20 min read
LinkedIn Targeting & ABM
Professional demographics, company targeting, Matched Audiences, and account-based marketing strategies.
Introduction to LinkedIn Targeting
LinkedIn's targeting capabilities are the platform's primary competitive advantage. With access to self-reported, verified professional data from over 1 billion members, LinkedIn enables precision B2B targeting impossible on any other advertising platform. Members actively maintain their profiles for career networking, ensuring high data accuracy.
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LinkedIn Targeting Data Sources:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ WHY LINKEDIN TARGETING EXCELS │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Self-Reported Data Profile Currency │
│ ├── Members update profiles ├── Career advancement motive │
│ ├── Professional accuracy ├── Regular updates │
│ ├── No inference required ├── Verified employment │
│ └── Direct attribute targeting └── Real-time changes │
│ │
│ Targeting Categories Available: │
│ ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ Category Data Points Accuracy │
│ ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ Job Titles 30,000+ Very High │
│ Job Functions 26 categories Very High │
│ Seniority 8 levels Very High │
│ Skills 35,000+ High (self-reported) │
│ Company Names 58M+ companies Very High │
│ Company Size 8 ranges Very High │
│ Industries 148 categories Very High │
│ Education 250K+ schools High │
│ Groups 2M+ groups High (behavioral) │
│ Interests Derived Medium (inferred) │
│ │
│ Comparison to Other Platforms: │
│ • Google: Intent-based (what people search) │
│ • Meta: Interest-based (content engagement) │
│ • LinkedIn: Identity-based (who people are) │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Professional Attribute Targeting
Professional attributes form the foundation of LinkedIn targeting, allowing you to reach specific personas based on their career identity.
Job-Based Targeting
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Job Targeting Options:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ JOB TITLES │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ How It Works: │
│ ├── 30,000+ standardized job titles │
│ ├── LinkedIn normalizes member-entered titles │
│ ├── "Marketing Manager" matches variations │
│ └── Similar titles automatically grouped │
│ │
│ Targeting Modes: │
│ ├── Exact: Only the specific title │
│ └── Similar: Includes related titles (default) │
│ │
│ Example Title Groupings: │
│ "Chief Marketing Officer" includes: │
│ ├── CMO │
│ ├── Chief Marketing Officer │
│ ├── VP Marketing (sometimes) │
│ └── Head of Marketing (sometimes) │
│ │
│ Best Practices: │
│ ├── Target 5-10 titles per campaign │
│ ├── Review "similar titles" preview │
│ ├── Exclude irrelevant grouped titles │
│ └── Consider title variations by region │
│ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ JOB FUNCTIONS │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Available Functions (26): │
│ ├── Accounting ├── Legal │
│ ├── Administrative ├── Marketing │
│ ├── Arts and Design ├── Media and Communications │
│ ├── Business Development ├── Military and Protective Services │
│ ├── Community Services ├── Operations │
│ ├── Consulting ├── Product Management │
│ ├── Education ├── Program and Project Management │
│ ├── Engineering ├── Purchasing │
│ ├── Entrepreneurship ├── Quality Assurance │
│ ├── Finance ├── Real Estate │
│ ├── Healthcare Services ├── Research │
│ ├── Human Resources ├── Sales │
│ └── Information Technology└── Support │
│ │
│ Usage: Broader than titles, good for initial testing │
│ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ JOB SENIORITY │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Seniority Levels (8): │
│ ├── Unpaid Entry-level │
│ ├── Training Intern/student │
│ ├── Entry Individual contributor │
│ ├── Senior Experienced IC │
│ ├── Manager People manager │
│ ├── Director Senior management │
│ ├── VP Executive leadership │
│ ├── CXO C-suite executives │
│ └── Partner Ownership/partnership │
│ └── Owner Business owner │
│ │
│ Common Combinations: │
│ ├── Decision-makers: Director + VP + CXO │
│ ├── Influencers: Manager + Senior │
│ ├── Users: Entry + Senior │
│ └── All levels: Full funnel coverage │
│ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Experience Ranges: │
│ ├── 1-2 years │
│ ├── 3-5 years │
│ ├── 6-10 years │
│ ├── 10+ years │
│ │
│ Note: Based on total career, not current role │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Skills & Interests Targeting
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Skills and Interest Targeting:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ MEMBER SKILLS │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ How It Works: │
│ ├── 35,000+ skills in LinkedIn taxonomy │
│ ├── Members add skills to profiles │
│ ├── Connections can endorse skills │
│ └── LinkedIn infers additional skills │
│ │
│ Skill Categories: │
│ ├── Technical: Python, AWS, Salesforce, SQL, Kubernetes │
│ ├── Soft Skills: Leadership, Project Management, Strategy │
│ ├── Industry: Digital Marketing, Financial Analysis, UX Design │
│ └── Tools: Microsoft Excel, Adobe Creative Suite, HubSpot │
│ │
│ Use Cases: │
│ ├── Technical products: Target specific tech stack skills │
│ ├── Training products: Target skill gaps │
│ ├── B2B services: Target functional expertise │
│ └── Events: Target topic-relevant skills │
│ │
│ Best Practices: │
│ ├── Layer with job function for precision │
│ ├── Use OR logic between related skills │
│ ├── Consider skill popularity (niche vs. common) │
│ └── Test technical vs. soft skills for your product │
│ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ MEMBER GROUPS │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ How It Works: │
│ ├── 2M+ LinkedIn Groups available │
│ ├── Members join groups for professional networking │
│ ├── Strong interest signal │
│ └── Target by group membership │
│ │
│ Group Types: │
│ ├── Industry groups (FinTech Professionals) │
│ ├── Job function groups (Digital Marketing Leaders) │
│ ├── Company alumni groups (Ex-Googlers) │
│ ├── Association groups (AMA Members) │
│ └── Interest groups (AI Enthusiasts) │
│ │
│ Strategy: │
│ ├── Find groups your ideal customers join │
│ ├── Research competitor-affiliated groups │
│ ├── Target industry association groups │
│ └── Combine with other targeting for precision │
│ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ MEMBER INTERESTS │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ How It Works: │
│ ├── Derived from content engagement │
│ ├── Based on articles read, liked, shared │
│ ├── Less precise than self-reported data │
│ └── Good for awareness campaigns │
│ │
│ Interest Categories: │
│ ├── General: Technology, Finance, Marketing │
│ ├── Products: CRM, Marketing Automation, Analytics │
│ └── Topics: AI, Sustainability, Remote Work │
│ │
│ Recommendation: Use as expansion, not primary targeting │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Company Targeting
Company targeting enables precise B2B campaigns reaching employees of specific organizations or company types.
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Company Targeting Options:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ COMPANY ATTRIBUTES │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ COMPANY NAMES │
│ ├── 58M+ companies in LinkedIn database │
│ ├── Target specific companies by name │
│ ├── Auto-suggest as you type │
│ ├── Requires 300+ employees on LinkedIn │
│ └── Great for ABM campaigns │
│ │
│ COMPANY INDUSTRY (148 categories) │
│ ├── Technology (Software, Internet, IT Services) │
│ ├── Financial Services (Banking, Insurance, Investment) │
│ ├── Healthcare (Hospitals, Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices) │
│ ├── Manufacturing (Automotive, Aerospace, Electronics) │
│ ├── Professional Services (Legal, Consulting, Accounting) │
│ └── And 140+ more industries │
│ │
│ COMPANY SIZE │
│ ├── Self-employed (1) │
│ ├── 2-10 employees │
│ ├── 11-50 employees │
│ ├── 51-200 employees │
│ ├── 201-500 employees │
│ ├── 501-1,000 employees │
│ ├── 1,001-5,000 employees │
│ ├── 5,001-10,000 employees │
│ └── 10,001+ employees │
│ │
│ COMPANY REVENUE (Estimated) │
│ ├── Under $1M │
│ ├── $1M - $10M │
│ ├── $10M - $50M │
│ ├── $50M - $100M │
│ ├── $100M - $500M │
│ ├── $500M - $1B │
│ └── $1B+ │
│ │
│ COMPANY GROWTH RATE │
│ ├── Negative growth │
│ ├── 0-3% growth │
│ ├── 3-10% growth │
│ ├── 10-20% growth │
│ └── 20%+ growth (high growth) │
│ │
│ COMPANY FOLLOWERS │
│ └── Target followers of specific Company Pages │
│ │
│ COMPANY CONNECTIONS │
│ └── Target 1st-degree connections of company employees │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Company Targeting Strategies
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// Company targeting strategy patterns
const companyTargetingStrategies = {
// Strategy 1: Industry + Size
industrySize: {
description: 'Standard B2B targeting',
example: {
industry: ['Computer Software', 'Information Technology'],
companySize: ['201-500', '501-1000', '1001-5000'],
seniority: ['Director', 'VP', 'CXO'],
},
audienceSize: '100K-500K typical',
useCase: 'Product launches, awareness campaigns',
},
// Strategy 2: Named Accounts (ABM)
namedAccounts: {
description: 'Target specific companies',
example: {
companyNames: ['Salesforce', 'HubSpot', 'Microsoft', 'Google'],
seniority: ['Manager', 'Director', 'VP', 'CXO'],
jobFunction: ['Marketing', 'Sales'],
},
audienceSize: '1K-50K typical',
useCase: 'ABM campaigns, enterprise sales',
},
// Strategy 3: Competitor Targeting
competitorTargeting: {
description: 'Reach competitor customers',
example: {
companyFollowers: ['Competitor Company Page'],
skills: ['Competitor Product Name'],
groups: ['Competitor User Group'],
},
audienceSize: 'Varies widely',
useCase: 'Competitive displacement, conquest campaigns',
},
// Strategy 4: High-Growth Companies
highGrowth: {
description: 'Target scaling companies',
example: {
companyGrowthRate: ['10-20%', '20%+'],
companySize: ['51-200', '201-500'],
industry: ['Technology', 'E-commerce'],
},
audienceSize: '50K-200K typical',
useCase: 'Products for scaling teams',
},
// Strategy 5: Enterprise Focus
enterprise: {
description: 'Large company decision-makers',
example: {
companySize: ['5001-10000', '10001+'],
companyRevenue: ['$1B+'],
seniority: ['VP', 'CXO'],
jobFunction: ['specific_function'],
},
audienceSize: '10K-100K typical',
useCase: 'Enterprise software, large deals',
},
};Education Targeting
Education targeting reaches professionals based on their educational background.
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Education Targeting Options:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ EDUCATION ATTRIBUTES │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ SCHOOLS │
│ ├── 250,000+ schools worldwide │
│ ├── Universities, colleges, business schools │
│ ├── Technical schools and bootcamps │
│ └── Alumni targeting for specific institutions │
│ │
│ Example Use Cases: │
│ ├── Executive MBA programs targeting undergrad alumni │
│ ├── Graduate programs targeting specific undergrads │
│ ├── Alumni associations and events │
│ └── Regional university recruiting │
│ │
│ DEGREES │
│ ├── High School │
│ ├── Associate's │
│ ├── Bachelor's │
│ ├── Master's │
│ ├── MBA │
│ ├── Doctorate (PhD) │
│ ├── Professional (JD, MD) │
│ └── Other certifications │
│ │
│ FIELDS OF STUDY │
│ ├── Business Administration │
│ ├── Computer Science │
│ ├── Engineering │
│ ├── Marketing │
│ ├── Finance │
│ ├── Psychology │
│ └── 1,000+ fields available │
│ │
│ Combination Examples: │
│ ├── MBA from Top 20 Business Schools + 5+ years experience │
│ ├── Computer Science degree + Software Engineering function │
│ ├── Law degree + Legal job function │
│ └── Any degree + Currently enrolled (student targeting) │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Matched Audiences
Matched Audiences let you reach known contacts, website visitors, and lookalike audiences derived from your first-party data.
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Matched Audience Types:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ WEBSITE RETARGETING │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Requirements: │
│ ├── Insight Tag installed on website │
│ ├── Minimum 300 matched members │
│ ├── Audience builds within 48 hours │
│ └── Maximum lookback: 180 days │
│ │
│ Audience Rules: │
│ ├── All website visitors │
│ ├── URL contains [string] │
│ ├── URL equals [exact URL] │
│ ├── URL starts with [prefix] │
│ └── Custom event-based audiences │
│ │
│ Recommended Segments: │
│ ├── All visitors (broad retargeting) │
│ ├── Product/pricing page visitors (high intent) │
│ ├── Blog readers (nurture audience) │
│ ├── Case study viewers (bottom funnel) │
│ └── Cart abandoners / demo form starters │
│ │
│ Time-Based Segments: │
│ ├── Last 7 days (hot leads) │
│ ├── Last 30 days (active interest) │
│ ├── 30-90 days (nurture) │
│ └── 90-180 days (re-engagement) │
│ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ CONTACT TARGETING │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ How It Works: │
│ ├── Upload email list (CSV) │
│ ├── LinkedIn matches to member profiles │
│ ├── 70-90% match rate typical for B2B │
│ └── Hashed upload supported (SHA256) │
│ │
│ List Requirements: │
│ ├── Minimum: 300 matches (1,000 emails uploaded) │
│ ├── Recommended: 10,000+ emails for best performance │
│ ├── Supported fields: Email (required), First Name, Last Name │
│ │ Company, Job Title, Country │
│ └── Maximum: 300,000 records per upload │
│ │
│ Use Cases: │
│ ├── Existing customers (upsell/cross-sell) │
│ ├── CRM leads (nurture campaigns) │
│ ├── Event attendees (follow-up campaigns) │
│ ├── Newsletter subscribers (conversion) │
│ └── Lost deals (re-engagement) │
│ │
│ Best Practices: │
│ ├── Use business emails (personal emails match poorly) │
│ ├── Include multiple data points for better matching │
│ ├── Keep lists updated (monthly refresh) │
│ └── Segment lists by engagement/intent level │
│ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ COMPANY LIST TARGETING (ABM) │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ How It Works: │
│ ├── Upload company names or domains │
│ ├── LinkedIn matches to Company Pages │
│ ├── Target all employees of matched companies │
│ └── Layer with attributes for precision │
│ │
│ List Requirements: │
│ ├── Minimum: 300 matched companies │
│ ├── Format: Company name and/or domain │
│ ├── Domain matching is more accurate │
│ └── Maximum: 300,000 companies per list │
│ │
│ ABM Tiering Example: │
│ ├── Tier 1: 50 named accounts (personalized campaigns) │
│ ├── Tier 2: 500 target accounts (industry campaigns) │
│ └── Tier 3: 5,000 target accounts (scaled campaigns) │
│ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ LOOKALIKE AUDIENCES │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Source Options: │
│ ├── Contact list (customer lookalike) │
│ ├── Company list (similar companies) │
│ ├── Website visitors (engaged user lookalike) │
│ └── Conversion audiences (converter lookalike) │
│ │
│ Expansion Levels: │
│ ├── 1%: Most similar (smallest, highest quality) │
│ ├── 5%: Balanced similarity and reach │
│ └── 10%: Broadest reach (less similar) │
│ │
│ Requirements: │
│ ├── Source audience minimum: 300 members │
│ ├── Recommended: 1,000+ for best modeling │
│ └── Location targeting required │
│ │
│ Best Practices: │
│ ├── Use high-quality sources (customers > leads) │
│ ├── Start with 1-5% expansion │
│ ├── Layer with attribute targeting │
│ └── Exclude source audience from campaign │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Matched Audience Implementation
code
// Building effective Matched Audiences
const matchedAudienceImplementation = {
// Website retargeting setup
websiteRetargeting: {
segments: [
{
name: 'All Visitors - 30 Days',
rule: { type: 'all_pages', timeframe: 30 },
purpose: 'Broad retargeting',
},
{
name: 'Pricing Page - 14 Days',
rule: { type: 'url_contains', value: '/pricing', timeframe: 14 },
purpose: 'High intent leads',
},
{
name: 'Demo Request Started',
rule: { type: 'url_contains', value: '/demo', timeframe: 30 },
purpose: 'Abandoned demos',
},
{
name: 'Blog Readers - 60 Days',
rule: { type: 'url_starts_with', value: '/blog', timeframe: 60 },
purpose: 'Content nurture',
},
{
name: 'Case Study Viewers',
rule: { type: 'url_contains', value: '/customers', timeframe: 30 },
purpose: 'Social proof seekers',
},
],
},
// Contact list strategy
contactListStrategy: {
lists: [
{
name: 'Current Customers',
source: 'CRM - Closed Won',
purpose: 'Upsell, cross-sell, advocacy',
refresh: 'weekly',
},
{
name: 'Active Pipeline',
source: 'CRM - Open Opportunities',
purpose: 'Influence deals, multi-thread',
refresh: 'daily',
},
{
name: 'Lost Deals - 90 Days',
source: 'CRM - Closed Lost',
purpose: 'Re-engagement campaigns',
refresh: 'monthly',
},
{
name: 'Webinar Attendees',
source: 'Marketing Automation',
purpose: 'Post-event nurture',
refresh: 'after each event',
},
{
name: 'Newsletter Engaged',
source: 'Email - Clicked last 90 days',
purpose: 'Conversion campaigns',
refresh: 'monthly',
},
],
},
// Lookalike strategy
lookalikeStrategy: {
bestSources: [
{ source: 'customers', quality: 'highest', minSize: 300 },
{ source: 'closed_won_deals', quality: 'high', minSize: 500 },
{ source: 'demo_completers', quality: 'high', minSize: 500 },
{ source: 'website_converters', quality: 'medium-high', minSize: 1000 },
],
expansionGuide: {
'1%': 'Test first, highest similarity',
'5%': 'Balance of quality and reach',
'10%': 'Scale after validating with smaller %',
},
layering: [
'Always add location targeting',
'Consider adding seniority/function',
'Test with and without industry filter',
],
},
};Account-Based Marketing (ABM)
LinkedIn is the premier platform for ABM due to its company targeting capabilities and professional audience.
code
ABM Strategy Framework:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ABM TIERING STRATEGY │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ TIER 1: Strategic Accounts (1:1) │
│ ├── Account count: 10-50 │
│ ├── Budget allocation: 30-40% │
│ ├── Approach: Highly personalized │
│ ├── Targeting: Company name + decision-maker titles │
│ ├── Creative: Company-specific messaging │
│ ├── Formats: Conversation Ads, personalized Sponsored Content │
│ └── Measurement: Account engagement score, meetings booked │
│ │
│ TIER 2: Target Accounts (1:Few) │
│ ├── Account count: 50-500 │
│ ├── Budget allocation: 40-50% │
│ ├── Approach: Industry/segment personalized │
│ ├── Targeting: Company list + function/seniority │
│ ├── Creative: Segment-specific messaging │
│ ├── Formats: Sponsored Content, Lead Gen Forms │
│ └── Measurement: Account reach %, lead volume, pipeline │
│ │
│ TIER 3: Target Market (1:Many) │
│ ├── Account count: 500-5,000+ │
│ ├── Budget allocation: 20-30% │
│ ├── Approach: Programmatic ABM │
│ ├── Targeting: Company list + broad attributes │
│ ├── Creative: Industry/persona messaging │
│ ├── Formats: All Sponsored Content formats │
│ └── Measurement: Lead volume, efficiency metrics │
│ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ABM TARGETING LAYERS │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Layer 1: Account Selection │
│ ├── Company list upload (names or domains) │
│ ├── OR: Company attributes (industry + size + growth) │
│ └── Ensure minimum 1,000 matched members │
│ │
│ Layer 2: Role Targeting │
│ ├── Job function (align to buying committee) │
│ ├── Seniority (decision-makers vs. influencers) │
│ └── Job titles (specific roles if known) │
│ │
│ Layer 3: Engagement Segmentation │
│ ├── Known contacts (email match) │
│ ├── Website visitors │
│ ├── Past ad engagers │
│ └── New/unknown contacts at accounts │
│ │
│ Example Buying Committee Targeting: │
│ ├── Economic Buyer: VP/CXO + Finance or Executive function │
│ ├── Technical Buyer: Director+ + IT or Engineering function │
│ ├── User Buyer: Manager+ + relevant function (Marketing, Sales) │
│ └── Champion: Manager/Director + specific skills or groups │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ABM Campaign Structure
code
// ABM campaign implementation
const abmCampaignStructure = {
// Campaign group setup
campaignGroups: {
tier1_strategic: {
budget: 'lifetime',
budgetAmount: 5000, // Example monthly
campaigns: [
{
name: 'Tier1_Awareness_ExecContent',
objective: 'brand_awareness',
targeting: {
companyList: 'tier1_accounts',
seniority: ['VP', 'CXO'],
jobFunction: ['all'],
},
creative: 'thought_leadership',
},
{
name: 'Tier1_Engagement_Personalized',
objective: 'engagement',
targeting: {
companyList: 'tier1_accounts',
seniority: ['Director', 'VP', 'CXO'],
jobFunction: ['target_functions'],
},
creative: 'company_specific',
},
{
name: 'Tier1_Conversion_Demo',
objective: 'lead_generation',
targeting: {
companyList: 'tier1_accounts',
seniority: ['Manager', 'Director', 'VP'],
jobFunction: ['target_functions'],
},
creative: 'demo_offer',
},
],
},
tier2_target: {
budget: 'daily',
budgetAmount: 200, // Daily
campaigns: [
{
name: 'Tier2_TopFunnel_Industry',
objective: 'website_visits',
targeting: {
companyList: 'tier2_accounts',
seniority: ['Manager', 'Director', 'VP', 'CXO'],
},
},
{
name: 'Tier2_MidFunnel_Retargeting',
objective: 'website_conversions',
targeting: {
companyList: 'tier2_accounts',
websiteVisitors: 'last_30_days',
},
},
{
name: 'Tier2_BottomFunnel_LeadGen',
objective: 'lead_generation',
targeting: {
companyList: 'tier2_accounts',
contactList: 'crm_contacts_tier2',
seniority: ['Manager', 'Director', 'VP'],
},
},
],
},
},
// Measurement framework
abmMeasurement: {
tier1: {
primary: ['account_engagement_score', 'meetings_booked', 'pipeline_created'],
secondary: ['reach_at_accounts', 'unique_members_reached', 'content_engagement'],
},
tier2: {
primary: ['mqls_generated', 'pipeline_value', 'account_penetration'],
secondary: ['cpl', 'lead_to_mql_rate', 'account_reach_%'],
},
tier3: {
primary: ['lead_volume', 'cpl', 'conversion_rate'],
secondary: ['reach', 'engagement_rate', 'pipeline_influence'],
},
},
};Targeting Best Practices
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LinkedIn Targeting Optimization:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ AUDIENCE SIZING │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Sweet Spot: 100,000 - 300,000 members │
│ │
│ Too Small (<50,000): │
│ ├── High CPMs (limited auction competition) │
│ ├── Quick audience saturation │
│ ├── Limited statistical significance │
│ ├── Delivery may be inconsistent │
│ └── Solution: Broaden targeting or use Message Ads │
│ │
│ Too Large (>500,000): │
│ ├── Less relevant impressions │
│ ├── Lower engagement rates │
│ ├── Wasted budget on wrong people │
│ ├── Harder to optimize │
│ └── Solution: Add targeting layers or segment into campaigns │
│ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ TARGETING LOGIC │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ AND Logic (Narrowing): │
│ "Job Function IS Marketing AND Company Size IS 201-500" │
│ → Must match BOTH criteria │
│ → Smaller, more precise audience │
│ → Use for: Bottom-funnel, specific personas │
│ │
│ OR Logic (Expanding): │
│ "Job Title IS CMO OR VP Marketing OR Head of Marketing" │
│ → Matches ANY of the criteria │
│ → Larger, related audience │
│ → Use for: Similar roles, broader reach │
│ │
│ Layering Strategy (Recommended): │
│ 1. Start broad with job function │
│ 2. Add seniority (AND) │
│ 3. Add company attributes (AND) │
│ 4. Check audience size │
│ 5. Adjust layers as needed │
│ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ EXCLUSIONS │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Always Exclude: │
│ ├── Current customers (contact list) │
│ ├── Current employees (company name) │
│ ├── Competitors (company names) │
│ └── Recent converters (Lead Gen Form audiences) │
│ │
│ Consider Excluding: │
│ ├── Past engagers (for prospecting campaigns) │
│ ├── Specific seniority levels (too junior/senior) │
│ ├── Specific industries (not a fit) │
│ └── Geographic regions (no sales coverage) │
│ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ TESTING FRAMEWORK │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Audience Testing Approach: │
│ 1. Create hypotheses about your ideal audience │
│ 2. Build 3-5 distinct audience segments │
│ 3. Run same creative across all segments │
│ 4. Compare performance after 7-14 days │
│ 5. Double down on winners, iterate on losers │
│ │
│ Test Variables: │
│ ├── Job titles vs job functions │
│ ├── Seniority levels (Directors vs. Managers) │
│ ├── Company size segments │
│ ├── Skills vs interests │
│ └── Matched Audiences vs attribute targeting │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘pxlpeak Integration for Targeting
code
// pxlpeak audience sync and optimization
import { pxlpeak } from '@pxlpeak/sdk';
// Sync audiences bidirectionally
await pxlpeak.linkedinAudiences.sync({
direction: 'bidirectional',
settings: {
// Import LinkedIn audiences to pxlpeak
importFromLinkedIn: {
enabled: true,
audienceTypes: ['matched_audiences', 'saved_audiences'],
},
// Export pxlpeak segments to LinkedIn
exportToLinkedIn: {
enabled: true,
segments: [
{
pxlpeakSegment: 'high_value_leads',
linkedinAudienceName: 'pxlpeak_High_Value_Leads',
refreshFrequency: 'daily',
},
{
pxlpeakSegment: 'engaged_visitors_30d',
linkedinAudienceName: 'pxlpeak_Engaged_30d',
refreshFrequency: 'daily',
},
],
},
},
});
// Audience performance analysis
const audienceAnalysis = await pxlpeak.linkedin.analyzeAudiences({
accountId: LINKEDIN_AD_ACCOUNT_ID,
dateRange: { start: '2026-01-01', end: '2026-01-31' },
metrics: ['spend', 'leads', 'cpl', 'conversion_rate'],
groupBy: ['audience_name', 'targeting_criteria'],
});
// Output audience recommendations
const recommendations = await pxlpeak.linkedin.getAudienceRecommendations({
accountId: LINKEDIN_AD_ACCOUNT_ID,
optimizationGoal: 'minimize_cpl',
});
// Example output:
// {
// topPerformingAudiences: [
// { name: 'IT Directors - Enterprise', cpl: 85, leads: 42 },
// { name: 'ABM Tier 1 - Decision Makers', cpl: 120, leads: 15 }
// ],
// recommendations: [
// { action: 'increase_budget', audience: 'IT Directors', reason: 'Below avg CPL' },
// { action: 'pause', audience: 'Entry Level', reason: 'High CPL, low quality' }
// ]
// }Related Documentation
- LinkedIn Ads Complete Guide - Platform overview and strategy
- LinkedIn Campaign Types - Ad format specifications
- Lead Gen Forms - Native lead capture optimization
- Insight Tag - Conversion tracking setup
- LinkedIn Optimization - Performance improvement strategies