LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms: Generate B2B Leads and Send to CRM (On Autopilot)
TL;DR:
- LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms are native forms inside LinkedIn ads that pre-fill with the user's profile data
- They convert at 2-3x the rate of external landing pages (10-15% vs. 2-5%)
- Best for content downloads, webinar registrations, demo requests, and newsletter signups
- Connect to your CRM via native integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce) or Zapier
- Combine with Outly outreach to follow up with form submitters automatically
You cannot skip this blog if you're running LinkedIn ads and wondering why your landing page conversion rates are so low.
LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms are one of the most underused tools in B2B marketing. They let you capture contact information from LinkedIn members without sending them to a landing page, and they pre-fill the form with data from the user's profile. The result is a frictionless experience that converts at 2-3x the rate of traditional landing pages.
But like any tool, they work best when you understand how to use them properly.
What Are LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms?
LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms are native forms that appear inside LinkedIn ads. When someone clicks your ad, instead of being redirected to an external website, a form pops up directly on LinkedIn. The form is pre-populated with the user's LinkedIn profile data, including their name, email, job title, company, and more.
The user reviews the information, clicks submit, and you get a lead. No landing page required. No typing required. Just two clicks.
This frictionless experience is why Lead Gen Forms consistently outperform external landing pages for LinkedIn campaigns. The average conversion rate for a LinkedIn landing page is around 2-5%. Lead Gen Forms regularly hit 10-15%.
How to Use LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms?
Lead Gen Forms attach to sponsored content or message ad campaigns in LinkedIn Campaign Manager. You create the form, attach it to your ad, and LinkedIn handles the rest — pre-filling the form, collecting the submission, and storing the lead data in Campaign Manager.
You can download leads as a CSV or connect directly to your CRM for automatic sync.
Why Bother About LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms?
They Are Versatile
Lead Gen Forms work across multiple campaign objectives and offer types. Content downloads, webinar registrations, demo requests, newsletter signups, event registrations — all of these work well with Lead Gen Forms. The same form infrastructure supports different offers without rebuilding from scratch.
They Are Super Easy to Set and Fill Up
From the user's perspective, submitting a Lead Gen Form takes about 10 seconds. The form is pre-filled with their LinkedIn data, so they don't have to type anything. They just review, confirm, and click submit.
From your perspective, setup takes about 15 minutes in Campaign Manager. No landing page to build, no A/B testing of page layouts, no worrying about mobile responsiveness.
They Promote Voluntary Signups
Because the form appears inside LinkedIn and uses data the user has already shared on their profile, it feels less intrusive than a cold form on an external website. Users are in a professional mindset on LinkedIn, which makes them more receptive to relevant B2B offers.
How to Generate B2B Leads on LinkedIn Using Lead Gen Forms?
How to Set Up LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms in Ad Campaigns?
Step 1: Create your form. In Campaign Manager, go to Account Assets > Lead Gen Forms > Create Form. Give your form a name, write a headline and description, and select the fields you want to collect.
Step 2: Choose your fields. LinkedIn lets you collect up to 12 fields. Standard options include first name, last name, email address, phone number, job title, company name, company size, industry, and LinkedIn profile URL. You can also add custom questions.
Step 3: Add a privacy policy URL. LinkedIn requires a link to your privacy policy. Make sure yours is up to date.
Step 4: Set your confirmation message. After someone submits the form, they see a thank-you message. Use this to set expectations: "We'll send your guide to your email within 5 minutes" or "Our team will reach out within 24 hours."
Step 5: Attach the form to your ad. When creating your sponsored content or message ad, select your Lead Gen Form as the call to action destination.
How to Set Up LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms on Your Business Page
LinkedIn also allows Lead Gen Forms on organic posts from Company Pages, though this feature is more limited than the paid version. You can add a "Sign Up" or "Learn More" button to your Company Page that links to a Lead Gen Form.
This is useful for capturing leads from organic traffic without running paid campaigns.
How to Send LinkedIn Lead Gen Form Leads to Your CRM?
LinkedIn Campaign Manager lets you download leads as a CSV, but manual exports are slow and error-prone. Connect your Lead Gen Forms to your CRM directly.
LinkedIn has native integrations with HubSpot, Salesforce, Marketo, and several other CRMs. For tools not on the native list, Zapier can connect Lead Gen Forms to almost any CRM or email platform.
Once connected, new leads flow automatically into your CRM and trigger your follow-up sequences. No manual work, no delays.
Automate Your Outreach on These LinkedIn Leads
Lead Gen Forms capture intent. The next step is acting on it quickly. Outly can automate the outreach side of this workflow, sending personalized connection requests and follow-up messages to your Lead Gen Form submissions automatically.
The combination of paid ad (creates awareness and captures intent) plus organic outreach (builds the relationship) dramatically increases conversion rates.
3 LinkedIn Lead Gen Ad Examples to Generate B2B Leads
#1 HubSpot
HubSpot regularly runs Lead Gen Form campaigns offering free marketing templates, benchmark reports, and guides. Their ads feature a clear value proposition ("Download the 2026 State of Marketing Report"), a professional visual, and a simple form asking for name, email, and company.
Why it works:
The offer is genuinely useful to their target audience. The form asks for minimal information. The visual is clean and professional. HubSpot's brand recognition reduces friction further.
#2 Salesforce
Salesforce uses Lead Gen Forms for webinar registrations and demo requests. Their ads typically feature a specific pain point ("Struggling to forecast revenue accurately?") and a clear CTA ("Register for our live demo").
Why it works:
The pain-point framing speaks directly to the prospect's situation. The webinar format is lower commitment than a direct demo request, which increases conversion rates.
#3 Adobe Marketo
Marketo (now Adobe Marketo Engage) uses Lead Gen Forms for content downloads, particularly research reports and industry benchmarks. Their ads lead with data ("73% of B2B marketers say...") and offer the full report in exchange for contact information.
Why it works:
Data-led ads perform well on LinkedIn because they appeal to the professional, analytical mindset of the audience. The research report offer is high-value and relevant to their target buyers.
LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms Best Practices
Do Add a Clear CTA
Your form headline and description should communicate exactly what the person is getting and why it's worth their contact information. "Download our 2026 B2B Sales Benchmark Report" is better than "Get our report." Specificity drives conversions.
Do Add Thank You Messages Back to Your Form
The confirmation screen after form submission is a missed opportunity if you leave it blank. Use it to set expectations ("We'll email your guide within 5 minutes"), offer additional value ("While you wait, check out our blog"), or direct people to your website.
Do A/B Test
Test different offers, headlines, visuals, and form lengths against each other. Even small changes can have significant impact on conversion rates. Run each variation for at least 2 weeks before drawing conclusions.
Don't Add Too Many Fields With Manual Input
Every additional field you add reduces your conversion rate. For most campaigns, name, email, and job title is enough. Only ask for what you actually need. Custom questions that require manual typing are the biggest conversion killers.
Don't Use Complex Language
Your form headline and description should be readable in 5 seconds. Avoid jargon, long sentences, and anything that requires the reader to think too hard. Simple, direct language converts better.
Don't Leave the Leads Hanging After They've Submitted
The biggest mistake with Lead Gen Forms is slow follow-up. LinkedIn leads go cold quickly. If someone submits a form at 2pm and you don't follow up until the next morning, you've lost momentum.
Set up an automated email to go out within 5 minutes of form submission. Then have a human follow up within 24 hours.
Conclusion
LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms are one of the most effective tools for B2B lead generation when used correctly. They reduce friction, improve conversion rates, and capture high-quality data directly from LinkedIn profiles.
The key is tight targeting, a compelling offer, and a fast follow-up process. Get those three things right and Lead Gen Forms will become one of your most reliable lead sources.
For the follow-up side, Outly automates personalized LinkedIn outreach to your Lead Gen Form submissions, so no lead goes cold. Starter plan at $39.99/month. Pro at $79.99/month.
