LinkedIn Unlocked: Key Takeaways from the Mediaworks and LinkedIn Paid Media Masterclass

At Mediaworks, we’re passionate about helping brands grow smarter and faster. That’s why we recently partnered with LinkedIn to deliver a Masterclass designed to help marketers understand how to unlock the full potential of paid media on the world’s leading B2B platform.

Here are some of the biggest takeaways from our session with Rachel Glynne from LinkedIn and Max Milburn, our Head of Paid Social, with a special focus on actionable insights for marketing professionals.

1. Don’t Just Chase the 5%—Target the 95%

One of the most powerful insights we discussed comes from LinkedIn’s B2B Institute research: only 5% of your potential audience is “in market” at any one time. That means 95% of decision-makers aren’t ready to buy today, but they might be six months from now.

If you’re only targeting bottom-of-funnel conversion tactics, you’ll hit a performance ceiling fast. Smart marketers are using LinkedIn to invest in long-term brand building, ensuring they’re top-of-mind when prospects do enter the buying window.

2. Win the Day One List, Win the Sale

86% of B2B buyers start their purchasing journey with a shortlist of known brands. Even more striking, 92% will purchase from that list.

Getting on that “Day One” list isn’t about quick wins, it’s about consistently building brand salience with your audience through awareness campaigns, thought leadership, and high-value content, before they’re actively searching for a solution.

3. Lean Into Video & Authenticity

Video is the most engaging content format on LinkedIn, both paid and organic. But this doesn’t mean TV-level production is necessary. Authentic, insightful, and personality-driven video content performs best, especially when it comes to thought leadership.

Combine short, tailored messaging with video to humanise your brand and cut through the noise.

4. Use Ad Formats That Add Value

We highlighted two standout formats delivering results across our campaigns:

• Message Ads: Highly targeted outreach that feels more like a connection than a cold ad. Including job title or first name in the message boosts engagement by up to 48%.

• Document Ads: Ideal for offering real value through gated content. These hybrid ads combine thought leadership with lead generation, giving audiences a reason to engage and share.

5. Audience Insights Drive Strategy

Before planning content or creative, start with your audience. At Mediaworks, we use tools like Global Web Index to build data driven audience personas, digging into their pain points, platform preferences, and what influences their buying decisions.

This enables us to match the right messaging with the right mindset at every stage of the funnel.

6. Understand and Expand Your Buying Committees

Here’s a major blind spot in many B2B campaigns: up to 50% of purchase influence comes from ‘hidden buyers’… procurement, legal, IT, and finance professionals who may never see your ads if you're only targeting end users or decision makers.

LinkedIn’s new Buyer Groups AI and account based strategies can help expand your reach within an organization, ensuring more of the buying committee knows, and trusts, your brand.

7. Creative Is the Differentiator

It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. Creative quality is the biggest driver of campaign success on LinkedIn, even above targeting. That means:

• Standing out visually in-feed

• Delivering distinctive brand messaging

• Being consistent in voice and tone

To build long-term performance, your brand needs to be memorable, not just present.

Final Thoughts

B2B marketing is evolving fast, and platforms like LinkedIn are leading the charge. The real winners will be the brands that balance performance with patience, who see LinkedIn not just as a conversion tool, but as a full funnel powerhouse for growth.

Thank you again to everyone who joined the masterclass. We’ll be back soon with our New Paid Media series, starting on the 27th June at 10am, where we’ll dig even deeper into planning, automation, and (of course) AI. To register your interest for this, simply email mark.robinson@mediaworks.co.uk