LinkedIn Ads – AWS Security Immersion Day

The Challenge

Zen Internet needed to establish credibility as a trusted AWS Security & Compliance Partner while driving qualified attendance for the AWS Security Immersion Day event. The challenge wasn’t just filling seats—it was attracting the right technical decision-makers who would engage meaningfully with complex security solutions.

Strategic Approach

Phase 1: Precision Audience Targeting

Rather than casting a wide net, I designed a laser-focused targeting strategy:

Audience Parameters:

  • Size: 350,000+ targeted professionals
  • Roles: CTOs, DevOps Engineers, Cloud Engineers, Lead Developers, Senior Engineers, IT Managers
  • Intent: Technical leaders responsible for security and compliance decisions
  • Geography: UK-focused (aligned with Zen’s service delivery)

Campaign Configuration:

  • Platform: LinkedIn Paid Ads (optimal for B2B technical audiences)
  • Budget: £9,000
  • Bidding Strategy: Maximise delivery (prioritizing reach within target audience)
  • Timeline: January 13 – February 18, 2025

Phase 2: Creative & Messaging Development

I developed messaging that spoke directly to technical leaders’ pain points:

Value Proposition:

  • AWS Security Immersion Day positioned as hands-on learning (not just promotional webinar)
  • Emphasis on compliance challenges and security visibility solutions
  • Clear differentiation as AWS Partner with deep technical expertise

Creative Assets:

  • LinkedIn ad copy highlighting practical security insights
  • Landing page optimized for technical audience (clear agenda, speaker credentials, tangible takeaways)
  • Form design balancing data capture with conversion optimization

Phase 3: Lead Quality Optimisation

Understanding that sign-ups ≠ qualified leads ≠ attendees, I built a multi-stage qualification framework:

Lead Capture Strategy:

  • Strategic form fields capturing company email, phone number (mandatory for retargeting)
  • Landing page positioning event value for technical decision-makers
  • Clear communication of what attendees would gain

Lead Nurturing Framework:

  • Automated email sequences maintaining engagement from sign-up to event
  • Calendar invite automation ensuring event stayed top-of-mind
  • Pre-event content warming up technical concepts

Key Results: FY25 Performance

Outstanding Lead Generation Performance

Exceptional Targeting Efficiency:

  • 85.7% of sign-ups came from paid efforts—proving LinkedIn’s targeting precision and creative effectiveness
  • Out of £9,000 budget, generated 174 paid sign-ups (£51.72 per sign-up)

Strong Lead Qualification:

  • 52 qualified leads from 174 sign-ups = 29.9% qualification rate
  • Successfully filtered high-intent technical decision-makers from broader interest
  • 30% conversion rate from sign-ups to qualified leads exceeded B2B benchmarks

“ She’s keen to learn, get into the detail and work hard, pushing me hard too, to get the best results on her campaigns.”

-Katherine Pugh (Cloud Portfolio Manager)

Key Takeaways

  1. LinkedIn excels for technical B2B targeting – 85.7% of sign-ups from paid efforts proved platform fit for reaching technical decision-makers.
  2. Sign-ups ≠ Attendance – In webinar campaigns, build separate strategies for generating interest vs. driving actual attendance. The funnel has multiple drop-off points.
  3. Qualification rates matter more than vanity metrics – 30% conversion to qualified leads is exceptional and represents real pipeline value, regardless of immediate attendance.
  4. Mandatory data capture enables long-term value – Company email and phone number requirements created retargeting opportunities beyond single event.
  5. Incentivise the behaviour you want – Offering assessments/reviews to attendees (not sign-ups) would better align incentives with desired outcome.
  6. Form friction serves a purpose – Email validation and mandatory fields reduce volume but dramatically improve lead quality.
  7. B2B technical sales have long cycles – 52 qualified leads entering nurture journeys may convert to pipeline months after initial campaign.
  8. Test creative formats for technical audiences – Infographics vs. live imagery testing can unlock engagement improvements in future iterations.
  9. Organic amplification extends paid reach – Earlier organic posting and LinkedIn event creation could have added unpaid reach multiplier.

This case study demonstrates how strategic LinkedIn B2B targeting, combined with rigorous lead qualification and data-driven optimisation insights, can generate high-value technical decision-maker databases—while revealing precise improvement opportunities that compound campaign effectiveness over time.