However, there’s a catch. Success on LinkedIn doesn’t come from running ads in isolation. It comes from aligning your paid campaigns with the marketing funnel and measuring what matters. Every stage of the funnel serves a distinct purpose. At the top, the goal is to build awareness and brand recall. In the middle, the focus shifts to driving engagement and consideration. At the bottom the objective is to convert interest into tangible results.

Now, let’s go through each stage of the funnel in more detail and unpack the tactics, ad formats and measurement strategies that turn each phase into a growth engine for your brand.

Top of funnel: building awareness where it counts

At the awareness stage your goal is visibility. Whether you’re launching a new product, repositioning your brand or staying competitive, this is where you introduce your story to the right audience. Your content strategy here should focus on value-driven story, not hard selling. The goal is to educate, inspire, and spark curiosity rather than pushing for conversions. Video ads are ideal for storytelling and education, while document ads allow you to share insights that position your brand as a thought leader. Carousel ads are another strong option, enabling you to showcase multiple value points in a few swipes.

Metrics such as reach, impressions and ad frequency matter most at this stage because they indicate how often your brand is being seen and whether it’s cutting through. Don’t obsess over clicks just yet at this stage as success here is about brand recall, not immediate action.

Middle of funnel: turning awareness into action

Once you’ve captured attention; it’s time to nurture interest. Mid-funnel campaigns aim to deepen engagement and encourage prospects to take the next step, whether that’s visiting your site or reading a case study. This is where you start moving from “Who we are” to “Why we matter”.

Promoting events, webinars, or whitepapers can be highly effective at this stage. Retargeting ads are especially powerful, enabling you to re-engage users who previously interacted with your top-of-funnel content and keep your brand top of mind.

Metrics like clicks, click-through rate and engagement rate are critical here because they show how effectively your content drives traffic and interaction. This is the stage where you start to see intent forming, so make sure your content delivers on the promise of your ads.

Bottom of funnel: converting interest into leads

At the bottom of the funnel, your goal is conversion. This is where you turn engaged prospects into leads, and hopefully eventually, customers. LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms, paired with strong calls-to-action (CTA) and personalised messaging are particularly effective. Offering high-value assets like reports or demos can further increase conversion rates.

At this stage, the metrics that matter most include leads generated, conversion rate, cost per lead and lead form completion rate. It’s important to remember to optimise your forms for ease and speed because even small barriers, such as non-native forms which require you to visit another website or asking for too much information from a user, can cause potential leads to drop off. This is where precision pays off. The right combination of message, audience and offer can transform interest into measurable impact.

Clarity drives campaign success

Effective LinkedIn marketing starts with clarity. Define your objective, align your strategy and focus on meaningful metrics. Missteps, whether they be in planning or execution, can drain budgets and derail results. To drive real impact, brands must meet their audience where they are in the journey and deliver timely, relevant messaging.

The brands that thrive on LinkedIn build full-funnel experiences. They tailor formats to each stage, align creative with intent and measure success using stage-specific KPIs. When done right, LinkedIn transforms from a social network into a performance powerhouse that drives real results.

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