LinkedIn Ads Agency: How to Choose the Right Partner in 2025

Key Takeaways

• LinkedIn Ads agencies typically charge $2,000-15,000/month
• Look for B2B-specific experience and LinkedIn certifications
• Average LinkedIn CPC is $5-10, requiring skilled optimization
• Agencies should provide audience building and creative services
• Consider DIY for budgets under $5,000/month

Why Consider a LinkedIn Ads Agency?

LinkedIn advertising is uniquely complex. With average CPCs of $5-10 (vs $1-2 on Facebook), every click matters. A specialized agency can:

• Build hyper-targeted B2B audiences
• Create content that resonates with professionals
• Optimize expensive campaigns efficiently
• Navigate LinkedIn's advertising nuances

When to Hire an Agency vs DIY

Hire an Agency When:

DIY When:

• Budget under $5,000/month
• Simple awareness campaigns
• You have marketing expertise
• Testing the platform initially
• Cost constraints are primary

What LinkedIn Ads Agencies Do

Core Services

1. Strategy Development

• Campaign objective selection
• Audience persona mapping
• Budget allocation
• Funnel planning

2. Audience Building

• Job title targeting
• Company size/industry selection
• Account lists (ABM)
• Lookalike audiences
• Matched audiences setup

3. Creative Production

• Sponsored Content creation
• Carousel ads
• Video ads
• Document ads
• Conversation ads

4. Campaign Management

• Daily bid optimization
• A/B testing
• Budget pacing
• Negative targeting

5. Reporting & Analysis

• Lead quality assessment
• Conversion tracking
• ROI calculation
• Competitive insights

LinkedIn Ads Agency Pricing

Common Pricing Models

What Affects Pricing

• Campaign complexity
• Number of campaigns
• Creative production needs
• Reporting requirements
• Account size
• Contract length

Red Flags in Pricing

How to Evaluate Agencies

Questions to Ask

Experience:

How many LinkedIn-specific clients do you manage?

What's your average client ROAS on LinkedIn?

Can you share case studies in my industry?

Do you have LinkedIn Marketing Partner status?

Process:

How do you build audiences for B2B campaigns?

What's your creative development process?

How often do you optimize campaigns?

What reporting will I receive?

Results:

What's a realistic cost per lead in my industry?

How long before we see meaningful results?

What's your client retention rate?

Can I speak with current clients?

Certifications to Look For

• LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Partner
• LinkedIn Marketing Labs Certifications
• Google/Meta certifications (shows broader expertise)

Top LinkedIn Ads Agency Types

1. LinkedIn Specialists

Pros:

• Deep platform expertise
• Up-to-date on LinkedIn changes
• Proven B2B track record

Cons:

• May lack broader channel expertise
• Limited if you need multi-channel

2. B2B Marketing Agencies

Pros:

• Understand B2B buyer journey
• Can integrate with other channels
• Content marketing expertise

Cons:

• LinkedIn may not be primary focus
• Potentially higher costs

3. Full-Service Digital Agencies

Pros:

• One vendor for everything
• Broader strategic perspective
• Cross-channel optimization

Cons:

• LinkedIn expertise may vary
• B2B may not be specialty

4. Freelancers/Consultants

Pros:

• Lower cost
• Direct communication
• Flexible arrangements

Cons:

• Limited capacity
• May lack resources for creative
• One person risk

What to Expect from Partnership

Month 1: Setup

• Account audit
• Pixel/conversion tracking setup
• Audience research
• Creative development
• Campaign structure planning

Month 2-3: Launch & Learn

• Campaign launch
• Initial optimization
• A/B testing begins
• Data collection
• Strategy refinement

Month 4+: Scale

• Expand winning campaigns
• Test new audiences
• Creative refresh
• Budget scaling
• Ongoing optimization

LinkedIn Ads Performance Benchmarks

Average Metrics by Objective

Cost Per Lead by Industry

Agency Contract Essentials

Must-Have Terms

Clear deliverables: What exactly will they do?

Reporting frequency: Weekly? Monthly?

Performance metrics: How is success measured?

Exit clause: 30-60 day notice reasonable

Data ownership: You own your data

Transparency: Full access to ad accounts

Typical Contract Lengths

• Month-to-month: Best flexibility
• 3 months: Common minimum for results
• 6-12 months: Often includes discounts
• Annual: Usually best pricing

DIY Alternative: Tools & Resources

If agency costs don't fit your budget:

Free Resources

• LinkedIn Marketing Labs (free courses)
• LinkedIn Ads Help Center
• LinkedIn Marketing Blog

Paid Tools

• AdBid: Manage LinkedIn alongside other channels
• Metadata.io: B2B demand gen automation
• HockeyStack: B2B attribution

DIY Success Tips

Start with Sponsored Content only

Use Document Ads (high engagement)

Target by job title + company size

Set conservative daily budgets

Monitor leads weekly

Refresh creative monthly

Conclusion

A LinkedIn Ads agency makes sense when your budget justifies the expertise and you need B2B-specific knowledge. Focus on finding partners with proven LinkedIn experience, transparent pricing, and a process that matches your goals.

Key criteria:

• LinkedIn-specific experience (not just "digital marketing")
• B2B case studies in your industry
• Clear pricing and deliverables
• Reasonable contract terms
• Strong reporting and communication

Not ready for an agency but need help managing LinkedIn alongside other B2B channels? AdBid lets you run LinkedIn, Google, and Meta campaigns from one dashboard with AI optimization. Start your free trial.