Solved: LinkedIn Ads Not Generating Leads for SaaS Company

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out after reading my comment. Happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance based on what you've told me about your LinkedIn ads for the accounting forms SaaS.

Dropping £4k+ (what $5k is roughly) on LinkedIn for B2B SaaS and seeing zero leads with a really low CTR is definitely a tough spot, and it's completely understandable why you'd feel ripped off and confused. It's not uncommon, honestly. B2B, especially something like accounting software, is notoriously difficult and expensive to advertise effectively because of the long sales cycles and the sheer effort involved for a business to switch systems. But zero leads suggests there are some fundamental issues we need to look at.

Based on your results – low CTR and zero conversions – the problems are likely rooted in a few key areas. It’s rarely just one thing, but typically a combination of getting the wrong people, not having an offer compelling enough for them to convert, or a landing page that doesn't do its job properly. Let's break that down a bit.

First up, let's talk about your audience and targeting on LinkedIn...

LinkedIn is often toted as teh place for B2B, and it can be, primarily because of the targeting options you have available. You can get really specific with who you show your ads to. But this is also where things can go wrong if you don't have a crystal-clear idea of your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). You mentioned accounting forms – who specifically are you trying to reach within those companies? Is it the owner, the head of finance, an office manager, or someone else entirely? The decision maker for something as critical as accounting software within a business could be quite senior, and they are likely busy.

You can target by company size, industry (obviously relevant here, accounting firms), job title, job function, seniority, even specific companies if you have a list. If you're targeting too broadly, say just 'finance professionals' or 'small business owners' without refining it, you'll waste a huge amount of money showing your ads to people who have no need or authority to purchase accounting forms software. Wrong ad platform = wrong targeting = difficult to achieve results, as I've seen many times. LinkedIn gives you the tools for narrow targeting, but you have to use them effectively.

So, I'd really encourage you to revisit your ICP. Who are the companies that will benefit MOST from your solution? What size are they? What industries (beyond just accounting firms, maybe other businesses with specific accounting forms needs)? And importantly, who are the actual people within those companies that make or influence the buying decision? List out those job titles and functions. Then go into LinkedIn's ad platform and see how accurately you can target that specific group. Testing different narrow audience segments based on your best guess of the ICP is a crucial step here.

However, even if you are showing the ad to the perfect person, a low CTR means they aren't interested enough to click. This points to the ad creative itself – the image or video you use, and the ad copy. Is it immediately obvious what you're offering and *why* they should care? For accounting firms, they probably care about saving time, reducing errors, compliance, and making their own clients happy. Does your ad speak directly to those pain points? Testing different ad creatives is really important to find what resonates. An eye-catching visual and compelling headline and text that highlight a key benefit or solve a major problem can make a huge difference to CTR. We've had clients in various niches see dramatic improvements just by split testing creatives properly.

But zero leads after spending £4k+ suggests the issue goes much deeper than just the ad click...

This is the biggest red flag. If people ARE clicking (even at a low rate) but absolutely zero are converting into leads, the problem almost certainly lies with what happens *after* they click – your landing page and, critically, your offer. For B2B SaaS, especially something that represents a significant operational change like accounting software, the barrier to conversion is naturally very high. Someone isn't going to sign up or request a full demo unless they are already quite far down the problem-aware stage and actively looking for a solution, or unless your offer is incredibly compelling with minimal commitment.

I've run quite a few campaigns for B2B SaaS, and the single biggest factor determining whether you get leads (and at what cost) is the offer you present on the landing page. You mentioned your offer – what is it exactly? Are you asking for a demo request, a free trial, or something else? I remember one client selling SaaS who was only offering a demo, like you are. Their competition offered several months free. It was night and day. Who is going to commit to evaluating, learning, and potentially migrating to a new accounting system without being able to kick the tires properly first?

A completely free trial, ideally requiring minimal information to start, usually works best to get people in the door for SaaS. It lowers the risk significantly for the potential customer. A demo requires a time commitment from them and often feels like a sales pitch is imminent. While demos are valuable further down the funnel, for initial lead generation from cold traffic, a free trial is almost always more effective. Think about it from their perspective: what's the lowest-friction way for them to experience the value you offer?

Then there's the landing page itself...

Even with the perfect offer, if your landing page isn't persuasive, people will leave. It needs to be incredibly clear, immediately, what your software does, who it's for, and what the key benefits are for an accounting firm. Does it speak their language? Does it highlight how it solves their specific problems with accounting forms? Is the value proposition clear and compelling *to them*?

You mentioned your accounting system's value prop might be "Where business meets privacy." While privacy is important, is that truly the *main* thing an accounting firm cares about when choosing core software? They probably care more about reliability, ease of use, specific features (like handling complex forms), integrations, support, and compliance. A landing page needs to focus on the most impactful benefits from the prospect's point of view. We've used professional copywriters with experience in SaaS because getting this right is absolutely crucial. They can craft persuasive copy that speaks directly to the target audience's needs and desires.

Your landing page also needs a clear call to action (CTA) that highlights the offer (e.g., "Start Your Free Trial," "Try it Free for 30 Days"). Make it prominent and repeat it. Any friction on the page – slow loading times, confusing navigation, too much text, lack of clear benefits – will kill your conversion rate. Look at your website analytics (if you have tracking set up). Where are people dropping off? Are they even getting past the landing page? Are they clicking the CTA but not completing the form? This data can give you clues.

Based on what you've described, my strong suspicion is that even if your targeting is decent, the combination of your offer (if it's not a free trial) and the persuasiveness of your landing page are the primary bottlenecks preventing leads. You could be sending the perfectly targeted person to a page that doesn't convince them or asks too much of them too soon.

What to fix first and what to test next...

Before you spend another pound on ads, you absolutely need to nail the landing page and the offer. Putting money into ads without these foundations in place is literally throwing it away, as you've unfortunately experienced. Fix the offer to be as low-commitment as possible (free trial is best for SaaS). Then, get a really strong landing page built with persuasive copy that highlights the core benefits relevant to accounting firms and has a crystal-clear call to action for the trial.

Once those are solid, then you can go back to the ads. Refine your targeting based on the narrow ICP you identified. Then, start testing different ad creatives. Different headlines, different copy angles focusing on different benefits, different images or short videos. Small tweaks here can make a big difference to that CTR.

It's also worth considering other platforms *after* you've fixed your core offer and landing page. For B2B SaaS, particularly something specific like accounting software, many businesses will actively search when they realise they have a problem or need a new system. This means Google Search Ads could be a very viable channel, perhaps even more effective initially than LinkedIn, because you're capturing people with high intent. You can target keywords related to accounting software, specific forms software, competitors, etc.

Here's a quick overview of my recommended next steps:

Getting professional help...

You mentioned feeling out of your depth and needing professional help, and honestly, that's a very sensible conclusion after seeing those results. Paid advertising, especially complex B2B lead gen, is difficult to get right and expensive to learn through trial and error. Throwing money at platforms without a deep understanding of the strategy, targeting nuances, and conversion optimisation is rarely effective.

Finding an agency that actually knows B2B SaaS lead generation is crucial, as you said. There are plenty of generalist agencies who are great at, say, B2C eCommerce on Meta, but don't understand the specifics of B2B sales cycles, decision-making processes, or what makes a B2B offer and landing page convert. When vetting agencies, don't just ask if they "do B2B". Ask for specific case studies or examples of results they've achieved for other B2B software clients. Can they show you CPLs, trial signups, or even pipeline value generated for similar companies?

For instance, we've worked with various B2B SaaS clients and seen results ranging from $22 CPL for decision makers on LinkedIn to getting thousands of trials for SaaS clients on Meta at costs like $7 per trial, and even dramatically reducing CPLs by 84% for B2B services. A proven agency can show you *how* they approached these challenges and the specific metrics they achieved.

They should be able to articulate their process for diagnosing a campaign like yours – how they'd look at the tracking setup, audience definition, ad creative relevance, the landing page structure and copy, and the strength of the offer to pinpoint where the failures are occurring and develop a plan to fix them systematically. It's not just about managing ad spend; it's about optimising the entire journey from impression to conversion.

Working with someone who has navigated these exact challenges before can save you immense amounts of time, money, and frustration. They've already learned the expensive lessons and know what levers to pull, what needs to be tested, and what metrics truly matter for B2B SaaS growth.

If you'd like to discuss your specific situation in more detail and get tailored advice, we'd be happy to schedule a free consultation. We can take a deeper dive into your current setup, understand your business and goals, and outline a potential strategy based on our experience with B2B SaaS lead generation. Sometimes just talking through it with someone who sees this day in, day out can provide the clarity needed to move forward effectively.

Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh