Guide 9 of 9 in Level 5: Grow

How to report on LinkedIn Ads

To report on LinkedIn Ads in Blackbox (blackbox.plus), connect your LinkedIn Ads account, then build a dashboard from it. Click + next to Dashboards, pick Blank (questions) and click Create. Add a standard widget such as Campaign table, then ask in plain words for what you need: spend and results by ad, reach and frequency for the last 30 days, or impressions by job function for the last 30 days. Click Keep on each answer to save it. Results follow each campaign’s goal: landing-page clicks for website visits, leads for lead generation, video views for video. Reach comes as one total for the last 7, 14, 30 or 90 days, this month or last month, never day by day. Audience groups too small to report are left out. Export PDF and Export PowerPoint download the report, and Share gives your client a read-only link that needs no Blackbox account.

You'll need
Time
About 6 minutes 8 steps Updated
You'll end with
A LinkedIn report with results, reach, creatives and audiences, sent as a file or a link
Do it in Blackbox Open Dashboards, after you sign in
Example
A LinkedIn report: results, reach, each creative and who saw the ads, ready to share

How to report on LinkedIn Ads in Blackbox

  1. Step 1:Start a dashboard

    In the left menu, click + next to Dashboards.

    You'll see: The New dashboard window, with the Brand the LinkedIn account is on.

    Open this in Blackbox

  2. Step 2:Pick a blank dashboard

    Click Blank (questions), then click Create.

    You'll see: Your new dashboard, with a box to ask a question.

  3. Step 3:Add the campaign table

    Click Add a standard widget, pick Campaign table, and click Add draft.

    You'll see: A draft with each campaign’s spend and results, long names shortened.

  4. Step 4:Ask for results by ad

    Type “spend and results by ad” and press Enter, then click Keep.

    You'll see: A table with a row for each creative, unnamed ones shown as Sponsored post and a number.

  5. Step 5:Ask for reach

    Type “reach and frequency for the last 30 days” and press Enter, then click Keep.

    You'll see: Reach and frequency as two numbers for the whole period.

  6. Step 6:Ask who saw your ads

    Type “impressions by job function for the last 30 days” and press Enter, then click Keep.

    You'll see: A chart with a bar for each job function, such as Operations or Engineering.

  7. Step 7:Download it

    Click Export PDF or Export PowerPoint.

    You'll see: A file with a title slide, then one slide per widget.

  8. Step 8:Share a read-only link

    Click Share, then Copy. Once a link exists, the button reads Share Link.

    You'll see: Anyone with this link can view this dashboard (read-only).

Good to know

  • For charts, sizes and turning a link off, see How to build a marketing dashboard with AI.
  • Ask the same questions about the audience by seniority, industry or company, such as “impressions by company for the last 30 days”. The last 7, 14, 30 and 90 days, this month and last month are kept.
  • Reach and frequency are one total for a whole period, never summed from days or campaigns, so show them as a single number.
  • Money is shown with its currency and click-through rates as percentages, in the tables you keep and in the files you export.
  • Audience groups too small to report without identifying people are left out, and the breakdown arrives about a day late.
  • To change what a campaign targets, see How to create a LinkedIn ad campaign.

Official docs

If something doesn't work

Why are my results landing-page clicks?

Results count what each campaign is for, as Campaign Manager’s key results do: landing-page clicks for a website-visit campaign, leads for lead generation, video views for video, engagements for engagement. Other campaigns count website conversions.

Why isn’t reach shown day by day?

LinkedIn gives reach as one total for a whole period, because the same person seen on two days counts once. Set the dashboard to the last 7, 14, 30 or 90 days, this month or last month, and show reach as a single number.

A job function or company is missing

LinkedIn leaves out groups too small to report without identifying people, and sends the breakdown about a day late. A smaller audience or a shorter period shows fewer groups.

Why is an ad called Sponsored post 123?

That creative has no name in Campaign Manager, so Blackbox labels it with its number. Name it there and the name shows after the next sync.

A campaign name is cut short

Long names in an agency’s naming style show only the part that names the campaign. Point at one to see the full name.

How do I send this to my client?

Click Share, then Copy, and send the link: it opens read-only without a Blackbox account. For a file, click Export PDF or Export PowerPoint.

Stuck at any step? Send us a message and we'll do it with you on a call. All of Level 5: Grow