Written in partnership with Mony Chhim, founder at 8M Marketing.
LinkedIn ads are expensive — especially for early-stage SaaS startups. One wrong move and you could burn thousands on traffic that never converts.
The problem? Most companies run generic brand ads that fall flat, while their competitors quietly clean up using a format called “thought leader ads.”
I reached out to Mony Chhim, LinkedIn ads expert and founder of 8M Marketing, to break down exactly how SaaS brands can use this strategy to drive better conversions without wasting ad spend.
Mony Chhim - founder at 8M Marketing
This isn’t high-level theory. It’s a tactical walkthrough you can swipe and implement immediately.
But before we dive in, ask yourself this: Is your average customer lifetime value above $10,000?
If not, this playbook probably isn’t a great fit for you — LinkedIn ads work best for high-ticket B2B SaaS.
If the answer is yes, let’s go.
Note: Don’t worry about taking notes. I’ve put a checklist for you at the end with each recommendation and action to take, neatly laid out for you to implement.
1. Choose your thought leader and commit to engagement
Thought leader ads work because people trust people more than brands. But not every team has someone ready to step up.
Mony says these ads are most effective when led by a C-level exec or subject matter expert who posts regularly and actively engages on the platform.
“You need at least one person willing to post, comment, send connection requests, and reply to messages. You can’t just post and ghost.” - Mony Chhim
Your turn:
👉 Assign one visible team member to be your thought leader and engage consistently on LinkedIn.
👉 Have them post weekly, reply to comments, and send 10–50 relevant connection requests per week.
2. Start with customer research before writing any ads
Before writing a single word, gather real insights from your sales and support teams, plus your customers.
Mony recommends interviewing 8–10 recent customers and asking teams what objections they hear most often, what features they emphasize in demos, and what customers love post-purchase.
“Ask your sales team about objections and demo flows. Ask support what users love. Then interview recent customers to understand trigger points and buying decisions.” - Mony Chhim
Your turn:
👉 Interview 8–10 recent best-fit customers about why they chose you.
👉 Ask sales for top objections and key demo moments.
👉 Ask support what users praise most about your product.
3. Build your own swipe file to inspire ad content
Instead of starting from scratch, study what’s already working.
Mony suggests finding 5+ posts from others in your space that had strong engagement, then breaking them down to see what made them effective.
Ue the LinkedIn Ads Library to find competitor posts
“Find posts in your niche with high views and engagement. Look at how they’re written, the content angle, and formatting. Then use that to shape your own.” - Mony Chhim
Your turn:
👉 Build a swipe file of 5–10 high-performing LinkedIn posts in your niche.
👉 Reverse-engineer why they worked and use those patterns in your own ads.
4. Match your content to the right funnel stage
Your thought leader ads are best at the top and middle of the funnel. Mony breaks it down into content pillars:
Top of funnel: Educational content and strong points of view
Middle of funnel: Social proof (like customer stories or screenshots) and product marketing (delivered as a story, not a pitch)
Bottom of funnel: Standard ads like lead gen forms or landing pages
“Lead with advice or a strong opinion. At middle funnel, use customer proof or product-focused content. For bottom, switch to single image or conversation ads.” - Mony Chhim
Your turn:
👉 Use thought leader posts for top and middle funnel content only.
👉 Run separate single image and conversation ads for bottom-of-funnel CTAs like demos or free trials.
5. Format your post for maximum reach
Mony shared several formatting tips that make a big difference in performance:
Always write for a cold audience
Use a clear hook in the first line
Keep paragraphs short for mobile
Avoid hashtags and more than 2 emojis
Add links only after 72 hours to preserve organic reach
“Write every post like nobody knows you. Hook people early, format for mobile, and avoid things that tank reach like hashtags or too many emojis.” - Mony Chhim
A properly formatted post
Your turn:
👉 Start your post with a clear, benefit-driven hook.
👉 Keep paragraphs under 3 lines for mobile readability.
👉 Add links to your post only after 72 hours to avoid harming reach.
6. Run 3–4 ads per campaign with even rotation
Don’t just test one version. Mony recommends launching 3–4 ad variations per campaign and using “rotate evenly” to give each a fair chance.
Then monitor results over 2+ weeks and pause the lowest performers.
“Run 3–4 ads per campaign. Use ‘rotate evenly’ so each gets a shot. Watch for ad fatigue and pause underperformers after two weeks.” - Mony Chhim
Be sure to evenly rotate your ads
Your turn:
👉 Set up 3–4 ad variations per campaign with even rotation.
👉 Run for 2 weeks before killing any ad based on low engagement or CTR.
7. Optimize targeting by layering job titles and company lists
Avoid relying solely on LinkedIn’s default targeting. Mony prefers uploading custom account lists and targeting specific job titles, not just broad functions.
“Industry targeting on LinkedIn is messy. Use account lists and target job titles across the buying group, not just the decision maker.” - Mony Chhim
Your turn:
👉 Upload a list of target accounts or sync from your CRM.
👉 Target job titles across the buying group, not just execs.
👉 Review demographic reports weekly and exclude poor-fit traffic.
Now, your turn👇
You’re ready to start building your first high-converting LinkedIn thought leader ad that doesn’t just look good, but actually drives signups.
Follow these steps to create and run your first high-converting thought-leader ad:
Make sure your average customer lifetime value is above $10,000
Assign one team member to be your thought leader and engage consistently on LinkedIn.
Interview 8–10 recent best-fit customers about why they chose you; ask sales for objections and key demo moments; ask support what users praise most.
Build a swipe file of 5–10 high-performing LinkedIn posts in your niche and reverse-engineer why they worked.
Use thought leader posts for top and middle funnel content only; run separate single image and conversation ads for bottom-of-funnel CTAs.
Start your post with a clear, benefit-driven hook; keep paragraphs short; add links only after 72 hours.
Set up 3–4 ad variations per campaign with even rotation and run for 2 weeks before pausing any ad.
Plan for a minimum of $3K/month ad spend before launching; budget more if scaling.
Upload a list of target accounts or sync from your CRM; target job titles across the buying group; review demographic reports weekly.
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