Choosing the right LinkedIn objectives for B2B marketing.

Apr 1, 2026 · 2 min read · Sjoerd Oude Tanke, Founder, BrandArchway

Your campaign objective in LinkedIn isn't just a label; it changes how the algorithm optimises and what you pay for. Here's how we approach objectives in B2B LinkedIn ads.

3.1. Brand awareness: for reach and frequency

Optimises for reach (CPM)
Lets you set frequency caps (e.g. max 3 impressions per user per week)

Perfect for first-touch, educational campaigns, and founder or expert thought leadership you want your ICP to see regularly. Use it when your goal is visibility and familiarity, not immediate clicks.

3.2. Engagement: the best default objective for B2B

Engagement campaigns optimise for actions like clicking "see more", opening comments, or clicking to your landing page. We love Engagement for thought leadership posts, problem-focused content, and content that explains your solution rather than just selling it. It usually gives more affordable clicks than "Website visits" and builds strong remarketing audiences. If you're unsure where to start: choose Engagement.

3.3. Website visits: for traffic with intent

"Website visits" focuses purely on driving traffic. We use it when sending people to high-intent pages like "Book a Demo" or "Request Plant Assessment", or when we want a clear cost per visit for specific offers. Often, engagement-optimised campaigns give similar traffic at a lower cost.

3.4. Video views: build audiences, not just vanity metrics

Video view campaigns are powerful as part of a B2B funnel: top-of-funnel explainers and deep-dive walkthroughs for a specific audience. The magic is in remarketing: create audiences of people who watched 25%+ or 50%+, then retarget them with mid-funnel offers like case studies, calculators and workshops.

3.5. Lead generation (native forms): use with intent, not as a default

LinkedIn's native lead gen forms are easy to fill in and great for webinar registrations. But for B2B, cost per lead is often high and quality is inconsistent. We use them when there's a clear, simple ask and sales and marketing agree on follow-up. For complex B2B deals, pipeline quality beats raw MQL volume.

3.6. Website conversions: why we rarely use it

The "Website conversions" objective sounds ideal but in B2B it often makes traffic more expensive without improving conversion rate. LinkedIn's conversion optimisation isn't as mature as Meta's, especially for long buying journeys. Our default: use Engagement / Traffic, set up robust conversion tracking, and use CRM data to see what turns into pipeline.

3.7. Thought leadership ads: your experts as the creative

To promote personal posts from your CEO, founder or experts, you'll use Thought Leadership Ads. Key point: they only work with Brand Awareness or Engagement objectives. Done right, this turns your internal experts into a core asset of your strategy.

Want this built inside your own team? Book a free B2B audit and we will map a B2B LinkedIn strategy to your market, ICP and sales process.