Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is the 'sniper' approach to B2B growth. Instead of casting a wide net and hoping for a bite, you are identifying the exact companies you want to work with—like that big engineering firm in Eagle Farm or a national retailer based in Sydney—and showing ads only to their decision-makers.
In the Australian B2B landscape, where relationship-building is everything, LinkedIn Ads provide the most precise way to get your brand in front of the right people before you even pick up the phone. This guide will walk you through the technical setup of an ABM campaign from start to finish.
Prerequisites: What You’ll Need Before Starting
Before we dive into the Campaign Manager, make sure you have the following ready to go:- A LinkedIn Company Page: You must be an admin.
- A LinkedIn Campaign Manager Account: Linked to your personal profile but set up for your business.
- A Target Account List (TAL): A CSV file containing the names and website URLs of the companies you want to target (aim for at least 200-300 companies to ensure the delivery of your ads).
- The LinkedIn Insight Tag: This should already be installed on your website (this is crucial for tracking conversions and retargeting).
- Your ABN: If you haven't set up billing yet, LinkedIn will require your business details for Australian tax purposes.
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Step 1: Prepare Your Target Account List (The Secret Sauce)
This is where most people get stuck, and honestly, the interface doesn't help if your data isn't formatted perfectly. LinkedIn needs to match your spreadsheet to their database. Pro tip from setting this up dozens of times: Don't just include the company name. Include the LinkedIn Company Page URL if you have it. It increases the match rate significantly.- Open Excel or Google Sheets.
- Create a column header named
companynameand another namedcompanywebsite. - List your dream clients. (e.g., 'Flight Centre', 'Rio Tinto', 'TechnologyOne').
- Save this file as a CSV (Comma Delimited). LinkedIn is very picky about the file format, so double-check it’s not an .xlsx file.
Step 2: Upload Your List to Campaign Manager
Now we need to tell LinkedIn who these people are.- Log into Campaign Manager.
- Click on the Account Assets dropdown menu on the left-hand sidebar.
- Select Matched Audiences.
- Click the blue Create audience button and select Company / Contact.
- Give your list a clear name, like "Top 200 QLD Construction Firms - [Date]".
- Upload your CSV file.
Step 3: Define Your Campaign Objective
Once your audience is ready, click the Create button and select Campaign.For ABM, I usually recommend Brand Awareness or Website Visits. Why? Because ABM is a long game. You aren't usually looking for a 'Buy Now' click on the first day. You want the CTO of that target company to see your brand three or four times so that when your sales team reaches out, the prospect thinks, "Oh yeah, I've heard of these guys."
Step 4: Layering Your Targeting (The 'Who' in the 'Where')
This is where the magic happens. We’ve told LinkedIn which companies to target, but we don't want to show ads to the receptionist or the summer intern. We want the decision-makers.- In the Audience section, click Retargeting > Company List and select the list you uploaded in Step 2.
- Now, click Narrow audience (AND). This is vital. If you don't do this, you'll just be targeting everyone at those companies.
- Add Job Seniorities. I usually select Director, VP, Partner, and CXO.
- Add Job Functions. If you sell software, select 'Information Technology'. If you sell HR services, select 'Human Resources'.
Step 5: Choose Your Ad Format
For Australian B2B audiences, Single Image Ads or Video Ads tend to perform best in the newsfeed.- Single Image: Great for a clear value proposition.
- Document Ads: These are incredible for ABM. You can share a PDF (like a case study or whitepaper) that people can read directly inside LinkedIn. It builds massive authority.
- Thought Leader Ads: This is a newer feature where you can promote a post from your CEO's personal profile instead of the company page. In the Brisbane business community, people buy from people. This often sees much higher engagement.
Step 6: Setting Your Budget and Bidding
LinkedIn is notoriously expensive compared to Facebook, but remember: you are paying for the quality of the lead, not the quantity.- Daily Budget: Start with at least $20–$50 per day. Anything less and the LinkedIn algorithm won't have enough 'fuel' to find your audience.
- Bidding strategy: I recommend starting with Maximum Delivery (Automated). Let LinkedIn's AI do the heavy lifting for the first two weeks.
Step 7: Crafting Your Creative (The 'Hook')
Don't be boring. Australian business owners are busy. Your ad shouldn't just say "We provide IT services."Try something like: "Helping Brisbane manufacturing firms reduce downtime by 30%. See how we did it for [Local Company Name]."
Pro tip: Since you know exactly which companies are seeing the ad, you can make the copy feel very relevant to their industry. If your list is all Mining companies, use mining imagery. It sounds simple, but most people skip this and use generic stock photos of people in suits.Step 8: Conversion Tracking
Before you hit 'Launch', make sure you've selected your Conversion Event. This is how you'll prove to your boss (or yourself) that the ads are working. Even if they don't fill out a form, you want to track if people from your target list are visiting your 'Pricing' or 'Contact' pages.---
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Going too narrow: If you target 10 companies and only 'CEOs', your audience will be too small to serve. Broaden the roles to include 'Influencers' (the people who recommend the product to the CEO).
- The "Set and Forget" trap: Check your campaign every 3 days. If your Frequency (how many times one person sees the ad) gets above 4 or 5, it's time to change the imagery.
- Ignoring the 'Lead Gen Form' option: If you want actual emails, use LinkedIn's native Lead Gen forms. They auto-fill with the user's data, which means much higher conversion rates on mobile.
Troubleshooting
- "My ads aren't spending any money": This usually means your bid is too low or your audience is too small. Try removing one or two targeting layers (like specific interests) to see if the volume picks up.
- "Match rate is low": If LinkedIn only matches 40% of your CSV list, your data might be outdated. Try to find the exact LinkedIn Company Page URLs and re-upload.
- "I'm getting clicks but no leads": Check your landing page. Is it mobile-friendly? Does it match the promise of the ad? If you promised a case study, don't send them to your homepage.
Next Steps
Setting up the ads is only half the battle. The real power of ABM comes when your sales team follows up.- Wait 2 weeks for data to accumulate.
- Check the Demographics tab in Campaign Manager to see exactly which companies are clicking your ads.
- Give that list of clicking companies to your sales team for warm outreach.
Need a hand getting your target list formatted or your Insight Tag firing correctly? We do this every day for businesses across Australia. Contact the team at Local Marketing Group and let's get your ABM strategy off the ground.