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All Dots Connected · Ep. 9
LinkedIn's defaults work against you: AJ Wilcox's playbook for cheaper clicks and better leads
AJ Wilcox
In this episode
AJ Wilcox has managed over $200 million in LinkedIn ads. He explains why default campaign settings drive up costs, how to run a three-stage funnel built on ungated content, and why thought leader ads outperform company posts. He also covers audience sizing, attribution, and realistic starting budgets.
Key takeaways
01
LinkedIn's default settings work against advertisers
Wilcox says advertisers who keep LinkedIn's default campaign settings often pay $20 to $40 per click. His clients average around $7 to $8. His point is that LinkedIn requires intentional strategy, starting with the settings.
02
Run a three-stage funnel and measure each stage differently
Wilcox's funnel starts with non-promotional content for cold audiences, such as short educational videos. Stage two offers webinars, guides, or podcasts to warmer audiences, and stage three invites prospects into sales conversations. The top is judged on engagement like video completion rates, the bottom on cost per lead and conversion rate.
03
Ungated thought leadership is the fuel, and most companies lack it
The funnel only works if a company can produce genuinely valuable thought leadership, and Wilcox warns that many struggle here. He advocates ungated content at the top and middle of the funnel, since gating too early limits reach and relationship building. Trust comes before the ask.
04
Thought leader ads beat company ads by a wide margin
Company ads on LinkedIn have historically drawn under half a percent click-through rate on average. LinkedIn now lets advertisers boost posts from individual leaders, and Wilcox has seen engagement rise tenfold when content comes from executives rather than corporate accounts.
05
Size audiences at 20,000 to 100,000 and budget for the long term
LinkedIn can target by job title, seniority, skills, industry, and specific company lists, which suits account-based marketing, but tight targeting raises costs. Wilcox's sweet spot is typically an audience of 20,000 to 100,000. He treats LinkedIn as a long-term investment and suggests starting budgets of $5,000 to $10,000 a month to get meaningful data.
“Without meaningful content, LinkedIn ads simply wouldn't yield worthwhile results.”
What operators can apply
- Review every LinkedIn campaign setting before launch instead of accepting the defaults.
- Boost posts from your executives as thought leader ads and compare them against company page ads.
- Keep target audiences between 20,000 and 100,000 and commit $5,000 to $10,000 a month before judging results.
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