Why you shouldn't invest in LinkedIn ads for your small business - at least not yet!

As a small business owner with less than 3 additional full time team members, it’s easy to fall for the temptation of LinkedIn ads. This is especially true if you want to get leads fast or to promote a course or group program where you need a higher volume of sales (in comparison to a higher ticket 1:1 offer).

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?

Similar to other social media ads, LinkedIn ads are appealing because they get you guaranteed traffic. In other words, regardless of your audience's interest in the specific content you create, you can ensure it gets seen by a certain number of people.

Marketing efforts can be split into 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 eyeballs on it.

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 eyeballs on it.

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

• Strong content / ad copy or relevant direct messages

• Design assets like graphics

• Lead tracking to know where leads come from

LinkedIn’s advanced targeting means you have a lot of freedom to select who to show the ad to; however, this advanced targeting comes at a high monetary price. 

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

However, many small business owners invest in LinkedIn ads too early, burning cash and not generating leads. Let this article serve as a cautionary note.

What should you do before investing in LinkedIn ads?

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

We want to make sure:

• 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 the customers arrive, they won't want to buy anything (they won't "convert").

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

Without them, you'll be running ads and attracting people to an undesirable storefront. In that case, it doesn't matter how good your ads are! They still won't convert. I know you don't want that.  

How can you get leads using organic tactics on LinkedIn?

Before investing in LinkedIn ads, be sure you have nailed your organic (non-paid) LinkedIn efforts.

Here are the steps I recommend to get leads via organic LinkedIn marketing:

Step 1: When I start working with a small business owner, we always start with a Profile Optimization so that you clearly explain your credibility, who you serve, how you serve them, and what action the profile viewer should take.

This process takes about 3 weeks from start to finish, and provides you a profile that captures the attention of your ideal clients and gets them to take action.

Step 2: Once your profile is optimized, we then create your LinkedIn strategy so you can get visible to the right audience and attract more interest in your offerings through my coaching program Leads on LinkedIn.

This program takes two months. 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: After, we create a habit of LinkedIn marketing through my coaching program so that you can count on ongoing leads for your business. We integrate LinkedIn with your other marketing strategies (e.g. email and in-person networking) to prevent duplicate work and create a marketing ecosystem that gets you leads and clients.

Learn more and get started here.