Hard Lessons we at Trilokana Marketing Learnt managing 100+ advertiser campaigns on LinkedIn Ads
After managing countless campaigns and obsessing over results for 100+ advertisers, here’s what works better—and what doesn’t—when it comes to LinkedIn Ads.
Some of these might surprise you. A few might sting. All of them are battle-tested.
Let’s dive in.
01. Creative is king
You can’t out-optimize bad copy or boring visuals. Start there. Always.
02. Lead gen forms still crush it
Despite what people say, in-feed forms are alive and converting.
03. Retargeting = the B2B goldmine
This is where the real ROI happens. Ignore it at your peril.
04. Not all retargeting is created equal
Video viewers and key page visitors = gold.
Ad engagers = trash.
05. The 0.4% CTR benchmark is misleading
It applies only to Website Visit campaigns—and even then, it’s not gospel.
06. Benchmarks don’t tell your story
Your industry, offer, and audience are unique. Test > compare.
07. Audience size? Keep it under 50k
If you’re over that, segment it. You’ll gain clarity and control.
08. Use LinkedIn Insights for deep audience data
Matched or saved audiences—Insights will give you what Campaign Manager can’t.
09. Target users recently promoted or hired
People in transition are more open to change. That means your offer.
10. Target connections of your competitors
They already showed intent by connecting. Now show them a better option.
11. Repetition isn’t bad—irrelevance is
Nobody remembers your ad after one view. Increase frequency, test, repeat.
12. Carousel ads are dead weight
They look good on paper but underperform consistently. Document ads give superior performance
13. Manual bidding beats maximum delivery
If you want control and results, stop trusting the algorithm blindly.
14. Use the right format for the goal
Image ads = traffic. Video ads = awareness & engagement. Pick your weapon accordingly.
15. Avoid horizontal visuals like the plague
Tall formats (4:5 or square) dominate mobile screens. Horizontal is just… forgettable.
16. Use Document ads to warm up your cold audience
They build a low-intent but high-engagement audience you can retarget later—and convert.
17. Thought Leader ads break the rules
They’ll get better performance by default. Don’t compare them to regular ads.
18. Clean your retargeting list
Exclude students, job seekers, customers, and competitors. Clean signals = cleaner results.
19. Job title targeting sounds precise—until it isn’t
It’s surprisingly broad. Often as vague as function targeting.
20. “Marketing Managers” doesn’t mean what you think
Targeting that term hits everyone from specialists to CMOs. It’s not narrow. It’s lazy.
21. Interest targeting (yes, really) can help
“Product Interest” is an underrated filter to refine your reach.
22. Use custom company lists over industry targeting
Custom lists = accuracy. Industry targeting = chaos.
23. Industry targeting is worse than job titles
Companies have multiple tags, and you’ll hit a lot of irrelevant ones.
24. Contact list match rates will disappoint you
Even with full info, expect 20–40% match rate at best. Build for that reality.
25. Text, dynamic, and follower ads shine in retargeting
They’re cheap, visible, and efficient—but don’t waste them on cold traffic.
26. Aim for 6–8 frequency on cold audiences
That’s the sweet spot before fatigue kicks in.
27. CRM especially HubSpot can be a lifesaver
Its integrations (audience sync, lead form sync) with LinkedIn save hours. No Zapier required
28. LinkedIn Audience Network is a trap
It dilutes your spend and shows your ad in irrelevant portals
29. Audience Expansion? Hard pass.
Letting LinkedIn expand your audience often ends in completely with wasted spend.
30. Predictive audiences are weird
Without layers of targeting on top, they’re way too broad and inconsistent.
Final Thought
LinkedIn Ads aren’t cheap. But they work—when you work them right. Budgets required vary by country starting from $15 CPM to $120 CPM. Budgets required are a minimum of $5000.
With extensive optimization required and each situation being unique, it takes atleast 3 months to stabilize and optimize the campaign.
Whether you’re spending $10,000 or $100,000 a month, these lessons will either save you money, make you money, or both.
Are you looking at optimizing your Linkedin Ad campaigns, contact us.
