LinkedIn Advertising: What's Working Now in 2026 (with Davang Shah, VP Marketing at LinkedIn)

Dave is joined by Davang Shah, VP of Marketing at LinkedIn, for a conversation about what actually works with LinkedIn ads right now. They cover why brand and performance aren't two separate strategies, how to think about measurement beyond last-click attribution, and why 95% of your buyers aren't in market at any given time. Davang also shares the data behind thought leader ads, what most marketers get wrong about the buyer journey, and how he's leading his own team through the AI shift.Timestamps(00:00) - The stat that explains why B2B marketing is so hard (01:56) - Davang's background: 17 years at Google, now VP Marketing at LinkedIn (02:23) - The state of B2B marketing in 2026 and what CMOs actually care about (05:04) - How AI search is changing buyer behavior (94% of B2B buyers use LLMs) (07:43) - Why LinkedIn became a real social network, not just a professional one (09:07) - Thought leader ads: what they are and why they outperform single image ads (12:11) - Why brand and performance aren't two separate things (15:22) - How to build a full-funnel LinkedIn ads strategy (20:08) - The measurement problem: 211-day deal cycles and 22 decision-makers (22:02) - CRM sync, Conversions API, and Company Intelligence explained (26:17) - How AI will change the way marketers run ads (and what LinkedIn is building) (32:28) - Making the case for keeping marketers: creativity, human connection, and trust Join 50,0000 people who get Dave's Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Brought to you by:Webflow - A website platform built for the agentic web, helping modern marketing teams build fully custom sites—no developer needed—that perform in AI search. Learn more at webflow.com/for/exitfive.Markup AI - A content quality platform that scans your content against brand voice, preferred terms, messaging standards, and AI-search readiness before it goes live, right inside Google Docs. Learn more at markup.ai.Optimizely - A no-code AI platform where autonomous agents execute marketing work across webpages, email, SEO, and campaigns. Learn how to deploy agents on your marketing team at Agents in the Mix. Learn more at optimizely.com/exitfive. Walker Sands - An integrated B2B marketing and growth services agency that helps marketing leaders turn strategy into measurable business impact through their Outcome-based Marketing model. Learn more at walkersands.com/exitfive.Knak - A no-code, campaign creation platform that lets you go from idea to on-brand email and landing pages in minutes, using AI where it actually matters. Learn more at knak.com/exitfive, or check out the MCP server by clicking this link.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more