LinkedIn Lead Generation Campaign: Complete Setup Guide

LinkedIn lead generation campaigns capture prospect information directly within the platform—no landing page required. Using Lead Gen Forms, these campaigns reduce friction and typically achieve 2-3x higher conversion rates than campaigns driving to external websites.

This guide walks you through setting up a lead generation campaign from scratch.

Before You Start

Prerequisites

• LinkedIn Campaign Manager account
• Company Page (required for advertising)
• Clear offer (what you're giving in exchange for information)
• Target audience definition
• CRM or system to receive leads

Choose Your Offer

Your offer determines campaign success. High-performing lead gen offers include:

Offer Type	Best For	Expected CPL
Ebook/Guide	Awareness, education	$30-80
Webinar	Consideration, engagement	$50-150
Demo request	High intent, sales-ready	$100-250
Assessment/Audit	Qualification, value delivery	$75-200
Report/Research	Authority building	$40-100

Choose offers that match your audience's buying stage.

Step 1: Create the Campaign

Access Campaign Manager

1. Go to linkedin.com/campaignmanager
2. Select your ad account
3. Click Create → Campaign

Select Campaign Group

Organize campaigns by:

• Offer type (Guides, Webinars, Demos)
• Funnel stage (Top, Middle, Bottom)
• Quarter or time period
• Target audience segment

Choose Objective

Select Lead generation from the Conversions section. This objective:

• Optimizes for form completions
• Enables Lead Gen Forms
• Tracks leads directly in Campaign Manager

Step 2: Build Your Audience

Location Targeting

Start with location—this is required. Options include:

• Countries, states/regions, cities
• Radius targeting around specific locations
• "Recent or permanent" vs "Permanent only"

Professional Attributes

Layer multiple criteria for precision. According to LinkedIn targeting best practices, start narrow and scale to broader audiences once you've proven results.

Recommended targeting stack:

Attribute	Example
Job Function	Marketing, Sales, IT
Seniority	Director, VP, CXO
Company Size	201-1,000 employees
Industry	Technology, SaaS

Audience Expansion

LinkedIn offers audience expansion to reach similar members. For lead gen campaigns, disable this initially. Tight targeting produces higher-quality leads.

Matched Audiences

For highest quality leads, use Matched Audiences:

• Contact lists: Upload prospect/customer emails
• Company lists: Target specific accounts (ABM)
• Website retargeting: Reach past visitors
• Lookalikes: Find similar professionals

Create retargeting audiences based on page visits or specific actions. According to Folk's research, set frequency caps at 3-5 impressions per week to avoid ad fatigue.

Exclusions

Exclude audiences that waste budget:

• Current customers (unless upselling)
• Competitors' employees
• Your own employees
• Job titles that can't buy

Step 3: Set Budget and Schedule

Daily vs Lifetime Budget

Budget Type	When to Use
Daily	Ongoing campaigns, testing
Lifetime	Time-bound promotions, events

Starting Budget

For testing, start with $50-100/day. This generates enough data to optimize within 2-3 weeks.

Bidding Strategy

Maximum delivery (recommended for beginners): LinkedIn auto-bids to maximize leads within your budget.

Manual bidding: Set your own bid. Useful when you have CPL targets:

• Bid on impressions for awareness
• Bid on clicks for consideration
• LinkedIn optimizes for conversions either way

Schedule

Run campaigns for at least 2 weeks before major changes. LinkedIn's algorithm needs time to optimize delivery.

Step 4: Choose Ad Format

For lead generation campaigns, options include:

Format	Best For
Single Image	Simple offers, quick testing
Carousel	Multi-benefit offers, storytelling
Video	Complex products, demonstrations
Document	Detailed content previews

Single Image ads are easiest to create and test. Start here if you're new to LinkedIn ads.

Step 5: Create Your Lead Gen Form

Form Settings

1. Click Create new form (or select existing)
2. Form name: Internal reference (not visible to users)
3. Language: Match your audience

Form Content

Offer headline: What they're getting (50 characters)

• Example: "2026 B2B Marketing Trends Report"

Offer details: Expand on value (2,000 characters)

• What's included
• Why it matters
• What they'll learn

Form Fields

LinkedIn pre-fills fields from profiles, reducing friction. Choose from:

Standard fields (pre-filled):

• First name, Last name
• Email address
• Company name
• Job title
• Phone number

Custom questions (user must answer):

• Single-line text
• Multi-select checkboxes
• Single select dropdown

According to LeadsBridge benchmarks, Lead Gen Forms convert 2-3x better than landing pages. Keep forms short—conversion rates drop significantly after 5 fields.

Privacy Policy

Required: Link to your privacy policy. This appears at the bottom of the form.

Confirmation

Thank you message: Brief confirmation (300 characters) Landing page URL: Where to send leads after submission

Use the landing page to deliver the promised asset or next steps.

Step 6: Create Your Ad Creative

Introductory Text

The first 150 characters appear before "see more." Make them count.

High-performing hooks:

• Lead with a statistic
• Ask a pain-point question
• State a surprising insight
• Promise specific value

Image/Video

• Use 1200 x 627 pixels for single images
• Include minimal text on images
• Show real people when possible
• Use contrasting colors (avoid LinkedIn blue)

Headline

70 characters visible; keep it clear and benefit-focused.

Call-to-Action

Select the CTA button that matches your offer:

• Download (reports, guides)
• Sign Up (webinars, events)
• Learn More (general)
• Register (events)

Step 7: Review and Launch

Before launching:

1. Preview ads on desktop and mobile
2. Verify audience size (aim for 50,000+)
3. Check form fields are correct
4. Confirm CRM integration is working
5. Test landing page and asset delivery

Click Launch campaign. LinkedIn reviews ads within 24 hours.

Step 8: Download and Process Leads

Accessing Leads

In Campaign Manager:

1. Go to Account Assets → Lead Gen Forms
2. Select your form
3. Click Download leads

Leads export as CSV files with all form data.

CRM Integration

Connect forms directly to your CRM for real-time lead delivery:

• HubSpot
• Salesforce
• Marketo
• Many others via Zapier or native integrations

Set up integrations before launching campaigns for immediate follow-up.

Optimization Best Practices

Monitor Key Metrics

Metric	Target	Action if Low
CTR	0.5%+	Improve hook/creative
Form completion	10%+	Reduce form fields
CPL	Varies by offer	Refine targeting

Test Variations

Run 3-4 ad variations testing:

• Different hooks
• Different images
• Different CTAs

Refresh Creative

Creative fatigue sets in when frequency exceeds 3-4 impressions per person. Refresh every 4-6 weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a LinkedIn lead generation campaign cost?

LinkedIn lead generation campaigns typically cost $50-200 per lead for B2B audiences, depending on targeting and offer quality. Simple offers to broader audiences can achieve $15-50 CPL, while narrow targeting of senior decision-makers often exceeds $150 CPL. Budget at least $1,500-3,000 for initial testing.

How do I access leads from LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms?

Download leads manually from Campaign Manager (Account Assets → Lead Gen Forms → Download) or set up CRM integration for automatic delivery. Leads include all form responses plus LinkedIn profile data. Native integrations exist for major CRMs like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Marketo.

What's a good conversion rate for LinkedIn lead gen campaigns?

LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms typically achieve 10-15% form completion rates (users who open the form and submit). This is 2-3x higher than traditional landing pages. Strong offers with minimal form fields can exceed 20% completion rates.

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Key Takeaways

• Choose the Lead generation objective to enable Lead Gen Forms
• Layer targeting criteria (function + seniority + company size) for qualified leads
• Keep forms short—5 fields or fewer for best conversion
• Run campaigns for 2+ weeks before making major changes
• Set up CRM integration before launch for immediate lead delivery

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