If you want to master LinkedIn advertising, you must master LinkedIn lead gen forms.
Your marketing strategy is only as good as your data quality. And the best data is first-party, i.e., the data that you collect. One of the easiest and most popular ways to collect first-party data is through lead generation ("lead gen") forms on your website or social channels. LinkedIn offers Lead Gen Ads directly in the platform, so you can collect the prospect information you need without putting said prospects through the proverbial wringer.
Unlike other ad types like Document Ads or Sponsored Content, LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms aren’t standalone ads. Instead they’re part of the LinkedIn ecosystem that you use in conjunction with other ads. Instead of creating a separate landing page or directing users off your site, you embed the form directly into the ad experience. When someone clicks, the form pops up right on LinkedIn, making it easy for them to submit their details without leaving the platform. So, while the idea of a Lead Gen "Ad" is a bit of a misnomer, it's common in the LinkedIn Ad vernacular.
Lead Generation Forms are simple and straightforward. When someone clicks on your ad, a pre-filled form pops up, making it easy for them to submit their information without leaving the platform
Conversation Ads, on the other hand, engage prospects in a more interactive way. These ads show up in the LinkedIn inbox and initiate a back-and-forth conversation, designed to guide users toward a specific action, like downloading a resource or booking a meeting. Conversation Ads can be more personalized, but they require more thoughtful setup to avoid coming across as intrusive (psst, we have a guide to Conversation Ads best practices).
Lead Gen Forms appear at the end of Conversation Ads, Sponsored Content (single image and carousel), Document Ads, and Video Ads. They can also be a part of your Account-Based Marketing (ABM) strategy.
In addition to these form fields, you also have the option to add up to three custom questions, either multiple choice or open-ended. Just keep in mind that the more form fields you have, the more you're asking of your prospect, and the less likely they might be to fill it out.
Lead Generation Ads are arguably more convenient for a B2B marketer than a B2C marketer. Compared with B2C, B2B has much longer sales cycles, more customer touchpoints, and higher Average Order Value (AOV). These attritbutes are conducive to LinkedIn's remarketing capabilities.
B2B brands also benefit from combining their Lead Gen form efforts with Account-Based Marketing (ABM). Account-based marketing (ABM) can significantly impact form design and performance. In ABM, the target is specific accounts rather than a broad audience. This means forms can collect more specific information relevant to those accounts, such as company size, industry, or specific pain points. This leads to more accurately qualifying leads and personalized follow-up, improving the overall effectiveness of an ABM strategy.
HubSpot's lead generation forms are a great example of simplicity and effectiveness. They often use short, straightforward forms with clear CTAs. A key strategy is progressive profiling, where information is gradually collected as the lead progresses through the funnel. This minimizes initial friction and maximizes lead capture.
Adobe leverages its powerful personalization tools to create highly targeted lead gen forms. They can tailor form fields and messaging to individual users by analyzing user behavior and preferences. This personalized approach increases engagement and conversion rates but requires a layer of technology to make it possible.
Drift, a conversational marketing platform, uses chatbots to capture leads in real time. Its forms are often short and sweet, focusing on collecting critical information. This approach aligns with their conversational marketing philosophy and provides a more engaging user experience.
The shorter the form, the higher the conversion rate. Every extra field is an extra reason for someone to bounce—so ask only for what you truly need. Name, email, maybe one qualifying question. That’s it.
Nobody wants to decipher corporate jargon or guess what you mean. Be direct, be simple, and be human. Instead of "Submit your request for a complimentary consultation," just say, "Book a free call."
Forms should feel effortless, not like an obstacle course. Start with the easiest questions (name, email) and move toward the ones that require a little more thought. Keep things in a natural order—because nobody wants to input their company size before their first name.
Every extra field is another chance for someone to abandon the form. If you don’t absolutely need it, ditch it. Nobody wants to fill out their job title, company size, and mother’s maiden name just to download an ebook.
Your audience doesn’t care about your agenda; they care about solving their own problems. Give them something genuinely useful, not just a thinly veiled sales pitch. If your content isn’t something they’d bookmark or forward to a colleague, rethink it.
Nothing tanks trust faster than shady data practices. Be upfront about why you’re collecting information, follow the rules (GDPR, CCPA, etc.), and—most importantly—respect people’s inboxes. Nobody likes an unexpected barrage of sales emails.
Engagement metrics measure how effectively your form holds attention and guides users toward completion. Low engagement may signal friction in the process—too many fields, unclear instructions, or a lack of perceived value.
Lead generation KPIs assess how well your form converts engaged visitors into actual leads. Lead gen forms are inherently about, well, lead gen, but you'll want to use these metrics to measure nuance. A lower CPL suggests cost efficiency, while higher submission rates indicate a smoother user experience.
Conversion metrics evaluate how effectively your form-generated leads turn into customers. Strong performance here means your form is not just capturing leads, but qualified leads.
Once a well-thought-out lead generation form is created, it must be integrated with a CRM.
If you don’t have a CRM, do some research and choose one that meets your needs and integrates seamlessly with existing marketing automation tools. A CRM is an essential foundational tool enabling lead nurture flows and triggered emails based on user behavior. The more effectively a CRM system is deployed and integrated, the more successful the overall marketing initiatives will be.
Ensure the collected data from the form is accurately transferred to the CRM. This is important to ensure the data is clean, usable and can be activated within the flows.
Use your CRM to automatically assign leads to sales reps, send follow-up emails, and trigger other marketing actions. This is the most organized and effective way to manage sales enablement and create a seamless and transparent flow between marketing and sales.
Monitor form conversion rates, lead quality, and other important metrics to measure the effectiveness of lead generation efforts. This includes form completions and the lifetime value of the leads that convert.
Lead gen forms, unlike other LinkedIn ad types, are dependent on another ad type. Costs will vary significantly, going as low as $213 PL (Per Lead) to as high as $3,500 PL.
Note: these numbers are pulled from Abe's internal benchmark library. Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV).
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