AJ Wilcox

LinkedIn Ads. It’s a powerful platform for B2B SaaS marketers, but are you truly maximizing its potential? Or are you unknowingly throwing your marketing budget into a black hole?

We recently had the pleasure of hosting a live session with AJ Wilcox, founder of B2Linked.com and a true LinkedIn Ads expert. Having spent 14 years and over $200 million on the platform, AJ’s insights are not just theoretical – they’re battle-tested strategies from the front lines of LinkedIn advertising. He shared some game-changing insights that every B2B SaaS marketer needs to know. We're diving deep into those here.

📌 Listen to the full video: LinkedIn Live link.

Let us dive in.

TL;DR

• Avoid common LinkedIn pitfalls like inaccurate geography targeting, audience expansion, low-quality traffic from the Audience Network, and expensive default bidding.
• ABM campaigns can be inefficient if not optimized, as a few accounts may consume most of the budget. Break up campaigns and manage impressions to ensure fair distribution.
• LinkedIn’s industry filters are unreliable, so upload custom company lists and use LinkedIn Company Page URLs for precise targeting.
• Boost conversion tracking accuracy with LinkedIn’s Conversion API (CAPI) and the LinkedIn Fat ID to improve match rates and campaign optimization.

1. The LinkedIn Ads Origin Story: From Text Ads to Tier One Platform

AJ’s journey with LinkedIn Ads began out of necessity but quickly became an obsession. The high-quality leads he generated led him to dive deeper into the platform. Fast forward 10 years, and AJ runs an agency exclusively focused on the platform and a thriving community aptly named, ‘LinkedIn Ads Fanatics’. And even today, even as the platform evolves, LinkedIn Ads remains his primary focus.

But LinkedIn wasn’t always as advanced as we know today. Early on, it lacked basic features like conversion tracking. Imagine pleading with an executive to implement something standard across all platforms! Today, LinkedIn Ads has grown into a tier-one platform, continuously adding new features and makes it the core of any successful B2B marketing strategy.

2. Uncovering the 4 Deadly LinkedIn Pitfalls (and How to Fix Them)

LinkedIn’s default settings can quietly drain your LinkedIn ads budget if left unchecked. Here are four common pitfalls and how to fix them:

• Geography Targeting (The ‘Recent’ Trap)

LinkedIn’s default ‘Recent or Permanent’ geographic targeting can be problematic, especially if you are only targeting a specific location. A common issue is that LinkedIn considers someone ‘recent’ in an area for up to six months! So, if you're targeting the US, but getting leads from the Philippines, Europe, or Africa, this is why. The fix? Switch to ‘Permanent’ targeting. That ensures you're only reaching people who have declared that geography on their LinkedIn profile.

• LinkedIn Audience Expansion (Stop the Bleeding!)

This auto-checked box allows LinkedIn to expand your audience beyond your chosen targeting parameters. If you're paying a premium for laser-focused targeting on LinkedIn, why would you want that to happen? Uncheck it ALWAYS.

• LinkedIn Audience Network (Is it worth it?)

Reaching your audience off the platform may sound good on paper, but the quality of traffic is abysmal. Be sure to uncheck this, or better yet, use a block list to avoid bots and spam.

• Default Bidding (Max Delivery is NOT Your Friend)

LinkedIn's default bidding option, ‘Maximum Delivery,’ is a CPM (cost-per-impression) bid. This is usually the MOST expensive way to pay. Instead, select ‘Manual CPC Bidding’ to pay only when someone clicks your ad.

3. The ABM Trap: Are Your Whales Eating Up Your Budget?

Account-based marketing (ABM) is crucial for B2B SaaS, but LinkedIn's default ad distribution can be a major issue here. Imagine targeting a list of 400 key accounts, only to find 96% of your budget goes to just three! This is what happened to AJ.

It’s critical to break up your campaigns and manage impressions at the account level. This ensures all your target accounts get the exposure they need, rather than a select few consuming the vast majority of your budget. Read more about this on LinkedIn ads Frequency Capping to control how your ads are shown to your audience list.

Also, read Account-Based Marketing tactics for LinkedIn Ads specialists.

4. Native vs. Outside Company Lists: Ditch LinkedIn's Industry Targeting

LinkedIn’s native filters seem convenient, but their industry classifications are often inaccurate. Spotify is categorized as ‘musicians,’ Airbnb as ‘software development,’ and ADP as ‘human resource services.’ These inconsistencies can lead you to miss your ideal audience.

The solution? Upload your own meticulously curated company lists from sources you trust. Even better, use LinkedIn Company Page URLs for a 100% match rate. You should also filter by website intent to capture those who are actively engaged with your content or other software review sites.

Also, read Optimize LinkedIn ad targeting by focusing on intent signals to selectively target high-intent accounts engaged with your website.

5. The CAPI Advantage: Boost Conversions with LinkedIn Fat ID

LinkedIn’s Conversion API (CAPI) is a game-changer. It allows you to send both online and offline conversions back to LinkedIn for improved attribution. However, most professional emails have a low match rate with LinkedIn’s user data.

The secret is to capture the LinkedIn Fat ID parameter that’s automatically added to the URL when a user clicks your ad. Send this ID back to LinkedIn along with conversion data for a 100% match rate! This allows LinkedIn to match conversions that other tracking solutions miss and helps it to better optimize your ad campaigns.

6. The Art of Bidding: Stop Overpaying on LinkedIn

LinkedIn’s suggested bidding ranges are often wildly inflated and don’t necessarily correlate with better leads. AJ recommends starting with a much lower bid than the suggested range. In North America, start around $7 and then adjust. As you monitor your campaign, you’ll reach a point where you’re spending your entire budget at the optimal bid amount.

It's also important to understand when to use Manual CPC vs. Maximum Delivery:

• Manual CPC Bidding: Ideal for most cases. Start here to control costs and pay only when someone clicks.
• Maximum Delivery Bidding: Consider this when your link-click through rate is consistently above 1%, or for very small audiences. This tactic can save you money when your ads are performing very well.

Key Takeaways and Actions

• Revisit Your Default Settings: Double-check your geo-targeting, audience expansion, and bid strategies today.
• Build Better Company Lists: Source company data outside of LinkedIn.
• Implement CAPI with LinkedIn Fat ID: Enhance your conversion tracking and attribution.
• Test Lower Bids: Ignore LinkedIn’s suggestions and start low.
• Analyze, Iterate, and Optimize: Regularly monitor and optimize your LinkedIn ad campaigns.

Optimizing LinkedIn Ads for Better Performance

LinkedIn Ads has become a key platform for B2B marketing, but its default settings can lead to wasted budget if not managed properly. AJ Wilcox, a LinkedIn Ads expert, shares battle-tested strategies to improve targeting, optimize bidding, and enhance conversion tracking.

Common pitfalls include incorrect geography targeting, audience expansion, low-quality Audience Network traffic, and high-cost default bidding. Adjusting these settings helps improve targeting accuracy and cost efficiency.

Account-Based Marketing (ABM) campaigns often suffer from uneven budget distribution, where a small number of accounts consume most of the ad spend. To fix this, break up campaigns and control impressions to ensure all target accounts receive fair exposure. LinkedIn’s native industry filters are unreliable, misclassifying companies into incorrect categories. Instead, upload custom company lists or use LinkedIn Company Page URLs for more precise targeting.

To enhance conversion tracking and attribution, use LinkedIn’s Conversion API (CAPI) and Fat ID to improve match rates and optimize ad performance. Lastly, avoid LinkedIn’s suggested bidding ranges, which are often inflated. Start with lower manual bids and adjust strategically to control costs while maintaining performance. These tactics help ensure efficient ad spend and higher-quality leads.

LinkedIn Ads is a powerful channel for B2B SaaS marketers, but only if you know how to navigate its complexities. By implementing these strategies, you’ll be well on your way to driving better results, getting more high-quality leads and cutting wasted spend.

Ready to dive deeper? Join the LinkedIn Ads Fanatics community to get expert advice, access to courses, and connect with other LinkedIn advertising professionals.

Take Control of Your LinkedIn Ads with AdPilot

Optimizing LinkedIn Ads requires constant monitoring, manual adjustments, and strategic bidding to avoid wasted spend and maximize performance. But what if you could automate these optimizations and get better results with less effort?

This is where LinkedIn AdPilot comes in.

AdPilot helps B2B marketers take full control of their LinkedIn Ads by:

✅ Automating audience targeting to ensure the right accounts get the right number of impressions.

✅ Reducing budget wastage by preventing a few accounts from consuming most of your spend.

✅ Aligning sales and marketing efforts by integrating LinkedIn Ads with intent signals from G2, CRM, and your website.

Check out Factors’ AdPilot that can 2x your ROI from Linkedin.