INSIGHTS FROM EXPERTS ON LINKEDIN
Søren Vasø says your closed‑lost dashboard is basically a free roadmap for getting better at winning deals. He explains that when you track who you lose to and why, patterns start to show, whether it’s deal size, industry, buyer persona, product gaps or pricing. Once you understand those signals, you can fix positioning, messaging and processes so fewer deals slip away.
Anna Hamill highlights new WARC data showing that ad growth is being driven by pricing power and a surge of digital‑native budgets rather than consumer spending. She notes that SMBs, retail media networks and trade‑marketing funds are pouring money into platforms that promise speed and accountability. This shift means brand‑building is becoming even more important as volume-driven growth slows.
Katerina Fotiadi shares a practical playbook for early‑stage startups to grow without burning cash, starting with turning founders and employees into the content engine. She recommends building feature and “Alternative to X” pages, launching a simple Slack community, positioning yourself as the better alternative to the market giant and using cheap-but-effective LinkedIn text ads. Lean into authenticity, smart SEO, community and clear positioning instead of expensive campaigns.
George Terry argues that most marketers overestimate how many ideal buyers actually see their organic content. He points out that followers, engagers and real budget holders rarely overlap, making organic reach unreliable for influencing the people who matter. Paid media, especially on LinkedIn, gives you the control and frequency needed to consistently reach decision‑makers.
Hailey McDonald says campaigns fall apart when marketers prioritize internal KPIs over what buyers actually need. She explains how pressure from sales, finance and leadership pushes teams into tactics that serve the company, not the customer. When you refocus on buyer triggers and behavior, everything, from messaging to spend, starts working better.
Konstantin Vashkevich argues that Google Search captures demand but doesn’t create it, especially as AI overviews shrink top‑of‑funnel traffic. He breaks down why low‑volume keywords and informational queries won’t drive real growth. He uses Search mainly for brand protection, supporting SEO and converting awareness created by other channels.
Dave Gerhardt says marketers do their best work when they’re not forced to prove ROI on every single activity. That freedom makes space for brand building, trust, attention and word of mouth, the things that actually move markets. He stresses that part of the job is teaching internal teams how marketing really works and why the long game matters.
David Kirkdorffer (he/him) explains that LinkedIn’s new BREW algorithm reduces reach because it’s built to cut compute costs, not maximize distribution. The lighter model narrows distribution faster, shortens testing windows and favors posts with clear topics and decision-focused signals. He notes that reach isn’t free anymore, and teams need to adapt to a more constrained environment.
Carolyn Dilks shows that a SaaS company’s low win rate wasn’t a sales issue at all it was that most “opportunities” were created before prospects had any real marketing engagement. The strongest deals were ice cold when sales touched them, forcing reps to build awareness and close in the same short window. When marketing disappears during prospecting, she says you end up with pipeline that looks big but converts terribly.
Miikka-Markus Leskinen explains that LinkedIn’s Audience Network just got safer thanks to new impression‑level reporting and whitelisting options. Advertisers can now see exactly where their ads appear and choose which sites and apps to include. He notes that while LAN has had quality concerns, it also offers perks like proper PDF rendering for Document Ads and logged‑in traffic returning to LinkedIn.
Adam Treboutat shares a six‑week test showing that increasing branded search spend mostly cannibalized organic clicks instead of driving incremental traffic. Even an 11x budget increase produced only a tiny net gain, making the cost per incremental click skyrocket. Brands should regularly test their branded spend, because many are paying for traffic they already own.
WHAT'S NEW IN THE INDUSTRY
Google is rolling out a new bidding option that lets Android App campaigns optimize for view‑through conversions, shifting app advertising toward video influence rather than pure clicks. The update gives advertisers clearer control over how video impressions contribute to installs and makes upper‑funnel activity more measurable. It’s especially useful for teams running YouTube or in‑feed video who care about awareness and long‑term growth.
Broad match has evolved into a machine‑learning‑driven system that works hand‑in‑hand with Smart Bidding, giving Google more room to interpret intent at auction time. The upside is more reach and potential growth, but the risk is drift, where campaigns hit cheap conversions while quietly moving away from real commercial intent. To keep it on track, advertisers need strong conversion goals, audience signals, negative keyword structures, and brand controls so the system expands intelligently instead of chaotically.
LinkedIn is making its top‑of‑feed Reserved Ads available to all managed accounts, giving marketers guaranteed premium placement at a fixed rate. Early results show big lifts in dwell time, view‑through rates, and impression delivery, making it a strong play for visibility and early‑funnel impact. By anchoring awareness at the top of the feed, brands can build stronger retargeting pools and see higher mid‑funnel engagement.
A new Seismic survey shows a widening gap between how younger and older buyers want to engage, with Gen Z leaning into AI tools, social content, and modern outreach, while Boomers stick to traditional channels and research-heavy materials. These differences affect everything from trust in AI to preferred communication methods, forcing sellers to adapt their approach by generation. Teams that blend personalization with the right tech will connect better across age groups.
Salesforce is buying Qualified to bring real‑time AI sales agents directly into its Agentforce platform, automating early‑stage interactions like chat, qualification, and routing. The move strengthens Salesforce’s push toward an “agent‑first” go‑to‑market model, helping teams scale without adding headcount. With buyers expecting AI from the first touch, Salesforce is positioning itself as the hub for fully automated, AI‑powered revenue operations.
Google is giving Demand Gen campaigns the same location controls already available in Search, letting advertisers choose between “presence” or “presence or interest” directly in the interface. This removes messy workarounds and helps prevent geo‑leakage, leading to cleaner traffic and more reliable measurement. With better targeting baked in, Demand Gen becomes easier to manage and less likely to waste spend outside intended markets.
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!
