Summary: how do you run LinkedIn ads?
LinkedIn ads run in Campaign Manager. The process: 1) create an ad account and link your company page; 2) install the Insight Tag on your website to track conversions; 3) choose an objective based on your goal; 4) set up audiences by location, company, industry, job title, and seniority, or upload a target company list; 5) choose an ad format; 6) set budget and bidding (minimum USD 10 per day); 7) after launch, measure results by target account engagement and qualified leads.
3 things to prepare
Company page
Ads run under your company page, so tidy its description, logo and URL first.
Target list
List target companies with industry and country — it makes audiences easier.
A useful asset
Comparisons, guides, white papers or cases — technical buyers trade details for help deciding.
LinkedIn ads guide: 7 steps
Create a Campaign Manager ad account
Sign in to Campaign Manager with your personal LinkedIn account, create an ad account, set the currency and payment method, and link your company page. The currency can't be changed after creation, so decide carefully.
Install the Insight Tag
Place LinkedIn's Insight Tag on every page of your website, and set "inquiry form submitted" and "datasheet downloaded" as conversions. Without this, you only see clicks, not who actually left a request; it's also what lets you retarget people who visited the site.
Pick an objective
The objective determines what kind of people LinkedIn finds for you and how you're billed. Equipment makers most often use "website visits" and "lead generation"; see the table below.
Set up audiences
Location is required; everything else combines company (name, industry, size) and work experience (job title, function, seniority). You can also use matched audiences: upload a target company list (up to 300,000 companies), upload a contact list, or retarget website visitors.
Pick a format
Single image, carousel, video, document ads, message ads, and text ads. Technical products often use document ads: people can preview a catalog or white paper right on LinkedIn and leave their details to see the full version.
Budget and bids
The minimum daily budget is USD 10. Bidding options are "maximum delivery" (automated), "cost cap," and "manual bidding." Start with automated bidding to gather data, then adjust based on actual costs.
Launch and adjust
Let the system learn for the first week or two, and don't change settings every day. Then compare audiences and creatives, and concentrate budget on the combinations that bring qualified leads.
Choosing an objective
| Objective | When it fits | Use for equipment |
|---|---|---|
| Brand awareness | Build awareness | New markets, pre-show |
| Website visits | Drive site traffic | To product pages, articles |
| Engagement | Engagement, followers | Grow your page |
| Video views | Video completion | Machine and demo videos |
| Lead generation | Native LinkedIn forms | Datasheets for contacts |
| Conversions | Actions on your site | Inquiries, bookings (Insight Tag) |
Audience example: chip equipment parts
The following is an illustrative example; adjust actual settings to your product and market:
| Item | Setting | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Japan, Taiwan | One or two markets first |
| Matched audience | Upload a target company list (fabs, OSATs, equipment makers) | Only likely buyers |
| Job function | Engineering, ops, purchasing | Separate tech and purchasing |
| Seniority | Senior and above | No interns or juniors |
| Exclusions | Staff, rivals, customers | No waste |
Audience size: LinkedIn requires at least 300 people to run ads and recommends 50,000 or more for stable results. B2B niche markets often fall short of that, so you'll need to trade off "precision" against "volume," for example by grouping similar countries or functions.
How do LinkedIn ads and Google Ads divide the work?
| Comparison | Google Ads (search ads) | LinkedIn ads |
|---|---|---|
| Who you reach | Active searchers | Fit decision-makers, not yet looking |
| Targeting | Keywords, place, language | Company, industry, size, title, seniority |
| Best stage | Catch existing demand | Build demand, reach accounts |
| Cost per click | Varies by keyword | Higher; needs tight targeting |
It's not either-or. A common approach is to catch people already looking with Google, and use LinkedIn so target accounts know you before they start looking.
Measuring LinkedIn results
- CTR→Target accounts engaged
- Lead count→Share that fit
- Cost per click→Cost per opportunity
- Post likes→Cases reaching technical meetings and quotes
5 beginner mistakes
- Too broad→List + function + seniority
- Audience Network left on by default→Turn it off to appear only on LinkedIn
- One creative→Test 2–3
- Brand videos→Specs, cases, papers
- Only CTR→Engagement and qualified leads
FAQ
How do I start running LinkedIn ads?
Sign in to Campaign Manager, create an ad account, set the currency and payment method, and link your company page; install the Insight Tag on your website; then choose an objective, set up audiences, choose a format, and set budget and bidding to launch.
What's the minimum spend for LinkedIn ads?
Under LinkedIn's rules, the minimum daily budget for a new campaign is USD 10. Actual spend depends on audience size, competition, and content quality; we recommend testing with a small budget, then concentrating budget on combinations that bring qualified leads.
How large should a LinkedIn audience be?
LinkedIn requires at least 300 people to run ads and recommends 50,000 or more for stable results. B2B niche markets often fall short, so you can group similar countries or functions, trading off precision against volume.
Which LinkedIn ad format suits B2B equipment makers?
Document ads and single image ads are common. Document ads let people preview a catalog or white paper directly on LinkedIn and leave their details for the full version; paired with a lead gen form, you receive name, company, and job title directly.
Should I turn on LinkedIn Audience Network?
Audience Network serves your ads on partner sites and apps outside LinkedIn, increasing reach but making quality harder to control. B2B technical products that want to focus budget on professionals on LinkedIn usually turn it off.
Beyond ads: organic LinkedIn
When the ads stop, the exposure stops; content on your company page and employees' profiles stays. B2B social media marketing means the company page regularly posts technical articles, case studies, and trade show news, while sales staff and engineers share expert views on their own profiles and connect with contacts at target accounts. Ads reach new people; social content makes sure that when they click through, they find a company that "knows its stuff."