INSIGHTS FROM EXPERTS ON LINKEDIN
Johnathan Dane explains why many B2B marketers fail to see a positive ROAS from LinkedIn Ads – they don’t align their budget with audience size and ad frequency. To be effective, LinkedIn Ads require a 10+ impression frequency and 80% audience penetration, which many marketers underestimate. The solution? Either increase your budget, narrow your audience, or lower your expectations to ensure a realistic return on investment.
🌱 Allison Munro calls out the overwhelming pressure marketers face to chase the latest trends – AI, attribution, outbound, and everything in between – while being expected to deliver perfect results. In reality, marketing is a constant balancing act of smart bets, strategic focus, and adapting to change, rather than a magic formula for effortless growth. She reminds CMOs and teams that not everything needs to be done at once and encourages a long-term mindset over chasing every shiny new tactic.
Roman Krs breaks down how his team used a $15K/month Google Ads budget to drive $1.1M in pipeline for a B2B SaaS company in six months. By focusing on high-intent keywords, competitor campaigns, and retargeting while continuously optimizing for conversions, they achieved a 3.55 ROAS. Key takeaways: intent matters more than traffic, bidding strategies should evolve with performance data, and retargeting plays a crucial role in converting B2B leads over time.
Robert Kaminski 🎯 argues that “brand strategy” is often too vague and overused, making it difficult to define and act upon. Instead of broadly stating they’re working on brand, professionals should be more specific – either as “controllers” enforcing brand consistency (guidelines, reviews, training) or as marketers executing tangible tasks like copywriting. Without this clarity, the term risks being reduced to just fonts and colors in people’s minds.
Gaetano Nino DiNardi highlights research confirming that brand search volume is the biggest predictor for ranking in AI chatbots like ChatGPT. This reinforces the idea that SEO is now a branding channel – companies need to invest in brand awareness to increase search volume, which in turn boosts chatbot rankings and visibility. The takeaway? Focus on brand marketing to create a self-sustaining cycle of discovery and recommendation in AI search.
Laura Erdem challenges the perception that LinkedIn Ads are too expensive, arguing that new tools are making them more cost-effective. With the Conversions API (CAPI) reducing cost per qualified lead by 39% and the Revenue Attribution Report (RAR) enabling deeper long-term tracking, LinkedIn Ads are becoming more ROI-driven. If you’re not leveraging AI-powered optimization and attribution tools, you’re likely missing out on a smarter way to justify and scale your ad spend.
Adam Holmgren shares how Fibbler grew from 1 to 145 paying customers in 12 months – all through a self-serve motion. He emphasizes that PLG isn’t just about adding a self-serve model but ensuring users can navigate the product independently. His key takeaways include building for self-service from day one, tracking conversion impact, and prioritizing fast support. On the flip side, he warns against relying too much on guided tours, freemium models, or referral programs if the product isn’t solving a real problem.
Dale W. Harrison defines crucial marketing experiment concepts often misunderstood in AI-driven marketing discussions. He breaks down the difference between measurement, models, theories, and hypotheses, emphasizing that AI can find correlations but cannot establish causation through experiments. His key message – Understanding these terms helps marketers think critically and avoid making false assumptions when testing strategies.
WHAT'S NEW IN THE INDUSTRY
B2B marketers often struggle to secure budgets because Finance sees marketing as a cost center rather than a growth driver. However, research shows that effective marketing accelerates cash flow, reduces costs, and minimizes risk – critical factors in financial decision-making. To unlock bigger budgets, marketers must learn to frame their value using the language of investors, focusing on revenue growth, cost efficiency, and risk reduction.
A new WFA and Oxford study explores how marketing teams must evolve to stay competitive. Based on insights from nearly 600 executives, the research highlights the biggest challenges CMOs face and the key skills future marketers need. The report also offers strategies for long-term, sustainable impact, helping CMOs future-proof their teams.
Microsoft is experimenting with Local business tags in Bing search ads, giving nearby advertisers an edge in attracting local customers. Additional blue-tag labels, like Made in USA, Deal, and Free Shipping, aim to highlight key selling points and boost click-through rates. While not yet permanent, these tags could act as free ad extensions, helping businesses stand out in search results without extra cost.
Reddit is rolling out a new feature that lets users hide ads from specific advertisers for at least a year, giving them greater control over their ad experience. The feature, which works alongside Reddit’s existing ad reporting function, will be gradually introduced across iOS, Android, and desktop. This move pushes advertisers to improve targeting and ad quality, as poor experiences could lead to long-term audience loss.
Bing is testing a new ad-heavy search format where users report seeing at least seven sponsored listings per page, leaving little room for organic results. This shift could make it harder for advertisers to stand out while driving up competition and costs for ad placements. If widely implemented, Bing’s approach may test user patience and reshape paid search dynamics.
Google Ads now allows advertisers to control where Demand Gen campaigns appear across its platforms, but reporting limitations remain. While the feature provides better placement control, performance data is still grouped under “Google-owned channels,” preventing detailed insights by platform. Until full channel segmentation is available, many advertisers may hesitate to adjust their campaigns.
Microsoft will require advertisers targeting the EEA, UK, and Switzerland to secure explicit user consent before tracking data, or risk losing key campaign insights. The enforcement applies to those using Universal Event Tracking (UET), with non-compliance potentially disrupting retargeting and conversion tracking. Advertisers should update their consent management systems now to avoid performance issues.
Google is improving Performance Max campaigns by showing which search terms trigger ads, allowing advertisers to add negative keywords directly from the report. This long-awaited update addresses a major transparency issue, giving advertisers more control while maintaining AI-driven optimization. As the rollout continues, this change could make Performance Max campaigns more appealing to hesitant marketers.
That’s the scoop for this week! If you found this valuable and any useful insights caught your eye, feel free to share them with your network.
Until next week!
