Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out and happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance on your LinkedIn Ads situation. Getting sales is definitely a good sign, even with a high cost per lead ($80), as it proves the audience on the platform *can* convert for you. It's just a matter of making the process more efficient.
Reducing that CPL without losing quality is the key, and there are typically a few levers you need to pull.
First off, we'll need to look at your actual ads...
Your ads are the first thing people see. If your click-through rate (CTR) is low, it means your ads aren't compelling enough for your target audience on LinkedIn. Low CTR tells the algorithm that your ad isn't that relevant, and it will cost you more to show it. It's like paying more for a billboard no-one is looking at.
What sort of ads are you currently running? Are they image ads, video, carousel, text ads? Each format has its strengths, but within each format, the creative (the image or video) and the ad copy (the headline and text) are absolutely crucial. For B2C, you often need to grab attention really quickly. Maybe try testing different creative styles – more lifestyle imagery if it's a product, short punchy videos explaining the benefit if it's a service. Test different headlines that speak directly to a specific pain point or desire your B2C audience has. Don't be afraid to try quite different angles to see what resonates. Small improvements in CTR can make a big difference to your costs.
Next, I'd say you need to revisit your targeting...
LinkedIn's bread and butter is B2B targeting, which is why it can be trickier and more expensive for B2C. You don't have the same broad interest or demographic options you might get on Meta, so you have to be quite creative and precise with the B2B-leaning options LinkedIn offers to zero in on your B2C ideal customer.
Think hard about *who* your ideal B2C customer is. What are their job titles (even if it's just "Manager" or "Associate" that might indicate disposable income or a certain life stage)? What industries are they in (again, might indicate income)? What skills or interests related to their professional life might overlap with their consumer behaviour? Are there specific groups on LinkedIn they might be part of? Try creating several different audience segments based on these assumptions and test which ones perform best. A more tightly defined, relevant audience will naturally yield better quality leads at a potentially lower cost because you're not wasting spend showing ads to people less likely to convert.
Then, let's look at how you're capturing those leads...
You mentioned LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms. These are built to make it super easy for someone to convert – they click the ad, a form pops up pre-filled with their LinkedIn details, they hit submit. This low friction often leads to a lower cost per lead, which sounds great on paper. However, because it's so easy, you can sometimes get leads who weren't *that* committed or serious. They didn't have to leave LinkedIn, they didn't have to manually type anything in. This is likely why your sales team might find the quality varies.
The alternative is to send ad clicks to a landing page on your own website. This adds a step – the user has to leave LinkedIn and wait for your page to load. This increased friction usually means a higher cost per lead because fewer people will complete the process compared to a LGF. BUT, the people who *do* fill out a form on your landing page have typically demonstrated higher intent. They were motivated enough to leave the platform and engage further. This often results in higher quality leads that are more likely to convert into sales down the line. You need to test both approaches to see which gives you the best return not just on CPL, but on Cost Per *Sale*. Sometimes paying more per lead is worth it if you close a much higher percentage of them.
Also, if you're using a landing page, make sure it's designed to convert. The copy needs to be persuasive, the call to action clear, and it needs to load quickly on mobile.
Here's a quick overview of the main action points:
| Action | Why | How to implement |
|---|---|---|
| Test Ad Creative & Copy | Improve CTR to lower costs; find what resonates with your B2C audience. | Create several different versions of your ads (different images/videos, headlines, text). Run them against each other in tests to see which gets the best CTR from relevant clicks. |
| Refine Audience Targeting | Ensure you are reaching your specific B2C ideal customer accurately on LinkedIn. | Deep dive into your ideal customer persona. Experiment with combinations of job titles, industries, seniority, groups, and skills available on LinkedIn to create narrower, more relevant audiences. |
| Test Lead Capture Methods | Understand the trade-off between CPL and lead quality for your specific offer. | Run campaigns testing LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms vs sending traffic to a dedicated landing page on your website. Track not just CPL but also sales conversion rates from each method. |
Making these kind of changes and running structured tests takes time and expertise to do effectively. Finding the right combination of targeting, creative, and lead flow is an ongoing process of optimization.
Given you've seen some sales, there's definitely potential on LinkedIn for you. If you'd like a more detailed, tailored look at your specific situation and how to implement these strategies, we'd be happy to book in a free consultation call.
Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh
