B2B LinkedIn targeting: don't make this expensive mistake.

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

Targeting is where most B2B LinkedIn ad accounts lose money. LinkedIn gives you a huge list of filters. The secret isn't to use them all. It's to combine a few correctly.

4.1. Fix your location setting first

By default LinkedIn often uses "Recent or permanent location". For B2B campaigns, especially when you sell in specific regions, switch to "Permanent location". That way a construction CIO visiting a conference in your country doesn't suddenly get treated as part of your core market.

4.2. AND vs OR: the most expensive mistake in LinkedIn targeting

Say you want Industry: Industrial Machinery Manufacturing, Company size: 51–200, and Job title: Operations Director. If you stack all three in one targeting box, LinkedIn treats them as Industry OR Company size OR Job title. So you target all Ops Directors in any industry, all companies of that size in any sector, and all industrial manufacturers with any role. Your spend spreads into places you never intended.

To build tight audiences you need AND logic:

Add the industry
Click "Narrow" and add company size
Click "Narrow further" and add job titles

The difference in relevance, and cost per qualified lead, is huge.

4.3. A clean B2B targeting example

For a company selling predictive maintenance software to mid-market manufacturers, a clean first-touch audience might be:

Industry: Industrial Machinery Manufacturing, Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing
Company size: 51–200, 201–500, 501–1,000
Job titles: Plant Manager, Head of Maintenance, Operations Director, Engineering Manager
Exclude: titles like "Assistant", "Intern", "Student"; agencies if they're not buyers; very large enterprises if you focus on mid-market
Turn OFF Audience Expansion and the LinkedIn Audience Network (unless you have a specific test)

Save as: ICP – Maintenance Leaders – Manufacturing – EU Mid-Market. That's how you build B2B-ready audiences: focused, intentional, and scalable.

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.