We Spent $68M on LinkedIn Ads: What Actually Works for B2B Lead Gen — with Garrett Mehrguth

Garrett Mehrguth is the CEO of Directive and co-founder of Abe — a high-performance LinkedIn ads agency helping companies like Uber, Zoom, Gong, and AWS turn clicks into customers. With over $68 million spent on LinkedIn ads, Garrett brings a level of insight few marketers can match. In this episode, he reveals how to build a LinkedIn marketing engine that books meetings — not just impressions.Garrett has helped B2B brands generate serious revenue by mastering linkedin lead generation, nailing down linkedin ads targeting, and aligning linkedin ads KPIs with what actually matters to pipeline. Whether you're spending $5K or $500K a month, this episode will change how you think about b2b marketing on LinkedIn.In our conversation, Garrett shares:→ Why most B2B teams waste their LinkedIn ads budget→ The truth about linkedin ads metrics (and which ones lie)→ How to reverse-engineer your linkedin ads audience using real data→ Why $5K/month is not a “test budget” — it’s a trap→ How he builds intent-based funnels without fake “intent data”→ The 15-second video strategy that cuts CPLs by 70%→ Why "clicks" mean nothing if you're not booking meetingsWhether you're a startup founder, head of growth, or B2B marketing pro, this conversation is packed with no-fluff insights into what actually drives results on LinkedIn in 2025.Where to find Garrett Mehrguth:→ https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrettmehrguth/→ https://garrettmehrguth.com/→ https://directiveconsulting.com/→ https://www.abetheagency.com/→ https://moregoodcapital.com/Where to find Mike Sirius:→ https://www.linkedin.com/in/msirius/→ https://www.mikesirius.comIn this episode, we cover:00:00 The State of LinkedIn Advertising02:59 Understanding Marketing Dynamics05:54 Budgeting for Success in LinkedIn Ads09:04 Intent-Driven Targeting Strategies11:58 The Importance of Proper Budgeting15:12 Data-Driven Audience Targeting18:13 Leveraging AI for Market Insights21:14 The Role of Content in Marketing24:05 Optimizing Video Ads for Engagement27:14 Innovative Approaches to Lead Generation30:02 Sales Strategies for Effective Conversion32:58 Closing Thoughts on Marketing Success42:51 Authentic Engagement in Sales Calls45:24 Manufacturing Intent in Marketing46:45 The Power of Emotional Marketing50:12 Targeting the Right Decision Makers56:41 Importance of Tracking Marketing Metrics01:00:34 Common Mistakes in LinkedIn Advertising01:10:05 The Future of B2B Marketing StrategiesFor sponsorship inquiries, email [email protected]#LinkedinAds #B2BMarketing #LeadGeneration #LinkedInMarketing #MarketingStrategy