LinkedIn Ads Launch Checklist

8-part checklist to follow before launching any new LinkedIn Ads campaign. Go through each part sequentially - each builds on the previous.

Part 1: Design Your Group & Campaign Structure

• Align on group structure type
  • Consider: Region, Offer/Persona as grouping dimensions
• Apply naming conventions to all groups
  • Format: [Region] | [Product/Persona] | [Funnel Stage]
• Ensure structure separates prospecting vs retargeting

Part 2: Select Ad Formats

Choose the optimal ad format for your campaign goals:

Format	Best Objective	Notes
Single Image	All stages	Most versatile, moderate performance
Carousel Image	MOF/BOF	Feature showcases, multi-point storytelling
Video	TOF awareness	Strong for building retargeting pools
Text Ads	MOF brand reinforcement	Cheapest, always-on
Spotlight	MOF reinforcement	Very cheap CPM
Event	Event promotion	For webinars, product launches
Conversation	MOF/BOF	1-5% CTR, interactive experience
Message Ads	BOF	Direct inbox delivery
Document	MOF nurture	High engagement, great for retargeting

Priority format: TLAs (Thought Leader Ads) should be primary for most campaigns.

Part 3: Choose Campaign Objective

Select the optimal objective for your goals:

Objective	When to Use	Funnel Stage
Brand Awareness	Maximum reach, early market entry	TOF
Website Visits	Drive traffic to content/landing pages	TOF/MOF
Video Views	Build retargeting pools, awareness	TOF
Engagement	Social proof, content amplification	TOF
Lead Generation	On-platform form fills (lower friction)	BOF
Website Conversions	Off-platform conversion tracking	BOF
Talent Leads	Recruiting campaigns	N/A
Job Applicants	Recruiting campaigns	N/A

Key rule: Each campaign should have the correct conversion event selected.

Part 4: Create the Ideal Campaign Structure

Brainstorm campaign structure based on:

• Regions - Group similar countries (CPAs vary significantly by region)
• Personas - Separate campaigns for distinct ICPs
• Budget/Goals - Ensure each campaign gets enough budget for 10+ results/week

Critical settings to verify:

• Audience Expansion -> OFF
• LinkedIn Audience Network -> OFF
• Age/gender/language targeting -> NOT USED (LinkedIn has limited data)

Part 5: Calculate Starting Campaign Budget

Select budget type:

• Daily budget (recommended) - more predictable spend, easier to control
• Lifetime budget - only for time-bound campaigns with fixed end dates

Budget sizing rule: Each campaign needs enough daily budget to generate at least 10 results/week (ideally 30).

Quick math: If your target CPA is $50, you need at least $50 x 10 / 7 = ~$72/day per campaign.

Part 6: Pick Bid Strategy & Optimization Goal

Campaign Phase	Bid Strategy	Rationale
Week 1 (new campaign)	Automated / Maximum Delivery	Let algorithm learn
Week 2+	Manual CPC at 20% below avg CPC	Significant cost reduction
Small retargeting/ABM	Keep automated	Manual bidding causes underdelivery on tiny audiences

Optimization goal should match your campaign objective. Don't optimize for clicks if you want conversions.

Part 7: Creative Reporting & Configuration

• Turn on even ad rotation - each ad gets equal budget initially
• After 7-10 days - review data, then switch to auto rotation
• Apply naming conventions per ad - enables clean reporting
  • Format: [Persona]_[Format][#]_[Copy][#]_{Date}
  • Example: SalesDirector_Image1_Text1_2024-01
• Minimum 4 active ads per campaign
• Mix formats - video, document, image, carousel

Part 8: Final Launch Check

Before hitting "Launch", verify each of these:

• Group structure has clear naming conventions and logical organization
• Ad formats are optimal for your campaign goals
• Campaign settings are correct (audiences, locations, audience expansion OFF, bidding)
• UTM parameters are correct and verified with MOPs team for proper routing
• Budget is sufficient per campaign for the selected objective
• Ads are named properly for reporting
• Even ad rotation is enabled (switch to auto after 7-14 days)
• Conversion events fire on actual completion, not button click
• Website visitors excluded from prospecting campaigns
• Converted audiences excluded from ALL campaigns

Post-Launch (First 7 Days)

After launching, monitor daily:

1. Are campaigns spending? If not, audience too small or bid too low
2. Is the CTR reasonable? Below 0.30%, creative or targeting issue
3. Are conversions firing? Check in Campaign Manager AND your analytics tool
4. Demographics check - any irrelevant titles/industries eating budget? Exclude immediately

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By Ivan Falco - Frontal