Category: Optimization

By AJ Wilcox

In this episode of Called to Action with Aimtal's CEO Janet Mesh, I reveal the LinkedIn Ads strategies that actually drive results for B2B companies. While many advertisers struggle to make LinkedIn work, the approaches I share here have been proven across hundreds of campaigns and over $200 million in managed ad spend at B2Linked.

A Proven Approach for Driving Success

The foundation of LinkedIn Ads success isn't a single tactic — it's a systematic approach. I break down the methodology that consistently works: starting with precise audience definition, building a multi-stage funnel, creating content that resonates with professional audiences, and optimizing based on the right metrics. Most companies fail on LinkedIn because they skip these fundamentals and jump straight to trying to generate leads from cold audiences.

The Rising Impact of the Buying Committee

Modern B2B purchasing decisions involve an average of 6 to 10 stakeholders. LinkedIn is uniquely positioned to influence multiple members of a buying committee simultaneously because you can target by job function and seniority within specific companies. The most sophisticated LinkedIn advertisers build campaigns that reach different roles with tailored messaging — technical content for engineers, ROI-focused content for finance leaders, and strategic content for executives.

Creative That Stops the Scroll

On LinkedIn, you're competing with a feed full of professional content. Your ads need to earn attention rather than demand it. The creative approaches that perform best include strong hooks in the first line of ad copy, visuals that stand out from typical corporate imagery, and offers that provide genuine value. I share specific examples of ad creative that consistently outperforms generic branded content by 3X or more in click-through rate.

Metrics That Actually Matter

Too many advertisers optimize for vanity metrics on LinkedIn. Impressions and clicks feel good but don't pay the bills. The metrics that actually matter are cost per marketing qualified lead, pipeline generated, and revenue influenced. I recommend connecting your LinkedIn Ads data to your CRM so you can track the full buyer journey and optimize for business outcomes rather than platform metrics.

Get Expert Help From B2Linked

Want LinkedIn Ads that actually work for your business? B2Linked specializes exclusively in LinkedIn advertising and brings deep expertise to every campaign. Visit b2linked.com to learn how we help B2B companies generate pipeline through LinkedIn.

Related Articles

• LinkedIn Masterclass: The 3-Stage Funnel That 5Xed Conversions
• How to Stop Wasting Money on LinkedIn Advertising
• Top LinkedIn Ads Hacks Supplied by the Community

Watch the Full Episode

Watch the complete conversation above for all the details including specific campaign examples and a rapid-fire Q&A. Thanks to Janet Mesh, Tucker, and the Aimtal team for hosting this on Called to Action.

By AJ Wilcox

In this PPC Town Hall episode, I walk through the three-stage LinkedIn Ads funnel that has consistently 5Xed conversions for our clients at B2Linked. Frederick Vallaeys and I discuss why traditional direct-response approaches fail on LinkedIn and what to do instead.

Why Direct-Response Fails on LinkedIn

Most B2B advertisers approach LinkedIn the same way they approach Google Ads — target the right people and ask them to convert immediately. The problem is that LinkedIn users are in discovery mode, not buying mode. They're consuming content, networking, and staying informed. Asking a cold audience to fill out a demo request form on first contact is like proposing on a first date. The intent mismatch explains why so many companies waste money on LinkedIn.

Stage 1: Awareness With Value-Driven Content

The first stage of the funnel focuses on building awareness and establishing credibility. Serve educational, value-rich content to your target audience — think industry insights, original research, thought-provoking perspectives, and practical how-to content. The goal isn't to generate leads; it's to make your brand familiar and trusted. Use Sponsored Content ads to put this content in front of your ideal buyers. Track engagement metrics at this stage rather than conversion metrics.

Stage 2: Engagement Through Retargeting

Once people have engaged with your awareness content, they move into stage two. Retarget these warm audiences with deeper content — case studies, detailed webinars, comprehensive guides, and video testimonials. These people already know who you are, so you can go deeper. The key is using LinkedIn's retargeting capabilities: video view audiences, engagement audiences, and website visitor audiences. This stage builds the consideration that precedes a purchase decision.

Stage 3: Conversion for Warm Audiences Only

The conversion ask — demo requests, consultations, free trials — should only go to people who've progressed through stages one and two. These are people who've consumed your content, visited your website, and demonstrated genuine interest. Your conversion rates at this stage will be dramatically higher than cold outreach because you've earned the right to ask. This patient approach consistently delivers 5X or better improvement in conversion rates compared to single-stage campaigns.

Google vs LinkedIn: Intent vs Identity

Frederick and I also discuss the fundamental difference between Google and LinkedIn advertising. Google captures intent — people actively searching for solutions. LinkedIn captures identity — you know exactly who you're reaching by their professional profile. These are complementary, not competing, channels. The smartest B2B marketers use Google to capture existing demand and LinkedIn to create new demand among their ideal buyers.

Get Expert Help From B2Linked

Want to implement this three-stage funnel for your business? B2Linked has perfected this approach across hundreds of campaigns and over $200 million in LinkedIn ad spend. Visit b2linked.com to learn how we can help you build a LinkedIn Ads strategy that consistently converts.

Related Articles

• AJ Wilcox's Playbook for LinkedIn Growth: Strategies from $200M in Ad Spend
• Free LinkedIn Ads Masterclass: The Complete Guide to B2B Advertising on LinkedIn
• Audience Penetration: How Much of Your Audience Are Your LinkedIn Ads Actually Reaching?

Watch the Full Episode

Watch the complete PPC Town Hall episode above for the full funnel breakdown, including live examples and a Q&A session. Thanks to Frederick Vallaeys and the PPC Town Hall team for hosting this deep dive.

By AJ Wilcox

In this detailed conversation with Eli Adams on Fire Us Marketing, I dive deep into the most common mistakes B2B advertisers make on LinkedIn — and how to fix them. If you've ever felt like LinkedIn Ads were burning through your budget without delivering results, this episode breaks down exactly where things go wrong and what to do instead.

The Biggest LinkedIn Ads Money Wasters

Most companies waste money on LinkedIn Ads not because the platform doesn't work, but because they approach it with the wrong strategy. The biggest culprit is targeting too broadly. LinkedIn's targeting is incredibly powerful, but many advertisers use only basic criteria like industry and company size. The real power comes from layering targeting dimensions — combining job function, seniority level, and specific skills to create laser-focused audiences of your ideal buyers.

Why Your LinkedIn Ad Creative Is Probably Wrong

Another major area of waste is creative. LinkedIn is a professional platform, and the content that works here is fundamentally different from what works on Facebook or Instagram. Overly salesy, promotional ads get ignored. What works is content that provides genuine value — insights, data, frameworks, and perspectives that your target audience actually wants to consume. Think of your ads as content marketing that happens to be promoted, not traditional advertising.

The Landing Page Problem

Even when your targeting and creative are dialed in, a poor landing page experience will destroy your results. I see companies spending thousands on clicks that lead to generic homepages or cluttered landing pages that don't match the ad's message. Every LinkedIn ad should lead to a dedicated landing page that continues the specific conversation started in the ad. The message match between ad and landing page is one of the highest-leverage optimizations you can make.

Bidding Strategies That Save Money

LinkedIn's bidding system is another area where advertisers lose money unnecessarily. The default bidding strategy, Maximum Delivery, essentially tells LinkedIn to spend your budget as fast as possible. I almost always recommend switching to manual CPC bidding, which gives you control over what you pay per click. Start by bidding at the lower end of LinkedIn's suggested range and adjust based on whether you're getting sufficient delivery. This simple change can reduce your cost per click significantly.

Campaign Structure Best Practices

How you structure your campaigns matters more than most people realize. I recommend separating campaigns by audience segment so you can see exactly which audiences are performing and which aren't. Many advertisers lump everything into one campaign, making it impossible to identify what's working. Clean campaign structure gives you the visibility you need to make smart optimization decisions and stop wasting budget on underperforming segments.

Get Expert Help From B2Linked

If you're tired of wasting money on LinkedIn Ads and want expert help optimizing your campaigns, B2Linked specializes exclusively in LinkedIn advertising. We've managed over $200 million in LinkedIn ad spend and know exactly how to eliminate waste and maximize results. Visit b2linked.com to learn how we can help transform your LinkedIn advertising performance.

Related Articles

• Ideal LinkedIn Ads Budget: How to Set Yourself Up for Success
• Top LinkedIn Ads Hacks Supplied by the Community
• LinkedIn Ads on $10 a Day: How to Apply Dennis Yu's Dollar a Day Strategy

Watch the Full Interview

Watch the complete conversation above for all twenty topics we covered, including detailed campaign walkthroughs, real examples of what works and what doesn't, and actionable tips you can implement today. Thanks to Eli Adams and Fire Us Marketing for hosting this in-depth discussion.

By AJ Wilcox

Crowdsourcing LinkedIn Ads Wisdom

AJ Wilcox asked the LinkedIn Ads community to share their favorite hacks and strategies. The LinkedIn post generated over 20,000 views and 149 comments (b2linked.com). In Episode 48 he compiled the most valuable tips from advanced advertisers and cut out the bad advice.

Fresh LinkedIn Ads Features

During the episode AJ also shared some news: LinkedIn now allows advertisers to rename and pause the default campaign group in Campaign Manager—a small but welcome improvement (b2linked.com). He also highlighted a mobile feature where an ad’s headline changes from cream to light green as you scroll, helping ads stand out (b2linked.com). These tweaks show LinkedIn is testing new UX enhancements to improve engagement.

Community Hacks You Should Try

• Skills + Groups targeting – Blake Prichard suggested building audiences by specific skills. Targeting by skills (and complementary groups) lets you reach people with expertise in a specific software or topic (b2linked.com).
• Do your homework – Kristine Sergejeva emphasised conducting a detailed initial assessment for every company before running ads. She recommends understanding whether LinkedIn Ads are a good fit, identifying the right offers, and mapping campaigns to segments (b2linked.com).
• Optimize creative and messaging – Several community members stressed the importance of winning the view before the click. Georgiana Dumitru noted that effective ad copy and images are crucial for standing out in the feed (b2linked.com).
• Seek expert help – Reviews from listeners like Steve SeeBerg highlight how B2Linked’s team delivered conversion rates four to five times LinkedIn’s benchmarks (b2linked.com). If performance matters to you, consider partnering with specialists.

Get Expert Help From B2Linked

If you want to test these hacks or share your own, reach out to the B2Linked team of LinkedIn ads specialists. B2Linked has managed over $140 million in LinkedIn ad spend and offers custom strategies for every client. Contact them through the B2Linked website to see how they can help you apply community‑proven tactics and drive results.

Related Articles

– LinkedIn Ads New Features for 2024–2025: What to Expect – our summary of upcoming features and predictions for LinkedIn Ads.
– LinkedIn Ads Audience Penetration: Hacks to Optimize Your Reach – learn how to use LinkedIn’s new metric to size and optimise audiences.
– LinkedIn’s Highest‑Performing Lead Magnets – discover why comment‑to‑get magnets are so effective and how to create your own.
– Blog Posting Guidelines for Repurposing Long‑Form Videos – a step‑by‑step process for turning long-form videos into authoritative articles.

Watch the Full Episode & Join the Conversation

Watch the full episode below and let us know which hacks you plan to try. Share your favourites in the comments or email podcast@b2linked.com with your own tip!