Intro: The New LinkedIn Reality for B2B Leaders
You don’t need more leads. You need better alignment.
If you’re a CMO or VP of Marketing at a B2B organization, chances are your LinkedIn Ads are running in a silo. Performance metrics look decent on the surface (CTR, CPL, impressions), but your sales team still says:
“These leads aren’t going anywhere.”
It’s not about blaming the channel. It’s about syncing your GTM engine.
This blog lays out a modern approach to running LinkedIn Ads that actually move pipeline, by aligning your targeting, content, and sales motion from the start.
1. Build Your Campaign Around Sales Navigator, Not Just Campaign Manager
Most marketing teams start with Campaign Manager, build an audience, and launch.
But the smarter move?
Start with Sales Navigator. Ask your sales team:
- Who are your top-tier accounts?
- Who are the decision makers they’re targeting?
Then:
- Create account lists in Sales Nav
- Sync them with Campaign Manager using Matched Audiences
- Tailor the creative to those account tiers (e.g., enterprise vs mid-market)
Why this works: This turns cold ads into warm touches. When your prospect has seen value-based content before your SDR reaches out, your reply rate skyrockets.
2. Use the 3-Layer Creative Strategy: Awareness, Value, Trigger
Not every ad needs to sell.
Structure your LinkedIn ad funnel like this:
Top of Funnel (Awareness):
- Address a known industry pain point
- Use POV videos, stats, or thought leadership
Mid Funnel (Value):
- Share how others solved that pain (case studies, how-to content)
- Offer a workshop or downloadable content with real value
Bottom Funnel (Trigger):
- Retarget high-engagement accounts
- Use lead gen forms or demo CTA tied to pain
GTM Tip: Align your Sales Enablement content with the stage. If an ad hits, the SDR should follow up with context, not cold scripts.
3. Track What Sales Actually Cares About: Account Progression
CTR doesn’t build trust with your CEO. Pipeline does.
Here’s what to track:
- % of target accounts that engaged
- % of engaged accounts that moved to a meeting
- Pipeline generated from ad-influenced leads
- Sales cycle length before vs after ad engagement
Use tools like:
- LinkedIn Conversion Tracking
- HubSpot/Marketo with UTM tracking
- Custom dashboards that show opportunity influence
4. Add Email + InMail for Real Multi-Touch ABM
Don’t stop at the ad. The best-performing teams use:
- Campaign Manager for warming up
- SDR InMails based on ad views
- Email follow-ups referencing content engagement
Example: “Hi Sam, not sure if you had a chance to watch the 2-minute video your team viewed on [Pain Point X]. We ran it across a few of your peers in [industry] who saw [impact]. Would it make sense to share how they approached it?”
That’s ABM. Not mass spam.
5. Attribution Isn’t a Headache if You Plan Early
Start every campaign with an attribution plan:
- Use UTMs on every ad
- Tag campaigns in your CRM
- Align with RevOps so sales knows what leads are ad-touched
What CMOs need to ask:
- What % of the pipeline is from campaigns?
- Which touchpoints drove velocity?
- Where did we lose high-fit accounts?
This data tells you whether to scale, pause, or pivot.
Conclusion: LinkedIn Ads Are a Sales Tool. Treat Them That Way.
When you stop treating LinkedIn like another ad platform and start using it as a GTM engine, everything changes.
- Sales sees better conversations
- Marketing sees measurable ROI
- The C-Suite sees a GTM motion that actually works
If your LinkedIn Ads aren’t contributing to the pipeline yet, don’t spend more. Align better.
- LinkedIn Matched Audiences Overview – https://business.linkedin.com/
marketing-solutions/matched- audiences - Sales Navigator for Targeting – https://www.linkedin.com/
sales/solutions/sales- navigator - B2B Institute’s ABM Playbook – https://b2binstitute.org/
thinking/abm-playbook/ - LinkedIn Ad Measurement Guide – https://business.linkedin.com/
marketing-solutions/blog/ linkedin-ads/2023/linkedins- measurement-guid
