If you’ve run LinkedIn ads but aren’t seeing the results you expected, there could be several reasons why your ad campaign isn’t generating leads. Here are some potential issues and solutions to help get your LinkedIn ads performing better:
Your target audience is too broad
One of the biggest mistakes with LinkedIn ads is targeting too broad of an audience. With LinkedIn’s detailed targeting options, you can zero in on exactly who you want to reach based on job title, industry, skills, groups, and more. If your target audience is too broad, your ads may be shown to lots of people who aren’t potential customers.
Try narrowing your target audience by:
- Focusing on specific job titles rather than seniority levels
- Targeting by skills and groups relevant to your product/service
- Using lead gen forms to capture role, industry, company size
Analyze which target audiences are generating leads and double down your efforts on those high performing segments.
Your ad copy doesn’t compel action
Your LinkedIn ad needs to quickly grab attention and motivate the viewer to click. Some tips for improving ad copy include:
- Lead with a compelling headline that speaks to their pain points
- Focus on how you can solve problems vs. features
- Use visuals that capture interest
- Include a strong call-to-action
A/B test different ad variations to see what copy, visuals, and messaging resonates best with your target audience.
Your landing page doesn’t match the ad
Make sure your landing page aligns with the promise of your LinkedIn ad. If your ad talks about accessing a buyer’s guide but sends visitors to your homepage, they won’t find what they’re looking for.
Tips for improving landing pages:
- Send visitors to a specific landing page that matches the ad copy
- Include the same headlines, visuals, and messaging
- Make the CTA prominent and action-oriented
- Keep forms short and only ask for essential info
Having a dedicated landing page for each of your campaigns makes it easier to promote a clear offer and capture leads.
Your ad budget or bid is too low
LinkedIn advertising is a pay-to-play platform, so having a sufficient budget to achieve your goals is key. Here are some factors to look at:
- What is your cost-per-lead target? Use this to estimate budget needs.
- Set specific budget limits for each campaign
- Analyze performance at different bid levels to find the optimal range
- Allocate more budget to better performing campaigns
As a rule of thumb, plan to allocate $10/day per ad variation you want to test. Monitor spend levels to right-size budgets over time.
Your ad placement needs optimization
Where your ads show up on LinkedIn matters. Try using a mix of ad placements for best results:
- Sponsored Content – Appears in news feed
- Sponsored InMail – Directly engages prospects via inbox
- Text Ads – Displays to right of feed on desktop
- Dynamic Ads – Updates based on member’s profile
Analyze performance by placement and double down on those driving the most conversions. Also consider audience behaviors – for example, trigger InMail ads when high-value prospects are actively engaged on LinkedIn.
Your ad extensions need work
Ad extensions help take up more real estate on LinkedIn and highlight additional info to catch attention. Make sure you’re using relevant extensions:
| Extension Type | Best For |
|---|---|
| Sponsored Content | Driving visitors to gated content like whitepapers |
| Lead Gen Forms | Capturing contact info from high-funnel prospects |
| Message Ads | Promoting engagement via InMail |
Test different combinations of extensions to determine which are most effective for your goals.
You haven’t optimized for the full funnel
A LinkedIn ad strategy can’t just focus on the bottom of the funnel. Make sure you have ads tailored for each phase:
- Awareness – Introduce brand, attract new visitors
- Consideration – Educate, address concerns, build preference
- Decision – Drive conversions, promote offers/trials
Develop specific ad variations, landing pages, and keywords tailored to each funnel stage. Add remarketing tags to nurture prospects over time.
Your keywords need expansion
Having tightly targeted keywords is important, but you also need volume of relevant search queries. Ways to expand your keyword list:
- Leverage LinkedIn’s keyword suggestion tool
- Analyze search terms driving traffic to competitors
- Research keywords used in your industry
- Add long-tail keyword variations
Aim for at least 100+ keywords per ad group. Sort keywords into tight ad groups around topics. Bid higher on keywords that drive conversions.
You need better tracking
To optimize LinkedIn ads, you need to closely monitor performance. Make sure to implement:
- LinkedIn Insights tags on landing pages
- Lead tracking by UTM parameters
- A/B testing of ad variations
- Conversion tracking on forms
Analyze metrics like CTR, conversion rate, cost per lead, and ROI to identify optimization opportunities. Continually test and refine based on data.
Conclusion
Getting LinkedIn ads to perform well requires in-depth targeting, compelling creative, optimized landing pages, sufficient budgets, strategic placements, robust keywords, and thorough tracking/optimization. Analyze each aspect of your LinkedIn ads, implement testing, and refine based on data-driven insights. With the right approach, you can generate a steady stream of quality leads from LinkedIn.