Salesforce + LinkedIn Ads: lead sync, CRM Sync and revenue attribution

What this integration unlocks

• LinkedIn Lead Gen Form submissions created as Salesforce leads with your record type and lead source
• Hidden fields on the form carried onto the lead, so campaign detail survives into the CRM
• Revenue won, pipeline and return on ad spend by campaign in LinkedIn's Revenue Attribution Report
• Conversions created automatically from Salesforce data and usable in LinkedIn campaigns
• Account and contact lists from Salesforce used as Matched Audiences for targeting and exclusion

Setup steps

1. 1

   Set up LinkedIn Lead Gen inside Salesforce

   The lead sync is configured on the Salesforce side, not in Campaign Manager. In Salesforce Setup, search Quick Find for LinkedIn Lead Gen, connect a LinkedIn account under LinkedIn Accounts, then configure Lead Gen Fields. It runs in Lightning Experience, and the admin doing the setup needs the Modify All Data permission.

   Leads submitted to LinkedIn before you connect do not sync automatically. If you need them in Salesforce, import them by CSV, so connect the account before a campaign goes live.

2. 2

   Set lead defaults and map the form fields

   Under the lead defaults, set a Default Lead Creator, a Record Type and a Lead Source for LinkedIn leads. The default lead creator needs Modify All Data, Send Email and Access Activities. Then map form data fields, lead fields, custom questions, consent fields and hidden fields to Salesforce lead fields.

   Two details trip up enterprise orgs. Custom Salesforce fields can only receive text or text area values from the form, and hidden fields are sorted alphabetically by field name. Use hidden fields to carry campaign or offer detail onto the lead, because the Lead Source alone will not tell you which campaign produced it.

3. 3

   Connect Salesforce to LinkedIn with CRM Sync

   The return path from Salesforce to LinkedIn runs through Business Manager. Sign in, click Settings, then Connect next to Salesforce. You need admin access to the Business Manager account. On the Salesforce side, use a Salesforce Integration User whose profile has API Enabled checked and at least read access to the objects and fields LinkedIn imports.

   The first data can take up to 72 hours to appear in Business Manager, and another 24 to 48 hours to reach Campaign Manager. Plan the connection well before the reporting meeting that needs it.

4. 4

   Read pipeline in the Revenue Attribution Report

   Once CRM Sync is connected, the Revenue Attribution Report shows revenue won, return on ad spend and pipeline amount for your LinkedIn activity. You can switch between impression-based and engagement-based attribution and set the lookback window to 30, 60, 90, 180 or 365 days.

   A 365-day lookback suits enterprise cycles that run well past a quarter. CRM Sync also lets you use conversions LinkedIn creates automatically from your CRM data in campaigns, which is the native way to give bidding an opportunity-level signal without building a pipeline of your own.

5. 5

   Build Matched Audiences from Salesforce lists

   Contact and company lists from Salesforce reach Matched Audiences through a CSV upload or a third-party data integration. Export target accounts and customer lists from Salesforce reports, upload them, and use them for account-based targeting and for excluding current customers.

   The minimum ad set audience size is 300 member accounts, so a narrow named-account list may need widening before it can serve. Refresh uploads on a schedule, because a static list goes stale as opportunities close.

Common issues

Common questions