Short-form video, Thought Leader Ads, personalized creative, and Qualified Lead Optimization are showing promise. Here’s how I plan to test them.
LinkedIn made some noteworthy moves last year with significant payoffs for our B2B clients. As we embrace 2026 and zero in on our yearly marketing goals, I’ve gathered some exciting insights from 2025 to help you maximize your strategies. Let’s dive into the top tests to run, including:
- Video.
- Thought Leader Ads.
- Personalized creative.
- Qualified Lead Optimization.
- Ads duplication.
Let’s explore each of these tests and the potential benefits they offer.
LinkedIn video is a must
Even though Meta and TikTok are more suited for videos, LinkedIn hasn’t shied away from the wave — especially with short-form videos (7-15 seconds). Crafting the right content is crucial for your marketing strategy. Here’s how you can leverage video effectively:
Consider new placements like First Impression Ads. Compare the performance of video ads in the feed against other ads to gauge impact and engagement.
The usual tips apply:
- Avoid just repurposing videos from others. LinkedIn users interact differently — focus on content addressing professional challenges, testimonials, or tutorials.
- Have a follow-up plan for users engaging with your video, as one video isn’t usually enough to convert immediately.
- Define a strategy to measure video engagement value, from views to actions like “Comment X for the full guide.”
Dig deeper: LinkedIn study reveals how B2B video ads can gain +129% engagement lift
The SEO toolkit you know, plus the AI visibility data you need.
People respond to people, so try Thought Leader Ads
Engaging potential B2B clients can often be challenging, especially through a corporate lens. Thought Leader Ads (TLAs), which allow companies to boost employee content, have been around. Since I tested them rigorously in 2025, I’ve noticed they garner significantly higher engagement compared to typical business profile ads.
TLAs also afford creativity. Humorous posts, for instance, feel more authentic when shared from a personal profile.
As with all boosted content, selective investment is key. If a post organically gains traction and aligns with your business goals, it’s a prime TLA candidate.
Caveats to consider:
- Ensure employees whose content you boost have your brand prominent on their profiles. Activate creator mode so users can follow them, adding value to future content.
- Per LinkedIn, repurposing content published less than 30 days ago works best. My experiences confirm this.
Dig deeper: LinkedIn Ads retargeting: How to reach prospects at every funnel stage
Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.
Personalize your creative
In late 2025, I experimented with personalized LinkedIn ads across various regions and campaigns. Globally, I witnessed a >20% improvement in cost per lead, paired with better CTR and lower CPC. U.S. campaigns were remarkable, showing a 33% drop in CPLs.
According to my LinkedIn contacts, European users value privacy more than their U.S. counterparts, explaining why personalization resonated better stateside. Yet, even U.S. campaigns showed fatigue with personalized ads after a month.
Combining personalized and non-personalized ads in one campaign decreased the frequency of personalized ads and facilitated side-by-side performance comparisons.
Dig deeper: LinkedIn’s new playbook taps creators as the future of B2B marketing
Test Qualified Lead Optimization
Having experience with Conversions API (CAPI) and enhanced conversions in Meta and Google, the concept of Qualified Lead Optimization is familiar. LinkedIn’s take lets you merge your first-party data with its algorithm to target high-quality users more effectively.
Though not as adept as Meta and Google yet, I’ve noted an increase in qualified leads through LinkedIn.
Here’s how to test it:
- Use LinkedIn’s CAPI to sync CRM data and define what constitutes a qualified lead.
- Set up a CAPI conversion event for qualified leads and ensure data flow to Campaign Manager.
Use the new ads duplication feature
This tactical feature has saved me time across accounts, making it an essential tool. In March 2025, LinkedIn improved Campaign Manager with a feature for duplicating ads across campaigns and accounts, expediting our campaign launches — a win with no downsides.
One more LinkedIn ad format to watch
I’m still evaluating LinkedIn’s new CTV capability. It offers potential for testing brand messages and positioning through targeted niche audiences before committing to broader campaigns.
LinkedIn introduced substantial updates last year, prompting us to boost client budgets there. Setting clear platform expectations and having a robust evaluation framework will maximize LinkedIn’s value.
Armed with these strategies and a deep understanding of your ideal customer profile (ICP), LinkedIn could serve as a surprising source of growth in the coming months.
Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
Leave a Reply