Complete Guide to B2B LinkedIn Ads

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B2B LinkedIn ads can be highly effective when done the right way. LinkedIn's precise segmentation tools make it one of the strongest platforms for B2B companies – letting you control exactly who sees your ads and who does not. In this guide, we cover what B2B LinkedIn ads are, how to avoid wasting your budget, how to create synergy between LinkedIn ads and sales, and what to consider before you begin.

What Are B2B LinkedIn Ads?

B2B LinkedIn ads are paid advertising on the LinkedIn platform. LinkedIn is particularly well suited to B2B companies because its segmentation tools allow highly specific targeting – by job title, company, industry, seniority, and more.

When you choose to advertise on LinkedIn as a B2B company, keep in mind that it is a long-term investment. Leads do not come flowing in the same way as in B2C. Decision-making processes are long on LinkedIn too, so do not lose momentum in your strategy if results are not immediate after the first week.

Start Your B2B LinkedIn Ads with These Recommendations

At Radiant, we help companies grow through B2B sales and have extensive experience creating alignment between LinkedIn ads and sales efforts. Having reviewed a significant number of LinkedIn ads setups at B2B companies, we consistently see the same mistakes being made. Here are the recommendations we suggest you follow when getting started with LinkedIn advertising.

Get Your Retargeting Ads in Order

It may seem straightforward, but many companies never properly set this up. Retargeting ads reach people who have already visited your website. The advantage of retargeting on LinkedIn is that you can still filter by job title, company, and more – ensuring you reach precisely the people you want to speak to.

Build Credibility and Show What You Solve

Some companies believe LinkedIn advertising is about quick conversions. Quick spoiler: that is not how you get the most out of this channel. It is far more about how you create demand – particularly in your top-of-funnel ads. Communicate how your solution solves specific problems, and ideally for whom, so the message becomes as relevant as possible.

In the top layer – top of funnel – it is essential to demonstrate that you are an expert in your field. Further down the funnel, you can begin showing references and cases to build credibility.

Focus on Frequency and Precise Segmentation

B2B is a competitive space by default, and the same applies to LinkedIn advertising – most companies are trying to reach the same types of people. Always apply the following when advertising on LinkedIn:

• Segment your audience and upload them to LinkedIn so you only reach the right people
• Ensure a high frequency so you work towards being top of mind – there are many competitors fighting for the same attention, so make sure you are remembered

Expand Your LinkedIn B2B Ads and Get More for Your Budget

Once you are up and running with your LinkedIn ads, the next step is to truly get the most out of them. What works will depend on the type of company you are in, but the following recommendations should help you take your LinkedIn advertising further.

Create Ads That Support Sales

If your advertising is going to pay for itself, it needs to deliver deals into your sales pipeline – and your internal sales team is a key part of making that happen. Consider building a content strategy focused on valuable material, where some content is free and some is gated. When leads download gated content, your sales team can follow up with that person. Free content also creates entry points – for example, a section where visitors can book a meeting with sales.

Build Your Brand

Ads should also focus on building a strong brand. A strong brand has multiple downstream effects: it becomes easier for sales to open doors with potential customers, attracting talent becomes simpler, and branded searches on Google tend to be highly valuable – because they indicate that people already know you and want to work with you. A rough way to track this is to monitor how many visitors come to your website directly or through branded searches.

How to Create Synergy Between LinkedIn Ads and Sales

LinkedIn advertising is most often about delivering SQLs – sales-qualified leads – to your sales team. For this handoff to work smoothly, you need a system that can manage the lead transfer process. Most companies use a CRM system for this.

With a CRM system, you can create real synergy between your LinkedIn ads and your sales efforts:

• See which ads a contact has clicked on
• See which pages on your website they have visited
• Assign leads based on industry, job title, and engagement – for example through lead scoring

What to Consider Before Running LinkedIn Ads as a B2B Company

Before you start advertising on LinkedIn, there are a few things worth considering – or at least familiarising yourself with – because they will almost certainly come up:

• It is a significant investment that requires both time and money
• It requires input from more than just the marketing lead, because content is essential
• If sales and customer service do not have capacity to follow up, the effort will not generate results
• You will most likely not see results in the first month
• You need to be willing to put people in front of the camera – human-led content consistently performs better (based on our observation)

We hope the above does not put you off LinkedIn advertising – rather, that it makes you better informed and more confident going in. LinkedIn advertising is a channel that can genuinely accelerate your lead generation when approached with the right strategy and realistic expectations.

Key Takeaways

LinkedIn ads are a long-term B2B investment best suited to demand generation, not quick conversions. Start with retargeting, build credibility through top-of-funnel content, segment your audience precisely, and use a CRM to connect ad activity directly to your sales pipeline. Expect a ramp-up period, involve your sales team from day one, and prioritise frequency to stay top of mind in a competitive space.