In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, insights from those managing colossal ad budgets can be pure gold. Recently, I stumbled upon a Reddit post shared by a seasoned professional who had been steering the ship for tech giants like Zoom, Slack, and Drift. With a combined monthly ad spend of $1.5 million, this expert dropped some serious knowledge bombs that can revolutionize your approach to Facebook and LinkedIn advertising.

Organize Your Ads Manager: The Foundation for Success

The post emphasizes the critical importance of a well-organized Ads Manager. Messy campaigns can derail your precise budgeting efforts. To scale effectively, separate campaigns and ad sets based on what you want to A/B test—be it audience filters, creative elements, or landing pages.

Demand Gen Over Lead Gen: Shaping Brand Affinity

The focus shifts from mere lead generation to a broader demand generation strategy. The idea is to create excitement around your brand’s purpose and vision. By ungating content and promoting it with targeted spend, you not only avoid low-quality leads but also build a solid retargeting foundation.

To enhance the top of your funnel, provide valuable, engaging content that positions your brand as a leader in the field. The goal is to empower potential customers to navigate much of the buying process independently before reaching out to your team.

Focus on Revenue, Not Just Metrics: A Paradigm Shift

As the marketing landscape evolves, the post suggests moving beyond traditional ad metrics. Focus on bottom-funnel metrics such as MQLs to pipeline ratio, number of demos booked, cost per demo booked, website-sourced leads, CPI for mobile apps, and triggered + influenced opportunities. This shift in focus from vanity metrics to revenue-centric indicators is a game-changer.

Always Add Exclusion Audiences: Precision Targeting Matters

Exclude unnecessary audiences—employees, current customers, competitors, and undesirable countries. Precision targeting ensures your ads reach the right people, maximizing the impact of your ad spend.

Strict Pause Rules: Optimizing Performance

To combat rising costs, implement strict pause rules. If an ad shows no results within a specified timeframe, automate the process of pausing it. Allocate that budget to better-performing ads to ensure efficient distribution and tangible results.

Lead Gen Forms vs. Landing Pages: Reducing Friction

Reduce friction for potential customers by leveraging native LinkedIn lead gen forms. These forms collect information quickly and effectively, reducing the need for extensive landing pages. Additionally, experiment with proper CTAs—’Download’ often outperforms ‘Learn More,’ and simplifying the user journey leads to better results.

Company Targeting for LinkedIn: A Manual Approach

For a targeted list of less than 100 companies, opt for manual targeting within LinkedIn’s native company targeting feature instead of CSV uploads. This approach enhances accuracy and ensures your ads reach the intended companies with precision.

Conclusion: Unlocking the Potential of Your Ad Spend

Armed with these insights, it’s time to reevaluate your approach to Facebook and LinkedIn advertising. Whether you’re managing a modest budget or steering a multi-million-dollar ship, these tips from a pro can guide you toward more effective and revenue-driven marketing strategies. Organize, generate demand, focus on revenue, and optimize—these are the pillars of success in the dynamic landscape of digital advertising.

Tech Advertising: Insights from a Pro with $1M Monthly Ad Spend