LinkedIn Ads Targeting: Best Practices & Pro Tips (2025)

Name: B2B Ads Assistant
Brand: B2B Ads Assistant
Price: 49 USD
Availability: InStock

Stop wasting your budget on the wrong audience. This is your strategist-grade, field-tested guide to LinkedIn Ads targeting, with frameworks, examples, and pro tips for elite results.

Real-World Targeting Recipes 🔥

Recipe 1: UK SaaS Decision-Makers

Account List: Top 200 SaaS companies in the UK (upload CSV)
Job Title: "Head of IT," "CTO," "IT Director"
Seniority: Director+
Exclusions: Students, job seekers, competitors
Result: 8,000–15,000 audience, high intent

Recipe 2: Logistics Fleet Managers (ABM + Function)

Account List: UK logistics companies (CRM export)
Job Title: "Fleet Manager," "Operations Director"
Function: Operations, Logistics
Seniority: Manager+
Exclusions: Interns, students, competitors
Result: 5,000–10,000 audience, pipeline-ready

Recipe 3: B2B Retargeting (Website Visitors)

Audience: Website visitors in last 90 days (Insight Tag)
Layer: Job title + company size
Exclusions: Existing customers, competitors
Result: 2,000–5,000 audience, high conversion

Common Targeting Mistakes (and How to Dodge Them) 🛑

Spray-and-pray: Targeting everyone = targeting no one. Always start with ICP and account list.
Relying only on interests/skills: Too vague for B2B. Always layer with job title/function.
Forgetting exclusions: Wastes budget on junk leads. Exclude aggressively.
Not saving audiences: Forces you to rebuild every time. Save and remix.

Advanced Segmentation & Layering 🧩

Combine filters: Job title + function + seniority + geography for laser focus.
Use Boolean logic: "AND/OR" to expand or contract audience size.
Test lookalike audiences: For scale, but always monitor quality.
Segment by funnel stage: Cold (ABM + job title), Warm (website visitors), Hot (engaged leads).
Pro Tip: Use LinkedIn's "Audience Insights" to analyze and refine.

Targeting Teardown: Real Campaign Example 🛠️

Before:
- Targeting: "Marketing" + "UK" (audience: 500,000+)
- Result: High spend, low quality, junk leads
After:
- Targeting: Account list (200 companies) + "Head of Marketing" + "Director+" + exclude students/competitors (audience: 8,500)
- Result: 3x higher CTR, 2x lower CPL, pipeline leads

📈 FAQ

Q: What's the best way to target decision-makers?
A: Upload an account list, layer with job title/function/seniority, and exclude junk roles. Use Boolean logic for precision.

Q: Should I use lookalike audiences?
A: Yes, but always layer with job title/function and monitor quality. Never use lookalikes alone for B2B.

Q: How do I exclude competitors?
A: Add competitor company names to the exclusion list in Campaign Manager. Update regularly.

Q: How big should my audience be?
A: 5,000–50,000 is ideal for B2B. Under 5,000 = slow learning. Over 100,000 = too broad.

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