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.
What makes LinkedIn different?
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:
- Dynamic targeting (instead of relying on a platform's innate targeting which, by nature, wants to get you to spend money)
- A uniquely B2B audience (because pretty much every single person working in B2B is on there daily)
- One of the few places online you can actually get the attention of decision-makers
- Simple set up between CRMs and LinkedIn (more on this later)
Our internal benchmarks, shown below, show LinkedIn as the most cost-effective platform after only Bing, which doesn't offer the same audience relevance.
Common LinkedIn ad objectives
Top of the Funnel / "Awareness"
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.
Best ad formats for brand awareness:
- Text-based ads
- Single image ads
- Carousel ads
- Video ads
Middle of the Funnel / "Consideration"
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.
Best ad formats…
- Document ads
- Job ads
- Text ads
Bottom of the Funnel / "Conversion"
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.
- Conversation ads
- Lead gen forms
LinkedIn ad types explained
LinkedIn ads come in many shapes and sizes. At Abe we advise on all of them. The exact mix will always depend on business goals, advertising budget, and brand popularity. We advise on that too.
Here are ad types based on location:
Ads that show up in the sidebar
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:
- A short headline
- A concise description (the main body messaging)
- A hyperlink
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).
Ads that show up in the user feed
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:
- Document ads
- Carousel ads
- Video ads
- Static image ads
- Thought leader ads
Ads that show up in the inbox
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:
Message ads
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.
Off-platform ads
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.
How to create a LinkedIn ad campaign
💡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!
How to measure LinkedIn ads
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.
For awareness campaigns:
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.
For consideration campaigns:
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.
For conversion campaigns:
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.
How to connect LinkedIn with your CRM
Hubspot
LinkedIn ads
- Connect Your LinkedIn Ad Account to HubSpot
- In HubSpot, go to Marketing > Ads.
- Click "Connect Account" and choose LinkedIn. You’ll be prompted to log into your LinkedIn Ads account and grant permissions.
- Select the ad accounts you want to link. Done.
- Enable Auto-Tracking
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.
LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms
- Go to Marketing > Ads > Lead syncing.
- Under "Lead Syncing," enable sync for LinkedIn.
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.).
Zoho
LinkedIn Ads
- In Zoho Marketing Automation, go to Lead Generation and then LinkedIn Ads.
- Click "Connect" and sign into your LinkedIn Ads account. Grant the necessary permissions.
- Select the ad account you'd like to sync.
LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms
- In Zoho Marketing Automation, go to Lead Generation and then Lead Forms.
- Click "Manage Forms" and enable sync for LinkedIn.
- Choose the form(s) you want to sync and map the fields to Zoho CRM.
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.
How to A/B test on LinkedIn
If your ads aren't performing:
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
How to read your A/B test findings:
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.
If your ads are under-performing:
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.
12 LinkedIn advertising tips from Abe
- Don't use LinkedIn's built-in targeting. Instead, manually build and verify your own list (we promise it's worth it, we do it for every client at Abe)
- Avoid sending users to external landing pages by taking advantage of LinkedIn's native Lead Gen Forms.
- Provide an incentive with your Conversation Ads. This gives prospects that extra push to show up for the initial meeting with your sales team, who can then work their magic!
- Don't just rely on one ad type. Instead, focus on a mix of content that spans the entire funnel, weighted for your brand maturity.
- Be honest with yourself about your brand awareness. When in doubt, invest in ad types that help foster your brand recognition.
- Don't become over-reliant on industry targeting. This is self-reported on LinkedIn and can be inaccurate.
- Be uniform with your brand creative. Your audience should be able to recognize an ad as yours upon first glance.
- Use a number of personas that is relevant to your ad spend. If you're spending $20k or less per month, you can use one persona at a time.
- Focus on building the symbiosis between your sales and marketing teams. The more they know about what each other is up to, the more they can work together to coordinate sales call techniques and ad language.
- Refresh your list of target accounts on the regular to keep things fresh with your audience.
- If you're sending leads to a landing page, iterate upon it and see if your changes improve performance. A/B testing doesn't stop at the ad!
- Sync up your ad campaigns with your product roadmap. The best time to tell customers about new features is when they're hot off the press!
Abe is the top LinkedIn advertising consultancy
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.
Did you know that running LinkedIn ads through a vendor can actually save you money compared to doing it yourself? We’re here to guide you on how to pick the right agency that’ll bring in solid results.
Something important to consider, and often overlooked: LinkedIn is one of the most popular social media platforms out there, with over a billion users. And unlike other platforms where people connect for fun (consider the emphasis on social, in social media), LinkedIn is where professionals gather to talk about actual business and network. That’s why it’s such a goldmine for B2B advertising — you're hitting the right audience in the right place.
The thing is, LinkedIn ads can be tricky to figure out. If you’re not careful, you could end up wasting a lot of cash. That’s why a lot of businesses choose to hand their campaigns over to a performance marketing agency. A good agency usually pays for itself by doing more than just managing the ads.
Why use a partner for your LinkedIn Ads?
Your marketing team is talented, but LinkedIn ads can be tricky to figure out. If you’re not careful, you could end up wasting a lot of cash. That’s why a lot of businesses choose to hand their campaigns over to a performance marketing agency. A good agency usually pays for itself by doing more than just managing the ads.
Below are other aspects a good agency should help you out with:
- Smart advice on targeting the right audience
- Recommendations on the best ad formats to use
- Creative copy and positioning that hits the mark
- Optimizing campaigns for better ROI over time
- Analyzing ad performance and tweaking strategies for maximum impact
- A/B testing to figure out what works best for your business
- Building a comprehensive strategy that aligns with your overall goals
- Managing your budget effectively to avoid overspending
- Generating leads through tailored campaigns that convert
So, if you want to get the most bang for your buck with LinkedIn ads, teaming up with an experienced agency is your best bet. Below are a few we recommend!
Top LinkedIn-specific marketing agencies
Abe
We’re humble, we swear! But the thing is, we’re also honest. The services that we now offer through Abe originally grew from a strategy we created for LinkedIn campaigns at Directive Consulting, our sister company. This means our methods are tried and true. We’ve learned from experience, and although we maintain a close relationship with Directive, we’re now out into the big bad world with our own ideas and individual life tools!
And there’s a reason why we want to emphasize the value of LinkedIn so much. While Directive dives into everything from content marketing to paid media across various platforms, we at Abe are all about LinkedIn. By narrowing our focus, we’ve honed our expertise.
Abe operates using our one-of-a-kind Customer Generation™ method. This approach centers on using authentic, first-party data to really hone in on the right audience. We don’t waste time with auto-generated lists. Our goal is to ensure cost-effective campaigns with real results. What you’re spending should be reaping real benefits.
We also believe in the oldschool pillars of advertising—bold, eye-catching copy and visuals—subway ads that really stay with you, not just generic banners we’re quick to exit out of in pop-up ads. Our in-house writers and designers, (yes, real people, not AI)—get deep into your product so we can connect with your audience in the most impactful way possible.
Best for:
- All LinkedIn Ad Types – We Handle It All
- Creative Visuals That Pop on LinkedIn
- Product Positioning & Copy That Sells
- Custom TAM Lists That Hit the Mark
- Personalized Insights for Closed Lost/Won Deals
Abe's pricing starts at $5,000 a month on ads.
Client feedback
- TigerConnect reported a 5% increase in ad spend, 111% increase in LinkedIn visits.
- Impelix confirmed a “84% form completion rate and lower Costs-Per-MQL.
- GiftBit celebrated a 100% MQL increase with 1 in 3 becoming customers.”
Cleverly
By now, we all know LinkedIn ads are key to growth, and Cleverly makes sure those leads are high-quality and scalable. As a top-tier LinkedIn lead gen agency, Cleverly has mastered outbound messaging and LinkedIn automation. They take a data-driven approach to help businesses connect with prospects through super-targeted outreach campaigns. Basically, they’re another go-to for guaranteed, LinkedIn-driven success!
Cleverly uses LinkedIn lead generation to connect businesses with the right decision-makers through personalized connection requests and follow-ups—maximizing engagement and conversion rates. They also rock cold email lead generation, combining email and LinkedIn messages to create a multi-touch strategy that really gets results.
Need help with content? Their LinkedIn content service has got you covered, crafting posts that hit the sweet spot with your audience. By sharing valuable insights, they help you build trust and stand out as a thought leader.
For agencies wanting to scale, Cleverly also offers white-label lead generation which lets you offer LinkedIn lead gen services to your clients without breaking a sweat. And if you want to dive deeper, their Lead Generation Master Class shows you how to use LinkedIn like a pro, with all the tools you need to succeed.
Plus, Cleverly offers different pricing tiers to fit every business—whether you’re a startup or a large company, there’s a plan for you. With Cleverly, you’ll create a pipeline that works for your unique needs!
Best for:
- LinkedIn Lead Gen Campaigns That Convert
- Outreach Messages That Get Replies
- Targeted Connection Requests That Stick
- Seamless CRM Integration for Lead Tracking
Pricing:
- LinkedIn Lead Generation ranges from 397.00/mo (Silver) to 997.00/mo (Platinum)
- Cold Email Lead Generation: Pay Per Meeting-Ready-Lead
- LinkedIn Content Service: 697.00/mo (12 LinkedIn posts per month)
- White-Label Lead Generation: ranges from 397.00/mo (White-Label Gold) to 697.00/mo (White-Label Platinum)
- Lead Generation Master Class: one-time 497.00 payment
Client feedback:
“Cleverly was able to convert more than 10% of cold message outreach into sales conversations. Highest I have seen. Love working with them.” - Arun
“Once you sign up for Cleverly, there's an onboarding document that I carefully filled out. The rep used that information to craft a campaign that truly reflected my input. Well done!” - Erik Brigham
Impactable
Impactable (formerly LinkNLearn) is all about making LinkedIn ads work for you. They’ve built a solid reputation for creating super targeted LinkedIn ads that not only grab attention but also boost brand awareness and turn leads into customers. The best part? They focus on getting you a serious return on your investment, which basically means they want you to make more money than you spend on ads.
At Impactable, they don’t just run ads—they build entire LinkedIn-based marketing systems designed to drive consistent B2B growth, bring in high-quality leads, and ditch all that marketing waste. Their team of experts, along with custom tech and proven strategies, helps businesses scale without the headache.
The company’s founder, Justin Rowe, got hooked on LinkedIn's power when he discovered a game-changing approach to LinkedIn lead gen. This helped him land job opportunities and investments. Justin even became part-owner of a small restaurant franchise. He quickly turned his side hustle of helping others harness LinkedIn into something much bigger. As his system grew, he became the #1 ranked LinkedIn expert on Upwork, and eventually, he launched LinkNLearn. Fast forward, and after working with 1,000+ companies in over 30 countries, growing a 20+ person team, and evolving the brand, LinkNLearn became Impactable.
Best for:
- LinkedIn Ads Management That Delivers
- Account-Based Marketing (ABM) That Hits the Mark
- Retargeting Campaigns That Bring ‘Em Back
- Data-Powered Optimization and Reporting
Pricing:
- Starting at $649/month, dependant on personalized customizations
Client feedback:
“…the LinkedIn experiment can only be described as a great success. We're getting more leads than we know what to do with. However, I want to try to compare it to Google Ads and then decide how to allocate funds across both platforms.” - Christian Joe, Founder of BINDHQ
“It's an understatement to say important you have been over at Impactable - B2B Ads Agency for me going all in on LinkedIn Ads and learning the ins and outs. I recommend ANYONE who needs an agency for LinkedIn specifically to check them out.” - Adam Holmgren, Global Demand Generation, GetAccept
Speedwork Social
Looking to take your B2B products and services to the next level on LinkedIn? You might want to check out Speedwork Social, a boutique LinkedIn marketing agency that’s all about high-performance ad campaigns. They specialize in crafting LinkedIn ads that actually get results, with a focus on constant experimentation and tweaking ad creatives and targeting to squeeze every bit of ROI from your budget.
Speedwork offers proven campaign strategies, complete funnel builds, and audience targeting that’s as sharp as a tack. With years of experience and millions in ad spend under their belt, they know how to make your LinkedIn campaigns shine. From the perfect ad copy to finding your ideal audience, they've got it covered.
But it doesn’t stop there. They also manage your LinkedIn and Facebook ads, landing pages, and more, ensuring everything is always optimized for maximum impact. Speedwork’s goal is to help you get the most bang for your buck, and they’re experts at making sure your ad budget works hard for you.
What really sets them apart is their full-funnel marketing approach, which includes lead nurturing and automation to convert leads into loyal buyers. It’s not just about generating leads – it’s about turning them into customers who stick around.
Plus, Speedwork offers personalized training, ad account audits, and consulting if you need a little extra help or want to up your LinkedIn game.
If you’re looking for an agency that eats, sleeps, and breathes LinkedIn, Speedwork Social might be your perfect match. They know the platform inside and out, and they’re ready to make some magic happen for you!
Best for:
- LinkedIn Ads That Work Like Magic
- Ads That Grab Attention and Drive Action
- Targeting Your Perfect Audience, Every Time
- Tracking Results and Crushing Your ROI
Pricing:
Speedwork Social doesn’t put a price tag on their services upfront, but they’ve got you covered with a LinkedIn Ad Pricing Guide and LinkedIn Ads Benchmarks. These resources give you the inside scoop on what to expect when it comes to costs, helping you plan your LinkedIn ad strategy with confidence!
Client feedback:
“It has been an absolute pleasure to work alongside Anthony in shaping and executing Outreach’s paid social strategy over the last year. Our collaboration has been marked by a significant investment of around $3MM on LinkedIn, where we have not only met but exceeded client expectations with outstanding results.” - Viven Hsu, Client Solutions Manager at LinkedIn
310Creative
310Creative is all about blending LinkedIn Ads with inbound marketing magic to create a strategy that packs a punch. It’s not just about throwing ads out there—they know how to craft content that really speaks to your target audience while using LinkedIn’s tools to make sure your message gets seen far and wide.
For businesses aiming for the full package, 310Creative has mastered the art of combining paid and organic strategies for a one-two punch that covers all bases. They don’t just talk the talk; they walk the walk when it comes to maximizing HubSpot ROI (see case studies below!). They’ll help you build lead generation, customer acquisition, and client engagement programs that are as effective as they are scalable.
Plus, they’re all about efficiency, leveraging the latest marketing technologies to deliver top-tier demand generation solutions that won’t break the bank. They get to know your industry, business, and competition inside and out to tailor strategies that really hit the mark and boost your marketing ROI.
So, if you’re not already on the 310Creative train, it might be time to consider how their strategic, tech-savvy, and creative approach could give your LinkedIn marketing the edge it needs!
Best for:
- LinkedIn Ads + Inbound Marketing = Powerhouse Strategy
- Crafting Killer Content that Hooks and Converts
- Engaging Video and Carousel Ads That Stop the Scroll
- Full-Funnel Lead Gen to Fuel Your Growth
Pricing:
- Inbound Marketing: 4000.00/mo (Basic) 8000.00/mo (Growth) 15000.00/mo (Enterprise)
- Account-Based Marketing: 7000.00/mo (Basic) 14000.00/mo (Growth) 28000.00/mo (Enterprise)
- Hybrid Inbound + ABM: 5000.00/mo (Basic), 10,000.00/mo (Growth), 20,000.00/mo (Enterprise)
Client feedback:
“Chris and his 310 team have been an absolute pleasure to work with. They have helped us bolster our content marketing and implementation. We would recommend them to others and continue to work closely with them.” - Evan R. Homes Alive Pets
“Chris and the team at 310 are great to work with. From always being accessible to getting great SEO results to website development and content we’re glad we found the best to work with.” - Ryan Y. AgHires
Remotion.io
Remotion.io is all about blending LinkedIn Ads with inbound marketing to create strategies that actually get results. It's not just about running ads—they know how to craft content that truly speaks to your target audience, making sure it cuts through the noise and reaches the right people.
For businesses looking for a complete solution, Remotion combines paid and organic strategies for a one-two punch that covers all bases. They’ve got the process down for maximizing ROI on LinkedIn, all while building lead gen, customer acquisition, and engagement programs that work—and scale—without the headache.
Plus, efficiency is their thing. They’re not about burning through your budget; instead, they leverage smart marketing tech and automation to deliver solid demand generation solutions that actually make sense for your business. They get to know your industry, business, and competition, so they can tailor strategies that hit the mark every time.
If you’re not already on the Remotion train, it might be time to consider how their strategic, tech-savvy, and creative approach could take your LinkedIn marketing to the next level.
Best for:
- LinkedIn Ads + Inbound Marketing = Strategy that Works
- Crafting Content That Hooks and Converts
- Targeted Lead Gen for Long-Term Growth
- Scalable Campaigns Without Breaking the Bank
Pricing:
- LinkedIn Ads Management: Starts at $3000/month
- Advanced Strategies (ABM, Retargeting, etc.): Custom Pricing
Client Feedback:“Remotion helped us refine our LinkedIn strategy and drive more qualified leads. They made it feel easy and, most importantly, effective.” – Sarah T., Product Manager
“Working with Remotion has been great. They’re efficient, creative, and understand what we’re trying to achieve. Definitely recommend!” – Michael L., Marketing Lead
While we have you here...
So what have we learned? B2B marketing agencies that specialize in LinkedIn can work some serious magic for businesses looking to snag high-quality leads and make their ad campaigns shine! These pros know how to target the perfect audience, create eye-catching ads, and fine-tune campaigns to get the best bang for your buck. From A/B testing to advanced account-based marketing (ABM), they’ve got all the tricks up their sleeves. Of course, this expertise comes with a price, and you’ll need to team up with them to keep refining the strategy. But with the right agency, you’ll be on the fast track to LinkedIn success!
