LinkedIn Ads Show

NOTES
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SUMMARY
In this week's episode of the LinkedIn Ads Show, AJ Wilcox delivers a strong warning for B2B marketers: stop using LinkedIn Conversation Ads. After months of testing across multiple high-spend accounts, AJ reveals surprising evidence that Conversation Ads consistently generate significantly lower open rates than Message Ads—even when the audience, sender, subject line, and content are identical. He breaks down the data, shares LinkedIn's official explanations, explores possible causes behind the performance gap, and explains why the promised benefits of Conversation Ads may not outweigh the hidden costs. If you're running Sponsored Messaging campaigns on LinkedIn and want to maximize conversions while reducing wasted spend, this is an episode you won't want to miss.
TRANSCRIPT
For the full show transcript, see the show notes page here: Episode 168

Notes
Connect with Ruby on LinkedIn
Download the reports filled with executive thought leadership gold!
Tune in to the LinkedIn Live event with Ruby and her cutting-edge thought leaders
Join the LinkedIn Ads Fanatics and get access to our 4 courses to take you from beginner to expert. Just hit 100 members so a shoutout to our awesome LI Ads fanatics for making it such an awesome community!
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Summary
In this powerhouse episode of the The LinkedIn Ad Show, host AJ Wilcox sits down with Ruby James to unpack the explosive rise of executive thought leadership — and why it's now one of the most powerful drivers of B2B pipeline on LinkedIn. Backed by brand-new data from LinkedIn's latest Founder-Led Sales & Marketing playbook, Ruby reveals that startups with founders who post just 10 times per year generate 33% more leads — and that deals influenced by executive engagement can see up to a 120% increase in deal size. Together, they dive deep into practical strategies for mobilizing busy executives, creating authentic content that builds trust (not just noise), and amplifying it all with Thought Leader Ads for measurable ROI. If you're a B2B marketer looking to connect brand, leadership, and paid strategy into one high-performing growth engine, this episode delivers the data, tactics, and real-world examples to make it happen.
Transcript
For the full show transcript, see the show notes page here: Episode 167

Show Resources
Jack Caspino's LinkedIn profile - follow and connect!
Join the LinkedIn Ads Fanatics and get access to our 4 courses to take you from beginner to expert. Just hit 100 members so a shoutout to our awesome LI Ads fanatics for making it such an awesome community!
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Summary
In this episode of the LinkedIn Ads Show, AJ is joined by Jack Caspino, founder of ContactLevel, to dive deep into one of the most powerful – and misunderstood – tools in your LinkedIn arsenal: data enrichment for list uploads. We break down exactly how Jack is turning 40% match rates into near-100% by enriching B2B contact lists with consumer identifiers, then syncing those hyper-accurate audiences across major platforms to reach the same people everywhere for less. You'll hear a real-life case study from one of our clients, smart tactics for making the most of very small audiences (like duplicating campaigns to reset CPMs, using Thought Leader Ads and boosted posts, and layering in LinkedIn Audience Network and CTV strategically), plus a peek into ContactLevel's CRM integrations, workflow automations, and upcoming roadmap. We also kick things off with important LinkedIn platform updates you need to know—recent delivery issues with manual bidding, ad personalization, multi-format campaigns, dwell time changes, and the new campaign/ad set naming. Listen to learn how to see your own enriched match rates in action.
Transcript
For the full show transcript, see the show notes page here: Episode 166

Show Resources
Jenn Moy's LinkedIn profile - follow and connect!
Jackie Morris' LinkedIn profile - follow and connect!
Join the LinkedIn Ads Fanatics community and get access to our 4 courses to take you from beginner to expert
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Contact us with any questions, suggestions, or corrections!
Summary
B2B buying has never been more complex—decision cycles are longer, shortlists are shrinking, and deals often stall due to indecision. In this episode, I sit down with LinkedIn's Jen and Jackie to unpack how Buyer Group Targeting can help marketers reach the full buying committee—not just the end user—and drive better results. We cover LinkedIn's unique data, real-world success stories, and practical tips for layering this new targeting into your campaigns. If you're ready to boost conversions, improve cost efficiency, and win over the entire buying group, you won't want to miss this conversation.
Transcript
For the full show transcript, see the show notes page here: Episode 165

Show Resources
Coupon Code to save money on Shape.io: B2
Bidding/Budgeting Episode
Join the LinkedIn Ads Fanatics community and get access to our 4 courses to take you from beginner to expert
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Summary
Struggling to keep your LinkedIn Ads budget on track all month long? You're not alone—this week on The LinkedIn Ads Show, host AJ Wilcox dives deep into the tricky world of pacing your ad spend. From the pitfalls of daily budgets and lifetime caps to the tools and strategies that actually work, this episode is packed with expert insights to help you avoid overspending and take full control of your LinkedIn Ads campaigns. Whether you're managing budgets manually or looking for automation that actually delivers, you won't want to miss this one.
Show Transcript
For the full show transcript, see the show notes page here: Episode 164