Linkedin has launched “LinkedIn Ads Agency Certification”, a new global certification program aimed at agencies that seeks to establish an official standard to validate knowledge, operational preparation and strategic capacity in managing advertising campaigns within the platform. The initiative represents a relevant step in the evolution of the Linkedin advertising ecosystem and responds to a context in which B2B purchasing journeys are increasingly complex and brands demand greater guarantees of performance and measurement.

Unlike typical individual certifications in digital marketing, the new program recognizes capabilities at the organizational level. That is, it does not only evaluate specific professionals, but the level of comprehensive preparation of an agency in relation to planning, execution and measurement of Linkedin Ads campaigns.

The company sees agencies playing an increasingly important role in helping B2B advertisers navigate long, fragmented or multi-stakeholder buying processes. According to data cited by Linkedin, campaigns on the platform currently generate an ROAS of 121%, the highest figure among the major advertising networks.

“Expectations around performance, responsibility and capabilities continue to rise,” Matt Derella, Vice President of Linkedin Marketing Solutions, said in a statement. “Linkedin Ads Agency Certification sets a new standard for expertise on the platform. It allows agencies to credibly demonstrate their impact and helps advertisers identify partners capable of generating relevant results.”

The certification comes at a time of transformation in B2B marketing. Linkedin cites data from Dreamdata according to which business purchasing processes already reach an average duration of 272 days, involve 10 stakeholders and accumulate nearly 90 points of contact before closing an operation. In this context, the platform understands that demonstrable experience has become a key competitive factor for agencies.

To obtain certification, companies must meet different technical and operational requirements. Among them, having a Business Manager configured, having monthly billing enabled and ensuring that a certain percentage of users have completed specific Linkedin Marketing Academy training related to advertising fundamentals and marketing measurement.

With this, LinkedIn aims to transfer expertise from the individual to the organizational level. Certified companies will obtain an official “Linkedin Ads Certified Agency” badge, as well as communication materials, rights to use the seal in presentations and commercial media, and access to future promotional actions promoted by Linkedin. The platform considers that these elements can be used both in customer acquisition processes and in employer branding or corporate positioning.

“We want to help agencies grow and offer better results to their clients”explained Raheem Abid, global head of marketing for agencies at Linkedin and in charge of presenting the program. “As certification becomes more widely adopted, it will go from being a differentiator to becoming a basic market expectation.”

The initiative also brings Linkedin closer to certification models similar to those historically developed by Google or Meta, although with an approach especially focused on credibility and performance within the B2B environment. Compared to other more volume-oriented advertising ecosystems, LinkedIn seeks to reinforce the idea that its platform operates on professional relationships, trust and audiences of high value for business.

The move also reflects LinkedIn’s growing ambition within the advertising market. The company no longer presents itself solely as a professional network or an employment-oriented social platform, but as a mature B2B marketing infrastructure with its own standards, advanced measurement tools and an increasingly structured ecosystem.

The certification is now available globally and interested agencies can request it through the Linkedin-enabled portal.

More info: Agency Certification for LinkedIn Ads