Whether you're new to LinkedIn Ads or already running mature campaigns, bid strategy takes a few rounds to get right. The goal is not to pick a bidding option once and leave it alone. Monitor spend, CPC, CTR, and conversion quality, then adjust based on what the campaign is actually doing.
LinkedIn offers three primary bidding options:
- Manual bidding - you pay per click
- Maximum delivery - you pay by 1000 impressions
- and Cost-Cap bidding
Each strategy has a place, but each one changes how LinkedIn spends and how much control you keep.
Manual Bidding Options
Manual bidding lets you set the maximum amount you are willing to pay for a click. It is usually the better starting point when you want control over CPC and lead quality.
Maximum Delivery
Maximum delivery charges based on impressions, so it can work for awareness or reach campaigns. If CTR is consistently strong, it may be worth testing because you already know people are clicking and can let LinkedIn find more delivery.
How to Bid to Get the Best Results
The choice between CPC and CPM is not always straightforward, but CPC bidding usually gives you more control. CPM can have a place when reach is the goal, but automated bidding can spend faster than expected if you are not watching performance closely.
For those seeking a middle ground between CPC and CPM, LinkedIn's Cost-Cap bidding is an option. This strategy allows you to set a maximum cost per result, ensuring you maintain control over your advertising costs while pursuing specific campaign objectives. Our preference though, for full control and the best results (generally cheaper!) is manual bidding.
If you're using manual bidding, you may have noticed a checkbox that says "enable bid adjustment for high value clicks". Leaving it checked allows Campaign Manager to raise your bid by up to 45% for clicks LinkedIn predicts are higher value. That can be useful later, but I would usually leave it unchecked until you have enough evidence that the extra cost is justified.
Successful bidding depends on regular monitoring. Watch CPC, CTR, conversion rate, and lead quality together rather than treating the bid as a standalone number. If your bid is consistently higher than your average CPC, you may have room to reduce it without losing useful delivery.
Want to master bidding strategies on LinkedIn? Use this guide for the budgeting fundamentals, then move to Linklo Budget Control when you need pacing alerts, spend guardrails, and automated budget checks across campaigns.