Should consultants use LinkedIn ads? Here's what you need to know before spending money on LinkedIn ads.

As a consultant, it’s easy to fall for the temptation of LinkedIn ads. Spend a bit of money, get leads, sign those leads, and repeat, they say!

Ads are especially tempting if any of the following are true:

• You need to get leads fast

• Your posts haven't been getting much reach

• You have experience with Meta ads for your business (or another platform)

• You're willing to spend money on marketing and want to fast-track your success

• You want to promote a group program where you need a high volume of leads

  
  

In this blog post, I will explain LinkedIn ads, when they are worthwhile, and why I don’t recommend using them too early. Of course, I'll also share what to do instead.

What are LinkedIn ads?

Before I answer that question, I wanted to quickly share that all marketing efforts fall into one of two buckets:

1. Paid marketing - you spend money and time to get your content or message (your ad) in front of your desired audience. The quality of the content doesn't determine the number of viewers it attracts.

2. Organic marketing - you spend time to get your content or message in front of your desired audience. The quality of the content does determine the number of viewers it attracts.

Similar to other social media platforms, paying for LinkedIn ads guarantee that your content gets seen by your chosen audience. You’re paying for visibility and reach, but actual engagement depends on how well your ad resonates.

In order to successfully run an ad campaign, several things need to be in place: 

• Strong ad copy

• Effective design assets, like graphics

• A landing page on your website (if relevant)

• Lead tracking so you know where leads come from

LinkedIn’s advanced targeting allows you to target the ad with precision, such as by job title, seniority, industry, and even company size. Because LinkedIn offers such advanced targeting, they're pretty expensive, and leads typically cost more than on other platforms.

(Think about who you're competing with when you buy ads... software companies, project management tools, financial institutions, etc. That's who LinkedIn created the pricing for!)

In principle, I have no issue with LinkedIn ads.  For large companies with big budgets, LinkedIn ads can make a lot of sense because they're a way to test the market and get leads quickly.

However, for my consultant clients, it's a different story. Unfortunately, I see many consultants invest in LinkedIn ads too early, burning cash and not generating enough leads from those ads. Let this article serve as a cautionary note.

Before running LinkedIn ads, I recommend you nail your organic LinkedIn efforts.

The timing for running ads matters. Before you do so, I recommend making sure the following is in place:

• Your profile is optimized

• Your messaging is clear

• Your network size is sufficient 

• Your content is performing 

• Your messages are converting 

(You might be thinking, "My profile is already optimized." Read this article to understand what an optimized profile means and why you are leaving money on the table without one.)

Pretend for a minute that instead of operating an online business, you have a physical store. What would you do first?

1. Invest in ads to bring customers into your store?

2. Make sure your store has clear signage, painted walls, and an easy-to-read menu?

Of course, you would do the latter. You need to have an attractive storefront to attract customers to. Otherwise, you'll be attracting customers but when they arrive, they won't want to buy anything (they won't "convert").

While you don't have a physical store, it is still essential that your "online store" has these basics in place: an optimized profile and clear messaging.

How can you get leads using organic tactics on LinkedIn?

Nailing your organic (non-paid) LinkedIn efforts (which is what you want to do before investing in ads) will require a thoughtful strategy. I've noticed as a LinkedIn Strategist that there are many common pitfalls consultants fall into, and I want to help you avoid them.

Here are the steps I recommend you take:

Step 1: Start by optimizing your profile, so that you clearly explain your credibility, who you serve, how you serve them, and what action the profile viewer should take.

My LinkedIn Profile Optimization service takes just 3 weeks from start to finish, and provides you with a profile that not only captures the attention of your ideal clients, but gets them to take action (e.g. to book a call with you).

Step 2: Once your profile is optimized, then create and execute upon your LinkedIn strategy so you can get visible to the right audience and attract more interest in your offerings. Here are a few of the things you'll want to decide:

• How frequently to post

• What to post about

• Who to message

• What to message them

• How to track leads

• and more!

I can help you with all of the above questions, and more, through my two-month coaching program Leads on LinkedIn, where we focus on two main skills - LinkedIn posting and direct messaging. These skills bring the right clients into your orbit so you can consistently grow your business without relying on time-consuming strategies like video and expensive strategies like ads. 

Within just a month, you'll have identified and contacted 30 prospects for your business. You'll have the skills and systems to do it again whenever you want an influx of leads. And, this rinse-and-repeat process gets more effective every time you do it!

Step 3: Once your LinkedIn habit is established, you'll then want to integrate your LinkedIn marketing efforts with the other marketing you do in your business (e.g. email and in-person networking) to prevent duplicate work and create a marketing ecosystem that gets you leads and clients.

I can help you with that through my monthly coaching program so that you can count on ongoing leads for your business.

After optimizing his LinkedIn profile, Abe Braha, a Sales Development Consultant, booked three calls in one week. You can learn more about his success story here.

After optimizing her LinkedIn profile and participating in my 2-month coaching program, Lauren Atherton, a nonprofit consultant, booked one discovery call a week! You can learn more about her success story here.

Learn more and get started with a profile optimization here.