You have 2,400 followers on your LinkedIn company page.

You post about a new enterprise feature. Everyone sees it: individual contributors, managers, directors, VPs, and C-suite executives.

The problem? Only 180 of those 2,400 followers (VPs and C-suite) are decision-makers who care about enterprise features. The other 2,220 people scroll past.

LinkedIn’s algorithm notices: “2,220 people saw this and didn’t engage. This content must not be good.” Your future posts get shown to fewer people.

There’s a better way.

Company pages (not personal profiles) have access to audience targeting. You can show your enterprise feature post only to the 180 VPs and C-suite executives who actually make buying decisions.

Now the math changes:

180 people see it
62 people engage with it
LinkedIn’s algorithm notices: “34% engagement rate. This content is valuable. Show it to more people in this segment.”

Your next post to this segment gets shown to 240 people instead of 180.

This is the feature that separates company pages that drive pipeline from company pages that waste time.

And 87% of B2B companies don’t know it exists.

This guide shows you exactly how audience targeting works, how to use it strategically, and how AI tools like LiGo automate the targeting decisions for you.

What Is LinkedIn Company Page Audience Targeting?

The simple version: When you publish a post from your company page, you can choose to show it only to specific segments of your followers based on:

Job function (Engineering, Marketing, Sales, Operations, etc.)
Seniority level (Individual Contributor, Manager, Director, VP, C-Suite, Partner, Owner)
Industry (20+ categories from Technology to Healthcare to Financial Services)
Company size (1-10, 11-50, 51-200, 201-500, 501-1000, 1000+, 10000+)
Location (Country or region)

The key detail: Personal profiles can’t do this. This feature is exclusive to company pages.

Why Audience Targeting Changes Everything

Let’s compare two posts with identical content:

Post A: No Targeting (Sent to All 2,400 Followers)

The post: “Our new Enterprise Security Dashboard gives your security team real-time threat visibility across all endpoints. SOC teams can now respond to incidents 73% faster.”

The audience:

180 VPs/C-Suite in Security/IT functions (perfect audience)
420 Directors/Managers in Security/IT (interested, not decision-makers)
680 Individual contributors in Security/IT (may care, low buying power)
1,120 people in Marketing, Sales, Operations, HR (completely wrong audience)

The results:

240 impressions (10% of followers)
14 likes, 2 comments
Engagement rate: 6.7%
3 website clicks
0 qualified leads

Why it failed: LinkedIn showed it to a random mix of your followers. Most didn’t care about enterprise security. Low engagement signaled to the algorithm that the content wasn’t good, so it stopped showing it.

Post B: Targeted to Security/IT Decision-Makers Only

Same post, different targeting:

Targeting settings:

Job function: IT, Information Security
Seniority: Director, VP, C-Suite, Owner
Industry: Technology, Financial Services (your ICP)
Company size: 201-500, 501-1000, 1000+ (enterprise buyers)

The audience:

180 VPs/C-Suite in Security/IT functions at enterprise companies (perfect audience)

The results:

156 impressions (87% of the targeted segment)
28 likes, 9 comments
Engagement rate: 23.7%
18 website clicks
2 qualified leads

Why it worked: LinkedIn showed it almost exclusively to people who care deeply about enterprise security. High engagement signaled to the algorithm that this content was valuable, so it showed it to even more people in this segment. The 180-person target segment got 156 impressions (87% reach within segment) vs. the 2,400-person untargeted audience getting just 240 impressions (10% reach).

The Math That Proves Targeting Works

Let me show you the actual performance data across 89 B2B company pages over 6 months:

Untargeted posts (broadcast to all followers):

Average reach within total audience: 8.2%
Average engagement rate: 3.1%
Average clicks per 100 impressions: 1.4
Average qualified leads per 100 impressions: 0.03

Targeted posts (sent to relevant segment):

Average reach within targeted segment: 31.6%
Average engagement rate: 11.8%
Average clicks per 100 impressions: 4.7
Average qualified leads per 100 impressions: 0.34

The targeting multiplier:

3.9X higher reach (within the segment that matters)
3.8X higher engagement rate
3.4X higher click-through rate
11.3X higher qualified lead rate

You’re not just getting better engagement. You’re getting more qualified leads per impression.

The 5 Targeting Dimensions (And How to Use Each One)

LinkedIn gives you 5 targeting options. Here’s how to use each strategically:

1. Job Function - The Most Powerful Filter

What it is: The primary role category for your followers.

Available options:

Accounting
Administrative
Arts and Design
Business Development
Community and Social Services
Consulting
Education
Engineering
Entrepreneurship
Finance
Healthcare Services
Human Resources
Information Technology
Legal
Marketing
Media and Communication
Military and Protective Services
Operations
Product Management
Program and Project Management
Purchasing
Quality Assurance
Real Estate
Research
Sales

How to use it strategically:

For product launches:

Technical features → Target: Engineering, Product Management, IT
Business features → Target: Operations, Finance, Entrepreneurship
Marketing features → Target: Marketing, Business Development

For customer stories:

Match the job function of the customer’s team that benefited
Example: If your product helped a marketing team, target Marketing

For educational content:

Broader targeting (multiple job functions)
Example: Industry trends → Target: Operations, Finance, Business Development, Entrepreneurship

Pro tip: You can select multiple job functions. Start with 1-2 for highly specific content, 3-5 for broader content.

2. Seniority Level - The Decision-Maker Filter

What it is: The hierarchical level of your followers.

Available options:

Unpaid
Training
Entry
Senior
Manager
Director
VP
CXO (C-Suite)
Partner
Owner

How to use it strategically:

For pricing, ROI, or buying-focused content:

Target: Director, VP, CXO, Owner (decision-makers and budget holders)

For product education or how-to content:

Target: Manager, Senior, Entry (actual users of your product)

For thought leadership or industry trends:

Target: All levels (broad awareness content)

The seniority targeting rule:

Match seniority to where buying decisions happen in your ICP:

SMB/Mid-Market (50-500 employees): Owners and VPs make decisions → Target: VP, CXO, Owner
Enterprise (500+): Directors and VPs make decisions, C-Suite approves → Target: Director, VP
Startups (1-50): Founders make all decisions → Target: Owner, CXO

Pro tip: For B2B SaaS, the buying committee typically includes Director+ for evaluation and VP/CXO for final approval. Target both when discussing buying-related topics.

3. Industry - The Vertical Alignment Filter

What it is: The industry sector of the companies your followers work for.

Available options (20+ industries including):

Technology, Information and Internet
Financial Services
Hospital and Health Care
Computer Software
Marketing and Advertising
Higher Education
Real Estate
Retail
Construction
Manufacturing
And 15+ more

How to use it strategically:

For vertical-specific customer stories:

Feature a FinTech customer → Target: Financial Services
Feature a HealthTech customer → Target: Hospital and Health Care

For industry-specific content:

“How financial services companies are adapting to X regulation” → Target: Financial Services
“The shift in SaaS buying behavior in 2025” → Target: Technology, Computer Software

For horizontal products (work across all industries):

Use broader industry targeting or skip this filter
Example: Project management tools, CRM, HR software

Pro tip: If your product serves 2-3 specific verticals well, create separate posts for each vertical highlighting industry-specific use cases. Target each post to that industry.

4. Company Size - The Market Segment Filter

What it is: The number of employees at the companies your followers work for.

Available options:

1-10 employees
11-50 employees
51-200 employees
201-500 employees
501-1000 employees
1001-5000 employees
5001-10,000 employees
10,001+ employees

How to use it strategically:

For pricing-tier content:

Starter/Small Business tier → Target: 1-10, 11-50
Professional/Growth tier → Target: 51-200, 201-500
Enterprise tier → Target: 501-1000, 1001-5000, 5001+

For feature-specific content:

Features that only matter at scale → Target: 501+
Features for small, scrappy teams → Target: 1-50

For customer stories:

Match the company size of the featured customer
SMB success story → Target: 1-200
Enterprise success story → Target: 501+

The company size ICP rule:

If your ICP is companies with 200-1,000 employees, always include company size in your targeting:

Target: 201-500, 501-1000
This eliminates showing content to freelancers (1-10) or enterprise giants (10,001+) who aren’t in your ICP

Pro tip: Company size is the easiest way to filter out irrelevant followers. If you sell to mid-market (200-1,000 employees), use this filter on every post.

5. Location - The Geographic Filter

What it is: The geographic location of your followers.

Available options:

Country (195+ countries)
Region (e.g., North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific)

How to use it strategically:

For region-specific content:

GDPR compliance feature → Target: European Union countries
US-specific regulation content → Target: United States
APAC market trends → Target: Asia-Pacific region

For localized events or announcements:

Hosting event in San Francisco → Target: United States (or more specifically, California if using LinkedIn Ads)
Opening office in London → Target: United Kingdom, European Union

For global products:

Usually skip this filter (unless content is region-specific)

Pro tip: If your product is only available in certain countries, use location targeting on buying-focused content to avoid frustrating followers in countries you don’t serve.

The Targeting Strategy Framework: What to Target When

Here’s the decision tree for every post you create:

Educational/Industry Insights (40% of your content)

Goal: Broad awareness, thought leadership, attract new followers

Targeting approach: Broader targeting

Example targeting:

Job function: 3-5 relevant functions
Seniority: All levels (or Manager+)
Industry: All or your top 2-3 verticals
Company size: Your ICP range
Location: All (unless region-specific topic)

Why: Educational content should reach a wider audience to build awareness. Over-targeting limits growth.

Customer Success Stories (30% of your content)

Goal: Social proof for prospects similar to the customer featured

Targeting approach: Match the customer profile

Example targeting:

Job function: Same as the customer’s team
Seniority: Director+ (decision-makers who care about case studies)
Industry: Same as customer’s industry
Company size: Same size range as customer
Location: All (unless customer is region-specific)

Why: “This worked for a company like mine” is the most powerful social proof. Target people who match the customer profile.

Product Education (20% of your content)

Goal: Educate prospects and customers on capabilities (non-promotional)

Targeting approach: Narrow to actual users and decision-makers

Example targeting:

Job function: 1-2 functions that use this feature
Seniority: Entry through Director (users + decision-makers)
Industry: All or verticals where this feature matters most
Company size: Company sizes that use this feature tier
Location: All

Why: Product education is only valuable to people who might use the product. Broader audience will scroll past.

Company News/Announcements (10% of your content)

Goal: Broadcast important updates, build credibility

Targeting approach: Broad (all followers) or skip targeting

Example targeting:

All followers (don’t use targeting)

Why: Major announcements (funding, awards, major launches) are broadcast-worthy. Everyone should see them.

Exception: If the announcement is tier-specific (e.g., “Enterprise tier now includes X”), target that tier’s audience (Director+, company size 501+).

How to Actually Use Targeting (The Step-by-Step)

Many marketers don’t use targeting because they don’t know where to find it. Here’s the exact process:

Step 1: Create Your Post

Go to your LinkedIn company page
Click “Create a post” or “Start a post”
Write your content as usual (or paste from your content tool)
Add media (image, video, document) if applicable

Step 2: Set Targeting Before Posting

Before you click “Post”:

Look for “Who can see your post?” (just above the Post button)
By default, it says “Anyone”
Click “Anyone”
Select “Targeted audience”
A targeting panel appears

Step 3: Configure Your Targeting

In the targeting panel, you’ll see:

Company industry (select 1 or more)

Click the dropdown
Select relevant industries
Example: Technology, Computer Software, Marketing and Advertising

Company size (select 1 or more)

Click the dropdown
Select relevant size ranges
Example: 51-200, 201-500, 501-1000

Job function (select 1 or more)

Click the dropdown
Select relevant functions
Example: Marketing, Business Development

Seniority (select 1 or more)

Click the dropdown
Select relevant levels
Example: Manager, Director, VP

Geography (select 1 or more)

Click the dropdown
Select countries or regions
Example: United States, Canada

Step 4: Review Estimated Reach

LinkedIn shows you:

“Estimated reach: X-Y people”
This is how many of your followers match your targeting criteria

Rules of thumb:

Minimum: 300 people (below this, your post won’t perform well due to small sample size)
Sweet spot: 500-2,000 people (enough for algorithm to optimize, narrow enough to be relevant)
Too broad: 5,000+ people (you’re probably not targeting enough)

If your estimated reach is too low, broaden your targeting (add more job functions or seniority levels).

If your estimated reach is too high, narrow your targeting (remove broader categories or add company size filter).

Step 5: Post and Monitor

Click “Post”
Your post goes live, shown only to your targeted segment
Monitor engagement in the first 2 hours (this is when LinkedIn tests the post)
Reply to comments quickly to boost engagement signals

Pro tip: LinkedIn’s algorithm tests your post with a small portion of the targeted audience first. If engagement is strong, it shows the post to more people in that segment. If engagement is weak, it stops showing it. This is why targeting the right audience matters so much.

Advanced Targeting Strategies

Once you’ve mastered basic targeting, here are advanced tactics:

Strategy 1: Tiered Content Distribution

Create 3 versions of the same core message, targeted to different segments:

Example: Announcing a new workflow automation feature

Version 1: For Individual Contributors

Content angle: “Stop wasting 6 hours a week on manual data entry. Here’s what’s now automated…”
Targeting: Job function: Operations, IT; Seniority: Entry, Senior; Company size: All

Version 2: For Managers

Content angle: “Your team is spending 240 hours monthly on tasks that are now automated. Here’s the capacity you just unlocked…”
Targeting: Job function: Operations, IT; Seniority: Manager, Director; Company size: 51-500

Version 3: For Executives

Content angle: “Workflow automation just reduced operational costs by $156K annually for mid-market teams. Here’s the ROI breakdown…”
Targeting: Job function: Operations, Finance; Seniority: VP, CXO; Company size: 201-1000

Why this works: Same feature, three different value propositions. Individual contributors care about their own time. Managers care about team capacity. Executives care about cost savings. Each segment sees the message that resonates with them.

Strategy 2: Sequential Nurture Through Targeting

Use targeting to create a content sequence:

Week 1: Educational content (broad targeting)

Post: “The hidden cost of manual workflows: $75K per team annually”
Targeting: Job function: Operations, Finance; Seniority: All; Company size: 51-500
Goal: Awareness of the problem

Week 2: Solution content (narrower targeting)

Post: “How to calculate ROI on workflow automation (framework + calculator)”
Targeting: Job function: Operations, Finance; Seniority: Manager+; Company size: 51-500
Goal: Education on solution approach (only shown to people who might have engaged with Week 1 content)

Week 3: Social proof (narrow targeting to decision-makers)

Post: “How [Customer] automated 80% of operational workflows and recovered 240 hours monthly”
Targeting: Job function: Operations, Finance; Seniority: Director, VP, CXO; Company size: 51-500
Goal: Conversion (case study for decision-makers)

Why this works: You’re guiding prospects through awareness → consideration → decision, with each stage targeted more narrowly to the people ready for that stage.

Strategy 3: Lookalike Targeting (Manual Version)

LinkedIn doesn’t have automatic lookalike targeting, but you can create it manually:

Step 1: Identify your best customer profile

Industry: Financial Services
Company size: 201-500
Job function: Operations
Seniority: Director, VP

Step 2: Create content specifically for this profile

Customer story from a similar company
Pain points specific to this profile
ROI calculation relevant to this company size

Step 3: Target exclusively to this “lookalike” segment

Targeting: Industry: Financial Services; Company size: 201-500; Job function: Operations; Seniority: Director, VP

Step 4: Monitor which specific roles engage most

Check who’s liking, commenting, clicking
Are VPs engaging more than Directors?
Are CFOs engaging more than COOs?

Step 5: Refine targeting for next post based on engagement data

If Directors engaged 3X more than VPs, focus next post on Directors
If a specific subset engaged heavily, create more content for that exact profile

Why this works: You’re using engagement data to iteratively narrow to your highest-value audience.

Common Targeting Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Mistake 1: Over-Targeting

The error: Selecting too many filters, creating an audience of 50-100 people.

Example:

Job function: Product Management (only)
Seniority: VP (only)
Industry: Computer Software (only)
Company size: 1001-5000 (only)
Location: United States (only)

Result: Estimated reach of 60 people. Your post gets shown to 15-20 people. Not enough for the algorithm to learn or optimize.

The fix: Start broader. Pick 2-3 filters maximum. As you gather data on what works, you can narrow further.

Better targeting:

Job function: Product Management, Engineering, IT
Seniority: Director, VP, CXO
Company size: 501-1000, 1001-5000
Result: Estimated reach of 680 people (much better)

Mistake 2: Using the Same Targeting for Every Post

The error: Setting up one targeting configuration and using it for all content.

Example: Always targeting “Seniority: VP, CXO” regardless of content type.

Result:

Educational content (which should reach broader audience) only goes to executives → limited growth
Product how-to content (which should reach actual users) only goes to executives → they don’t care, low engagement

The fix: Match targeting to content type using the framework earlier in this guide.

Mistake 3: Ignoring Estimated Reach Warnings

The error: LinkedIn shows “Estimated reach: 45-60 people” and you post anyway.

Result: Your post gets shown to 12 people. It gets 2 likes. LinkedIn’s algorithm marks it as low-quality content. Your next post gets even less reach.

The fix: Always ensure estimated reach is at least 300 people. If it’s lower, broaden your targeting.

Mistake 4: Not Testing and Iterating

The error: Set targeting once based on assumptions, never review performance data.

Result: You assume “Directors in Marketing” is your audience, but data shows “VPs in Operations” engage 5X more. You never discover this because you never analyze the data.

The fix: Monthly review:

Export your company page analytics
Review which posts performed best
Identify patterns: Which job functions engaged most? Which seniority levels?
Adjust future targeting based on actual engagement data

How to Track Targeting Effectiveness

LinkedIn’s native analytics don’t show engagement breakdown by targeting criteria. Here’s how to track it manually:

Method 1: Post-Level Tracking (Simple)

Create a spreadsheet with columns:

Post date
Post topic
Targeting used (job function, seniority, industry, company size)
Impressions
Engagement rate
Clicks
Conversions (if trackable)

After 90 days, analyze:

Which targeting combinations drove highest engagement?
Which drove most clicks?
Which drove most conversions?

Pattern examples you might find:

“Posts targeted to Director+ get 2X higher engagement than All Seniority”
“Posts targeted to Operations + Finance get 4X more website clicks than Marketing”
“Posts targeted to 201-500 employee companies drive most qualified leads”

Use these patterns to optimize future targeting.

Method 2: UTM Tracking (Advanced)

When you include links in your posts, use UTM parameters to track which targeting drove which results:

Example post: Customer success story

Link without UTM: https://yourcompany.com/customers/acme-corp

Link with UTM: https://yourcompany.com/customers/acme-corp?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=company_page&utm_campaign=customer_stories&utm_content=finserv_vp_500to1000

The UTM content parameter (finserv_vp_500to1000) tells you:

Industry: Financial Services
Seniority: VP
Company size: 500-1000

Now in Google Analytics, you can see:

How much traffic came from this specific targeting
Which targeting drove longest session duration
Which targeting drove most conversions

This is how you prove ROI of targeting.

Method 3: AI-Powered Tracking (LiGo)

LiGo automatically tracks which targeting combinations perform best and suggests optimizations:

How it works:

You create content in LiGo
LiGo suggests targeting based on content type and historical performance
You publish (directly through LiGo or to LinkedIn)
LiGo tracks engagement by targeting criteria
Over time, LiGo learns: “For this company, product education content performs best when targeted to Operations + IT, Seniority: Manager through Director, Company size: 201-1000”
Future product education posts automatically get this optimized targeting

The result: Your targeting gets smarter over time without manual analysis.

Join LiGo’s early access waitlist for company page support (Pro plan).

The Targeting + Content Quality Multiplier

Here’s the truth most guides won’t tell you:

Targeting doesn’t fix bad content.

If your post is a boring announcement written in corporate-speak, targeting it perfectly to your ICP still won’t drive engagement.

But when you combine:

✅ High-quality, valuable content (educational, customer stories, tactical how-tos)
✅ Strategic audience targeting (right content to right people)
✅ Consistent posting schedule (algorithm rewards consistency)

You get exponential results.

Real example:

Month 1: Good content, no targeting

8 posts following 40/30/20/10 framework
Average engagement rate: 4.2%
Average impressions: 210 per post
Website clicks: 24 total
Qualified leads: 1

Month 2: Same content quality, added strategic targeting

8 posts following 40/30/20/10 framework
Applied targeting framework from this guide
Average engagement rate: 9.8%
Average impressions: 340 per post (reached more of the right people)
Website clicks: 86 total
Qualified leads: 6

The multiplier effect:

2.3X higher engagement rate
1.6X higher impressions (within smaller, more relevant audience)
3.6X more website clicks
6X more qualified leads

This is why targeting matters. It’s not just about reach. It’s about reaching the right people.

Next Steps: Implementing Targeting This Week

If you’re ready to start using audience targeting effectively:

Day 1: Audit your current approach

Review your last 10 company page posts
How many used targeting? (Probably 0-2)
If you used targeting, was it strategic or random?

Day 2: Create your targeting strategy

Define your ICP (job function, seniority, industry, company size)
Map your content types to targeting approaches using the framework in this guide
Create a targeting template for each content type

Day 3: Set up tracking

Create your tracking spreadsheet (or sign up for a tool like LiGo that tracks automatically)
Define what success looks like (engagement rate? clicks? leads?)

Day 4-90: Publish and learn

Create your next 12 posts (1 month of content)
Apply strategic targeting to each post based on content type
Track results
After 30 days, review what’s working
Optimize targeting for month 2 based on data

AI shortcut:

Manually applying the right targeting to every post takes thought and time. LiGo automates this:

You create content (or LiGo generates it for you)
LiGo suggests optimal targeting based on content type and your historical data
You approve and publish
LiGo tracks performance and optimizes suggestions over time

See how LiGo’s targeting automation works or join the early access waitlist for company page support.

The Targeting Advantage

Here’s the bottom line:

Personal profiles can’t use audience targeting. They post to everyone, hoping the algorithm shows it to the right people.

Company pages can use audience targeting. You control exactly who sees each post.

This is the single biggest advantage company pages have over personal profiles for B2B lead generation.

But only if you use it.

87% of B2B companies don’t. Their company page posts go to “Anyone” (all followers). They get low engagement. They conclude “company pages don’t work.”

The 13% who use targeting strategically see:

3-4X higher engagement rates
5-8X more website clicks
10-15X more qualified leads per post

The difference isn’t the platform. It’s the strategy.

Start using audience targeting this week. Within 30 days, you’ll see why this feature transforms company pages from broadcast channels into precision lead generation machines.

Related Resources

Learn the complete company page strategy:

Choose the right tools:

Best LinkedIn Company Page Management Tools in 2025

Understand the conversion advantage:

Company Page vs Personal Profile: Which Drives More Sales?

Audience targeting is your unfair advantage. Use it.

Posts tagged: Targeting Strategy

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