LinkedIn Ads: Gating vs. Ungating Content

NOTES Join the LinkedIn Ads Fanatics and get access to our 4 courses to take you from beginner to expert. Subscribe/Rate/Review Contact us with any questions, suggestions, or corrections: [email protected] How We Generated Over 1,000 Leads from 1 LinkedIn Post by Comment Gating Lead Magnets with Ian Nelson #1 Lead Magnets with Ian Nelson #2 SUMMARY Should you gate your content behind a form or give it away for free? In this episode of The LinkedIn Ads Show, AJ Wilcox breaks down the pros and cons of both approaches and explains why he generally prefers ungated content for long-term B2B marketing. AJ explores how gated content can help generate measurable leads, validate audience targeting, and build email lists for nurturing. But he also explains the downsides: paying for clicks from people who never submit the form, potentially creating a negative experience for your audience, and collecting leads that may never turn into sales conversations. If you do decide to gate your content, AJ shares his recommendations for getting the best results with LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms, including why they typically outperform website forms, which ad formats are working best, and how many pages to preview before asking for someone's information. He also explains why document ads paired with Lead Gen Forms have become a particularly strong combination, shares the types of content worth gating, and discusses how ungated content can help build larger retargeting audiences and nurture potential buyers over time. Plus, in the news, AJ celebrates B2Linked's 12th anniversary and discusses a confusing update to Sponsored Messaging reporting in LinkedIn Campaign Manager, including what he's concerned may be changing and why it could affect advertisers' reporting. TRANSCRIPT For the full show transcript, see the show notes page here: Episode 175.

NOTES Join the LinkedIn Ads Fanatics and get access to our 4 courses to take you from beginner to expert. Subscribe/Rate/Review  Contact us with any questions, suggestions, or corrections: [email protected] SUMMARY In this episode of The LinkedIn Ads Show, AJ Wilcox breaks down a major LinkedIn Ads targeting change that's been causing advertisers to receive leads and engagement from people who don't match their company size or ABM targeting criteria. He explains how LinkedIn's new "fuzzy matching" behavior works, why it may be expanding the platform's ad inventory at advertisers' expense, and how it can lead to wasted spend and higher costs per qualified lead. AJ also shares a practical way to check whether your accounts are affected and what advertisers can ask LinkedIn to do about it, including giving them the option to opt out of fuzzy matching. TRANSCRIPT For the full show transcript, see the show notes page here: Episode 174.

NOTES Phil Ilic's LinkedIn  Kiin — LinkedIn Ads MCP for reporting Join the LinkedIn Ads Fanatics  and get access to our 4 courses to take you from beginner to expert. Subscribe/Rate/Review  Contact us with any questions, suggestions, or corrections! Resty Concepcion podcast  and video  editor that we love! SUMMARY In this episode of The LinkedIn Ads Show, AJ Wilcox dives into how AI is transforming LinkedIn Ads: from the good, to the bad, to the genuinely useful. He breaks down LinkedIn's new AI features like Draft with AI, Brand Kit, predictive audiences, and auto-targeting, explaining which tools are worth using and which ones deserve caution. AJ also shares how his team is using AI behind the scenes to build custom reporting systems, automate ABM list processing, and dramatically reduce manual work. Plus, he covers several new LinkedIn Ads updates, including personalized Message Ad subject lines, Lead Gen Forms for Thought Leader Ads, and practical AI workflows that can save advertisers hours every week. TRANSCRIPT For the full show transcript, see the show notes page here: Episode 173.

NOTES Kevin Dietz on LinkedIn  Join the LinkedIn Ads Fanatics and get access to our 4 courses to take you from beginner to expert.  Subscribe/Rate/Review Contact us with any questions, suggestions, or corrections! Resty Concepcion podcast and video editor that we love! SUMMARY In this episode of The LinkedIn Ads Show, AJ Wilcox breaks down one of LinkedIn's most misunderstood campaign objectives: Website Conversions. While it sounds like the obvious choice for driving leads, AJ explains why the objective often underperforms unless your campaigns are generating significant conversion volume. You'll learn why LinkedIn recommends at least 50 conversions per week, why the objective typically costs $1–2 more per click than Website Visits, and when it's actually worth testing. AJ also shares a simple head-to-head testing framework to compare Website Conversions against Website Visits, plus practical insights into LinkedIn's bidding system and which clicks you're actually paying for. TRANSCRIPT For the full show transcript, see the show notes page here: Episode 172

NOTES The best strategies to getting the highest match rates on LinkedIn lists Buyer's committee targeting episode AJ's free block/allow lists Join the LinkedIn Ads Fanatics and get access to our 4 courses to take you from beginner to expert.  Subscribe/Rate/Review Contact us with any questions, suggestions, or corrections! Anthony Blatner's new LI Ads Audit Tool Resty Concepcion podcast and video editor that we love! SUMMARY In this episode of The LinkedIn Ads Show, AJ Wilcox shares his complete modern account-based marketing (ABM) playbook for LinkedIn Ads. Learn how to build high-quality company lists with near-perfect match rates, target the right decision-makers, structure ABM campaigns for maximum efficiency, and measure success using LinkedIn's latest reporting tools. AJ also covers common ABM mistakes to avoid, practical optimization tips, and recent LinkedIn Ads updates—including changes to industry targeting, reserved ads, BrandLink, and audience quality. Whether you're just getting started with ABM or looking to sharpen an existing strategy, this episode is packed with actionable tactics you can put to work immediately. TRANSCRIPT For the full show transcript, see the show notes page here: Episode 171

NOTES Join the LinkedIn Ads Fanatics and get access to our 4 courses to take you from beginner to expert.  Subscribe/Rate/Review Contact us with any questions, suggestions, or corrections! SUMMARY Does the LinkedIn Brand Awareness objective actually build brand awareness—or just increase your ad costs? In this episode of The LinkedIn Ads Show, AJ Wilcox explains why the Brand Awareness objective is one of the most misunderstood features in LinkedIn Campaign Manager. You'll learn why it often costs significantly more than alternative objectives, when it actually makes sense to use it (hint: CTV ads), and which objectives can deliver better awareness and engagement at a lower cost. AJ also covers the latest LinkedIn Ads updates, including campaign naming changes, new thought leader ad capabilities, personalized lead gen forms, and dynamic UTM parameters. If you're running LinkedIn ads and want to make every dollar work harder, this is an episode you won't want to miss. TRANSCRIPT For the full show transcript, see the show notes page here: Episode 170

NOTES Connect with Resty Concepcion on LinkedIn, the podcast editor that we love! Check out his video editing skills. Join the LinkedIn Ads Fanatics and get access to our 4 courses to take you from beginner to expert.  Subscribe/Rate/Review Contact us with any questions, suggestions, or corrections! SUMMARY In this week's episode of The LinkedIn Ads Show, AJ Wilcox introduces CPRM (Cost Per Retargetable Member)—a powerful new metric for measuring how efficiently your LinkedIn ads build high-quality retargeting audiences. Learn how to calculate CPRM, compare the true performance of video, thought leader, document, and static ads, and use this insight to create lower-cost, higher-converting multi-stage funnels. AJ also covers the latest LinkedIn Ads updates, including device targeting, dynamic UTM parameters for lead gen forms, granular company size targeting, new video optimization options for thought leader ads, and other platform improvements that every B2B advertiser should know about. If you're looking to improve campaign efficiency and generate more qualified pipeline from LinkedIn Ads, this is an episode you won't want to miss. TRANSCRIPT For the full show transcript, see the show notes page here: Episode 169  

NOTES 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! Subscribe/Rate/Review Contact us with any questions, suggestions, or corrections! 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! Rate/Review Contact us with any questions, suggestions, or corrections! 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! Rate/Review Contact us with any questions, suggestions, or corrections! 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