Why aren’t your LinkedIn Ads working? 8 common mistakes that are costing you money (and how to fix them)

LinkedIn allows you to precisely reach the right people in companies: managers, directors, or other decision-makers. However, many advertisers create groups that are too large when planning their campaigns and additionally enable the “expand audience” option, in most cases, this is a big mistake! Vague and overly broad targeting make it challenging to reach the intended audience effectively.

If you’ve been using overly broad targeting in LinkedIn Ads, it’s time to refine it. Build smaller, more precise target group segments. Instead of one campaign with tens of thousands of recipients, create several campaigns tailored to smaller, more targeted groups. Test different groups in separate campaigns instead of putting everything into one “bag.” This will also make it easier for you to analyze and draw conclusions!

Even effective advertising with a large budget will not be enough if you do not maintain your LinkedIn profile. Advertising is a point of contact with a potential customer, but the decision-making process does not happen immediately. Such a customer will want to learn more about their future business partner, so you also need to maintain your profile and publish organic content. The advertising message alone may not be enough, especially if the customer plans to establish a long-term relationship with you. That’s why it’s the combination of paid and organic traffic on LinkedIn that yields the best results.

Preparing ads in only one format is usually a mistake! Even if you think a particular format is the best and most effective, reality may prove you wrong. One format may be suitable for building brand awareness, while another may be better for presenting an offer or selling a service.

This is one of the myths I encounter most often. “Only bigger players have a chance on LinkedIn” — if you think this way and don’t even try, you’re already losing! The minimum monthly budget you can start with on LinkedIn Ads is PLN 1,200. If, on the other hand, you have a budget of PLN 3,500 per month, you can already create advanced campaign structures successfully. Small companies become big ones one day precisely because they are not afraid to try.

Many companies define a specific audience and target them exclusively with their ads, overlooking the benefits of remarketing. This is a big mistake! Why?

In the B2B sector, purchasing decisions usually take weeks or even months. According to the Dreamdata LinkedIn Ads Benchmarks Report 2025, the average B2B purchasing decision process takes as long as 211 days! In turn, the decision-making process typically involves an average of 6-7 decision-makers, who connect through 3-4 channels and 76 points of contact. This means that during this period, the company should reach the potential customer several times, preferably with different messages.

Source: dreamdata.io

A well-chosen target group will not be enough if the message itself is, colloquially speaking, “poor.” Remember that at first, the user only sees a short piece of text and graphics or video. If you convey most of the details in the text, it is the graphics and text preview that determine whether the user will read the entire post. Ensure that your visual materials are visually appealing and that the whole ad is properly laid out.

You can also take a more creative advertising approach, using not only your company profile but also involving your employees in the process. According to the Dreamdata LinkedIn Ads Benchmarks Report 2025, ads based on posts by people who share their experiences, such as leaders, have up to 2.3 times higher CTR than classic formats. This means that authentic and personal content from employees or experts builds trust and engagement better than communication from a company profile.

Are you using LinkedIn Ads analytics? If you only check the number of views, CTR, or number of leads, it will not be enough to draw advanced conclusions. Focus on the quality of traffic and conversions throughout the sales funnel.

Unless you are targeting the United States with your campaign, do not run ads on the “LinkedIn Audience Network.” What is this network? It is a collection of external websites and partner applications where LinkedIn can also run your ads, similar to the “Google Display Network.” On the Polish market, the quality of the sites offered within this network is often low, which is why I usually do not recommend using it.

However, if, for some reason, such activities are justified in your case, carefully analyze the target sites and prepare lists of allowed and excluded domains.

LinkedIn is the most effective growth channel for B2B brands. Although advertising on it is not the cheapest, it offers the highest return on investment, the best targeting, and a real impact on sales. Marketers should treat this channel as a source of leads and a complete ecosystem for building demand and trust among potential customers.

Source: dreamdata.io

What can you do to avoid these mistakes?

• Create several targeted campaigns for more specific, smaller target groups.
• Remember to update your profile and publish original, organic content on a regular basis.
• Test formats and experiment to find the most effective one.
• Don’t be afraid to create campaigns, even if you have a smaller budget.
• Use remarketing to remind potential customers about your brand, as the decision-making process in B2B is often lengthy.
• Pay attention to the visual and textual aspects of your ads.
• Analyze the data at a deeper level and draw conclusions.
• Try to avoid publishing ads on the LinkedIn Audience Network.

Sources:

1. https://dreamdata.io/linkedin-ads-b2b-benchmarks