Want to drive qualified pipeline and revenue from your LinkedIn Ads campaigns? 

I’ve worked with 50+ startups, and managed 7-figure LinkedIn ads budgets for B2B SaaS.

My goal with this article is to show you ten proven tips for improving your LinkedIn ads ROI. 

Irrelevant of the order, all of these tips have equal importance.

Let’s jump into it! 🚀

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• Tip #1: Use auto bidding for the first 7 days of a new campaign
• Tip #2: Never use the Audience Network
• Tip #3: Penetrate your audience with the reach objective
• Tip #4: Leverage exclusions for focus
• Tip #5: Job functions give you best visibility and reach
• Tip #6: Always start with even rotation upon launch
• Tip #7: Check your demographics report weekly
• Tip #8: Target mobile devices exclusively with 628 x 1200
• Tip #9: Review your performance by device
• Tip #10: Use LinkedIn’s bulk import and export feature

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Tip #1: Use auto bidding for the first 7 days of a new campaign

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When launching a new LinkedIn Ads campaign start with automated bidding for the first week. 

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The thought process behind this is it will give LinkedIn’s algorithm enough time to learn and give you an average bid of what it takes to win auctions for your target audience. 

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After the first week switch to manual bidding and set the bid amount 20% lower than your average. 

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This works almost 99% of the time allowing you significant cost per click reductions. 

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Once you make the switch keep an eye on your daily spend over the next five days, if you set your bids too low it can negatively impact your visibility. 

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The key is to find the optimal bid between cost and maximum visibility (ex: impressions, views). 

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Give it a shot and send me a DM on LinkedIn with how much money you save! 🤑

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This tip applies to traffic and conversion campaigns. 

Tip #2: Never use the Audience Network

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This one might be a bit controversial, but no matter what you LinkedIn reps say this is a no no.

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If you’re not familiar, the LinkedIn audience network is a conglomerate of website partners. 

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 This allows you to distribute your content outside of LinkedIn and on their websites. 

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Sounds amazing in theory but in practice the problem with the audience network is:

🔴 90-95% of your ENTIRE LinkedIn Ads budget is spent on websites outside of LinkedIn 

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Which completely destroys the point of running LinkedIn ads in the first place 😂

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The LinkedIn algorithm always prioritizes the audience network because it’s cheaper and it’s trying to optimise for the greatest number of impressions for the lowest cost with your budget. 

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I’ve personally tested the audience network over multiple quarters with the same exact campaign and the only difference is one is using the audience network and other isn’t. 

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The campaign using the audience network had a CTR of 0.03% compared to 1% without. 

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You also have no ideas which websites placed your ads as it’s a black box. 

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Save your budget and improve your ROI by turning it off.  

Tip #3: Penetrate your audience with the reach objective

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If you’re trying to reach a large audience (ex: target account list) and want to do so in the most cost effective way, leverage the reach campaign objective. 

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Obviously if you’re trying driving the most clicks then this tip wouldn’t be applicable. 

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Instead in that case you should focus on using the website visits objective. 

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The caveat here is if you truly know:

• Your ideal customer profile
• That your content resonates with them 

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Then you can make the case that these people will click through anyways regardless of objective.

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Through testing I’ve found that if you have great content using reach you’ll actually serve towards more people and generate more net new clicks given the reduction in CPM costs. 

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The major benefit of reach is that it is optimised for driving more unique impressions per viewer. 

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Pro tip:

Contact your LinkedIn Ads rep to send you a report on audience penetration on a monthly and quarterly basis to see how many unique users you’re reaching in your target audience. 

Tip #4: Leverage exclusions for focus

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Most LinkedIn advertisers underestimate the power of exclusions.

It’s one of those things most  leveraged  but not to its fullest capability. 

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Everyone knows you need to exclude the obvious things like competitors, students, customers, etc…

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But they haven’t built the habit of checking LinkedIn Demographics Report once per week to find irrelevant titles for exclusion. 

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It’s really important to be mindful of multiple current roles when excluding as you can accidentally block your ads from being visible from high value audience members. 

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For example, let’s say you only help businesses with more than 1,000 employees. 

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Conventional logic would be exclude people who work at companies with < 1,000 employees but what happens when your perfect prospect:

• Volunteers at a nonprofit organization with < 100 employees 
• Started a side hustle that only has with a size of “myself only” 

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The answer is, they won’t see your ads. 

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Remember that exclusions are always prioritised over inclusions.

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When excluding focus on using job titles to refine your audience and prevent accidental conflicts. 

Tip #5: Job functions give you best visibility and reach

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This point is a bit controversial but from my own testing I’ve found job functions give you better visibility and reach than job titles. 

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This doesn’t mean you should never use job title targeting, I’ve actually found for certain personas titles work better than functions but if you’re in the following scenario: 

• Targeting a high value account list 
• Promoting ads that speak to a general pain point/benefit
• Your ideal audience has a million variations of the same title

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Then you’re better off using job functions to reach as many relevant audience members. 

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Here’s some great combinations of job function targeting to test:

• Job functions AND seniority
• Job functions AND  seniority AND member skills OR interest

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Make sure you’re checking your demographics report on a weekly basis to find all the irrelevant job titles you’re reaching and exclude them on an ongoing basis. 

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This process can take up to two and half months but the goal is to eventually get to the point where you only see relevant titles inside of the demographics report. 

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Highly recommend excluding unpaid, training, and entry seniority as a starting point. 

Pro tip:

Study LinkedIn profiles of your best prospects and take note of the member skills, certifications, and schools they’ve listed to find commonalities for targeting. 

Tip #6: Always start with even rotation upon launch

When launching your new campaigns you have the option to choose how to serve your ads.

The thought process behind this is you want to understand which ad will perform the best by receiving enough budget for proper testing. 

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Unfortunately if you start with optimising for performance LinkedIn will prematurely assign 40-50% of your budget to one variation of ad while the others only receive what’s remaining. 

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In order to avoid this, start with rotating ads evenly for the first 7-14 days when launching a new campaign to serve budget equally and then switch to optimise for performance. 

Tip #7: Check your demographics report weekly

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I’ve hinted at this multiple times across all these tips but it’s so important to driving a return on investment with LinkedIn Ads that it deserves to be its own tip. 

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You need to know what’s happening across your account. 

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Review your demographics report for:

• Ad performance
• Campaign performance
• Campaign group performance 

This will ensure your budget is going towards reaching the right people and companies. 

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Pro tip:

LinkedIn has reporting minimums when using the demographics report in platform, get around this by using a third party data connector to push the data into G-Sheet or Looker. 

Tip #8: Target mobile devices exclusively with 628 x 1200

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LinkedIn has a 628x1200 image ad spec that allows you to only appear on mobile devices. 

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If you know that your audience performs well for you on mobile devices you can set up a campaign leveraging this specific image ad dimension to serve exclusively on LinkedIn mobile. 

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The same is true for targeting desktop devices with text or spotlight ads. 

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Learn more about your audiences device behaviour with Google Analytics 4: 

Tip #9: Review your performance by device

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You can review your performance in LinkedIn by clicking on Breakdown > Impression by Device Type

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The AdConversion team analysed 10,000,000+ impressions and found: 

• 85.1% of impressions serve on Mobile App
• 9.6% of impressions serve on Desktop Web
• 5.3% of impressions serve on Mobile Web

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That’s 90.4% of total impressions serving on mobile devices! 🤯

Pro tip:

Use the LinkedIn Ads preview to see what your ad will look like when displayed on mobile and optimise your copy to best fit this device over desktop. 

Tip #10: Use LinkedIn’s bulk import and export feature

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This tip is one that even my most savvy marketing friends aren’t aware of. 

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Changing bids, and creating campaigns on LinkedIn is a REAL pain. 

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You don’t need to suffer this pain and instead can use LinkedIn’s bulk import and export feature. 

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You can simply just export your ads, campaigns, or groups to make bulk changes. 

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Voila, a task that would take hours has been cut down into minutes. 

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Learn more about bulk actions  in this article by LinkedIn. 

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Hope you found these 10 tips valuable! 👏

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Implement the ones that resonate most with you to improve your ROI from LinkedIn Ads.

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Connect with me on LinkedIn, if you have any questions or want to connect!

‍

Master B2B LinkedIn Ads with these 3 Free Courses:

‍

If you want to become a LinkedIn Ads pro, check out my free B2B LinkedIn Ads courses, where you'll learn how to launch, optimize, and scale your campaigns to drive pipeline and revenue.

‍

‍

Here's what you'll learn in each course:

‍

⚙️ B2B LinkedIn Ads 101 - The Ultimate Crash Course for New LinkedIn Advertisers

• Foundations For LinkedIn Ads Success
• Measurement: Tracking & Key Principles
• Targeting: Reaching Your Dream Buyers
• Ads: Mastering The 9 Ad Formats

‍

🎯 B2B LinkedIn Ads 102 - The Blueprint for LinkedIn Ads Optimization

• Monitoring: How To Spot Performance Trends
• Auditing: How To Find The Darlings You Need To Kill
• Reporting: How To Transform Data Into Insights
• Optimization: How To Make Your LinkedIn Ads Profitable

‍

🚀 B2B LinkedIn Ads 103 - Advanced Scaling Strategies From $25M In Ad Spend

• Concepts of Scaling
• Divide and Conquer
• Learnings From $25M+ In LinkedIn Ad Spend

‍

Click Here to Join 1,000+ B2B Marketers Today and start leveling up your advertising skill set.

Takes < 90 seconds to sign up (seriously we timed it 😂)

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People Also Ask

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How can I effectively research my customers to improve LinkedIn Ads targeting?

To gain a deeper understanding of your customers, watch 3-5 sales calls recommended by your Head of Sales. Analyze how the sales team presents the product and ensure your messaging aligns. Additionally, use tools like ChatGPT to develop content matrices and empathy maps from call transcripts, summarizing top pain points of your prospects. 

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What strategies can I use to distribute and repurpose content for LinkedIn Ads?

Distribute valuable content that addresses your audience’s pain points and showcases your expertise. Repurpose high-performing content into different formats, such as turning a blog post into a video or infographic, to reach a broader audience and maintain engagement. 

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How can I leverage Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in my LinkedIn Ads?

Utilize your SMEs for thought leader ads by having them post insightful content on their personal profiles. Promote these posts through your company’s LinkedIn Ads to build credibility and trust with your target audience, positioning your brand as an industry leader. 

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What tracking setup is recommended for LinkedIn Ads?

Implement a comprehensive tracking system that combines LinkedIn’s Insight Tag with your CRM and marketing automation platforms. This setup enables accurate tracking of leads and conversions, providing valuable data to optimize your campaigns effectively. 

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Why is a long-term commitment important for LinkedIn Ads success?

Committing to at least six months allows sufficient time to test, learn, and optimize your LinkedIn Ads campaigns. This duration helps in understanding what resonates with your audience and enables continuous improvement, leading to better results over time.

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Webinars can be amazing generators of pipeline and revenue. 

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They allow you to demo different use cases of your product, highlight success stories, and start actual conversations with your ICP. 

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But it’s hard to get prospects interested when you’re competing against a million different ads popping up in their feed. 

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Below are 4 unique LinkedIn ad strategies that I like to use to stand out and generate more registrations👇

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• Strategy #1: Leverage your thought leaders 
• Strategy #2: Boost high-performing social media content
• Strategy #3: Create a LinkedIn event
• Strategy #4: Use incentives

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Strategy #1: Leverage your thought leaders 

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Ask your thought leaders who are participating in the webinar (from your company & other companies) if they’d feel comfortable posting about it. 

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If the answer is yes, draft a sample post for each of your thought leaders so that they don’t have to start with a blank page. 

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Ideally, they should post a couple weeks prior to the webinar date. After 4 or 5 days (once the organic reach has died down), you can boost the post to your ICP. 

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Example from DoWhatWorks

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Strategy #2: Boost high-performing social media content

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If your social media team posts about the webinar and it performs well organically, consider boosting this content and running it as an ad (instead of creating an ad from scratch). The benefit of boosting already high-performing content is the added social proof – prospects will take a closer look if a promoted post has tons of engagement. 

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Example from Uberflip

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Strategy #3: Create a LinkedIn event

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Most webinar ads take prospects to an external landing page, where they have to fill out a form to register. Although this can work well, a great alternative is to create a LinkedIn event (where people can sign up directly on the LinkedIn platform) and promote this event as an ad. 

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The main advantages of this approach are: 

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a) simplified registration (only takes a few clicks)

b) added social proof (event ads show how many people have already registered)

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Example from Make

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Strategy #4: Use incentives

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A lot of companies use incentives for demo request offers, but few are using incentives to promote their webinars. 

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Give prospects an extra reason to register. Maybe by joining they’ll enter a raffle, get a free coffee, or gain access to certain templates. 

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Example from ZoomInfo

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Final Recommendations

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In addition to testing out the strategies above, here are a few final tips to maximize the ROI of your webinar program:

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1. If you’re having trouble getting webinar registrations on your landing page, consider switching to native lead gen forms to minimize friction. 

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2. Don’t just promote your webinar to a cold audience. Think about other groups of people that might be interested in the content (i.e. retargeting audiences, open opportunities, churned customers, closed lost companies, previous webinar attendees, etc.)

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3. If you’re getting started, try different types of webinars to see what resonates most with your audience (and double down on whatever works)

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If you want more tips around event promotion check out this article by Kirk Deis.

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Hope you found this article insightful! 

‍

Connect with me on LinkedIn, and reach out with any questions. 

‍

Master B2B LinkedIn Ads with these 3 Free Courses:

‍

If you want to become a LinkedIn Ads pro, check out our free B2B LinkedIn Ads courses, where you'll learn how to launch, optimize, and scale your campaigns to drive pipeline and revenue.

‍

‍

Here's what you'll learn in each course:

‍

⚙️ B2B LinkedIn Ads 101 - The Ultimate Crash Course for New LinkedIn Advertisers

• Foundations For LinkedIn Ads Success
• Measurement: Tracking & Key Principles
• Targeting: Reaching Your Dream Buyers
• Ads: Mastering The 9 Ad Formats

‍

🎯 B2B LinkedIn Ads 102 - The Blueprint for LinkedIn Ads Optimization

• Monitoring: How To Spot Performance Trends
• Auditing: How To Find The Darlings You Need To Kill
• Reporting: How To Transform Data Into Insights
• Optimization: How To Make Your LinkedIn Ads Profitable

‍

🚀 B2B LinkedIn Ads 103 - Advanced Scaling Strategies From $25M In Ad Spend

• Concepts of Scaling
• Divide and Conquer
• Learnings From $25M+ In LinkedIn Ad Spend

‍

Click Here to Join 1,000+ B2B Marketers Today and start leveling up your advertising skill set.

Takes < 90 seconds to sign up (seriously we timed it 😂)

‍

People Also Ask

‍

How can leveraging thought leaders enhance my LinkedIn Ads for webinars?

Encourage thought leaders participating in your webinar to post about it on their personal profiles. Provide them with sample posts to simplify the process. After the organic reach declines, boost these posts to your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) to increase visibility and credibility. 

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What is the benefit of boosting high-performing social media content for webinar promotion?

If your social media team shares a webinar post that performs well organically, consider boosting it as an ad. This approach leverages existing engagement and social proof, making the promoted post more appealing to prospects. 

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How can creating a LinkedIn event aid in webinar registrations?

Instead of directing prospects to an external landing page, create a LinkedIn event where users can register directly on the platform. This method simplifies the registration process and displays the number of attendees, adding social proof. 

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What are the best practices for targeting the right audience for webinar promotions on LinkedIn?

Leverage LinkedIn’s advanced targeting options to focus on specific industries, job titles, company sizes, and geographic locations that align with your ideal webinar attendees. Utilizing these parameters ensures your ads reach professionals who are most likely to be interested in your content.

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How can I integrate LinkedIn ads with other marketing channels to maximize webinar attendance?

Coordinate your LinkedIn ad campaigns with email marketing, social media promotions, and content marketing efforts to create a cohesive promotional strategy. Consistent messaging across channels reinforces your webinar’s value and broadens its reach.

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Getting demos isn’t easy, especially in B2B SaaS, with long sales cycles, lots of decision makers,  and tons of competition. 

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In this article, I’ll break down the top 14 LinkedIn ads strategies you can use to break through the noise and capture existing demand. 

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(Irrelevant of order all ideas could be worth testing)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

#1: Use testimonials

#2: Name the top companies you work with

#3: Demonstrate why you’re better than competitors

#4: Highlight integrations with partner technologies

#5: Showcase your product

#6: Stand out with humor 

#7: Try hyper-personalized messaging

#8: Use statistics

#9: Leverage incentives

#10: Show how much better life would be with your product

#11: Test ads in different languages

#12: Announce a new product update 

#13: List the features that your ICP would be most interested in

#14: Host a live demo

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#1: Use testimonials  

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Testimonials are one of the most effective ways to build trust and get prospects who are on the fence to take the next step. 

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Example 1: Chili Piper

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Example 2: Sendoso 

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#2: Name the top companies you work with

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By highlighting well-known companies that already work with you, you can gain the trust of senior leaders much faster and accelerate the sales process. 

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Example 1: MarketerHire 

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Example 2: Mutiny 

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#3: Demonstrate why you’re better than competitors 

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This approach is powerful, especially when you target prospects who are currently using your competitors. Since they’re already in-market, if they’re frustrated with their current solution, they’ll likely end up switching over (or at least consider it). 

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Example 1: Apollo ​​ 

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Example 2: Apollo 

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#4: Highlight integrations with partner technologies

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This approach is particularly effective if you have a seamless integration with a well-known technology. Do you work well with HubSpot, Salesforce, Sales Nav, Wordpress, etc.? Target a list of companies within your ICP who are using the technology you integrate with, and show them why you’re the best choice. 

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Example 1: Typeform

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Example 2: Typeform

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#5: Showcase your product

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Many times, all prospects need to take the next step is to get a glimpse of your software. Also, this is an especially great approach because it sets the sales team up for success – when prospects jump on a demo call, they’ll already have some familiarity with the product. 

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Example 1: HockeyStack 

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Example 2: Loxo 

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#6: Stand out with humor 

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B2B leaders are still people. Humor that’s relatable and clearly highlights a pain point works better than corporate jargon 99% of the time. 

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Example 1: Chili Piper 

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Example 2: Cognism

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#7: Try hyper-personalized messaging 

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This approach, often referred to as 1:1 ABM, relies on extreme personalization. You specifically call out the company that you’re prospecting into, and maybe you take it a step further and create a personalized video or asset just for them. CTRs will be super high and even if prospects don’t convert on an initial touchpoint, you’ll make sales’s job significantly easier by generating awareness within a target account. 

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Example 1: UserGems

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Example 2: HockeyStack

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#8: Use statistics

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This isn’t the flashiest or most exciting strategy, but it works. Numbers give prospects a sense of security that they’ll get a positive ROI if they invest. 

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Example 1: UserGems 

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Example 2: Lavender

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#9: Leverage Incentives

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Incentives are controversial, which is understandable. 

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The concern is that by offering an incentive you lower the quality of your leads. But that’s only true if your targeting is weak. If it’s spot on, incentivized demo ads are amazing generators of pipeline and revenue – they serve as a tiny nudge to encourage leaders to find some time in their calendar. 

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Amazon or Doordash gift cards work well, but you can always get more creative with your offer. 

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Example 1: Metadata 

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Example 2: Cognism

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#10: Show how much better life would be with your product

This approach clearly emphasizes the pain point your product will solve, leading prospects to take action. 

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Example 1: Motion

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Example 2: Workvivo 

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#11: Test ads in different languages

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A lot of B2B SaaS companies are hyper-focused on North America, and their content for Latin America, EMEA, and APAC is just an afterthought. Running high quality ads in the language of the specific region you’re targeting can be a game changer as far as driving pipeline and revenue. 

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Bonus: If you take into account regional differences in consumer behavior and product usage when creating ads for different regions, your content will end up resonating even more. 

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Example 1: Pandadoc

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Example 2: Miro

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#12: Announce a new product update

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This is a great way to re-engage people who may have considered your solution in the past but weren’t fully convinced. By showing prospects how much better your product is after the updates, you can convince them to take the next step and request a demo. 

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Example 1: Zoominfo

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#13: List the features that your ICP would be most interested in

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As marketers, we’re always told to focus on pain points instead of features. But listing your top features can help prospects fully understand how powerful your product is, encouraging them to request a demo.

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Example 1: Workvivo

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#14: Host a live demo

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Promoting a live demo is a great way to get qualified prospects to see your product without having to go through the traditional (and higher commitment) demo process.

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Prospects who are interested in your product may not be ready to talk to the sales team right away – a live demo can serve as a bridge, moving them further down the funnel. 

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Example 1: Metadata

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Example 2: Motion

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Final Recommendations

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If you’re trying to drive more demos, in addition to testing out these capture strategies, I recommend doing a comprehensive audit of your audiences. Ask yourself: 

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1.  Am I targeting my warmest prospects who have already engaged with my content in some capacity? 

2. Am I reaching prospects with the right company sizes, seniorities, job functions, job titles, and industries? 

3.  Am I excluding the LinkedIn audience network and disabling audience expansion? 

4. Am I making all the necessary exclusions (interns, unemployed, competitors, customers, etc.)? 

‍

Without precise targeting, even the best strategies will fail. 

‍

Master B2B LinkedIn Ads with these 3 Free Courses:

‍

If you want to become a LinkedIn Ads pro, check out our free B2B LinkedIn Ads courses, where you'll learn how to launch, optimize, and scale your campaigns to drive pipeline and revenue.

‍

‍

Here's what you'll learn in each course:

‍

⚙️ B2B LinkedIn Ads 101 - The Ultimate Crash Course for New LinkedIn Advertisers

• Foundations For LinkedIn Ads Success
• Measurement: Tracking & Key Principles
• Targeting: Reaching Your Dream Buyers
• Ads: Mastering The 9 Ad Formats

‍

🎯 B2B LinkedIn Ads 102 - The Blueprint for LinkedIn Ads Optimization

• Monitoring: How To Spot Performance Trends
• Auditing: How To Find The Darlings You Need To Kill
• Reporting: How To Transform Data Into Insights
• Optimization: How To Make Your LinkedIn Ads Profitable

‍

🚀 B2B LinkedIn Ads 103 - Advanced Scaling Strategies From $25M In Ad Spend

• Concepts of Scaling
• Divide and Conquer
• Learnings From $25M+ In LinkedIn Ad Spend

‍

Click Here to Join 1,000+ B2B Marketers Today and start leveling up your advertising skill set.

Takes < 90 seconds to sign up (seriously we timed it 😂)

‍

People Also Ask

How can testimonials enhance the effectiveness of my LinkedIn ads?

Incorporating testimonials from satisfied clients builds trust and encourages prospects to engage with your brand, as they see real-world validation of your product or service. 

‍

Why is it beneficial to highlight well-known clients in my LinkedIn advertising?

Showcasing recognizable companies that utilize your offerings can quickly establish credibility and attract attention from potential customers, leveraging the influence of established brands. 

‍

What role does humor play in LinkedIn ad campaigns?

Utilizing humor in your ads can make your content more memorable and engaging, helping your brand stand out in a professional environment and fostering a positive association. 

‍

How can hyper-personalized messaging improve LinkedIn ad performance?

Crafting messages that directly address the specific needs and pain points of your target audience can significantly increase engagement and conversion rates by resonating more deeply with potential clients. 

‍

What is the advantage of announcing new product updates in LinkedIn ads?

Promoting new features or updates keeps your audience informed and demonstrates ongoing innovation, encouraging existing and potential customers to explore the latest offerings.

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‍

Don’t want to make a mistake investing in an ad platform that won’t work? 

Regardless of what you hear online, no one can promise you that ( including me). 

But thankfully success leaves clues and we surveyed 60  B2B marketers to find the answer. 

So regardless if you’re a new advertiser, startup founder, or agency owner reading this.

We’ve got you covered, let’s dive in 👇

‍

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• Where can you advertise online?
• How to decide on the best ad platform?
• Which ad platforms are best for B2B lead generation?
• Which ad platforms are best for B2B awareness?
• Which ad platforms are most popular for B2B?
• Which ad platforms are most B2B marketers planning to invest in?
• Making your final decision on where to advertise

‍

‍

Where can you advertise online?

There is no shortage of opportunities where you can advertise online. 

Most channels can be grouped into these five primary categories:

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This isn’t an exhaustive list of every available ad platform but it  gives you a sense of what’s possible.

Now that you’re aware of the various ad  platforms available, how do you decide which to choose? 

How to decide on the best ad platform?

When considering investing in a new ad platform here’s four key criteria to consider:

‍

With these four criteria in mind let’s go through the qualitative results from our study and what B2B marketers have reported as their best ad platforms.

Which ad platforms are best for B2B lead generation?

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After reviewing the responses from 60 B2B marketers here’s what we found:

• 52.7% reported Google Ads
• 38.2% reported LinkedIn Ads
• 3.6% reported Facebook Ads
• 1.8% reported Capterra Ads
• 1.8% reported Instagram Ads
• 1.8% reported Native Ads

Which ad platforms are best for B2B awareness?

‍

After reviewing the responses from 60 B2B marketers here’s what we found:

• 56.1% reported LinkedIn Ads
• 12.3% reported Facebook Ads
• 12.3% reported YouTube Ads
• 10.5% reported Google Ads
• 3.5% reported Connected TV
• 3.5% reported Display Ads
• 1.8% reported Instagram Ads

Which ad platforms are most popular for B2B?

‍

After reviewing the responses from 60 B2B marketers here’s what we found:

• 20.2% reported Google Ads
• 18.8% reported LinkedIn Ads
• 13.0% reported Facebook Ads
• 11.2% reported Instagram Ads
• 9.0% reported YouTube Ads
• 8.3% reported Microsoft Ads
• 5.8% reported Capterra Ads
• 5.& reported Display Ads
• 2.5% reported Reddit Ads
• 2.2% reported Native Ads
• 1.8% reported X (Twitter Ads)
• 1.1% reported Connected TV
• 0.4% reported Quora Ads

Which ad platforms are most B2B marketers planning to invest in?

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After reviewing the responses from 60 B2B marketers here’s what we found:

• 13.5% reported YouTube Ads
• 12.1% reported X (Twitter) Ads
• 10.6% reported Reddit Ads
• 9.9% reported Connected TV
• 9.2% reported Audio Ads
• 7.8% reported Display Ads
• 7.1% reported Microsoft Ads
• 7.1% reportedFacebook Ads
• 7.1% reported Capterra Ads
• 5.7% reported Instagram Ads
• 4.3% reported Native Ads
• 3.5% reported Apple Search Ads
• 1.4% reported LinkedIn Ads
• 0.7% reported Tiktok Ads

Making your final decision on where to advertise

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All in all take these survey results as suggestions to see what other B2B marketers are reporting is working for them and what platforms they’re interested in exploring. 

Ultimately don’t forget the four key criteria when making your decision of where to advertise.

When you finally decide, run a small pilot of $100-$1,000 just to get your baselines.

From here you’ll have a better idea of if this channel will make sense. 

Hope you found this article helpful! 

‍

Resources for mastering B2B advertising

If you’re serious about mastering B2B advertising then you definitely need to join 1,000+ B2B marketers leveling up their paid advertising skill sets in AdConversion. 

‍Here’s 4 reasons why you should consider joining. Every one of our on-demand courses are:

✅  100% free access.

✅  Taught by vetted industry experts.

✅  Have workbooks, resources, and templates.

✅  Less than 10 minutes per lesson.

We believe every marketer should know how to scale paid ads so they can:

•  Scale their ideas
• Level up their careers
• Make a positive impact

Click Here to Join 1,000+ B2B Marketers Today and start leveling up your advertising skill set.

Takes < 90 seconds to sign up (seriously we timed it 😂)

‍

People Also Ask

‍

Which ad platforms are most effective for B2B lead generation?

According to an AdConversion survey of 60 B2B marketers, the top platforms for lead generation are Google Ads and LinkedIn Ads.

‍

What are the best ad platforms for building B2B brand awareness?

LinkedIn Ads is particularly effective for B2B brand awareness due to their professional audience.

‍

What are the key metrics to monitor when evaluating the performance of ad campaigns across different platforms?

Focus on metrics such as click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, cost per acquisition (CPA), and return on ad spend (ROAS). These indicators provide insights into the effectiveness and efficiency of your campaigns.

‍

How can I effectively allocate my advertising budget across multiple platforms to maximize ROI?

Start with a diversified approach, allocating a portion of your budget to each platform. Monitor performance closely and reallocate funds towards platforms yielding higher returns, ensuring continuous optimization.

‍

How can I stay updated on the latest trends and best practices in B2B SaaS advertising?

Regularly engage with industry blogs, attend webinars, and participate in professional networks. Staying informed about platform updates and emerging trends ensures your strategies remain current and effective.

‍

What factors should be considered when choosing an ad platform for B2B SaaS marketing?

Key considerations include:

• Target Audience Alignment: Ensure the platform’s user base matches your ideal customer profile.
• Ad Format Suitability: Choose platforms offering ad formats that effectively convey your message.
• Budget and ROI: Assess the cost-effectiveness and potential return on investment.
• Platform Capabilities: Evaluate targeting options, analytics, and integration with your marketing stack.

Aligning these factors with your marketing objectives will help in selecting the most appropriate ad platform.

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Google Ads responsive search ads (RSA) don’t leave a ton of room available. 

With 30 character headlines, and 90 character descriptions. 

It’s tough to write persuasive and effective copy. 

In this article you’ll learn a simple 3-step framework to write responsive search ads. 

Let’s dive into it 👇

‍

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• The 3-Part RSA Writing Framework
• The Anatomy of a Responsive Search Ad
• Should you pin headlines and descriptions in Google Ads?
• Advanced copy tips for writing Responsive Search Ads

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The 3-Part Google Ads RSA Writing Framework

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Here's a simple 3-part framework for writing Google Ads copy:

• The goal of headline 1 = match intent
• The goal of headline 2 = differentiate between other results
• The goal of headline 3 = provide a clear CTA

Keyword: b2b google ads course

• H1: Free B2B Google Ads Course (matches intent)
• H2: No Lesson Longer Than 10-Mins (differentiates)
• H3: Join 1,000+ B2B Marketers (clear CTA)

Here's what it looks like in practice (image below):

When writing, always assume the H3 isn't visible, and if only the H1 was displayed would they get it? 

(Google is always testing different display variations)

From here you would write different variations per position. 

With ensuring legibility between headline combinations. 

Simple but effective ✌️let’s dive into each headline further. 

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The goal of headline 1 = match intent

You’ve got a fraction of a second for a prospect searching on Google to understand if your ad is relevant to their search term. 

Don’t mess this up by being vague, asking rhetorical questions, or wasting valuable characters. 

When it comes to Google Ads the headline 1 position would be eighty cents out of your dollar. 

Maximize your headline 1 by adding the primary keyword in your copy to match intent. 

This is such a simple thing to do, and equally not to. 

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The goal of headline 2 = differentiate between other results

Now that you’ve caught the searchers attention by matching intent it’s time to stand out. 

Here’s a real example of what NOT to do from ads that appeared searching SOC2 compliance:

The sequence of which you write your headlines matter.

This is why I recommend following the 3-part framework as shown. 

Use the headline 2 position to write a core benefit or outcome for differentiation. 

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The goal of headline 3 = provide a clear CTA

Finally in the third headline it’s time to provide a clear call to action. 

This can be as simple as: 

• Request a Demo
• See For Yourself
• Learn More Today! 

When writing your H3 just assume it won’t be visible most of the time as Google is always experimenting with how they display headlines. 

The Anatomy of a Responsive Search Ad

Now that you understand how to approach writing RSA copy.

Let’s discuss how responsive search ads actually function. 

‍

Character counts for Responsive Search Ads

• You can write up to 15 headlines, and 4 descriptions. 
• 30 characters available per headline
• 90 characters available per description 

‍

How Responsive Search Ads work

The idea behind responsive ads is Google will take your 15 headlines and 4 descriptions and automatically combine them to find the optimal variations based on machine learning. 

The promise is you can leverage Google’s AI to do the heavy lifting as it will take into account a multitude of factors including keywords, search terms, devices, audience demographics and more. 

Google also tries to guide advertisers on how well their doing when writing responsive search ads with their Ad Strength metric 💩(which we’ll cover in detail shortly). 

With each headline and description you have the opportunity to pin positions.

This is where you’re forcing Google to only serve those variations within that specific placement. 

Should you pin headlines and descriptions in Google Ads?

The answer here is an unequivocal YES, because if your ads aren’t legible they won’t be clicked. 

In a perfect world Google will automatically combine your headline and descriptions perfectly based on performance AND legibility but in reality it doesn’t happen. 

Instead you end up with a bunch of variations like this: 

I personally would LOVE ♥ ️ if Google’s AI can mix and match ads perfectly for performance and legibility but unfortunately the tech still isn’t there.

So in order to prevent this from happening I recommend strategic pinning. 

‍

How to pin Google Ads headlines strategically

In order to get the benefits of both Google’s AI to mix and match top performing headline/description combinations AND legibility you’ll need to pin strategically. 

Here’s what it looks like in practice: 

• Write 2-3 variations of Headline 1 and pin to position 1
• Write 2-3 variations of Headline 2 and pin to position 2
• Write 2-3 variations of Headline 3 and pin to position 3
• Write 2 variations of Description 1 and pin to position 1
• Write 2 variations of Description 2 and pin to position 2

This will give you the benefit of testing multiple variations per position but safely as you can control which possible combinations are matched for legibility. 

What is Ad strength and does it matter? 

Ad strength is a score created by Google to help advertisers optimize their ad performance ranging from Incomplete → Poor → Average → Good → Excellent. 

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Ad strength misconceptions to be aware of

1. Ad strength has ZERO bearing on actual performance, it's just a predictor of it. 
2. Having a poor ad strength doesn’t mean your ad won’t actually perform well.
3. Having a poor ad strength doesn’t mean your ads won’t receive impressions. 

What determines if your ad appears is your Ad Rank. 

‍

Pin strategically with 2-3 variations of headlines and you’ll be ok, it’s also what Google suggests if you decide to pin. 

Advanced copy tips for writing Responsive Search Ads 

Now that you know how to write effective responsive search ads let’s wrap with some advanced tips you can implement to make your ads perform even better. 

Implement Dynamic Keyword Insertion (DKI)

Dynamic Keyword Insertion allows you to change your ad copy in real time based on the keywords that are triggering your ads in order to create more relevant experiences. 

Currently there are 3 types of DKI available:

• Keyword Insertion = insert the keyword that triggers your ad
• Countdown = insert a timer that counts down to an event
• Location insertion = insert the location that triggers your ad 

Test variations of your RSAs using relevant DKI parameters vs not to see if it impacts performance. 

‍

Leverage Business Name, Logo, and Image Ad Extensions

Now that Google allows you to highlight your business name and logo in your RSA, don't waste the characters anymore referencing your brand in your ad copy. 

Save those valuable characters as you’re already getting brand awareness and instead maximize each character according to the 3-Part Google Ads RSA writing framework.  

Ad extensions should always be used as a best practice but when it comes to writing effective Google Ads copy don’t forget to utilize your extensions to provide more information. 

Hope you found this article helpful, best of luck on your next set of ads! 

‍

From Clicks to Conversions: Master Google Ads for B2B 🔥

If you want to become a Google Ads pro, check out our free B2B Google Ads courses, where you'll learn how to launch, optimize, and scale your campaigns to drive pipeline and revenue.

Here's what you'll learn in each course:

⚙️ B2B Google Ads 101 - How to Launch Dangerously Effective Campaigns for Beginners

• The Googleverse: The Game You're Playing & How To Win
• Measurement: How to Make Sure You're Profitable
• Targeting: How to Show Up For the Right Searcher
• Planning: Putting It All Together
  
  

🎯 Google Ads 102 - How to Clicks Into Profit

• Visibility: How To Find the Hole Sucking Profits
• Workflows: How to Optimize On a Daily, Weekly, Monthly & Quarterly Basis
• Experimentation: How to Test & Automate Profitability
• Troubleshooting: How To Solve Inevitable Problems
  
  

🚀 Google Ads 103 - How to Scale Google Ads For Advanced Advertisers

• Methodology: How to Vertically Scale Google Ads From A-Z
• Campaigns: Scaling Horizontally Through Campaign Themes
• Channels: Scaling Outside of Paid Search

‍

Click Here to Join 1,000+ B2B Marketers Today and start leveling up your advertising skill set.

Takes < 90 seconds to sign up (seriously we timed it 😂)

‍

People Also Ask

‍

How can I effectively measure the performance of my RSAs?

Utilize Google’s Ad Strength indicator to assess the quality and relevance of your ads. Additionally, monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, and cost per conversion to evaluate ad effectiveness. 

‍

What are the best practices for creating compelling headlines and descriptions in RSAs?

Develop diverse and unique headlines that highlight different aspects of your product or service. Incorporate relevant keywords in at least two headlines to improve ad relevance. Ensure that each headline and description provides distinct value to avoid redundancy.



Should I pin headlines and descriptions in my RSAs?

Strategically pinning headlines and descriptions can ensure legibility and relevance. Pinning specific headlines to designated positions helps maintain coherent messaging, especially when certain combinations may not make sense together. However, over-pinning can limit Google’s ability to optimize combinations. 

‍

What role does Google’s machine learning play in the effectiveness of RSAs?

Google’s machine learning algorithms automatically test various combinations of headlines and descriptions to determine the most effective ad for each search query. By providing a diverse set of assets, you enable the system to optimize ad delivery and improve performance over time. 

‍

How can I ensure my RSAs align with my overall marketing strategy?

Ensure that the messaging in your RSAs is consistent with your brand voice and marketing objectives. Regularly review ad performance data to make informed adjustments, and coordinate with other marketing channels to maintain a unified approach.

‍

Thinking about investing in Google Ads for your SaaS but not sure how much it will cost? 

In this article I’ll break down how to create a winning budget strategy step by step. 

You’ll walk away knowing how much you’ll need to invest on a daily, monthly, and quarterly basis. 

And most importantly if Google Ads makes sense for your business. 

Let’s dive into it 👇

‍

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• How much budget is required for a starting Google Ads budget?
• How to forecast a daily, monthly, and quarterly Google Ads budget
• How to allocate Google Ads budget by  campaign strategy
• Frequently asked Google Ads budget questions

‍

‍

How much is required for a starting Google Ads budget?

‍

This is the first question that usually comes to mind when considering Google Ads. 

Which will then be met with a variation of questions such as: 

• Is $10/day enough for Google Ads?
• Is $100/day enough for Google Ads?
• Is $1,000/day enough for Google Ads?

And so on, and so on… 

When the reality is it’s all circumstantial based on the keywords you’re looking to target. 

Equally important to how much is required is how many people are searching? 

You could have a keyword that costs $0.01 per click but if only 5 people search is it really worth it? 

So in order to answer this question you have to perform keyword research with the Keyword Planner.

Navigate to Tools > Planning > Keyword Planner within your Google Ads account to access it. 

It doesn’t cost anything to open a free Google Ads account so anyone can access this tool. 

Within the Google Ads Keyword Planner enter your dream keyword you want to research. 

For example, I’ll use “google ads courses” as an example: 

After researching I can see the following keyword costs and monthly volume estimates:

I recommend always using the top of page bid (high range) as your estimate. 

I’ve never seen these estimates be 100% accurate and you’ll never know your real CPC until launch. 

To account for this margin of error I recommend adding +20% on top of your top of page estimate. 

This means in our google ads courses example:

• It would potentially cost me $13.7 per click ($11.42 +20%) 
• I can receive up to 1,600 clicks per month in the USA. 

Based on these two data points we can assume it’s possible to spend up to $21,920 per month on this keyword ($13.7 * 1,600). 

Outside of the return on investment, don’t forget about return on effort. 

If your dream keywords have very limited search volume (ex: < 100/month) it might not be worthwhile. 

How to forecast a daily, monthly, and quarterly Google Ads budget

‍

Once you know your estimated cost per click you’re ready to put together a forecast. 

We’ve created a free Google Ads Budget Calculator tool that you can use to easily plan your daily, monthly, and quarterly budget. 

You’re going to need the following information for the forecast: 

• Your average cost per click (from the Keyword Planner or real data) 
• Your quarterly sales goal 
• Your average win rate 
• Your average revenue per sale

With all this information at hand you’ll plug these different values into the calculator. 

Based on your landing page conversion rates you can model a worst, moderate, and best case. 

From here you can see how much it will cost to acquire a customer and the budget required to hit your sales volume target. 

I highly recommend paying attention to the number of clicks required per lead, this will help frame expectations on how much traffic you’ll need and if your search volume is sufficient. 

As you’ll see, your landing page effectiveness is essential at reducing costs 💥

With this forecast at hand you’ll know exactly how much to invest. 

How to allocate Google Ads budget by  campaign strategy

‍

You should be clear on how much you’ll need to invest in your Google Ads campaigns. 

Now the next step is to figure out how you’re going to allocate your budget. 

In my experience managing Google Ads campaigns for B2B SaaS companies, there are five proven campaign themes to invest in; NonBrand, Brand, Competitive, RLSA, and Content. 

Here’s my recommendation on budget allocation by each if you want to maximize volume. 

Use all of these as starting points and modify the amounts based on your data/nuances. 

NonBrand = 40% of total budget

NonBrand campaigns are where you’re bidding on high-intent keywords that don’t include your brand, for example google ads courses would be non brand for us at AdConversion. 

Think about your keywords you’d like to cover that problem aware prospects would search for. 

NonBrand keywords typically contain high-intent modifiers such as: 

• Software
• Platform
• Tool
• Technology
• Solution

If you have enough search volume on non brand keywords there’s no easier way to drive conversions than showing up for people looking for solutions to their problems. 

‍

Brand = 20% of total budget

Brand campaigns are commonly referred to as “defense” campaigns where you’re bidding on your own brand name to outrank competitors bidding on yours.  

You can make the case that people searching your branded terms would convert anyways and it’s not worth the investment. 

This is why I recommend no more than 20% of the total budget on this campaign initially. 

I’ve seen exceptions here with some of our clients where they saw net new revenue decline significantly from pausing their branded campaigns. 

Let your data guide your allocation. 

‍

Competitive = 25% of total budget

Competitive campaigns are the opposite of brand where you’re bidding on competitors' names to appear for their existing customers and prospects. 

These campaigns can be really hit or miss depending on your execution.

Make sure you’re doing it in a classy way and have dedicated comparison pages. 

This theme can be really powerful at driving qualified traffic as these searchers are solution aware. 

‍

RLSA = 10% of total budget

RLSA stands for remarketing list for search ads. 

This just means search remarketing, anyone that searches your keywords AND is part of an audience. 

For example, anyone that has been to your site in the past 90 days and is searching your keywords.

RLSA campaigns can be really powerful when you have enough site traffic and are dealing in competitive niches. 

Depending on your available remarketing audience sizes you can decide if this makes sense initially. 

Given the limitation of size we typically only allocate 10% here to begin. 

Content = 5% of total budget

Content campaigns are great for supporting SEO efforts. 

If you have certain keywords you’re struggling to rank for, content campaigns are worth investigating. 

This is where you’re going to bid on longtail content related keywords that typically have much lower cost per click prices and drive that traffic to a blog or relevant content piece. 

Depending on your content strategy I’d give this some consideration. 

Hope you found this article helpful! and now know how to create a winning Google Ads budget strategy. 

Frequently asked Google Ads budget questions

‍

Does Google Ads work on a small budget?

Yes, and no. Small is relative to your average cost per click prices. 

I’d recommend being able to afford at least 100 clicks per month. 

‍

Does Google Ads work for B2B SaaS? 

Absolutely, intent is what makes Google Ads so powerful. 

The biggest challenge for B2B SaaS is scale. 

‍

What is a good Google Ads budget? 

A Google Ads budget is one where you can support your business objectives. 

Using the following information you can create a forecast to understand what is good: 

• Your average cost per click 
• Your quarterly sales goal 
• Your average win rate 
• Your average revenue per sale

‍

From Clicks to Conversions: Master Google Ads for B2B 🔥

If you want to become a Google Ads pro, check out our free B2B Google Ads courses, where you'll learn how to launch, optimize, and scale your campaigns to drive pipeline and revenue.

‍

Here's what you'll learn in each course:

⚙️ B2B Google Ads 101 - How to Launch Dangerously Effective Campaigns for Beginners

• The Googleverse: The Game You're Playing & How To Win
• Measurement: How to Make Sure You're Profitable
• Targeting: How to Show Up For the Right Searcher
• Planning: Putting It All Together
  
  

🎯 Google Ads 102 - How to Clicks Into Profit

• Visibility: How To Find the Hole Sucking Profits
• Workflows: How to Optimize On a Daily, Weekly, Monthly & Quarterly Basis
• Experimentation: How to Test & Automate Profitability
• Troubleshooting: How To Solve Inevitable Problems
  
  

🚀 Google Ads 103 - How to Scale Google Ads For Advanced Advertisers

• Methodology: How to Vertically Scale Google Ads From A-Z
• Campaigns: Scaling Horizontally Through Campaign Themes
• Channels: Scaling Outside of Paid Search

‍

Click Here to Join 1,000+ B2B Marketers Today and start leveling up your advertising skill set.

Takes < 90 seconds to sign up (seriously we timed it 😂)

‍

‍