Introduction

LinkedIn ads often reach one person, but someone else in the same company closes the deal. Here’s how to track it right.

The Problem It Solves

Most LinkedIn ABM campaigns struggle with revenue attribution. The buyer who sees the ad isn’t always the one who signs the contract, making it hard to prove LinkedIn’s impact on deals.

Quick Summary

Measuring revenue from LinkedIn ABM ads is tricky because of two things: (1) the person who views an ad may not be the one who converts, and (2) many conversions happen outside of LinkedIn. This breaks the reporting chain and leaves marketers unable to tie ad spend to revenue.

The article highlights four solid methods to fix this: ZenABM, LinkedIn’s native tools, a DIY approach, and enterprise ABM suites. ZenABM offers the cleanest, CRM-connected solution with ad-level ROI. LinkedIn’s native stack (RAR, Campaign Manager, Insight Tag, and CAPI) works but needs more setup and can’t link down to specific ads. A DIY pipeline using LinkedIn’s API, Google Sheets, and connectors is cheap and flexible but requires ongoing maintenance. Enterprise suites like Demandbase and 6sense provide full-funnel dashboards but are expensive and best only for multi-channel programs.

The main tradeoff across all four is between accuracy, cost, and operational complexity. Small and mid-sized teams benefit most from ZenABM or DIY, while large enterprises may justify full suites.

Key Takeaways

• LinkedIn ABM attribution is messy when different people view ads vs. sign contracts.
• ZenABM is the simplest way to connect LinkedIn and CRM for ad-level ROI.
• LinkedIn’s native tools work but require manual effort and don’t track ad-level revenue.
• A DIY build is cheap and flexible but needs constant upkeep.
• Enterprise suites are powerful but pricey and often overkill for LinkedIn-only programs.

What to Do

• If you want fast, accurate ad-level ROI: use ZenABM.
• If you want a low-cost, manual option: set up LinkedIn’s native stack.
• If you’re scrappy and tech-savvy: build a DIY flow with API, Sheets, and Zapier.
• If you’re a large enterprise on many channels: consider 6sense, Demandbase, or Terminus.
• Always upload offline conversions to your CRM so attribution connects across touchpoints.

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