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Guide

Run your first LinkedIn ad (B2B)

LinkedIn CPMs are expensive but the audience precision is unmatched. The right setup for high-ticket B2B businesses only.

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  1. Only run LinkedIn ads if your deal size is $2000+

    Realistic cost per lead on LinkedIn: $80 to $200. If average customer worth under $2000, math doesn't work. B2B SaaS, consulting, agencies, high-ticket services: LinkedIn wins. B2C or low-ticket: use Meta.

  2. Create a Campaign Manager account

    campaign.linkedin.com > Create Account. Link to your LinkedIn Company Page. Add payment with monthly limit set low , LinkedIn's defaults are aggressive.

  3. Install the LinkedIn Insight Tag

    Account Assets > Insight Tag > Install. Add code to <head> via GTM. Wait 24 hours to warm up. Without this tag, ads run blind and retargeting is impossible.

  4. Pick the right objective

    Website visits: cheap, top-funnel. Lead gen forms: LinkedIn Native forms (like Meta Lead Ads), higher intent. Website conversions: only if Insight Tag has 30+ conversions/week to learn. First campaign: use Lead Gen Forms.

  5. Target with surgical precision

    Job Title + Company Size + Industry. Skip 'Interests' (broad, expensive). Ideal B2B: 'Head of Marketing OR CMO' at 'Software OR SaaS' with '51 to 200 employees'. Audience 30k to 300k. Under 30k: too narrow. Over 500k: too broad.

  6. Bidding: Max Delivery on tiny budgets

    First campaign under $500 budget: use Max Delivery (auto-bidding). Manual bidding needs 500+ conversions of data. LinkedIn's default 'Manual CPC' underspends on small budgets, avoid.

  7. Creative: 1 image ad + 1 single-image carousel

    Single image ad, 1200x627px, real photo (not stock), 1 to 2 lines copy, clear CTA. Add ONE variant carousel (3 slides: problem, solution, proof). Track which wins after $200 spent, kill the loser.

  8. Budget: $30 to $50/day minimum

    Below $30/day LinkedIn barely delivers. $30 to $50/day is practical floor. Run 14 days minimum before drawing conclusions.

  9. Retarget website visitors with content, not sales

    Once Insight Tag has data: create retargeting audience of site visitors. Show them a case study, testimonial video, or ROI calculator, NOT 'Book a demo'. B2B decisions take weeks, warm them up with proof first.

That’s the whole thing.

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