LinkedIn Ads for Consulting Businesses: Are They Worth It?

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. Or so the thinking goes.

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 (or ads on another platform) for your business
• 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’ll explain what LinkedIn ads are, when they make sense for consultants, and why I don’t recommend using them too early. Of course, I’ll also share what to do instead.

What are LinkedIn ads?

First, it helps to know that all marketing efforts fall into one of two buckets:

• Paid marketing: you spend money and time to get your content or message (your ad) in front of your desired audience. Quality still matters, but because you’re paying for reach, it plays a smaller role in how many people see it.
• Organic marketing: you spend time to get your content or message in front of your desired audience. The quality of your content determines how many people see it.

Similar to other social media platforms, paying for LinkedIn ads guarantees 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.

To run an ad campaign successfully, you need several things 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 your ad with precision, such as by job title, seniority, industry, and even company size. That precision, combined with the high-value professional audience it reaches, makes LinkedIn ads expensive. Leads typically cost more than on other platforms.

(Think about who you’re bidding against when you buy ads: software companies, project management tools, financial institutions, and other businesses with large marketing budgets. LinkedIn ads are sold through an auction, so those budgets drive up the price you pay.)

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

For my consultant clients, however, it’s a different story. I see many consultants invest in LinkedIn ads too early, burning cash without generating enough leads to show for it. Let this article serve as a cautionary note.

When LinkedIn ads can make sense for consultants

Timing matters. Before running ads, I recommend making sure the following are in place:

• Your profile is optimized
• Your messaging is clear
• Your content is performing
• Your direct messages are converting

Once these are in place, ads can amplify what’s already working, rather than sending paid traffic to a profile that doesn’t convert.

(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.)

Imagine for a minute that instead of running a consulting business, you own a café. What would you do first: invest in ads to bring customers through the door, or make sure your café has clear signage, fresh paint, and an easy-to-read menu?

Of course, you’d do the latter. Otherwise, your ads would bring customers in, but they’d walk right back out without buying anything (they wouldn’t “convert”).

Your LinkedIn profile works the same way. Even when an ad sends someone to your landing page, most prospects will look you up on LinkedIn before they book a call. If your profile doesn’t clearly communicate who you help and why you’re credible, that’s where they’ll walk out. That’s why your “storefront” needs these basics in place before you spend a dollar on ads: an optimized profile and clear messaging.

My clients see this firsthand. After optimizing his LinkedIn profile, Abe Braha, a sales development consultant, booked three discovery calls in one week, without spending anything on ads. (Read Abe’s full case study here)

Lauren Atherton, a nonprofit consultant, optimized her profile and then built a consistent posting and direct messaging routine. She now books one discovery call a week, entirely through organic LinkedIn. (Read Lauren’s case study here)

Here’s how to get your organic LinkedIn foundation in place

Nailing your organic (non-paid) LinkedIn efforts takes a thoughtful strategy. As a LinkedIn coach, I’ve noticed many common pitfalls consultants fall into, and I want to help you avoid them. Here are the steps I recommend:

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.

Through my LinkedIn Profile Optimization service, my team and I provide you with a profile that not only captures the attention of your ideal clients but gets them to take action (e.g., booking a call with you). The process takes just 7 days from when your intake is complete.

Step 2: Once your profile is optimized, create and execute your LinkedIn strategy so you become 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

We can help you answer all of these questions, and more, through our private 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.

Learn more and enroll here.