Personalize your messages, and make sure it feels like a one-on-one conversation.
Your message should speak directly to their pain points, not your product features. Instead of "We offer the best SaaS solution for businesses," say "Struggling with manual processes? Here’s how to make life easier."
Give people options to engage, not just a single CTA. You don’t want them to feel trapped. Options like “Want to chat? Book a time” or “Need resources? Download the guide” keep things flexible and less salesy.
No jargon, no fluff. People are busy, so make sure your messages are easy to understand and straight to the point. Stick to a simple flow, and don’t make them guess what to do next.
Most users will engage on their phones, so make sure your messages are short, scannable, and easy to respond to. If they have to scroll too much, they’ll just bail.
Nobody likes getting hit with a stiff, corporate message. Ditch the corporate speak and don’t try to sound "professional" just for the sake of it. Keep it natural, friendly, and approachable.
If your CTA feels like a high-pressure sales pitch, you’ll lose people fast. Instead of “Sign up now or miss out!”, try something low-pressure like “Let’s chat and see if this could be a good fit for you.”
Keep things simple. Don’t try to cram too many offers or questions into one message. If your first message feels like a mini sales presentation, you’ve already lost them. Stick to one clear ask.
If you’re coming off too robotic or scripted, they’ll sense it. Pay attention to how your ad feels for the user. If it’s too pushy, complex, or out of sync with their expectations, they’ll tune out.
If someone engages with your ad, make sure your follow-up is relevant and aligned with their interests. Sending the wrong info, or bombarding them with irrelevant offers, will kill the relationship fast.
Lead generation metrics help you assess how efficiently your LinkedIn Conversation Ads convert prospects into leads. Tracking these KPIs ensures you're optimizing cost, messaging, and targeting for maximum impact.
Engagement metrics measure how effectively your Conversation Ads capture attention and encourage interaction. A lower engagement rate may signal issues with personalization, messaging, or targeting.
Conversion metrics evaluate how well leads from Conversation Ads turn into customers. Strong performance here indicates your ads are driving real business results, not just clicks.
A down-funnel way to measure Convo Ads is through Cost Per Lead (CPL). You know the drill — this can vary. But you can expect a number between $500 to $1,200.
Source: Abe's internal benchmark library.
LinkedIn Conversation Ads are cost-effective and offer higher conversion rates than many other ad formats. With the right approach, you can generate high-quality leads and connect with prospects in a way that provides endless value.
Book an introductory call to see how Abe can help your team hit LinkedIn advertising goals.
LinkedIn ABM marketing is the best way to target the enterprise accounts on your "most-wanted" list.
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) has become a go-to strategy for B2B companies looking to drive revenue by focusing on high-value accounts. Instead of casting a wide net, ABM narrows the focus to the accounts that matter most—aligning marketing and sales for maximum impact.
ABM is a highly targeted B2B marketing strategy that treats individual accounts as markets of one. It involves personalized campaigns tailored to specific companies, leveraging data and insights to engage decision-makers and accelerate deal velocity.
Unlike traditional marketing strategies that prioritize volume, ABM focuses on quality. The goal is to build meaningful relationships with high-value accounts, ensuring marketing and sales efforts are strategically aligned to drive revenue growth.
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) and LinkedIn Conversation Ads both focus on targeted outreach, but they take different approaches. ABM is a long-game strategy — highly personalized, multi-channel, and built around nurturing key accounts with tailored content and engagement. It’s about precision and relationship-building at scale.
Conversation Ads, on the other hand, are a more immediate, interactive way to engage prospects in real time. They create a chat-like experience in LinkedIn’s messaging inbox, guiding users through a decision tree of responses. While ABM is about sustained influence across a buying committee, Conversation Ads offer a quick way to qualify leads and drive action.
Ideally, the two should work together. Conversation Ads can be a high-impact touchpoint within a larger ABM strategy, helping warm up decision-makers and drive engagement at key moments.
In contrast to other LinkedIn ad types, ABM (Account-Based Marketing) doesn't have the same specific technical requirements. However, audience targeting is crucial for ABM's success.
Tailoring your approach to high-value accounts and leveraging detailed segmentation is key. With Abe's TAM production process, we emphasize precise targeting — refining your ideal customer profile (ICP) and prioritizing key accounts based on factors like industry, company size, and specific pain points. This ensures you're investing resources in the most impactful segments, maximizing ROI and driving stronger engagement from your most promising prospects.
B2B sales cycles are long and involve multiple decision-makers, making effective engagement crucial. ABM helps align marketing and sales teams to target the right people at the right time, which can shorten sales cycles and increase deal sizes. It is especially effective in industries like Enterprise SaaS, Financial Services, Cybersecurity, and Healthcare Tech, where personalized outreach drives results.
ABM works for B2B by fostering better sales and marketing alignment, with both teams focusing on the same high-value accounts. This leads to higher close rates and increased deal sizes as personalized engagement boosts conversion and targets high-value prospects.
ABM works best when everyone is on the same page. Get your marketing and sales teams to sync up, share data, and collaborate on strategy. It’s a partnership, not a competition.
Stop sending generic messages. Use data to speak directly to the challenges and needs of your target accounts. The more personalized, the better the results.
ABM isn’t a gut-feeling game. Use firmographic data, intent signals, and account activity to guide your strategy and targeting. The more insights you have, the sharper your aim.
ABM is not just about generating leads. It’s about building deep relationships with your target accounts. Don’t think of it as “filling the funnel”—it’s about quality, not quantity.
Don’t just chase new logos. Account expansion is key. Upsell and cross-sell within your existing customer base to drive growth and deepen relationships.
One email won’t cut it. Engage with your accounts across multiple channels and touchpoints — social, email, content, direct mail. The more consistent your outreach, the better your chances.
Awareness KPIs evaluate how well your ABM campaigns grab attention and establish brand recognition within your target accounts. A solid awareness strategy ensures that when prospects are ready to buy, they already know your brand and trust it. This leads to reduced acquisition costs and improved conversion rates as prospects move through the sales funnel.
Engagement KPIs track how effectively your content keeps prospects interested and prompts them to interact with your brand. High engagement signals strong account interest and can lead to deeper connections, while poor engagement may suggest a need for refined targeting, messaging, or user experience.
Lead generation KPIs measure how well your ads are capturing high-intent prospects. A low Cost-Per-Lead (CPL) indicates cost-effective customer acquisition, while an increase in qualified leads and form submissions shows that your targeting and messaging are on point. Optimizing these KPIs ensures your ad spend is driving meaningful engagement with prospects who are more likely to convert into customers.
Conversion KPIs assess how well your ads turn engaged prospects into customers. A high conversion rate reflects strong ad performance and audience alignment, while a low Cost-Per-Acquisition (CPA) indicates efficient spending. Assisted conversions reveal the importance of multiple touchpoints throughout the buyer's journey, showing how your ads contribute beyond just last-click attribution.
The cost of Account-Based Marketing (ABM) can vary widely depending on factors like your target market, campaign scale, and the tools you use. For smaller businesses or highly targeted campaigns, ABM can cost between $5,000 and $25,000 per year. This typically includes advertising spend, content creation, and basic marketing automation tools. For mid-market companies, costs can range from $50,000 to $100,000 per year, with more advanced targeting, personalized content, and a more robust tech stack.
It's important to think of ABM in terms of Return-On-Investment (ROI). It's only worthwhile to spend a large amount of money on ABM if you can expect to get more in return.
Ready to take your B2B marketing to the next level? Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is the game-changer you’ve been waiting for. At Abe, we specialize in turning targeted accounts into loyal customers with personalized, high-impact strategies. If you're looking to scale faster, build stronger relationships, and drive real revenue, let’s talk. Contact us today and discover how ABM can transform your business.