Chapter 2: LinkedIn Ad Objectives

There are three primary campaign objectives:

1. Awareness 

In the context of LinkedIn Ads, Top of the Funnel (ToFu) refers to ad campaigns that generate awareness and attract a broad audience at the earliest stage of the buyer’s journey. Companies aiming to do this should opt for campaigns that maximize reach within your target accounts and drive recall for your brand.

• Good choice for companies launching a new product, entering a new market, or building authority before running demand-gen campaigns.
• These campaigns help increase your brand's visibility, reach, and recognition.
• Ideal for companies looking to establish their brand identity, expand their audience, and enhance recall.
• Example: A tech solutions company runs a Brand Awareness campaign targeting CISOs in Fortune 500 organizations to introduce their innovative AI-powered platform, highlighting its unique features and industry impact.

Here’s an example:

Key Metrics to Track:

• Impressions – Total number of times your ads were shown.
• Reach (%) – Out of 1,000 accounts, how many unique accounts saw your ad? (e.g., if 600 accounts saw at least one ad, your reach is 60% of target accounts).
• Account Match Rate – % of your target accounts from CRM that have been reached on LinkedIn (Typically 70-90% match rate).
• Account Penetration – How many contacts within each account have engaged? (e.g., if three decision-makers per account engage, you're expanding influence).
• Video Views (if running video ads) – Who watched at least 50% of the video?

2. Consideration 

If your buyer is already in the Middle of the Funnel (MoFu) stage, your goal is to make them ‘consider’ your product. So, you should opt for the following objectives on LinkedIn:

• Website Visits
  
  • Best for educating audiences with blogs, case studies, or reports. 
  • Pair with retargeting for better results.
  • Example: A FinTech startup runs a campaign targeting finance directors, driving traffic to a blog: ‘The Future of Financial Automation.’

• Engagement
  
  • Great for increasing post interactions, video views, and social proof.
  • Ideal for companies that need community-building and thought leadership.
  • Example: A CEO of an HR SaaS startup runs an Engagement campaign on their personal post about hiring trends.

• Video Views
  
  • Perfect for explaining complex products / services visually
  • Stronger for retargeting warm audiences with product walkthroughs
  • Example: A data analytics platform runs a 90-second explainer video camplaign before offering a free trial.

Here’s an example:

Key Metrics to Track:

• Website Traffic from Target Accounts – Who clicked and visited your Pricing, Demo, or Feature pages? After viewing your ad on LinkedIn 
• Engagement Score per Account – How many interactions (clicks, scroll depth, repeat visits)?
• Page Visits to Pricing / Demo / Customer Agreement – Signals interest in buying.
• G2 / Review Site Traffic – Accounts checking alternatives show strong intent. (Use LinkedIn + G2 intent data). 
• Interactive Demo Engagement – Accounts that launched the demo and completed specific steps

3. Decision / Conversion

If your prospect is already in the Bottom of the Funnel (BoFu) stage, the goal is conversion, you should opt for the following objectives on LinkedIn:

• Lead Generation Ads
  
  • Ideal for capturing leads directly on LinkedIn. Tip: Use pre-filled forms to reduce drop-off rates.
  • Example: A B2B ad tech company promotes an exclusive industry report with a Lead Gen Form—asking only for a business email and job title.
• Website Conversions
  
  • Best for demos, trials, and gated content downloads.
  • Requires setting up LinkedIn Insight Tag or a solution like Factors for accurate tracking.
  • Example: A freemium-based SaaS company runs a “Start Your Free Trial” campaign targeting operations managers.
• Job Seekers
  
  • Best for hiring (Recruiters, HR teams).
  • Uses LinkedIn’s job-matching algorithm.

Here’s an example: 

With these campaigns, you can drive accounts to take high-value conversion actions, like downloading assets or engaging in RFP-related activities. 

Key Metrics to Track:

• High-Value Content Downloads: Includes Gartner Reports, Industry Benchmark Reports, RFP guides, ROI Calculators, and other in-depth resources.
• Live Demo Requests: Strongest buyer intent signal.

Sign up for Free Trial: Direct engagement with the product.