The Full-Funnel Advertising Framework: Integrating Google, Meta & LinkedIn for B2B Growth

Most B2B companies approach paid advertising with the wrong question. They ask, "Should we be on Google, Meta, or LinkedIn?" as if it's a choice between three different restaurants. The truth is, they're not separate restaurants; they're the starter, main course, and dessert of the same meal. A truly effective B2B growth strategy doesn't pick one; it integrates them into a full-funnel machine where each platform has a distinct and vital role. If you're treating them as isolated channels, you're not just being inefficient—you're leaving a fortune on the table.

You're probably here because you've tried one or two of them and been disappointed. Your Google Ads get clicks but no real leads. Your LinkedIn campaigns are eye-wateringly expensive for a handful of tyre-kickers. And your attempts at B2B on Meta felt like shouting into a void. Tbh, that's normal. It's the result of a tactical, channel-first approach. What you need is a strategic, customer-first framework. One that understands that the B2B buying journey isn't a straight line; it's a long, winding path with multiple touchpoints. This guide is the blueprint for that framework. It's how you stop wasting money on disconnected campaigns and start building a predictable engine for growth.

Why are your ads failing before you even start? The Two Numbers That Matter More Than Anything

Before we even talk about platforms, we need to address the real reason most B2B ad campaigns are doomed from the start. It has nothing to do with your bidding strategy or your ad creative. It's because the foundational maths is wrong, and the understanding of the customer is superficial. Get these two things right, and everything else becomes ten times easier.

Your ICP is a Nightmare, Not a Demographic

First, you need to bin that 'Ideal Customer Profile' document that says you target "CMOs at UK tech companies with 50-200 employees." This is academically correct and practically useless. It tells you nothing of value and leads to the kind of generic, wallpaper ads that everyone ignores. To stop burning cash, you have to redefine your customer not by who they are, but by the specific, urgent, and expensive nightmare that keeps them awake at night.

Your Head of Engineering client isn't just a job title; she's a leader terrified that her best developers are about to quit out of sheer frustration with a broken, inefficient workflow. For a legal tech SaaS, the nightmare isn't a vague 'need for better document management'; it's a senior partner missing a critical filing deadline, exposing the firm to a multi-million-pound malpractice suit. Your ICP isn't a person; it's a problem state. A career-threatening, budget-draining, soul-crushing problem state.

Once you've isolated that specific nightmare, your real work begins. You must find the digital breadcrumbs they leave behind. What niche podcasts do they listen to on their commute, like 'Acquired'? What industry newsletters do they actually read, like 'Stratechery'? What SaaS tools do they already pay for—HubSpot, Salesforce, Gong? Are they members of the 'SaaS Growth Hacks' Facebook group? This intelligence is the blueprint for your entire targeting strategy across all platforms. Doing this work first is non-negotiable, and it's the core of escaping the common targeting nightmares that plague most advertisers.

The Uncomfortable Maths: What Can You Really Afford to Pay for a Customer?

The second pillar is the maths. Most businesses obsess over Cost Per Lead (CPL) without any context. They chase cheap leads, get rubbish results, and give up. The real question isn't "How low can my CPL go?" but "How high a CPL can I afford to acquire a truly great customer?" The answer is your Customer Lifetime Value (LTV).

This isn't as complicated as it sounds. You just need three numbers about your business:

• Average Revenue Per Account (ARPA): What do you make per customer, per month?
• Gross Margin %: What's your profit margin on that revenue?
• Monthly Churn Rate: What percentage of customers do you lose each month?

The formula is simple: LTV = (ARPA * Gross Margin %) / Monthly Churn Rate. This number is your north star. A healthy business model often aims for a 3:1 LTV to Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) ratio. Use the calculator below to figure out your own numbers. This simple calculation changes everything. It turns advertising from a cost centre into a predictable, scalable investment.

How do the platforms fit into the funnel?

Once you have your foundations, you can start mapping the platforms to a classic marketing funnel: Top of Funnel (ToFu), Middle of Funnel (MoFu), and Bottom of Funnel (BoFu). Each stage has a different goal, and each platform excels at a different job.

Top of Funnel (ToFu): Using LinkedIn & Meta to Create Demand

At the top of the funnel, your audience is cold. They might not even be aware they have a problem, and they certainly don't know who you are. Your job is not to sell; it's to educate. You need to interrupt their day with a message so relevant to their unspoken 'nightmare' that it stops them scrolling. This is demand creation, and it's the domain of LinkedIn and Meta.

LinkedIn is your scalpel. Its targeting is unparalleled for B2B. You can target by exact job title, company size, industry, seniority, and even specific company names. This is where your deep 'Nightmare ICP' research pays off. For a FinOps SaaS, you can target 'Heads of Engineering' at 'Software companies' with '51-200 employees' who also list 'Amazon Web Services (AWS)' as a skill. This precision is why you pay the premium. I remember one campaign we ran for a B2B software client where we achieved a $22 cost per lead by targeting senior decision-makers this specifically on LinkedIn.

Meta (Facebook/Instagram) is your net. It's often overlooked for B2B, which is a massive mistake. While the firmographic targeting is weaker, its algorithm is incredible at finding patterns. You can target interests like 'HubSpot' or 'Salesforce', or build lookalike audiences from your existing customer list. Meta is brilliant for reaching founders and SMB owners who live on the platform. For another B2B software client, we generated an incredible 4,622 registrations at just $2.38 each on Meta, a result that would be impossible on LinkedIn.

At this stage, your offer must be low-friction and high-value. A comprehensive industry report, a free tool or calculator, an exclusive webinar. You are trading your expertise for their email address. That's it. The dreaded "Request a Demo" is a ToFu campaign killer. It's too much, too soon. A detailed guide to using these platforms for B2B can be found in our post on mastering Meta ads for B2B lead gen.

Middle of Funnel (MoFu): Turning Clicks into Conversations with Retargeting

So, you've got some clicks. People have downloaded your guide or visited your blog. They're now in your 'Middle of Funnel'. They're problem-aware and they know you exist. Your job is to build trust and move them from 'interested' to 'considering'. This is all about retargeting, and it's where the integration between platforms begins.

You can create custom audiences of people who have taken a ToFu action and show them a different set of ads. This is where you can be more direct about your solution. Show them a customer testimonial video. A case study that details how you helped a similar company. A short video walking through your software's 'aha!' moment.

The key here is a cross-platform approach. Someone who engaged with your LinkedIn ad can be retargeted on Facebook (by uploading your lead list as a custom audience). Someone who visited your website from a Google search can be shown a case study ad on LinkedIn (using the LinkedIn Insight Tag). This creates multiple touchpoints and keeps you top-of-mind as they move through their decision-making process. It is the core of building a repeatable ad strategy.

Bottom of Funnel (BoFu): Using Google Search to Capture Red-Hot Intent

Finally, we arrive at the bottom of the funnel. After weeks or months of being nurtured by your ToFu and MoFu campaigns, the prospect is now solution-aware. They have the problem, they know solutions exist, and they are actively comparing options. Where do they go? Google.

This is where Google Search Ads become your most profitable channel. Your job is to be the undisputed answer when they search for high-intent keywords. This includes:

• Competitor Keywords: Bidding on terms like "[competitor name] alternative".
• Category Keywords: Terms like "best project management software for agencies".
• Branded Keywords: People searching for your company name directly. You must own this space.

The crucial insight is that your activity on LinkedIn and Meta is what *creates* many of these searches in the first place. You educated them on the problem, and now they're searching for the solution. By being present at both the top and bottom of the funnel, you control the entire journey. The choice between these platforms is often the biggest strategic question for B2B marketers, which is why we created a full B2B lead gen guide comparing Google and LinkedIn.

At this stage, your offer can finally be more direct. This is where you can push for the free trial, the consultation, or the strategy call. The prospect is warm and has high intent, so the higher-friction ask is now appropriate. Getting the BoFu stage right is so critical we wrote a dedicated guide to stop wasting money on Google Ads.

Putting it all together: A B2B SaaS Example

Let's make this concrete. Imagine you're a UK-based SaaS selling a compliance automation tool for FinTech startups (your 'Nightmare ICP' is the CTO terrified of failing a regulatory audit).

• ToFu: You run a LinkedIn campaign targeting 'CTOs' and 'Heads of Compliance' at UK companies in the 'Financial Services' industry with '51-200 employees'. Your ad promotes a detailed guide: "The 2024 UK FinTech Compliance Checklist".
• MoFu: Everyone who downloads the checklist is added to a custom audience. You retarget them on Meta with a short video case study of how a similar FinTech startup used your tool to breeze through their audit. You also create a remarketing list in Google Ads for this audience.
• BoFu: A few weeks later, a CTO who downloaded your guide starts searching on Google for "SOC 2 compliance software UK". Your Google Search ad appears at the top. Because they're on your remarketing list, you bid 25% higher to ensure you win the click. They land on a page offering a free, no-obligation trial. They sign up.

That's the full-funnel machine in action. LinkedIn created the initial awareness and captured the lead. Meta built trust and demonstrated value. Google captured the final, high-intent conversion. No single channel gets all the credit, but the integrated system gets the customer.

This is the main advice I have for you:

Integrating these powerful platforms into a single, cohesive strategy is the key to breaking through the B2B scaling plateau. It's about moving from a siloed, tactical approach to a holistic, strategic one. This framework provides a clear path to follow, but each step requires careful execution and optimisation.

Why getting expert help can be the cheapest option in the long run

As you can see, this is a complex system with a lot of moving parts. Getting it right requires a unique blend of strategic thinking, deep platform expertise, copywriting skill, and data analysis. It's not something you can just 'set and forget'. Many businesses try to do it themselves to save money, but they end up wasting thousands on rookie mistakes: targeting the wrong audiences, running ineffective ads, or failing to track their conversions properly. The cost of that wasted ad spend and the lost time often far exceeds the cost of getting expert help in the first place.

Navigating the complexities of a full-funnel B2B strategy is a full-time job. It's about knowing the subtle nuances that a beginner's guide won't teach you. It's about having the experience of managing hundreds of campaigns and knowing instantly what to do when performance dips. If you've read this and feel overwhelmed, or you simply want to ensure your limited budget is put to the best possible use from day one, it might be time to talk to an expert. We offer a completely free, no-obligation strategy consultation where we can look at your business, your goals, and your customers, and give you a straight-talking, honest opinion on the best path forward.