AJ Wilcox

Tag: LinkedIn Ads tips

LinkedIn Document Ads: The Underrated Format Driving High Engagement

Posted on by Dennis Yu

By AJ Wilcox

LinkedIn Document Ads are one of the most underutilized ad formats on the platform, yet they consistently deliver some of the highest engagement rates. In this episode of The LinkedIn Ads Show, I break down exactly how Document Ads work, why they're so effective, and how to use them in your campaigns.

What Are LinkedIn Document Ads?

Document Ads allow you to share PDFs, PowerPoints, and Word documents directly in the LinkedIn feed as a swipeable carousel experience. Users can preview your document without leaving LinkedIn, swiping through pages like a carousel. This native experience drives significantly higher engagement than traditional single-image ads because it provides immediate value right in the feed.

Why Document Ads Outperform Other Formats

Document Ads consistently outperform other ad formats for several reasons. First, they're inherently more engaging — the swipeable format encourages interaction. Second, they deliver value upfront rather than asking users to click away to a landing page. Third, LinkedIn's algorithm rewards high-engagement content with more impressions. The result is lower costs per engagement and higher click-through rates compared to standard Sponsored Content.

Best Practices for Document Ad Creative

The most effective Document Ads follow a specific structure. Lead with a compelling cover slide that clearly communicates what value the viewer will get. Keep each page focused on a single idea with large, readable text. Use visual elements like charts, graphs, and icons to break up text. End with a strong call-to-action page that tells the viewer what to do next. The optimal length is 5 to 10 pages — long enough to deliver value but short enough to maintain attention.

Gating vs Ungating Your Documents

LinkedIn gives you the option to gate your Document Ads behind a lead form or leave them ungated. Gated documents capture lead information but reduce engagement. Ungated documents maximize reach and engagement but don't capture leads directly. My recommendation depends on your funnel stage: use ungated documents for awareness campaigns and gated documents for conversion campaigns targeting warm audiences who have already engaged with your content.

Get Expert Help From B2Linked

Want to incorporate Document Ads into your LinkedIn strategy? B2Linked has deep expertise with every LinkedIn ad format and can help you create campaigns that drive engagement and leads. Visit b2linked.com to learn more about our LinkedIn advertising services.

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Watch the Full Episode

Watch the complete episode above for detailed examples of high-performing Document Ads, recommended page layouts, and tips for maximizing engagement. For the full show notes, visit the B2Linked blog.

LinkedIn Ads That Actually Work: Top Secrets for B2B Success

Posted on by Dennis Yu

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.

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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.

LinkedIn Conversation Ads: How to Use Interactive Messaging for B2B Lead Generation

Posted on by Dennis Yu

By AJ Wilcox

LinkedIn Conversation Ads are one of the most misunderstood ad formats on the platform. In this episode of The LinkedIn Ads Show, I break down exactly how Conversation Ads work, when they're effective, and the critical mistakes that cause most advertisers to fail with them.

What Are LinkedIn Conversation Ads?

Conversation Ads are LinkedIn's interactive messaging format that delivers directly to a user's LinkedIn inbox. Unlike traditional Message Ads (formerly InMail), Conversation Ads offer multiple call-to-action buttons that branch the conversation based on what the recipient clicks. Think of them as choose-your-own-adventure messages. A recipient might choose between learning more about your product, downloading a resource, or visiting your pricing page — all within the messaging experience.

When Conversation Ads Work Best

Conversation Ads perform best when you're targeting a highly specific audience with a genuinely valuable offer. Invitations to exclusive events, personalized product demos, and high-value content offers tend to generate the best results. The key is that the message must feel personal and relevant to the recipient. Generic promotional messages get ignored or create negative brand impressions. The more specific and valuable your offer, the better your response rates will be.

The Biggest Conversation Ad Mistakes

The most common mistake with Conversation Ads is treating them like email blasts. Sending the same generic message to a broad audience is a recipe for poor results and annoyed prospects. Another mistake is making the branching too complex — keep your conversation trees simple with two or three options per step. Finally, many advertisers forget that Conversation Ads are delivered from a personal LinkedIn profile, so the message tone needs to match a genuine person-to-person conversation, not a marketing email.

Conversation Ads vs Message Ads

Understanding the difference between Conversation Ads and Message Ads is important for choosing the right format. Message Ads are simpler — a single message with one CTA button. Conversation Ads offer the branching, interactive experience. In my experience, Conversation Ads typically generate higher engagement because they give recipients choices, which creates a sense of control. However, Message Ads can be more effective for simple, direct offers where branching would add unnecessary complexity.

Get Expert Help From B2Linked

Want to implement Conversation Ads effectively as part of your LinkedIn strategy? B2Linked has extensive experience with every LinkedIn ad format, including Conversation Ads. Visit b2linked.com to learn how we can help you build campaigns that engage decision-makers directly in their inbox.

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Watch the Full Episode

Watch the complete episode above for detailed examples of effective Conversation Ad flows, recommended branching structures, and tips for writing compelling messaging. For the full show notes, visit the B2Linked blog.

Free LinkedIn Ads Masterclass: The Complete Guide to B2B Advertising on LinkedIn

Posted on by Dennis Yu

By AJ Wilcox

In this comprehensive masterclass hosted by Real Business Connections, I walk through everything you need to know to launch, optimize, and scale LinkedIn Ads campaigns that drive real B2B results. This is the same framework I use at B2Linked to manage campaigns for companies ranging from startups to enterprise organizations.

What Sets LinkedIn Ads Apart From Other Platforms

LinkedIn is the only advertising platform where you can target professionals based on their actual business identity — job title, company, industry, seniority level, skills, and more. This means you're not guessing whether your ad is reaching decision-makers; you know it is. Other platforms can approximate this through interest-based or behavioral targeting, but LinkedIn has the definitive professional data because people update their own profiles with accurate career information.

Campaign Structure Fundamentals

The foundation of any successful LinkedIn Ads strategy is proper campaign structure. I recommend organizing campaigns by audience segment so you can clearly see which groups are performing. Each campaign should have a single, well-defined audience with a consistent message. This gives you the granular control needed to optimize effectively, rather than lumping everything together and hoping for the best.

Choosing the Right Ad Format

LinkedIn offers several ad formats, and choosing the right one depends on your goals. Sponsored Content (single image and video ads in the feed) is the workhorse format for most campaigns. Thought Leader Ads, which amplify organic posts from personal profiles, are the newest and most engaging format. Message Ads can work for highly targeted offers but should be used sparingly to avoid being perceived as spam. Document Ads are excellent for sharing valuable content like reports or guides directly in the feed.

Targeting Best Practices

Effective targeting on LinkedIn requires balancing specificity with audience size. Too broad and you waste money reaching irrelevant people; too narrow and your campaigns won't deliver enough volume. I typically recommend audiences between 20,000 and 80,000 for single image ads and slightly larger for video campaigns. Layer targeting dimensions like job function plus seniority plus company size to build focused audiences that are still large enough to optimize.

Bidding and Budget Optimization

One of the most impactful optimizations on LinkedIn is switching from the default Maximum Delivery bidding to manual CPC bidding. This single change can reduce your costs significantly. Start by bidding near the lower end of LinkedIn's suggested range and increase only if you're not getting enough delivery. For budget, I recommend a minimum of $3,000 to $5,000 per month to generate enough data for meaningful optimization.

Get Expert Help From B2Linked

Ready to put these strategies into practice? B2Linked is the only agency focused exclusively on LinkedIn advertising. We bring over $200 million in managed spend experience to every campaign we touch. Visit b2linked.com to learn how we can help you achieve better results from your LinkedIn Ads investment.

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Watch the Full Masterclass

Watch the complete masterclass above for the full walkthrough including live campaign examples, audience building demonstrations, and advanced optimization techniques. Thanks to Real Business Connections for hosting this session.

LinkedIn Advertising: Waste of Time or B2B Gold Mine?

Posted on by Dennis Yu

By AJ Wilcox

Is LinkedIn advertising a waste of money — or the most valuable channel in B2B marketing? In this webinar with Sales and Marketing Innovators (SAMI), I tackle this controversial question head-on. The answer, as you might expect, is nuanced — but the evidence strongly favors LinkedIn when approached correctly.

The Case Against LinkedIn Ads

Let me start by acknowledging the legitimate criticisms. LinkedIn Ads are expensive. The average cost per click ranges from $8 to $14, making it one of the priciest platforms in digital advertising. The user interface has historically been clunky compared to Meta or Google. And many companies have tried LinkedIn Ads, spent thousands, and seen little to show for it. These experiences are real, and they create a widespread perception that LinkedIn advertising doesn't work.

Why Most Companies Fail on LinkedIn

The reason most companies fail isn't that the platform is broken — it's that they approach LinkedIn with strategies designed for other platforms. Running direct-response campaigns to cold audiences with generic creative is a recipe for wasting money. LinkedIn's audience is in a professional mindset, not a buying mindset. They're consuming content, learning, and networking. Successful LinkedIn advertising respects this context by leading with value rather than hard pitches.

The B2B Gold Mine Argument

Here's why LinkedIn is genuinely a gold mine for B2B companies that approach it correctly. No other advertising platform lets you target by job title, company, industry, seniority, and skills with the same precision. When your target buyer is a VP of Marketing at a mid-market SaaS company, LinkedIn is the only platform where you can reach that person with near certainty. Google Ads can't do this. Facebook can approximate it but with far less accuracy. This targeting precision means that while each click costs more, the quality of that traffic is dramatically higher.

The Framework That Turns LinkedIn Into a Gold Mine

The companies that succeed on LinkedIn follow a consistent pattern. They use a multi-stage approach where the first campaign warms up the audience with valuable, educational content. The second stage retargets engaged users with deeper content like case studies and webinars. And the third stage makes the conversion ask only to people who have demonstrated interest. This patient, value-first approach consistently outperforms aggressive direct-response campaigns by a significant margin.

When LinkedIn Is NOT the Right Channel

Honesty is important here: LinkedIn Ads are not right for every business. If your product has a low average deal size, the high cost per click may not make economic sense. If your buyers aren't active on LinkedIn, you're reaching the wrong audience regardless of how good your targeting is. And if you don't have the budget to commit at least $3,000 to $5,000 per month for testing, you may not gather enough data to optimize effectively. Knowing when LinkedIn is and isn't the right fit is just as important as knowing how to use it well.

Get Expert Help From B2Linked

If you're wondering whether LinkedIn Ads are right for your B2B company, B2Linked can help you make that determination. As the only agency focused exclusively on LinkedIn advertising, we bring deep platform expertise to every engagement. Visit b2linked.com to start a conversation about whether LinkedIn is the right channel for your business.

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Watch the Full Webinar

Watch the complete webinar above for the full analysis, including real campaign data and specific examples of companies that have turned LinkedIn into their highest-performing B2B channel. Thanks to Sales and Marketing Innovators (SAMI) for hosting this presentation.

How to Stop Wasting Money on LinkedIn Advertising: Common Mistakes and Fixes

Posted on by Dennis Yu

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.

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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.

AJ Wilcox’s Playbook for LinkedIn Growth: Strategies from $200M in Ad Spend

Posted on by Dennis Yu

By AJ Wilcox

In this in-depth interview with Paul Hurley on the All Dots Connected podcast, I share the strategies and lessons learned from managing over $200 million in LinkedIn ad spend. Whether you're just starting with LinkedIn Ads or looking to refine an existing strategy, this conversation covers the full spectrum — from why LinkedIn is uniquely challenging to the exact funnel structure that drives results.

Why LinkedIn Is Hard but Valuable

LinkedIn is a fundamentally different advertising platform from Facebook or Google. The targeting is unmatched — you can reach people by job title, company size, industry, seniority level, and even specific skills. But that precision comes at a price. Average cost per click on LinkedIn runs between $8 and $14, compared to just $1 to $3 on most other platforms. The key insight is that expensive clicks don't necessarily mean expensive results. When you're reaching the exact decision-makers who can sign a six-figure deal, even a $15 click can deliver extraordinary ROI.

The Three-Stage Funnel That 5Xed Conversions

One of the most important strategies I share in this conversation is the three-stage funnel approach. Rather than running a single campaign asking cold audiences to convert immediately, you build a progressive journey. Stage one is awareness — serving educational, value-driven content to a broad but targeted audience. Stage two is engagement — retargeting people who interacted with your awareness content with deeper material like case studies or webinars. Stage three is conversion — presenting your offer only to people who have already demonstrated genuine interest. This approach consistently outperforms single-step campaigns because it respects the B2B buying cycle, which is rarely a one-touch process.

Thought Leadership Content That Drives Engagement

The content that performs best on LinkedIn is authentic thought leadership. Personal posts from executives consistently generate 10 to 15 times more engagement than company page posts. This is a massive insight for advertisers. Rather than running polished corporate ads, consider using Thought Leader Ads that amplify genuine posts from your leadership team. The algorithm rewards content that feels real, and audiences respond to individuals sharing genuine expertise rather than brand messaging.

Account-Based Targeting and List Building

LinkedIn's account-based targeting capabilities are unmatched in digital advertising. You can upload a list of target companies and serve ads only to employees at those specific organizations. This is incredibly powerful for enterprise B2B sales where you know exactly which accounts you want to penetrate. Combined with job title and seniority filters, you can build hyper-focused audiences of just a few hundred people — all of whom are your ideal buyers. The key is balancing audience size with budget so your campaigns have enough volume to optimize effectively.

Attribution and Tracking Across Touchpoints

B2B attribution is notoriously difficult because buying cycles are long and involve multiple stakeholders. I recommend implementing LinkedIn's Insight Tag on your website and connecting your CRM data back to your campaigns. This gives you visibility into which campaigns and content are influencing pipeline, not just generating clicks. The advertisers who succeed long-term on LinkedIn are the ones who measure downstream revenue, not just front-end metrics like cost per click or cost per lead.

Budget Recommendations for Getting Started

For companies just getting started with LinkedIn Ads, I recommend a minimum budget of $3,000 to $5,000 per month. This gives you enough spend to test different audiences, creative formats, and messaging approaches while generating statistically meaningful data. Below this threshold, your campaigns may not get enough volume to learn and optimize. If your budget is smaller, focus on a single, well-defined audience rather than spreading thin across multiple campaigns.

Why Authentic Content Beats AI-Generated Content

In an era where everyone has access to AI writing tools, the bar for authentic, human-created content has actually gone up. Audiences can sense when content is generic or templated, and the LinkedIn algorithm increasingly rewards genuine engagement over manufactured reach. My advice is to use AI as a research and brainstorming tool, but always inject your genuine experience, unique data, and personal perspective into the final product. The content that converts best is content that only you could have written because it's based on your actual experience.

Get Expert Help From B2Linked

If you want to implement these strategies but need expert guidance, B2Linked is the LinkedIn Ads agency built specifically for B2B companies. With over $200 million in managed LinkedIn ad spend, we bring deep platform expertise to every engagement. Visit b2linked.com to learn how we can help accelerate your LinkedIn advertising results.

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Watch the Full Interview

Watch the complete conversation above for all the details, including a case study of how we helped a client dramatically reduce their cost per lead and the full 2025 LinkedIn advertising playbook. Special thanks to Paul Hurley and the All Dots Connected podcast for hosting this conversation.

Top LinkedIn Ads Hacks Supplied by the Community

Posted on by Dennis Yu

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!