LinkedIn’s Marketing Solutions Director on why it's a favourite haunt for B2B marketers

LinkedIn has introduced upgrades to its measurement solutions, helping B2B marketers track campaign performance more effectively. The platform has invested in Conversions API (CAPI) and Revenue Attribution Report (RAR) to improve ROI through better data integration.

CAPI connects first-party data—both online and offline interactions—to LinkedIn, optimising campaigns for high-quality leads. According to LinkedIn, marketers using CAPI have seen a 31% boost in attributed conversions, a 20% decrease in cost per action, and a 39% drop in cost per qualified lead. Meanwhile, RAR helps advertisers link campaigns to real sales outcomes, measuring revenue impact and return on ad spend.

These measurement solutions have become all the more important as the professional network’s latest ‘B2B ROI Impact’ research reveals rising pressure on B2B marketers in India, with nearly 50% required to justify marketing spend to executives every month. As buying cycles lengthen, 89% say measuring long-term campaign impact is becoming harder, making ROI tracking more critical than ever.

Sachin Sharma, director, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, India, says its goal is to empower marketers with a complete product suite that helps them justify their efforts, drive results, and succeed in an increasingly demanding environment.

“During COVID, we saw a surge in online platform adoption, with companies heavily investing in digital. However, post-COVID, the macro environment shifted—funding became scarce as interest rates rose, making capital pricier. This led to increased scrutiny on marketing budgets, with CEOs and CFOs demanding clear, short-term ROI. Marketers were pressured to prove their impact on the top line,” he says.

Sharma says at the same time, B2B sales cycles became longer, and as risk aversion increased, decision-making slowed, and buying groups grew. Marketers had to demonstrate value and navigate complex attribution challenges, fragmented data signals across tools, and misalignment between sales and marketing.

Many attribution models and data allocation methods remain relevant across both B2B and high-consideration B2C. For example, whether a marketer is selling a CRM system or a Ferrari on LinkedIn, its attribution tools and APIs work seamlessly and are free of charge to help marketers optimise their ad spend effectively.

Sharma notes that while B2C marketing frequently influences B2B strategies, it can present certain challenges. 

“B2B is fundamentally different, yet many marketers apply B2C-driven metrics like short sales cycles and cost per lead (CPL), which don’t always make sense, especially for industries where closing the deal matters more than just generating leads. This trickle-down effect from B2C sets unrealistic benchmarks for B2B, so we’re focused on educating marketers to think in terms of buyer groups rather than individuals,” he explains.

The platform also sees strong demand from high-consideration B2C segments like luxury, automotive, fintech, and financial services. “While you won’t see ads for everyday items like washing machines on LinkedIn, this is a deliberate choice to maintain relevance for premium consumer markets,” he adds.

However, LinkedIn has emerged as the go-to platform for B2B marketing, as it uniquely solves key challenges in this space. Tech is a major segment that it caters to—covering services, SaaS, cloud, optimisation, pricing, and billing. Beyond tech, industries like professional services, consulting, healthcare, energy, oil, gas, and more thrive on LinkedIn.

Sharma says with its unmatched first-party data and intent signals, it is the leader in B2B marketing. With 1 billion members globally, LinkedIn has unique and high-quality professional signals. It can target professionals precisely—not just individuals, but specific roles, tenures, and industries. 

“Unlike any other platform, professionals are incentivised to keep their profiles updated, providing valuable signals beyond just current employment—such as education, career history, and experience. While maintaining strict privacy standards, we leverage these insights at an aggregate level to drive effective marketing.”

Sachin Sharma, LinkedIn India

Sharma says the other key factor that makes it a valuable space for B2B interactions is that it is a highly trusted platform where professionals engage in meaningful, knowledge-driven conversations. 

Further, the platform offers a seamless advertising experience. Its 'Accelerate' feature, for instance, automates campaign creation from a webpage input. It also integrates with major CRMs and enables smooth data connectivity, making execution effortless for marketers.

In November, LinkedIn’s The Business of Influence research highlighted a shift in B2B buyer preferences, with video emerging as a key content format influencing purchasing decisions.

Sharma says video is a powerful tool as it helps build trust and mitigate risk by reducing friction in the buying process. 

“It creates a stronger sense of credibility than text alone. Seeing and hearing someone speak fosters connection, showcases expertise, and adds authenticity in a way that written responses often can’t,” he says.

Beyond credibility, video also democratises content creation, as it allows professionals to simply speak about topics they know well. It humanises brands by showing them the real people behind business decisions.

“It’s a massive trend we’re already seeing. Video creation, engagement, and consumption are all rising, making it an essential format for B2B marketing today,” Sharma says.

Another big trend is AI. The platform’s research on B2B marketers and AI revealed that nine out of 10 recognise AI’s impact, and six are already investing in it. AI is driving transformation in three key areas:

Ad effectiveness – AI optimises targeting and delivery, solving complex problems to ensure ads reach the right individuals efficiently.

Content creation – AI is streamlining the creation process, not by replacing human creativity but by providing guardrails for compliance, brand consistency, and efficiency.

Predictive analytics – Beyond descriptive insights, AI is enabling predictive modelling to enhance audience targeting and campaign effectiveness.

“While AI is automating tactical tasks, marketing remains fundamentally human—driven by creativity, customer understanding, and brand positioning. However, AI-powered automation, like LinkedIn’s Accelerate, simplifies campaign setup by handling everything from ad creation to launch.” 

Sachin Sharma, LinkedIn India

A third major trend is the shift toward first-party data ownership. Globally, businesses are investing in CDPs and CRMs to manage their data for better marketing automation. Sharma says LinkedIn’s tools are built to integrate seamlessly with these evolving needs, ensuring compliance and effectiveness.