LinkedIn targeting for B2B: how to reach the decision-maker

Build a LinkedIn audience on job function and seniority, supplemented with industry or company size, and aim for at least 50,000 members ^[1]. For Belgium, choose English as the profile language, because Dutch or French only reaches people with that profile language ^[2]. Switch off Audience Expansion and the Audience Network at first, so you know who you are reaching.

LinkedIn is the only major platform where you target directly by job and company, and that is exactly the trap: the sharper you cut, the more expensive every impression. This guide comes from the day-to-day work of a LinkedIn Ads agency and was checked against the LinkedIn Help Center on 27 September 2026.

How large should your audience be?

LinkedIn gives three numbers: technically at least 300 members per ad set, at least 50,000 to get results, and at least 300,000 for Sponsored Content and Sponsored Messaging ^[1]. For Belgian B2B, that last one is often out of reach. At the end of 2025, LinkedIn's tools counted 6.20 million members in Belgium, and those are registered accounts, not monthly active users ^[3].

Smaller is fine, as long as you know what it costs. In Merkelijkheid's Western European benchmark, audiences under 1,000 people paid a median CPM of €107.85, audiences over 10,000 people €61.18 ^[4]. The most expensive campaign in that dataset was Belgian: 670 people, at €776.80 per 1,000 impressions ^[4].

A worked example without client data, with those median CPMs and €1,500 per month. A niche of 5,000 members then sees your ad on average 2.8 times a month, an audience of 50,000 only 0.5 times. With account-based marketing that may be the intention, but your ads wear out faster. How those prices carry through to a click and a lead is covered in what advertising on LinkedIn costs.

Choose your profile language deliberately

You choose a profile language per ad set, and that is where the Belgian trap lies:

• English reaches all members in your location, regardless of the language of their profile ^[2].
• Dutch or French only reaches members with that profile language ^[2].
• Message ads always follow the second rule, even if you choose English ^[2].

A Flemish ad set with Dutch as profile language therefore misses everyone in Flanders with an English or French profile. For the widest reach, choose English, split by location and write the ad in the language of the region.

One exception: a Dutch or French Lead Gen Form has to match the language of the ad set ^[5]. You then choose between a smaller reach or an English form; more on that in LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms. For Brussels there is no perfect choice: test a Dutch and a French ad side by side.

Combine the right layers

Within one attribute LinkedIn uses "or", between attributes "and" ^[1]. Three job functions therefore make your audience larger, while job function and seniority and company size make it smaller. You have a maximum of 200 selections for inclusions and exclusions combined ^[2].

• Location is required: the permanent location from the profile, the recent location based on IP address, or both ^[2].
• Job: job function plus seniority as the base ^[6][2]. Job titles are more precise, but small and different per language ("zaakvoerder" in Dutch, "gérant" in French).
• Company: industry, size, growth or revenue ^[2], or a list of target companies for account-based marketing ^[7].
• Your own audiences: website visitors via the Insight Tag, contact lists, video viewers or people who opened your form. LinkedIn only matches members who allow it, so they stay smaller than your list ^[6].
• Exclusions: your own employees, competitors and, if you are looking for new customers, your existing customers.

Switch two default settings on or off deliberately

Audience Expansion also shows your ad to members similar to your audience, and is switched on automatically where available ^[8]. The LinkedIn Audience Network also shows it on third-party sites and apps, and is switched on automatically for new single image, carousel, document or video ad sets ^[9].

For a sharp decision-maker audience, switch both off at first; you turn off the Audience Network under Placements ^[9]. Once the base works, test them in a separate ad set, so your reporting shows what they bring.

What is no longer possible in Europe

Since 15 May 2024, LinkedIn groups are no longer a targeting attribute in the European Economic Area and Switzerland, and age and gender can be restricted there ^[2]. Message ads there only reach members who chose to receive such messages ^[10].

Lookalike audiences are no longer in the current list of targeting options. The closest thing is predictive audiences: LinkedIn's AI then creates a new audience based on your own data, such as lead forms, lists or conversions ^[6].

Create an audience per stage of the purchase

• Cold: decision-makers who don't know you, by job function, seniority, industry and size. Show the problem you solve.
• Warm: website visitors, video viewers and followers of your Page ^[6]. Show proof, such as a case study or a demo.
• Hot: people who opened your form but didn't submit it ^[11], or your list of target companies ^[7]. Make a concrete offer.

Which layer produces customers only becomes clear when you measure beyond the click. How to measure steps such as a meeting or a quote cleanly is explained by Cédric in GA4 key events and conversions. If LinkedIn turns out too expensive for your customer value, read Meta or LinkedIn for B2B leads.

Want to know whether your current audiences are right? The free LinkedIn Ads audit looks at targeting, audience size, Insight Tag and conversions, Lead Gen Forms, creatives and bidding strategy.