Let's be clear about something:

LinkedIn Ads is expensive.

$6-$10 per click. Sometimes $15+ for senior decision-makers.

That's 2-3x more than Google Ads. And 10-15x more than Meta Ads.

Your CFO sees that number and asks: "Why are we spending so much on LinkedIn?"

Fair question.

Here's your answer: LinkedIn drives the highest-quality B2B leads of any paid platform.

The data backs this up:

• 113% ROAS (vs. 78% for Google, 29% for Meta)

• 50-60% SQL-to-Opportunity conversion (vs. 36-42% for Google, 25-35% for Meta)

• 30-40% higher deal values for LinkedIn-sourced deals

BUT—you can only prove this if you export the RIGHT data and connect it to your CRM.

Because here's the trap: If you just look at LinkedIn Campaign Manager numbers, you'll see expensive clicks and moderate conversions. You'll think it's not working.

But if you export lead-level data and track those leads through your sales funnel, you'll see they close at 2x the rate of other channels.

This guide shows you how to export LinkedIn Ads data the right way—so you can defend your budget, optimize what's working, and build a 2026 plan that actually drives revenue.

Why LinkedIn Ads Data Export Is Critical for B2B Budget Planning

LinkedIn Ads is NOT like Google Ads or Meta Ads.

Here's why:

Long Sales Cycles = Attribution Complexity

The average B2B sales cycle is 211 days (7 months).

Someone might:

1. Click your LinkedIn Ad in January

2. Download a whitepaper

3. Attend a webinar in March

4. Book a demo in May

5. Close the deal in August

LinkedIn gets credit for the initial click. But did that click REALLY drive the $50,000 deal?

You can't answer this without exporting LinkedIn lead data AND matching it to CRM opportunity data.

LinkedIn Drives Influence, Not Just Conversions

29% of MQLs are influenced by LinkedIn.
36% of SQLs are influenced by LinkedIn.
35% of new business deals are influenced by LinkedIn.

Notice the word: influenced.

LinkedIn rarely gets "last-click" credit. But it's often the FIRST touch or a critical middle touch.

If you only look at last-click conversions in Campaign Manager, you'll under-value LinkedIn by 50-70%.

The "Premium Pricing" Question

Your stakeholders will ask: "Why does LinkedIn cost so much?"

The answer:

• You're reaching decision-makers (VPs, Directors, C-suite)

• With professional targeting (job title, company size, seniority)

• Who convert at 2x the rate of other channels

• And close deals 30-40% larger

But you can only prove this with data. Export it. Connect it to revenue. Show the math.

Current State of LinkedIn Ads Performance (2024-2025 Benchmarks)

Before we export, let's establish what "good" looks like:

B2B SaaS Benchmarks (2024-2025):

Cost Metrics:

• CPC: $5.58 to $10 globally

• CPC in US: $8-$10

• CPC in Q1 2025: $10.48 (lowest of year)

• CPC in Q3 2025: $15.72 (highest, +50% vs Q1 due to increased competition)

• CPM: $33.80 to $100 (average $50-$100 in US)

• Cost per lead: $75 to $200

• Median monthly spend: $1,878.82

CPC by Campaign Objective:

• Lead Generation: $4.22

• Website Visits: $6.84

• Website Conversions: $6.84

• Engagement: $2.53

CPC by Seniority:

• Senior decision-makers (VP+): $6.40+

• Junior staff: $4.40

Click-Through Rates (CTR):

• Single Image Ads: 0.45% to 0.65%

• Video Ads: 0.44%

• Carousel Ads: 0.40%

• Message Ads (after open): 15% to 30%

• Thought Leader Ads: 10-25%

Conversion Metrics:

• Lead form fill rate: 6% to 10%

• Website conversion rate: 1.5% to 4.0%

ROI Metrics:

• ROAS: 113% (highest among major B2B platforms)

• ROI: 192% (2.30 ROAS for B2B companies)

• Cost per company influenced: €154 (lowest among platforms)

Channel Share:

• 39% of total B2B ad spend goes to LinkedIn (up from 31% in H1 2024)

• LinkedIn now commands largest single-platform spend for B2B

Source: HockeyStack, Dreamdata, Swydo, SpeedWork Social, TheB2BHouse 2025 benchmarks

What this means: If your LinkedIn CPC is $8-12 and your CTR is 0.5-0.7%, you're in line with benchmarks. If your cost per lead is above $200, you need to optimize (or you're targeting very senior audiences).

What LinkedIn Ads Data You Need for Budget Planning

Don't export everything. Focus on what drives decisions.

Essential Metrics:

Performance Metrics:

• Impressions

• Clicks

• CTR (Click-Through Rate)

• Conversions (by conversion type: lead gen form, website conversion)

• Spend

• Average CPC

• Average CPM

• Cost per conversion

Campaign Structure:

• Campaign name

• Campaign group (if using)

• Campaign objective (Brand Awareness, Website Visits, Engagement, Lead Generation, Website Conversions, Job Applicants)

• Ad format (Single Image, Video, Carousel, Text, Message, Conversation)

Audience Data:

• Job title

• Job function

• Seniority level

• Company size

• Industry

• Location

• Member skills (if using)

Lead Data (Critical!):

• Lead name

• Email

• Company

• Job title

• Form submission date

• Form name

• Campaign name

Attribution:

• Conversion window (7-day post-click, 30-day post-view, etc.)

• Conversion tracking method (Lead Gen Form, Website Conversion, Offline Conversion)

Time-Based:

• Date range: Jan 1, 2025 - Dec 31, 2025

• Month-by-month breakdown

What NOT to Spend Time On (For Budget Analysis):

• Social actions (likes, comments, shares) — unless you're running brand awareness campaigns

• Follower growth — vanity metric

• Video completion rates — unless video views are your KPI

Focus on conversions, cost per conversion, and lead quality. Everything else is noise for budget planning.

Method 1: Export via LinkedIn Campaign Manager (Standard Export)

This is the most common method. Works for most budget analysis needs.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Step 1: Log into LinkedIn Campaign Manager

Go to linkedin.com/campaignmanager and select your account.

Step 2: Navigate to the Campaign Manager Dashboard

You'll see all your campaigns listed.

Step 3: Set Your Date Range

Top-right corner, click the date selector.

• Select "Custom range"

• Set: Jan 1, 2025 - Dec 31, 2025

• Click "Apply"

Pro tip: Also export 2024 (Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2024) for year-over-year comparison.

Step 4: Choose Your View Level

LinkedIn lets you export at different levels:

• Account level (all campaigns combined)

• Campaign group level (if you organize campaigns into groups)

• Campaign level (most common for analysis)

• Ad level (most granular, shows individual ad performance)

For budget planning, start with Campaign level.

Step 5: Customize Your Columns

Click the columns icon (looks like a gear or settings icon) and select "Customize columns".

Add these columns:

• Campaign name

• Impressions

• Clicks

• CTR

• Conversions (select ALL conversion types)

• Spend

• Avg. CPC

• Avg. CPM

• Cost per conversion

• Conversion rate

Remove columns you don't need.

Click "Save".

Step 6: Apply Chart and Demographics Filters (Optional)

At the top, click "Chart" to see:

• Performance over time

• Conversions by type

• Demographics breakdown (age, seniority, job function)

You can export these views separately for deeper analysis.

Step 7: Export the Data

Click the "Export" button (or download icon) in the top-right.

Choose:

• CSV (works with Excel, Google Sheets)

• Excel (.xlsx) (if you prefer)

Click "Export".

The file will download.

Step 8: Verify Your Data

Open the file and check:

• Does the date range match?

• Are all campaigns included?

• Do totals match what you see in Campaign Manager?

2024-2025 Note: LinkedIn's reporting is generally more stable than Meta or Google. But always verify totals.

Method 2: Export Lead Gen Forms Data (THE MOST IMPORTANT EXPORT)

If you use LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms, this export is CRITICAL.

Why? Because this is WHERE YOUR LEADS ARE.

You need to:

1. Export the leads

2. Match them to your CRM

3. Track which leads became SQLs, Opportunities, Closed-Won deals

This is how you prove LinkedIn ROI.

Step-by-Step:

Step 1: Go to Campaign Manager

linkedin.com/campaignmanager

Step 2: Click "Leads" in the Left Menu

This shows all Lead Gen Forms.

Step 3: Select Your Form

Click on the form you want to export (or select multiple forms).

Step 4: Set Your Date Range

Jan 1, 2025 - Dec 31, 2025

Step 5: Click "Download Leads"

Choose:

• CSV (recommended for CRM upload)

The file will include:

• Lead name

• Email

• Company

• Job title

• Phone (if collected)

• Submission date

• Form name

• Campaign name

Step 6: Upload to Your CRM

Import this CSV into your CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, etc.).

Tag each lead with:

• Source: LinkedIn Ads

• Campaign: [Campaign Name]

• Date: [Submission Date]

Step 7: Track Through the Funnel

Now track:

• How many became MQLs?

• How many became SQLs?

• How many became Opportunities?

• How many Closed-Won?

• What was the total revenue?

THIS is your TRUE LinkedIn Ads ROI.

Critical: If you're NOT doing this, you're flying blind. Campaign Manager only shows form fills, not deal value.

Method 3: Export with Demographic Breakdowns (Find Your Best Audiences)

One of LinkedIn's superpowers: professional demographic targeting.

But which audiences actually convert?

Export demographic performance to find out.

Step-by-Step:

Step 1: In Campaign Manager, Click "Demographics" Tab

This shows performance by:

• Job title

• Job function

• Seniority level

• Company size

• Industry

• Location

Step 2: Select a Breakdown

Click on one (e.g., "Job function") to see performance by segment.

Step 3: Export

Click "Export" and download as CSV.

Step 4: Analyze

Look for:

• Which job functions have lowest cost per conversion?

• Which seniority levels convert best?

• Which company sizes drive most revenue?

Example Insight:

You might find:

• Marketing job function: 100 conversions, $150 CPA

• Sales job function: 50 conversions, $80 CPA (better!)

• IT job function: 200 conversions, $250 CPA (expensive, but might be high-value)

Action for 2026: Shift budget to high-performing segments.

Method 4: LinkedIn Ads API (For Automation & Multi-Account Management)

If you manage multiple LinkedIn Ads accounts or need regular reporting, the API is the best option.

When to Use the API:

• You need automated daily/weekly exports

• You manage multiple LinkedIn Ads accounts

• You want to integrate with your BI tool (Looker, Tableau, Power BI)

• You need to combine LinkedIn Ads with other channel data

How to Access:

Option 1: Use a third-party tool (easiest)

• DOJO AI (automatically pulls LinkedIn + Google Ads + Meta + GA4 + CRM for unified budget analysis)

• Supermetrics (connects LinkedIn Ads to Google Sheets, Excel, BI tools)

• Funnel.io (consolidates all marketing data)

Option 2: Build your own integration (requires developer)

• Go to LinkedIn Marketing API documentation

• Set up app and access tokens

• Query Analytics API for ad performance

• Handle pagination and rate limits

API Advantages:

• Access ALL historical data

• Automate recurring reports

• Pull data that's not available in the UI (e.g., hourly performance)

API Limitation: Requires technical setup and ongoing maintenance.

Method 5: Export Conversion Tracking Data (Website Conversions)

If you track website conversions (not just Lead Gen Forms), you need to export this separately.

Step-by-Step:

Step 1: Go to Campaign Manager > Analyze > Conversion Tracking

This shows all conversion events you're tracking.

Step 2: Select Your Conversion

Click on it (e.g., "Demo Request," "Free Trial Signup").

Step 3: Set Date Range

Jan 1, 2025 - Dec 31, 2025

Step 4: View Performance by Campaign

You'll see which campaigns drove each conversion.

Step 5: Export

Click "Export" and download as CSV.

Step 6: Cross-Check with Google Analytics

LinkedIn's conversion tracking uses the LinkedIn Insight Tag (similar to Meta Pixel).

But like Meta, it's not 100% accurate.

Export Google Analytics 4 data for:

• Source/Medium = linkedin / cpc

• Date range: Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2025

Compare:

• LinkedIn Campaign Manager: 100 conversions

• GA4: 85 conversions

If there's a gap, investigate:

• Is the Insight Tag firing correctly?

• Are you using UTM parameters?

• Is GA4 filtering out some traffic?

Common LinkedIn Ads Export Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Mistake 1: Only Looking at Cost Per Lead (Not Cost Per SQL or Cost Per Deal)

The Problem: Campaign Manager shows:

• Campaign A: 100 leads, $75 cost per lead

• Campaign B: 50 leads, $150 cost per lead

You think Campaign A is better. You increase its budget.

But when you check your CRM:

• Campaign A: 10 SQLs, 2 deals, $10,000 revenue

• Campaign B: 30 SQLs, 8 deals, $80,000 revenue

Campaign B is 8x better. But you wouldn't know without connecting to CRM.

The Fix: ALWAYS export lead data, upload to CRM, track through the funnel.

Mistake 2: Ignoring Frequency and Audience Saturation

The Problem: You export campaign data and see declining performance over time:

• Q1: $100 CPA

• Q2: $120 CPA

• Q3: $150 CPA

• Q4: $200 CPA

What happened?

If you check Frequency (how many times the average person saw your ad), you'll see it increased from 2.5 to 6.8.

Your audience is saturated. You're showing the same ad to the same people too many times.

The Fix: Export with frequency data. If frequency > 3-4, refresh creative or expand audience.

Mistake 3: Not Exporting at Ad Level

The Problem: You export at campaign level. Everything looks average.

But at ad level:

• Ad 1: 500 conversions, $50 CPA (winner!)

• Ad 2: 50 conversions, $400 CPA (loser!)

The aggregate hides this.

The Fix: Export at AD level. Pause the bottom 50% of ads. Scale the top 20%.

Mistake 4: Forgetting to Compare Objective Types

The Problem: You have:

• Campaign A (Lead Generation objective): $150 cost per lead

• Campaign B (Website Conversions objective): $100 cost per lead

You think Campaign B is better.

But Lead Gen Forms have 10-15% higher conversion rates than website landing pages (because there's no redirect).

Apples to oranges.

The Fix: Compare campaigns with the SAME objective. Or normalize by SQL conversion rate.

Mistake 5: Not Accounting for Seasonality

The Problem: You compare Q1 2025 to Q4 2025 and see:

• Q1: $10,000 spend, $100 CPA

• Q4: $15,000 spend, $150 CPA

You think Q4 was worse.

But Q4 has:

• Higher competition (everyone spending year-end budgets)

• Holiday slowdowns (decision-makers on vacation)

The Fix: Compare Q4 2025 to Q4 2024 (not Q4 to Q1).

How to Organize Your LinkedIn Ads Export for Budget Analysis

You've exported the data. Now organize it for decision-making.

Create a LinkedIn Ads Budget Analysis Spreadsheet:

Tab 1: Raw Data

• Paste exported Campaign Manager data (don't modify)

Tab 2: Campaign Performance Summary

• Pivot table:

  • Total spend by campaign

  • Total conversions by campaign

  • Cost per conversion by campaign

  • Sort by cost per conversion (lowest to highest)

Tab 3: Lead Quality Analysis

• Import CRM data

• Match LinkedIn leads to SQLs, Opportunities, Deals

• Calculate:

  • % of leads that became SQLs

  • % of SQLs that became Opportunities

  • % of Opportunities that Closed-Won

  • Average deal size

  • Total revenue by campaign

Tab 4: Demographic Winners

• Export by Job Function, Seniority, Company Size

• Find lowest cost per conversion segments

• Action: Shift budget to winners

Tab 5: Monthly Trends

• Line chart: Spend, conversions, CPC, CPA by month

• Identify: When did performance improve/decline?

Tab 6: LinkedIn vs. Other Channels

• Compare:

  • LinkedIn cost per SQL vs. Google vs. Meta

  • LinkedIn deal size vs. other channels

  • LinkedIn SQL-to-Opportunity conversion rate vs. others

Tab 7: 2026 Budget Scenarios

• Model: What if we increase LinkedIn budget by 50%?

• Expected: +50 SQLs, +15 Opportunities, +$500K pipeline

Want a template? Download our LinkedIn Ads Budget Analysis Spreadsheet →

How to Calculate TRUE LinkedIn Ads ROI (Beyond Campaign Manager)

Campaign Manager shows conversions. Your CRM shows revenue.

Here's how to connect them.

Step-by-Step:

1. Export LinkedIn Lead Gen Form data (all leads, Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2025)

2. Upload to CRM and tag as Source = LinkedIn Ads

3. Track progression:

• Total leads: 500

• MQLs: 200 (40%)

• SQLs: 100 (20% of leads, 50% of MQLs)

• Opportunities: 30 (6% of leads, 30% of SQLs)

• Closed-Won: 10 (2% of leads, 10% of SQLs, 33% of Opportunities)

4. Calculate revenue:

• 10 deals × $50,000 average deal size = $500,000 revenue

5. Calculate CAC:

• LinkedIn spend: $50,000

• Customers acquired: 10

• CAC = $5,000

6. Calculate ROI:

• Revenue: $500,000

• Spend: $50,000

• ROI = 10:1 (or 1,000%)

7. Compare to other channels:

Insight: LinkedIn has highest CAC but highest average deal size. Google has most customers but lower deal value.

This is the analysis your CFO wants to see.

How to Compare LinkedIn Ads Data Across Years (2024 vs. 2025)

Year-over-year comparison shows growth and trends.

Step-by-Step:

1. Export 2024 data: Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2024

2. Export 2025 data: Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2025

3. Create comparison table:

Insight: Spend increased 25%, and performance scaled proportionally. Healthy growth.

4. Check external factors:

• Did CPC increase market-wide? (Yes, up 15% in 2025)

• Did you change targeting or creative strategy?

• Did you launch new products?

5. Plan 2026:

• If 25% increase = 25% more revenue, consider 50% increase in 2026

• Expected: $75K spend → $750K revenue

Automate Your LinkedIn Ads Data Exports (Stop Doing This Manually)

If you report on LinkedIn Ads monthly or quarterly, automation saves hours.

Automation Options:

1. LinkedIn Campaign Manager Scheduled Reports

• In Campaign Manager: Settings > Scheduled Reports

• Set frequency: Weekly, Monthly

• Email reports automatically

Limitation: Can't customize much or integrate with other data sources.

2. Google Sheets + Supermetrics

• Connects LinkedIn Ads to Google Sheets

• Automatically refreshes data

• Build dashboards that update daily/weekly

3. DOJO AI

• Automatically pulls LinkedIn Ads data

• Connects with Google Ads, Meta, GA4, CRM

• Tracks lead progression through funnel

• Shows TRUE ROI (LinkedIn leads → SQLs → Deals → Revenue)

• Identifies multi-touch attribution (LinkedIn + Google working together)

Instead of spending days on manual exports and CRM matching, you get it done in an afternoon.

See how DOJO AI automates LinkedIn Ads reporting →

What to Do After You Export Your LinkedIn Ads Data

Exporting is step one. Analysis and action are next.

1. Identify Your Top-Performing Campaigns

Sort by:

• Lowest cost per SQL (not just cost per lead)

• Highest revenue per dollar spent

Action: Increase budget for these in 2026.

2. Find Your Budget Wasters

Look for:

• High spend, low conversions

• High cost per lead + low SQL conversion rate

• Saturated audiences (frequency > 4)

Action: Cut budget by 50-75% or pause entirely.

3. Optimize Your Targeting

Export demographic breakdowns.

Find:

• Which job functions convert best?

• Which seniority levels have lowest CAC?

• Which company sizes drive most revenue?

Action: Create separate campaigns for high-performing segments with increased bids.

4. Compare LinkedIn to Other Channels

Don't evaluate LinkedIn in isolation.

Compare:

• LinkedIn SQL quality vs. Google vs. Meta

• LinkedIn average deal size vs. others

• LinkedIn sales cycle length vs. others

You might find: LinkedIn costs more upfront but drives 2x larger deals.

Action: Justify higher CPC with higher LTV (Lifetime Value).

Read: How to Run Your 2025 Marketing Post-Mortem →

Your LinkedIn Ads Export Checklist

Use this before you export:

• ☐ Logged into correct LinkedIn Ads account

• ☐ Date range: Jan 1, 2025 - Dec 31, 2025

• ☐ All campaigns included

• ☐ Columns: spend, clicks, conversions, CPC, cost per conversion

• ☐ Exported at campaign level AND ad level

• ☐ Lead Gen Form data exported separately

• ☐ Demographic breakdowns exported (job function, seniority, company size)

• ☐ Data uploaded to CRM and tagged properly

• ☐ Tracked leads through SQL → Opportunity → Closed-Won

• ☐ Compared 2024 vs. 2025

• ☐ Verified totals match Campaign Manager

Common Questions About LinkedIn Ads Data Export

How far back can I export LinkedIn Ads data?

Via Campaign Manager: Generally 2+ years (LinkedIn is more generous than Meta/Google).
Via API: All historical data.

Can I export competitor ad data?

No. You can only export data for accounts you manage.

Why is my CTR so low (0.5%)?

Answer: That's normal for LinkedIn. Professional audiences are more selective than social audiences.

Benchmarks: 0.45-0.65% is average. If you're below 0.3%, your creative or targeting needs work.

Should I use Lead Gen Forms or Website Conversions?

Lead Gen Forms:

• Pros: Higher conversion rate (6-10% vs. 2-3%), no redirect, pre-filled data

• Cons: Lower quality leads (easier to submit), less control over post-conversion experience

Website Conversions:

• Pros: Higher quality leads (more friction = more intent), full control over landing page

• Cons: Lower conversion rate, requires Insight Tag setup

For budget analysis: Test both. Export both. See which drives more SQLs (not just leads).

How do I track offline conversions (phone calls, in-person meetings)?

Answer: Use LinkedIn's Offline Conversion Tracking.

1. Export lead data from LinkedIn

2. Upload to CRM

3. Tag offline conversions (phone calls, meetings)

4. Upload back to LinkedIn using Conversion Upload tool

This tells LinkedIn which leads became customers, improving campaign optimization.

Next Steps

You've exported your LinkedIn Ads data. Here's what to do next:

1. Pull data from your other paid channels:

• How to Export Google Ads Data →

• How to Export Meta Ads Data →

2. Run your full 2025 post-mortem:

• Complete Guide: How to Run Your 2025 Marketing Post-Mortem →

3. Build your 2026 budget:

• Compare LinkedIn ROI to Google, Meta, SEO

• Justify premium CPC with higher deal value and SQL quality

• Set realistic KPIs based on 2025 funnel conversion rates

4. Automate this process:

• See how DOJO AI automates LinkedIn Ads reporting and funnel tracking →

One Last Thing

LinkedIn Ads is expensive. But expensive doesn't mean bad.

If you're only looking at cost per click, you'll think LinkedIn is too pricey.

But if you track cost per SQL, cost per Opportunity, and revenue per dollar spent, you'll see why LinkedIn commands 39% of B2B ad budgets.

The data proves it:

• 113% ROAS (highest of any B2B platform)

• 50-60% SQL-to-Opportunity conversion (2x better than other channels)

• 30-40% higher deal values

Export the data. Connect it to your CRM. Track it through the funnel.

Then use those numbers to build a 2026 budget that drives real revenue.

About DOJO AI: We're the AI Marketing Operating System for challenger brands. We automatically pull data from LinkedIn Ads, Google Ads, Meta, GA4, and your CRM—then track leads through your entire funnel to show true ROI. No more manual exports or CRM matching. Learn more →