Why Tiered Retargeting Works
A prospect who watches 75% of your video has different intent than one who watches 10 seconds. Similarly, someone who opens your lead form but abandons it signals different readiness than someone who completes it. Standard retargeting treats all engaged users the same. Tiered sequences match message and offer intensity to actual behavior, reducing wasted spend and improving conversion rates.
LinkedIn's audience building tools let you create separate audiences based on video view duration and lead form interaction. Once segmented, you layer different ads, landing pages, and messaging into each tier. Early-stage prospects see educational content and soft CTAs. Mid-stage prospects see case studies and product depth. Committed prospects (form completers) see direct sales outreach or exclusive offers.
Set Up Your Video View Audiences
Start by creating video view audiences in Campaign Manager. Go to Audiences > Matched Audiences > Video Viewers. LinkedIn tracks video engagement automatically; you specify the threshold.
Create three tiers based on view percentage:
- Tier 1 (Awareness): 25% or more of video viewed. This is your broadest segment; many users click play but don't stay long.
- Tier 2 (Consideration): 50% or more of video viewed. Viewers who watch past the midpoint signal genuine interest.
- Tier 3 (Intent): 75% or more of video viewed. These prospects consumed most of your message and are closest to decision.
Each audience is cumulative. The 50% audience includes all 75% viewers. To isolate each tier, you'll exclude higher tiers from lower ones during campaign setup (more on that below).
Create Lead Form Completion Audiences
LinkedIn's Matched Audiences also track lead form submissions. Go to Audiences > Matched Audiences > Lead Form Submissions. You can target people who submitted a specific form or any form on your account.
Create two lead form audiences:
- Form Completers: Anyone who submitted your lead form. This is your highest-intent segment.
- Form Abandoners: Anyone who clicked your lead form but did not submit. LinkedIn does not natively track this, so use a workaround: Create a matched audience from your CRM of known form completers, then exclude them from your video viewer audiences to infer abandoners.
Form completers are your Tier 3 equivalent for lead gen campaigns. They have already given you contact information; your next message should move them toward a call or trial signup.
Layer Video View and Form Engagement Together
The most powerful retargeting combines both signals. A prospect who watched 75% of your video AND abandoned your form is hotter than someone who watched 75% but never saw the form. LinkedIn's audience builder lets you stack conditions.
In Campaign Manager, select Audiences and choose Create Audience > Matched Audience. Add multiple conditions:
- Select your video viewer audience (e.g., 75% view).
- Add a second condition:
ANDinclude or exclude a lead form audience. - Name the combined audience clearly (e.g., "Video 75% + Form Abandon").
- Save and use in campaign targeting.
This creates a micro-segment. Someone in "Video 75% + Form Abandon" is warmer than "Video 50% + No Form Interaction," so they get a different ad and landing page.
Design Your Tiered Ad Sequence
Once audiences are defined, create separate ads for each tier. The sequence progresses from awareness to conversion intent.
Tier 1: Video Viewers (25%+, No Form Seen)
Goal: Reinforce the message and introduce the form.
Ad copy: Keep it short and educational. Example: "Missed the full story? Here's how [product] cuts [pain point] by 40%. See the breakdown."
CTA: "Learn More" or "Watch the Full Video" (retarget them to a landing page with the video embedded, not directly to a form).
Landing page: Video + brief explanation + lead form below the fold. Do not require form submission yet; let them finish the video first.
Tier 2: Video Viewers (50%+, No Form Seen)
Goal: Build credibility and lower form anxiety.
Ad copy: Shift from education to social proof. Example: "[Company name] reduced onboarding time by 60%. See how in this case study."
CTA: "See Case Study" or "Get the Guide."
Landing page: Case study or short-form guide (PDF, interactive tool, or web page) that requires email to download. This is a softer form than a full lead gen form; it primes them for the harder ask later.
Tier 3: Video Viewers (75%+, No Form Seen)
Goal: Direct conversion with full lead form.
Ad copy: Specific value prop tied to their industry or use case. Example: "Ready to see your ROI? Talk to our team about [specific feature] for [industry]."
CTA: "Schedule a Demo" or "Get Your Custom Plan."
Landing page: Full lead form with 5–7 fields (company, role, timeline, budget intent). This tier has highest intent, so the form friction is justified.
Tier 4: Form Abandoners (75%+ Video + Form Click)
Goal: Remove friction and recover the lead.
Ad copy: Acknowledge the barrier. Example: "Form too long? We can do a quick 15-min call instead. No qualification call needed."
CTA: "Book a Time" or "Call Me."
Landing page: Calendly or phone booking link, no form. This prospect already engaged deeply; remove the form entirely.
Tier 5: Form Completers
Goal: Move to sales conversation or trial.
Ad copy: Personalized next step. Example: "Thanks for filling out your info. Here's your personalized onboarding plan—let's get you set up."
CTA: "Start Your Trial" or "Schedule a Demo."
Landing page: No form. Redirect to a trial signup, product walkthrough, or sales calendar. Optionally, include a confirmation message and next steps.
Set Frequency Caps and Budget Allocation
Tiered retargeting works best when frequency is managed carefully. Higher tiers see fewer impressions because they are smaller and hotter.
Example allocation for a $5,000 monthly budget across five tiers:
- Tier 1 (Video 25%+): $1,500 (30%). Largest audience, lower intent.
- Tier 2 (Video 50%+): $1,200 (24%). Narrower segment.
- Tier 3 (Video 75%+): $1,000 (20%). Hottest video-only audience.
- Tier 4 (Form Abandoners): $800 (16%). Small but high-intent.
- Tier 5 (Form Completers): $500 (10%). Smallest, highest intent; needs less spend to convert.
Set frequency caps per tier. Tier 1 can handle 3–4 impressions per user per week. Tier 3 and above should cap at 2 impressions per week to avoid ad fatigue.
Track Conversions and Optimize
Use LinkedIn's conversion tracking to measure which tier delivers the best ROI. Install the LinkedIn Insight Tag on your website and set up conversion events for form submissions, demo bookings, and trial signups.
In Campaign Manager, go to Analytics > Conversion to see which audience tier drives the most conversions at the lowest cost per conversion. Tier 3 (75% video viewers) often has the best efficiency; Tier 1 may have high cost per conversion but higher volume.
Test ad copy variations within each tier. Tier 3 might respond better to "Schedule a Demo" than "Get a Quote." Tier 4 (form abandoners) might need a single, simple CTA. Run A/B tests for 2–3 weeks per variation before scaling.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Do not set video view thresholds too low. A 10% threshold captures almost all video clicks and dilutes your audience. Start at 25% minimum for Tier 1.
Do not use identical ads across tiers. If Tier 1 and Tier 3 see the same message, you waste the signal. Tier 3 should see a harder ask and more specific value prop.
Do not neglect form abandoners. They are often your highest-ROI segment because they have shown intent but hit a friction point. A simple calendar link can recover 15–25% of abandoners.
Do not exclude form completers from retargeting entirely. They need nurturing too. Retarget them to case studies, webinars, or sales content, not back to the lead form.
What to Do Next
Start with one video and one lead form. Create the five audiences outlined above. Set up the tiered ads and landing pages, then run for 2–3 weeks before optimizing. Track cost per conversion by tier and adjust budget allocation based on performance. Once this sequence stabilizes, add a second video or expand to multiple campaigns. Managed LinkedIn Ads services can help scale this approach across multiple campaigns and audiences.
FAQs
Can I use the same audience for multiple campaigns?
Yes. Matched audiences are reusable across all campaigns in your account. You can target the same "Video 75%+" audience in multiple campaigns without rebuilding.
How long does it take to build a video viewer audience?
LinkedIn typically needs 100–500 video views before the audience is large enough to target. Plan for 1–2 weeks of video ad spend to seed the audience.
What if my video is very short (under 30 seconds)?
Video view thresholds are percentage-based, not time-based. A 30-second video with a 75% threshold means viewers watched 22.5 seconds. Short videos still work; just ensure your message lands early.
Should I exclude form completers from video retargeting?
Yes, in most cases. Once someone completes a form, move them to a separate nurture sequence. Retargeting them to the same video wastes budget.
People Also Ask
How do I exclude one audience from another in LinkedIn Ads?
In Campaign Manager, go to Audiences > Edit and select Exclude for the audience you want to remove. For example, exclude "Form Completers" from "Video 50%+" to isolate form abandoners.
What's the minimum audience size to launch a campaign?
LinkedIn recommends at least 300 members per audience for reliable delivery. Smaller audiences (100–300) may work but with inconsistent results. If your tier audience is under 300, consider expanding the threshold (e.g., 50% instead of 75%).
Can I automate the exclusion of form completers across all tiers?
Not directly in Campaign Manager, but you can manually exclude the "Form Completers" matched audience from each video tier audience when you create it. Alternatively, use a CRM sync if available in your LinkedIn account setup.
How do I measure if tiered retargeting is better than standard retargeting?
Run a control campaign with all video viewers (no tiers) alongside your tiered campaigns for 2–3 weeks. Compare cost per conversion. Tiered campaigns typically show 20–40% lower cost per conversion because higher-intent tiers convert at better rates.
What's the typical conversion rate from each tier?
Tier 1 (25% video): 0.5–1.5% form completion. Tier 3 (75% video): 2–5%. Form completers: 10–25% (for the next step, e.g., demo booking). Rates vary by industry and offer.
Should I use LinkedIn's Lead Gen Forms or send traffic to my website?
Lead Gen Forms are faster and have higher completion rates (30–50% higher). Use them for Tier 1 and Tier 2. For Tier 3 and above, sending to your website gives you more landing page control and retargeting data.
Can I use video view audiences for non-video campaigns?
Yes. Anyone who viewed your video is a matched audience, regardless of what you advertise to them next. You can retarget video viewers with text ads, carousel ads, or document ads.
How often should I refresh my video viewer audience?
LinkedIn updates matched audiences daily. If you run the same video for 3+ months, the audience grows but stabilizes. Refresh by uploading a new video every 4–6 weeks to keep the audience fresh and engaged.
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Build Tiered Retargeting Sequences on LinkedIn Ads Based on Video and Form Engagement
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