118. LinkedIn Ads in 2026 - Targeting, Creative and How to Avoid Common Mistakes w. B2Linked's AJ Wilcox

AJ Wilcox, founder of a US-based LinkedIn Ads agency, has run five of LinkedIn’s top 10 highest-spending accounts of all time and audited hundreds of accounts. He sees the same five mistakes that are often the difference between accounts that perform and don’t; simple fixes that most advertisers never think to check.

In this episode, he joins Rocket Agency’s Co-Founder, James Lawrence, to walk through what's actually moving the needle on LinkedIn in 2026; from the settings worth double-checking, to why "thought leader ads" are outperforming company posts by 5x on engagement, to the connection between a strong LinkedIn presence and visibility in LLMs like ChatGPT and Claude.

Key Takeaways:

• How AJ went from a first-week LinkedIn pilot to running the platform's biggest-ever spending account
• Five settings worth reviewing in every LinkedIn ads account: geography, audience expansion, network placements, bidding method, and suggested bid ranges
• Why a post from a person consistently outperforms a post from a brand, and a simple way to get executives producing months of content in one sitting
• A colour theory approach to static creative that helps ads stand out against LinkedIn's blue-and-white interface
• Why B2Linked doesn't run LinkedIn ads for its own business and what that says about the relationship between organic and paid
• The CRM integrations most teams underuse, and why manual lead follow-up is costing more than people realise
• Why LLMs are emerging as a real lead source and the simple form-field fix that gets them properly credited

Guest:

AJ Wilcox is the Founder of B2Linked, a LinkedIn Ads-only agency that helps B2B marketers get better results from their LinkedIn campaigns. AJ has worked with 5 of LinkedIn’s top 10 spending accounts and managed over $150 million in LinkedIn ad spend.

He is a trusted expert in LinkedIn Ads and has spoken at more than 80 industry events and appeared on over 200 podcasts.

You can follow AJ on LinkedIn.

Find Us Online:

• James Lawrence LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslawrenceoz/
• Smarter Marketer Website: https://rocketagency.com.au/smarter-marketer-podcast
• Rocket Agency Website: https://rocketagency.com.au/
• Rocket Agency LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rocket-agency-pty-ltd/

Buy Smarter Marketer:

• Hardcover: https://amzn.to/30O63kg
• Kindle: https://amzn.to/2ZqfCWm

About the Podcast:

This is the definitive podcast for Australian marketers. Join Rocket Agency Co-Founder and best-selling author, James Lawrence in conversation with marketers, leaders, and thinkers about what it takes to be a smarter and more successful marketer.