LinkedIn Ads Tutorial

How to Run LinkedIn Ads for B2B Growth

Let’s be honest—if your business is targeting professionals, companies, or decision-makers, LinkedIn Ads is where the money’s at. It may not be as flashy as Facebook or IG, but LinkedIn is a goldmine for B2B leads, recruitment, and high-ticket services.

I've run LinkedIn campaigns for both small startups and serious corporate clients, and here’s what I’ve learned from hands-on experience.

💡 What Are LinkedIn Ads?

LinkedIn Ads are paid promotions that appear across LinkedIn’s feed, messages, and sidebar. You can use them to reach professionals based on job title, industry, company size, location, and more.

Whether you're selling software, offering services, hiring top talent, or building thought leadership, LinkedIn Ads let you speak directly to decision-makers.

How to Run LinkedIn Ads (Step-by-Step)

Here’s my no-fluff process for setting up and running effective LinkedIn Ads:

1. Create a LinkedIn Business Page

You need a company page to run ads. You can create one here:
👉 Create LinkedIn Page

2. Set Up LinkedIn Campaign Manager

Go to LinkedIn Campaign Manager and create an ad account. This is where you'll manage all campaigns, ads, and reporting.

3. Choose Your Campaign Objective

Just like other ad platforms, you’ll pick a goal. Options include:

• Brand awareness

• Website visits

• Engagement

• Lead generation

• Website conversions

• Job applicants

👉 More on campaign objectives

4. Define Your Target Audience

This is where LinkedIn shines. You can target based on:

• Job title

• Job function or seniority

• Company industry or size

• Skills, degrees, or fields of study

• Company name (great for account-based marketing)

You can also upload your email list or company list for Matched Audiences.

5. Choose Ad Format

LinkedIn offers several formats:

• Single Image Ads (standard news feed ads)

• Video Ads (for storytelling or demos)

• Carousel Ads (multiple images/slides)

• Message Ads (sent to users' inboxes)

• Conversation Ads (interactive message format)

• Text Ads (sidebar ads)

• Spotlight Ads (dynamic sidebar with personalization)

👉 Explore all ad formats

6. Set Your Budget and Schedule

LinkedIn ads are typically more expensive than Facebook or IG, but you're paying for professional reach. You can choose:

• Daily Budget

• Total Budget

• Bid Strategy (manual or automated)

Start small (₦5,000–₦10,000/day) while testing. Learn more about bidding and budgeting.

7. Create Your Ad and Launch

Upload your creatives, write your copy, and set your call to action. Pro tip: Keep it short and value-driven. For lead generation, try using LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms so people can submit details without leaving LinkedIn.

👉 Lead Gen Forms Guide

Payment Methods for LinkedIn Ads

LinkedIn supports:

• Credit/Debit Cards (Visa, Mastercard, AmEx)

• Monthly invoicing (for large ad accounts or agencies)

You can manage billing from the top-right menu in Campaign Manager.
👉 Billing FAQs

Why I Recommend LinkedIn Ads

1. Professional Audience

You’re not wasting impressions on random users. You’re reaching business people, decision-makers, and specialists.

2. Precise B2B Targeting

No other platform lets you target by job title, company size, or industry as accurately as LinkedIn.

3. Lead Quality Is High

Leads from LinkedIn are usually more qualified, especially for services and high-ticket offers.

4. Great for Thought Leadership

Even if you're not selling, LinkedIn Ads help grow your brand authority and audience.

5. Lead Gen Forms Boost Conversions

Because users don’t need to leave the platform, conversion rates are often better—especially on mobile.

Final Thoughts

LinkedIn Ads aren’t cheap—but if your offer is solid and your targeting is right, the return on investment can be huge. Especially for service providers, consultants, SaaS companies, and B2B brands.

If you’ve never tried LinkedIn Ads, I’d suggest starting with a Lead Gen campaign, targeting a few job titles in your niche, and offering a freebie or valuable guide. Watch how the leads come in.