LinkedIn Ads Errors: How to Avoid Them and Optimize Your Investment

Are your LinkedIn ads not performing as expected? Many companies face challenges when managing campaigns on this platform, especially due to unfamiliarity with its technical peculiarities. Below, we share common mistakes you might be making and practical solutions to improve your return on investment.

1. Inefficient targeting: Beyond age

Why age doesn’t work on LinkedIn

LinkedIn doesn’t collect direct data on users’ age, unlike platforms such as Facebook or Instagram. When you select this criterion, the system attempts to infer it through behavioral patterns or indirect data, resulting in imprecise targeting. For example, a 50-year-old professional with an updated profile might be erroneously classified as “under 30” if their activity resembles that of younger users.

Effective alternatives for targeting

Instead of relying on age, use variables directly related to the professional context:

• Years of experience: Filter by ranges such as “less than 3 years” or “more than 10 years in the industry”.
• Seniority level: Director, manager, specialist, or recent graduate.
• Certified skills: Look for users with specific competencies (e.g., “Google Ads” or “agile project management”).
• Professional groups: Target ads to members of relevant communities (e.g., “Spanish Marketing Association”).

2. Uncontrolled audience expansion

The risks of automatic expansion

When activating the “Expand audience” option in LinkedIn Ads, the platform extends your targeting to users with similar but less relevant profiles. This happens because the algorithm prioritizes volume over quality, including people with tangential interests or non-strategic roles.

Strategies to maintain quality

• Predictive audiences: Use historical conversion data to create models that identify users with behavior patterns similar to your ideal customers. LinkedIn compares these patterns with its database and finds high-quality matches.
• Strategic exclusions:
  • Block lists: Exclude competing companies, current employees, or unrelated industries.
  • Irrelevant locations: If your service only operates in Spain, eliminate countries where you have no presence.
• Layered targeting: Combine criteria such as “IT Managers in companies with 500+ employees” + “Members of cybersecurity groups” to refine reach.

3. Underutilizing the potential of formats and metrics

The diversity of formats on LinkedIn

Limiting yourself to static text ads or single image ads is a common mistake. The platform offers more dynamic options:

Documents: Ideal for educational content:

• Technical guides: E.g., “How to implement AI in human resources”.
• Success stories: Show concrete results with verifiable data.
• Downloadable templates: Offer useful resources (e.g., GDPR compliance checklist).

Thought Leader Ads: Boost the visibility of executives or experts from your company:

• Short videos: A CEO explaining industry trends.
• Sponsored articles: Long-form publications with valuable insights.
• Interactive polls: E.g., “What challenge will you prioritize in 2025? A) Automation B) Cybersecurity”.

Interactive video: Works especially well for:

• Product demonstrations: Show key features in action.
• Customer testimonials: Use subtitles to capture attention without audio.
• Step-by-step tutorials: E.g., “How to set up your first LinkedIn Ads campaign”.

4. Technical setup: The missing link

LinkedIn Insight Tag: More than just a pixel

Many advertisers install this tag but don’t configure it completely, limiting their measurement capabilities. To make the most of it:

1. Custom events:
   • Record actions such as “download report” or “schedule demo”.
   • Create remarketing audiences based on visited pages (e.g., users who viewed pricing but didn’t purchase).
2. Multi-channel attribution: Use the 30-day conversion model to understand how LinkedIn interacts with other channels (email, social media).
3. Audience exclusions: Avoid showing ads to those who have already completed a conversion, using rules like “Exclude users who visited /thanks”.

5. Brand safety: Protect your reputation

Audience network risks

LinkedIn allows your ads to appear on external sites of its Audience Network. Without adequate controls, you could be associated with inappropriate content or competitors.

Proactive solutions:

• Blocklists: Exclude specific domains (e.g., controversial news sites or competing job portals).
• Content categories: Disable options like “User-generated content” or “Entertainment sites” if they’re not relevant.
• Frequency controls: Limit how often a user sees your ad to avoid saturation (ideal: 3-5 impressions per week).

6. Mobile-first: Design for mobile devices

Why it’s essential

62% of LinkedIn traffic comes from smartphones (2024 data). Ads not optimized for mobile have a 50% lower CTR.

Key points for mobile:

• Vertical design: Videos and documents in 9:16 format.
• Concise texts: Maximum 150 characters in the main copy.
• Touchable buttons: CTAs like “Register now” with large click areas.
• Loading speed: Compress images to load in less than 3 seconds.

A/B Testing: Beyond text

Most test text variations, but visual and technical elements also impact. Key variables to test:

• Publication schedules: E.g., workday mornings vs. afternoons.
• Image types: Infographics vs. team photos.
• Placement: LinkedIn feed vs. direct messages.
• Lead forms: Short (3 fields) vs. detailed (5+ fields).

Budget and bids: Optimize every euro

Common mistakes:

• Automatic bids without limits: Generate excessive costs per click.
• Unequal distribution: Allocating equal budget to all formats.

Advanced strategies:

• Manual bids by objective:
  • Awareness: Bid for 1,000 impressions.
  • Consideration: Bid for clicks or video views.
  • Conversion: Bid for leads or sales.
• Geographic adjustments: Allocate more budget to cities with higher historical ROI.
• Strategic pauses: Stop campaigns on weekends if your audience is B2B.

Correcting these mistakes will not only improve the performance of your campaigns but also help you build stronger relationships with your professional audience. The key is to adapt to LinkedIn’s particularities: a platform where precision, content quality, and detailed tracking make the difference between success and inappropriate spending. Implement these adjustments, analyze metrics in depth, and remember: in LinkedIn Ads, less is more when it comes to well-targeted audiences and highly relevant messages.