From zero to hero:
How Creo built a LinkedIn ad program that outperformed industry benchmarks by 2x
Digital Onboarding helps banks and credit unions replace slow, paper-based account opening with secure, automated digital workflows. With a compelling product and a clear market need. Digital Onboarding was ready to expand its marketing reach through a new channel: LinkedIn advertising.
But building a high-performing LinkedIn ads program from scratch requires more than budget. In requires more than budget. It requires deep platform expertise, a strategic understanding of B2B buying behavior, and the ability to rapidly test and learn what works and what doesn't with the creative and with audiences.
That's where Creo came in.
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Client snapshot
Client
Digital Onboarding
Duration
6 months
Industry
Fintech
(Banks & Credit Union)
Program
LinkedIn Ad foundation
& optimization
Key results over 6 months
0.92%
Average CTR, more than 2x the 0.4% industry benchmark.
$12.18
Average CPC, well below the $20-$40 industry range.
200K+
Total impressions across 18 optimized ads.
1834
Total clicks driving real engagement
Building a foundation for growth
Before a single ad went live, Creo laid the strategic groundwork to maximize performance.
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Content audits to surface Digital Onboarding’s highest-performing assets.
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Audience research to understand what motivates their three distinct buyer personas – Heads of Marketing, Heads of Retail Banking, and Heads of Customer Experience.
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SME calls/interviews to sharpen messaging around Digital Onboarding’s key differentiators.
A strategic partnership
Creo operated as an embedded extension of the Digital Onboarding team. Through monthly optimization cycles, transparent performance reviews, and proactive recommendations, Creo brought both the hands-on execution and the strategic thinking needed for a truly successful campaign.
Full-funnel ad strategy
From there, Creo built a full-funnel strategy designed to move buyers from awareness to action, adjusting the ad focus and goal based on funnel alignment.
Awareness
Drove awareness among banks and credit unions
through broad reach campaigns.
Trust & engagement
Built trust and engagement with
high-value content offers.
Conversion
Converted interest
into booked
strategy calls.
The program structure set Digital Onboarding on the right path, but what made the program successful was the continuous learning built into it. Every month, Creo tested messaging themes and asset types against one another and reallocated budget toward what was working. The program got smarter with every iteration, and so did Digital Onboarding’s understanding of what resonated with their buyers.
The Creo difference
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Transparent performance reports: Creo shared every metric in a detailed monthly report, providing insights and next steps to keep Digital Onboarding informed and in control.
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Continuous learning: Rather than setting a strategy and walking away, Creo treated every month as an opportunity to get smarter. Every insight — from which creative resonated to which messaging theme clicked — was documented and fed into the next set of ads.
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Scalable and repeatable: Digital Onboarding didn't just get a campaign. They got a repeatable, proven playbook for LinkedIn advertising that they can build on for future ad campaigns.
Results
Over the six-month program, Creo launched and optimized 18 ads across all three funnel stages, generating over 200,000 total impressions and more than 1,800 clicks.
0.92% average CTR
More than 2x the 0.4% industry benchmark
200,054 impressions
Across 18
optimized ads
$12.18 average CPC
~40% below the
$20–$40 industry range
1,834 total clicks
Driving real
engragement
$111.64 average CPM
With some ads as low as $14–$23, well below the $80–$100 benchmark
199
BOFU clicks
Best-performing ads outperformed industry benchmarks by 16–19x
Learn more about Creo’s paid LinkedIn ad capabilities
The right partnership can turn marketing challenges into growth opportunities, proving that even a small team can achieve big results with the right support.
Creo Collective combines deep expertise in B2B tech marketing with a strategic, data-driven approach to paid social advertising. From audience research and content auditing to full-funnel ad strategy and continuous creative testing, Creo builds LinkedIn programs that don't just generate impressions, they generate pipeline. Whether you're launching LinkedIn ads for the first time or looking to scale what's already working, Creo brings the expertise, the process, and the partnership model to make it happen.
Creo acts as an extension of your team, ensuring precision, personalization, and measurable success to connect you with the right accounts to turn prospects into buyers and customers into advocates.