Check LinkedIn audience size and forecast before you launch

What it does

The audience size estimate shows how many members match your targeting, and often how many of them are active. If the audience is below a few hundred, LinkedIn may not show a number at all and the campaign will deliver poorly. A very large audience is not a goal either: if it is huge, the targeting is probably too loose for a B2B message.

A suggested bid or bid range shows what LinkedIn thinks is needed to compete for this audience. If your planned daily budget buys only a handful of clicks at that level, the test will take months to read. The budget bounds shown with it help you judge whether you are in a realistic range.

The delivery forecast projects impressions, clicks, leads or conversions for a period, with a low and high range. Treat the middle as a rough guide only. For conversion goals, LinkedIn may not forecast automated bidding, so the forecast can be based on clicks instead; the number is then about clicks, not about leads.

Use the three together. A feasible plan has an audience of workable size, a budget that fits the suggested bid range, and a forecast of enough events to review within the test period. When one of them fails, change one thing: widen the audience, raise the budget or lengthen the test.

Why it helps

You find out before launch that an audience is too small or a budget too thin.
Targeting changes get tested on numbers instead of on live spend.
The plan includes the number of events you need to see before deciding.

How to set it up

Build the targeting with the facets you plan to use.
Read the audience total and the active members; if the estimate is missing or tiny, widen the audience.
Compare the planned daily budget to the suggested bid and budget bounds.
Read the 30-day forecast range and note whether it is based on clicks or on conversions.
Write down the minimum number of events you need to see in the test and adjust the budget or duration so it is reachable.

Good to know

In AdAce Ads the audience and forecast estimate is a live read from LinkedIn that creates nothing; it is limited to a number of requests per hour per workspace.
The forecast is LinkedIn’s estimate. Real delivery depends on competition, creative and timing.
For website-conversion goals the forecast is based on clicks, because LinkedIn does not forecast automated conversion bidding.

Sources and further reading

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