LinkedIn has grown into much more than just a recruitment and networking site. It is now one of the most effective performance marketing platforms for B2B companies. With precise targeting, detailed professional data, and an audience focused on intent, LinkedIn enables marketers to strengthen brand credibility, create high-quality demand, and drive measurable revenue growth, all within a single platform.
● Why LinkedIn for Performance Marketing?
LinkedIn stands out for several reasons:
1. Highest quality B2B audience
LinkedIn’s professional data, like job titles, company sizes, industries, skills, and seniority, is voluntarily shared and regularly updated, making it very accurate.
2. Full-funnel capabilities
You can create awareness, drive engagement, generate leads, and capture purchase intent all in one place.
3. Strong buying intent
Users visit LinkedIn for career development, business insights, industry news, and professional growth, making them more open to solution-focused content.
4. Precise targeting and automation
Matched Audiences, Account Lists, and Lookalike Models allow marketers to connect with the right buyers at the right time.
1. Brand Building With LinkedIn Performance Marketing
Building a brand is essential for B2B companies. In a landscape where buyers complete nearly 70% of their decision-making before contacting sales, a strong brand helps reduce friction later in the process.
Here’s how to use LinkedIn performance tools for brand growth:
A. Use Awareness Campaigns to Maximize Reach
Objective Selection: Brand Awareness or Video Views
These campaigns focus on impressions and visibility, helping you:
• Increase brand recognition
• Reach new audiences effectively
• Position your company as a trusted player in your field
Use content such as:
• Short thought-leadership videos (15–30 seconds)
• Insights from founders or executives
• Commentary on industry trends
• Customer proof points (awards, recognition, milestones)
B. Leverage Thought Leadership for Authority
LinkedIn’s audience appreciates expertise.
Promote:
• Thought leadership articles
• Videos from leadership
• Frameworks, industry benchmarks, and original research
• Webinar or podcast snippets
High-value thought leadership builds trust, which is vital for influencing B2B purchasing decisions.
C. Launch Brand Lift Tests
LinkedIn offers Brand Lift Studies that measure:
• Brand recall
• Familiarity
• Consideration
• Message association
These insights help you assess the effectiveness of your top-of-funnel content and improve creative work for better performance.
2. Demand Generation Using LinkedIn Performance Marketing
LinkedIn excels at generating high-quality leads because you can reach decision-makers with content tailored to their position in the buying journey.
A. Use LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms for High-Intent Leads
LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms usually show:
• Higher conversion rates
• Lower cost per lead
• More complete data (auto-filled fields)
Combine them with:
• eBooks
• Case studies
• Industry reports
• Workshops or webinars
• Buying guides
Form submissions automatically feed into your CRM or automation tools for lead follow-up.
B. Create Mid-Funnel Engagement Campaigns
Objective Selection: Engagement or Website Traffic
The aim is to educate, nurture, and qualify your audience.
Content examples:
• Product walkthrough videos
• Use case explanations
• Customer stories
• Analyst reports (G2, Gartner, Forrester)
• ROI calculators or comparisons
C. Retarget Hot Prospects
Utilise LinkedIn’s retargeting features based on:
• Video views
• Lead form opens (even without submissions!)
• Website visits
• Engagement with your company page
• Ad clicks
Retargeting works especially well for:
• Mid-funnel nurturing
• Requests for demos or sales contact
• Personalized messages by persona or account
3. Revenue Growth With LinkedIn Performance Marketing
Once your audience knows your brand and engages with your content, you can focus on bottom-of-funnel conversions and pipeline acceleration.
A. Run Conversion Campaigns Targeting High-Intent Buyers
Objective Selection: Conversions
Focus on actions such as:
• Demo requests
• Free trial sign-ups
• Pricing inquiries
• Assessment or audit bookings
• Product consultations
Best strategies include:
• Using clear calls to action (“Get a Demo”, “See the Product”, “Try Free”)
• Promoting product-focused content (videos, GIFs, screen recordings)
• Offering easy paths for conversion
B. Build Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Campaigns
LinkedIn is ideal for ABM since you can upload:
• CRM account lists
• Target account lists
• Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) lists
Create customised ad sequences that highlight:
• Industry-specific solutions
• Personalized case studies
• ROI stories tailored to account segments
This increases relevance and speeds up sales cycles.
C. Use Conversation Ads and Message Ads for Direct Response
These ad formats encourage real-time engagement and actionable responses.
Conversation ads work well for:
• Event registration
• Demo offers
• Consultations
• Personalized product recommendations
The focus should be on conversational, value-driven messaging, rather than sales pitches.
4. How to Set Up a Full-Funnel LinkedIn Performance Strategy
An effective LinkedIn strategy weaves together all three stages of the funnel.
Step 1: Define Your Funnel Stages and KPIs
Example metrics:
Funnel Stage | KPI | Example Goals
Awareness | Reach, Impressions, Video Views | Increase brand awareness by 40%
Consideration | CTR, Landing Page Visits, Engagement | Increase content engagement by 30%
Demand Gen | Leads, Cost per Lead, Form Fill Rate | Generate 500 leads per quarter
Revenue | Demos, Trials, Pipeline | Increase qualified demos by 25%
Step 2: Build the Right Audience Segments
Create:
• Cold audience: based on job title, industry, skills
• Warm audience: video viewers, page visitors, post engagers
• Hot audience: website visitors, CRM retargeting, ABM lists
• Lookalikes: of existing customers or high-intent converters
Step 3: Develop Funnel-Specific Creative
Top of Funnel (TOF)
Format: videos, static images, thought leadership
Goal: awareness and education
Middle of Funnel (MOF)
Format: lead magnets, case studies, comparison sheets
Goal: demand generation
Bottom of Funnel (BOF)
Format: demos, trials, testimonials, ROI calculators
Goal: conversions and revenue
Step 4: Measure Performance and Optimize
Key LinkedIn metrics to monitor:
• Cost per 1,000 impressions (CPM)
• Cost per click (CPC)
• Lead form completion rate
• Cost per qualified lead (CPQL)
• Sales-qualified opportunities (SQOs)
• Pipeline value and revenue
Use A/B testing for:
• Creative formats
• Creative angles
• Ad copy variations
• Call-to-action buttons
• Target audiences
5. Best Practices for Maximizing LinkedIn Marketing ROI
1. Create multiple touchpoints
Single ads do not work in B2B. Use sequenced ads to guide buyers through their journey.
2. Use strong creativity
High-quality visuals combined with clear messaging lead to higher click-through rates and more conversions.
3. Align marketing and sales
Ensure leads move quickly from marketing to sales. Use automation for lead routing.
4. Invest consistently
Brand building requires repetition. LinkedIn recommend constant campaigns.
5. Analyse audience insights
LinkedIn demographic data helps refine your Ideal Customer Profile and messaging.
6. Examples of a Full-Funnel LinkedIn Strategy
Awareness Campaign
• Objective: Video views
• Audience: Senior HR managers at companies with 200–1000 employees
• Content: 30-second video introducing your HR automation platform
Engagement Campaign
• Objective: Website traffic
• Content: Blog/Report—“2025 HR Transformation Trends”
• Audience: Retarget video viewers and lookalikes
Lead Gen Campaign
• Objective: Leads
• Content: “ROI Calculator for HR Automation”
• Format: Lead Gen Form
Conversion Campaign
• Objective: Demo requests
• Content: Short demo video with a strong call to action
Conclusion
LinkedIn performance marketing has become a vital part of modern B2B growth strategies. When used well, it helps companies:
• Build lasting brand equity
• Generate predictable, high-quality demand
• Accelerate revenue and shorten sales cycles
The key is to view LinkedIn as more than a platform for one-off ads; treat it as an integrated full-funnel marketing engine.
By connecting brand building, demand generation, and conversion efforts, businesses can create a strong, measurable, and scalable growth system that delivers results month after month.