LinkedIn Ads Deep Analysis
Terminology note (Oct 2025): Campaign Groups are now called Campaigns, and Campaigns are now called Ad Sets. This skill uses the new terminology.
Process
- Collect LinkedIn Ads data (Campaign Manager export, Insight Tag status)
- Read
ads/references/linkedin-audit.mdfor full 27-check audit - Read
ads/references/benchmarks.mdfor LinkedIn-specific benchmarks - Read
ads/references/scoring-system.mdfor weighted scoring - Evaluate all applicable checks as PASS, WARNING, or FAIL
- Calculate LinkedIn Ads Health Score (0-100)
- Generate findings report with action plan
What to Analyze
Technical Setup (25% weight)
- Insight Tag installed and firing on all pages (L01)
- Conversions API (CAPI) active, launched 2025 (L02)
- Conversion events configured for full funnel
- Revenue attribution tracking enabled
- Salesforce/HubSpot CRM integration (June 2025) enables closed-loop impression-to-revenue reporting
Audience Targeting (25% weight)
- Job title targeting uses specific titles, not just functions (L03)
- Company size filtering matches ICP (L04)
- Seniority level appropriate for offer (L05)
- Matched Audiences active: retargeting + contact lists (L06)
- ABM company lists uploaded (up to 300,000 companies) (L07)
- Audience expansion OFF for precision campaigns, ON for scale (L08)
- Predictive audiences tested, replaced Lookalikes Feb 2024 (L09)
Creative Quality (20% weight)
- Thought Leader Ads active, ≥30% budget allocation for B2B (L10)
- Ad format diversity: ≥2 formats tested (L11)
- Video ads tested (L12)
- Creative refresh every 4-6 weeks (L13)
Lead Gen & Performance (15% weight)
- Lead Gen Form ≤5 fields (13% CVR benchmark) (L14)
- Lead Gen Form synced to CRM in real-time (L15)
- Campaign objective matches funnel stage (L18)
- A/B testing active: creative or audience (L19)
- Message ad frequency ≤1 per 30-45 days (L20)
Bidding & Budget (15% weight)
- Bid strategy: Start with Manual CPC. Maximum Delivery is the most expensive option. (L16)
- Daily budget ≥$50 for Sponsored Content (L17)
- CTR ≥0.44% for Sponsored Content (L21)
- CPC within benchmark: $5-7 average, senior $6.40+ (L22)
- Lead-to-opportunity rate tracked, not just CPL (L23)
- Attribution: 30-day click / 7-day view configured (L24)
- Demographics report reviewed monthly (L25)
Thought Leader Ads (TLA) Assessment
Thought Leader Ads use employee/executive personal posts as sponsored content. Non-employee members eligible since March 2025. 2-5x higher engagement than standard Sponsored Content.
- CPC typically $2.29-$4.14 vs $13.23 for standard Sponsored Content
- CTR typically 2-3x higher than corporate-branded ads
- 2-5x higher engagement (includes non-employee member TLAs since March 2025)
- Best for: B2B thought leadership, brand awareness, engagement
Evaluate:
- Are TLAs being used? (If not, HIGH priority recommendation)
- Are they getting ≥30% of total LinkedIn budget?
- Are the right employees selected (industry credibility, active posters)?
- Is post content authentic and valuable (not salesy)?
Ad Format Benchmarks
| Format | Key Metric |
|---|---|
| Document Ads | 7.00% engagement rate |
| Conversation Ads | 50-60% open rate |
Note: EU Sponsored Messaging (InMail/Conversation Ads) discontinued since Jan 2022.
LinkedIn Audience Network
Expert consensus is OFF. Quality is poor, and it dilutes campaign performance data. Disable LinkedIn Audience Network unless specifically testing with isolated budget.
ABM Strategy Assessment
For B2B Enterprise accounts:
- Company list uploaded and segmented by tier (Tier 1, 2, 3)
- Custom content per tier (personalized messaging)
- Account penetration tracking (contacts reached per target account)
- Integration with CRM/ABM platform (Demandbase, 6sense, etc.)
LinkedIn Context
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum audience size | 500 (for ads to run) |
| Lead Gen Form CVR benchmark | 13% |
| TLA CPC range | $2.29-$4.14 |
| Standard SC CPC | $13.23 average |
| Hierarchy rename | Oct 2025 (Campaign Group → Campaign → Ad) |
| Predictive Audiences | Replaced Lookalikes Feb 2024 |
Key Thresholds
| Metric | Pass | Warning | Fail |
|---|---|---|---|
| CTR (Sponsored Content) | ≥0.44% | 0.30-0.44% | <0.30% |
| CPC (average) | ≤$7.00 | $7-10 | >$10.00 |
| Lead Gen CVR | ≥10% | 5-10% | <5% |
| Message frequency | ≤1/30 days | 1/15-30 days | >1/15 days |
| TLA budget share | ≥30% | 15-30% | <15% |
Output
LinkedIn Ads Health Score
LinkedIn Ads Health Score: XX/100 (Grade: X)
Technical Setup: XX/100 ████████░░ (25%)
Audience: XX/100 ██████████ (25%)
Creative: XX/100 ███████░░░ (20%)
Lead Gen: XX/100 █████░░░░░ (15%)
Budget & Bidding: XX/100 ████████░░ (15%)
Deliverables
LINKEDIN-ADS-REPORT.md: Full 27-check findings with pass/warning/fail- TLA adoption roadmap (if not using)
- ABM strategy recommendations (for B2B)
- Lead Gen Form optimization priorities
- Quick Wins sorted by impact