3 learnings, from 3 weeks running LinkedIn ads
Let’s get this out of the way: I’m no LinkedIn ads guru. Far from it.
But as a new CMO transitioning from agency life to SaaS marketing, I’ve been deep in the weeds of running our first LinkedIn campaigns. And, true to form, I made plenty of rookie mistakes. So, in the spirit of learning out loud, here are three things I’ve picked up in my first three weeks.
①
Audience Analysis Paralysis:
I Overthought Everything
I spent two weeks obsessing over the perfect audience—tweaking, refining, second-guessing, and overanalyzing every possible combination. Should we target job titles? Company size? Industries? Buyer intent?
Turns out, it’s better to start broad and optimize later.
Takeaways:
✅ Start with a minimum audience size of 40k. Anything smaller and LinkedIn’s algorithm struggles to deliver results efficiently.
✅ Use first-party data if you have it. CRM lists, website visitors, and engaged audiences will always outperform cold targeting.
✅ Keep it simple. Start with 2-3 key audience segments and refine based on performance.
✅ Layer targeting progressively. Instead of over-narrowing, start with job function + industry, then refine with company size or seniority based on results.
✅ LinkedIn’s AI helps. Let the platform’s automated expansion tools do some of the heavy lifting before locking things down.
②
Grand Designs Delusion:
Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day
I had a beautifully complex campaign mapped out. Multiple creatives, segmented audiences, nurture sequences—the works. And then reality hit: We needed to start smaller and iterate.
Instead of over-engineering the first launch, I should have started lean and scaled up based on what worked.
Takeaways:
✅ Launch with less creative. One or two ad variations are enough to start learning.
✅ Spend smart. A lower budget at first lets you test before scaling up.
✅ Build a weekly runway. Add layers (retargeting, creative updates) incrementally, rather than all at once.
✅ Avoid perfection paralysis. Good enough and live beats perfect and delayed.
✅ Think in phases. Break big plans into manageable chunks—test, refine, expand.
③
Test and Learn, But Plan Ahead
“Just test it and see what happens” sounds great until you realize you didn’t define what you were testing for.
What I’ve learned is that testing is only useful when it follows a structured plan. What are we actually trying to learn? And what’s the next logical step after that?
Takeaways:
✅ Start with 2-3 core hypotheses. Example: "Does job function targeting outperform industry targeting?" "
✅ Have a 3-5 step roadmap. Plan for how you’ll adapt based on results, rather than reacting on the fly.
✅ Isolate variables.Change one thing at a time—if you tweak targeting and creative simultaneously, you won’t know what made the difference.
✅ Look at leading indicators. Don’t wait for pipeline data—CTR and engagement rates can tell you if you’re on the right track.
✅ Predefine success. Set clear benchmarks for what good performance looks like before you launch.
💡
Bonus Learning:
Just. Get. It. Live…
If I could go back and tell myself one thing before starting: Get the first version live faster.
Sub-optimal creative? Fine. Looser targeting? Acceptable. Smaller budget? No problem. The best teacher is the marketplace itself.
LinkedIn gives you live feedback—performance data, engagement insights, audience behavior. Every delay in launching is a delay in learning.
Final Thought
I’m still figuring this out, and these learnings might evolve as I go. But if you’re on the same path—new to LinkedIn ads, shifting from an agency role, or just trying to make sense of B2B marketing—hopefully this helps.
Would love to hear from others: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from running LinkedIn ads?