Top Metrics to Include in LinkedIn Ads Reports
Marketing
Jul 14, 2025
Jul 14, 2025
Learn essential LinkedIn Ads metrics to track for better campaign performance, including CTR, cost metrics, and lead generation insights.
Want better results from LinkedIn Ads? Start by measuring what matters.
Tracking the right metrics ensures your ads perform well, save budget, and deliver real business outcomes. Here’s what you need to know:
Impressions & Reach: Gauge how many people see your ads.
Click-Through Rate (CTR): Measure how engaging your ads are (target: 0.44%-0.65%).
Cost Metrics: Keep an eye on CPC ($2.00-$3.00), CPM ($5.01-$8.00), and CPL ($15-$350).
Engagement Metrics: Track likes, shares, and comments to understand audience interest.
Lead Generation: Monitor lead form completions, conversion rates, and lead quality for ROI.
Organize your reports by campaign goals, time periods, or ad formats for clarity. Automating reports with tools like Metrics Watch can save time and ensure your data is always ready to guide decisions.
Bottom line: Focus on the right metrics, structure reports clearly, and automate to improve efficiency.
How to Know If Your LinkedIn Ads Are Performing
Key LinkedIn Ads Metrics to Track
Knowing which metrics to monitor can turn your LinkedIn advertising from a shot in the dark into a calculated strategy. These metrics don’t just show what’s happening - they help explain why and guide your next steps. Let’s break down the most important ones and why they matter.
Impressions and Reach
Start with visibility. Impressions measure how often your ad appears on someone’s screen, while reach counts the unique individuals who see it. Think of impressions as total views and reach as the number of distinct viewers. Together, they provide a snapshot of how visible your ads are.
For context, the average LinkedIn company page generates about 4,170 impressions per month. If your ads fall short of this benchmark, it could point to issues like poor targeting or insufficient budget.
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
CTR is a key indicator of how engaging your ad is - calculated by dividing the number of clicks by impressions. It’s a straightforward way to measure performance.
"Click through rate really is the easiest way to tell if your ads are interesting to your audience or not." - AJ Wilcox, Host of LinkedIn Ads Show
Typical CTRs for LinkedIn Sponsored Content range from 0.44% to 0.65%. Specifically, Single Image Ads average 0.39%, Video Ads hit 0.29%, and Carousel Ads come in at 0.26%. If your CTR isn’t hitting these benchmarks, it might be time to tweak your approach.
To improve CTR, refine your audience targeting, experiment with different creatives through A/B testing, and include clear, compelling calls-to-action. Adding urgency, like limited-time offers, can also encourage quicker clicks.
Cost Metrics
Keeping costs in check is essential for profitable campaigns. Focus on three main cost metrics: Cost per Click (CPC), Cost per Mille (CPM), and Cost per Lead (CPL).
Here’s what you can expect on LinkedIn:
Cost Metric | Average Range | What It Measures |
|---|---|---|
Cost per Click (CPC) | $2.00–$3.00 | Cost for each click on your ad |
Cost per 1,000 Impressions (CPM) | $5.01–$8.00 | Cost for 1,000 ad views |
Cost per Lead (CPL) | $15–$350 | Cost to acquire each lead |
For Sponsored Messaging ads, costs range from $0.26 to $0.50 per send. LinkedIn’s CPM average is $33.80 per 1,000 impressions, and its cost per company influenced often outperforms platforms like Google Search Ads and Facebook.
To optimize costs, fine-tune your targeting to avoid wasted impressions, align your ads’ visuals and copy with audience needs, and use cost cap bidding to control spending while maintaining performance.
Engagement Metrics
Beyond clicks, engagement metrics like likes, shares, and comments show how your audience is interacting with your content. High engagement suggests your ads resonate with viewers and contribute to campaign success. Monitor these actions to better understand audience sentiment and refine your strategy.
Lead Generation Performance
For B2B marketers, lead generation metrics are often the most critical. Pay attention to lead form completion rates, conversion rates, and qualified lead percentages to gauge your campaign’s impact.
Lead form completion rates: Measure how compelling your offer is once someone clicks. Low rates may signal issues like overly complex forms or unclear value.
Conversion rates: Track how many leads take the next step in your sales process.
Qualified lead percentages: Assess the quality of your leads to ensure they align with your business goals.
LinkedIn excels at generating high-quality B2B leads, with 57% of businesses satisfied with their LinkedIn ads ROI. With a minimum daily budget of $10.00 and a $100.00 lifetime budget for new campaigns, every lead needs to justify your investment. Monitoring these metrics helps you make adjustments that directly impact your bottom line.
Best Practices for Structuring LinkedIn Ads Reports
Once you've identified the key metrics, the next step is organizing and presenting them in a way that leads to actionable insights. A well-structured LinkedIn Ads report can turn raw numbers into meaningful strategies. Here's how to make your reports work harder for you.
Organizing Metrics for Clarity
The way you group metrics can make or break the clarity of your report. Start with high-level performance metrics to give an overview, then dive deeper into specifics. For example, begin with campaign-level data like total spend and overall CTR. From there, narrow the focus to ad set performance and, finally, individual ad metrics.
Using time-based organization is another effective approach. Break down your data by time periods - weekly, monthly, or quarterly - to highlight trends and patterns over time. This structure helps stakeholders see how performance evolves rather than just presenting isolated snapshots.
You can also organize metrics based on campaign objectives. Keep brand awareness metrics (like impressions and reach) separate from lead generation metrics (conversion rates and cost per lead) and engagement metrics (likes, shares, comments). This segmentation ensures that each section stays focused on its specific goals, avoiding any confusion.
Another useful strategy is campaign type segmentation. Separate Sponsored Content from Sponsored Messaging and Dynamic Ads. Since each ad format has its own benchmarks and optimization strategies, grouping them together could muddy the insights. Keeping them distinct allows for a clearer understanding of performance.
Formatting Data for the U.S. Audience
Formatting plays a big role in making your report look professional and easy to understand. For U.S. audiences, stick to USD currency formatting with a dollar sign ($) and comma separators for thousands. For example, write $2,450.75 instead of 2450.75 or $2.450,75.
Dates should follow the MM/DD/YYYY format commonly used in the United States. For instance, present campaign dates as 03/15/2024 rather than 15/03/2024 or 2024-03-15. This small adjustment ensures consistency with local business norms.
When it comes to numbers, use commas for thousands and periods for decimals. For example, display 1,250,000 impressions and a CTR of 2.45%. For ad spend, ensure consistency by converting all currency to USD, using tools like Google Sheets or Looker Studio if needed.
For percentages, always include the percent symbol and appropriate decimal places. For instance, show CTR as 0.65% rather than 0.0065 or 65 basis points. Similarly, cost metrics should have two decimal places, like $2.47 CPC instead of $2.5 or $2.
Consistent formatting not only looks polished but also makes it easier for readers to compare and interpret the data.
Using Visual Tables for Data Comparison
Tables are an excellent way to compare performance across different dimensions. They make it easy to spot trends, differences, and areas for improvement.
Campaign comparison tables are particularly effective for showing how different initiatives stack up. Include key metrics like spend, impressions, CTR, and cost per lead to give a quick snapshot of performance.
Campaign Name | Spend | Impressions | CTR | Cost per Lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Q1 Product Launch | $4,250.00 | 125,000 | 0.72% | $28.50 |
Webinar Promotion | $2,890.00 | 89,500 | 0.58% | $35.20 |
Brand Awareness | $6,100.00 | 245,000 | 0.41% | $52.75 |
Time period comparisons are another useful tool. Show changes month-over-month or quarter-over-quarter, and include percentage differences to highlight significant shifts. This approach helps stakeholders identify trends or seasonal patterns.
Ad format performance tables can also provide valuable insights. Comparing formats like Single Image Ads, Video Ads, and Carousel Ads side by side can reveal which creative approaches deliver the best results.
To keep tables effective, avoid cramming in too much data. Limit them to 5-7 key metrics that align directly with the campaign objectives. Use bold text to highlight standout results, and for digital reports, consider adding color coding to emphasize top and bottom performers.
Finally, always pair tables with a brief explanation of what the data means. Highlight key takeaways and point out opportunities for optimization. This ensures your audience understands the story behind the numbers.
Automating LinkedIn Ads Reporting with Metrics Watch
Manually creating LinkedIn Ads reports can eat up hours every week. From gathering data across platforms to formatting metrics for various audiences and sticking to delivery schedules, the process can quickly become a time sink. This often leaves teams with less time to focus on what really matters - strategy and optimization.
With automated reporting, the entire process becomes faster and more efficient, allowing for quicker, data-driven decisions. Metrics Watch takes LinkedIn Ads reporting to the next level by automating the workflow and integrating directly with your data sources.
Streamlining Reporting Processes
The beauty of automated reporting is its ability to pull data from multiple platforms and present it in a single, unified view. Metrics Watch connects directly to LinkedIn Ads, gathering all available metrics and dimensions, and combines this data with insights from other marketing platforms.
This integration means you can create reports that show how LinkedIn Ads fit into your broader marketing strategy. For instance, you can track how LinkedIn campaigns drive website conversions or compare LinkedIn's cost efficiency to other ad channels - all within one report.
Data segmentation is another game-changer. With Metrics Watch, you can break down LinkedIn Ads metrics in ways that align with your goals. Whether you need to highlight lead generation performance or compare metrics across campaigns, automated segmentation ensures that stakeholders get the exact insights they need - without being overwhelmed.
"You have access to all our metrics & dimensions when building reports. You can also segment any of these metrics to fit your needs. That way, you can get the right information, to the right people, at the exact right time."
Metrics Watch
Metrics Watch also ensures that reports are formatted consistently, eliminating manual errors and saving time. This streamlined approach not only simplifies the data but also ensures it’s ready for immediate use.
Automated Email Delivery
One of the standout benefits of automation is how it simplifies report sharing. Traditional reporting often requires stakeholders to log into dashboards, remember passwords, or navigate complex systems just to access their data. Metrics Watch eliminates these hurdles by delivering reports directly to recipients' inboxes via email.
"That's why, with Metrics Watch, you get full marketing reports sent directly via email. Just the report you need exactly where you need it–straight to your client's inbox."
Metrics Watch
This email-based delivery system is flexible, allowing you to schedule reports daily, weekly, monthly, or even on custom timelines. For example, during a busy campaign, you could send daily updates to campaign managers while providing weekly summaries to executives.
Recipients can access these reports on any device - whether it’s their phone, tablet, or desktop - and they can forward, archive, or review the insights without needing specialized tools. This seamless delivery ensures that performance data is actionable and readily available when decisions need to be made.
Customizable and White-Labeled Reports
Automation doesn’t mean sacrificing personalization. Metrics Watch allows you to create tailored reports that reflect your brand’s identity and meet your clients’ unique needs.
The platform offers pre-designed templates that can be adapted or fully customized. White-label options let agencies maintain their branding by adding custom logos, matching color schemes to brand guidelines, and configuring sender information so reports appear to come directly from your agency.
This level of customization is especially useful for agencies juggling multiple client accounts. Each client gets reports that look like they were crafted just for them, reinforcing a professional image and showing attention to detail.
Templates speed up report creation without compromising flexibility. For example, you could set up a standard LinkedIn Ads report template that includes key metrics like impressions, click-through rates, costs, and lead generation stats. From there, you can tweak sections to address specific client goals or campaign objectives.
Customization also extends to how data is presented. You can highlight specific metrics, adjust timeframes for comparisons, and modify visual elements like charts and tables to suit client preferences. This ensures reports are clear, focused, and actionable, without overwhelming recipients with unnecessary details.
Conclusion
Tracking the right metrics can make or break your LinkedIn ad campaigns. Metrics like impressions and reach tell you how many people are seeing your content, while click-through rates (CTR) measure how effectively your message grabs attention. Efficiency comes into focus with cost metrics like CPC (cost per click) and CPM (cost per thousand impressions). Meanwhile, engagement metrics reveal how well your audience connects with your content. For B2B marketers, lead generation metrics - such as conversion rates and cost per lead - are often the most critical, as they directly link your ad spend to tangible business results.
The way you structure reports also plays a big role in decision-making. Clear, well-organized reports using familiar U.S. conventions can speed up analysis and improve accuracy. Automating these reports can save time and resources, allowing you to focus on refining your strategy. Tools like Metrics Watch simplify the process by integrating directly with LinkedIn Ads, ensuring your reports are always up-to-date. Plus, automated email delivery means stakeholders get timely insights without the hassle of manual updates.
FAQs
What’s the difference between impressions and reach in LinkedIn Ads, and why should you track both?
Impressions measure how many times your LinkedIn ad appears on users' screens, regardless of whether the same person sees it multiple times. In contrast, reach focuses on the number of distinct individuals who view your ad.
Both metrics play a key role in evaluating your campaign’s performance. Reach shows how many unique people your message connects with, while impressions reflect how often your ad is displayed, offering insight into potential engagement opportunities. Monitoring both allows you to strike a balance between audience size and ad frequency, helping you fine-tune your strategy for better results.
How does automating LinkedIn Ads reports improve campaign performance and efficiency?
Automating LinkedIn Ads reports with tools like Metrics Watch can save hours of work every week. Instead of spending time on repetitive manual tasks, marketers can dedicate their energy to refining strategies and improving campaign performance.
Another big advantage of automated reports is the accuracy and consistency they bring. Key metrics like impressions, clicks, CPC, and CTR are tracked with precision, making it easier to monitor performance. Plus, with real-time insights delivered directly to your inbox, you can spot trends quickly and make data-driven tweaks to boost your campaign outcomes.
How can I improve the Click-Through Rate (CTR) for my LinkedIn Ads if it's below the average benchmark?
If your LinkedIn Ads aren't getting the clicks you'd hoped for, don’t worry - there are ways to turn things around. Here are some strategies to help boost engagement:
Fine-tune your audience targeting: Make sure your ads are reaching the right people. The more relevant your audience, the better your chances of engagement.
Write attention-grabbing ad copy: Use clear, concise messaging paired with visuals that connect with your audience on a personal level.
Experiment with A/B testing: Test different headlines, images, and calls-to-action (CTAs) to figure out what resonates most with your audience.
It’s also a good idea to keep your ads fresh by updating them regularly. Take advantage of LinkedIn's advanced targeting features to zero in on your ideal audience, and don’t forget to analyze your campaign data. Insights from performance metrics can guide adjustments that improve your click-through rate (CTR) over time.