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Attribution is one of the biggest frustrations for B2B marketers. Clients often expect it to be simple—“show me exactly how much revenue came from LinkedIn Ads.”

But here’s the reality: B2B attribution is messy, fragmented, and impossible to make fully black and white.

Why attribution is so difficult in B2B

Unlike B2C, where someone can see an ad, click, and buy in minutes, B2B buying journeys are long and complex. They involve:

• Multiple decision-makers
  
  
• Internal change management
  
  
• Significant budgets
  
  
• Numerous touchpoints across different devices and channels
  
  

This complexity makes it nearly impossible to track every interaction accurately. Cookies get blocked, users switch devices, and sign-ups often use different emails than their LinkedIn logins.

The right way to approach attribution

Since perfect attribution doesn’t exist, the best strategy is to combine multiple data sources and accept that you’ll always be working with an incomplete picture.

1. Native LinkedIn tracking

• Use the Insight Tag and Conversions API.
  
  
• Leverage Revenue Attribution Reports synced with your CRM.
  
  This helps connect ad engagement to CRM conversions at the company or individual level.
  
  

2. Manual correlation

Cross-reference website conversions with LinkedIn’s Company Engagement Tab. Even if not perfect, this provides strong evidence of ad influence on the buyer journey.

3. Self-reported attribution

Sometimes the simplest method is also the most powerful: ask prospects how they heard about you.

• Add a free-form field in your forms.
  
  
• Capture the channel that had the biggest impact, not just the last click.
  
  

Of course, self-reported attribution relies on memory and honesty, but it often provides insights that tracking tools miss.

Key takeaway

Attribution in B2B is not about finding a single channel that “caused” the sale. Instead, think of each channel—including LinkedIn Ads—as an influencer of pipeline and revenue.

LinkedIn may not always get the last-touch credit, but it plays a crucial role in creating demand, building trust, and moving prospects toward conversion.

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