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At the Digital Marketing Collective conference in Utah, I had the honor of sitting down with AJ Wilcox alongside Neil Patel, Susan Wenograd, and other heavy hitters.
AJ and I go way back—we’ve even done a webinar together for Mark Lack’s mastermind and had an amazing outdoor adventure together in Lehi, Utah.
AJ Wilcox, founder of B2Linked, has deep experience managing LinkedIn ads across a range of industries.
LinkedIn selected AJ to create their official advertising course on LinkedIn Learning—a sign of his hands-on expertise with the platform.
We talked about everything—from CPM tricks to rookie mistakes. And yes, AJ brought the heat.
LinkedIn Ads: Stable Costs, Stronger Leads
“Facebook CPMs go up every quarter,” AJ says. “LinkedIn? Still $6 to $9 per click. Steady for four years.”
It means predictable budgeting and quality lead flow. AJ explains that even though Facebook might be cheaper up front, LinkedIn’s targeting delivers leads that actually close.
“LinkedIn lead quality is better,” he tells me. “You’re targeting by job title, company size, and seniority. That’s gold.”
Who Should Use LinkedIn Ads?
I ask AJ who gets the most out of LinkedIn ads. He breaks it down:
- B2B companies.
- High-ticket B2C (like MBA programs or financial services).
- Recruiters.
If your customer lifetime value is big, AJ says LinkedIn Ads should be part of your stack.
AJ Wilcox’s Top Hack: CTR Controls Your Bidding Strategy
“If your ad gets more than 1% CTR, switch from CPC to CPM,” AJ advises.
LinkedIn ads can deliver strong performance for B2B and PR when used correctly. You can target by company name, industry, job title, job function, and years of experience—criteria you won’t get on Facebook. It’s built on a richer professional dataset.
We’ve seen it firsthand: a simple campaign we ran hit a $1.57 CPC, even though LinkedIn’s dashboard reported a $4.85 CPM due to a known bug (real CPM was closer to 10X).
Why? You’ll save money. He breaks it down: CPM can be cheaper if your creative is strong. That’s counterintuitive to most advertisers used to Facebook’s rules.
Lead Quality Still Depends on Offer
AJ is clear: “The offer is everything.”
Don’t just ask people to book a call, but give them a reason. He recommends:
- Free checklists.
- eBooks.
- Cheat sheets.
- In-person events.
AJ backs it with numbers: one client saw a 55% opt-in rate, yet still struggled to close. Because the offer was too irresistible. Good content is a double-edged sword.
New to LinkedIn Ads? Start Smart
I ask AJ what advice he has for beginners. He suggests testing with a few thousand dollars. But do it the right way:
- Turn off audience expansion.
- Avoid LinkedIn’s automated bidding.
- Set manual CPC bids.
- Start with low bids and scale slowly.
AJ says that one of the mistakes people make while using LinkedIn ads is leaving default data.
“Follow LinkedIn’s defaults and you’ll burn your budget,” AJ warns.
Why Organic is a Goldmine Right Now
Only 3-4% of LinkedIn users post regularly.
“That means when you do post—and it gets comments—it’s more likely to go viral,” AJ explains.
He tells me about a post that got over 60,000 views with just 5,500 followers.
The trick? Comments are the best LinkedIn engagements. Not likes.
Final Thoughts
If you want LinkedIn ads to work, focus on what practitioners like AJ are seeing in real-world campaigns. We’ve seen similar patterns in our own testing—strong creative with high CTRs can make CPM bidding far more cost-effective.
Dennis Yu
Dennis Yu is a former search engine engineer who has spent a billion dollars on Google and Facebook ads for Nike, Quiznos, Ashley Furniture, Red Bull, State Farm, and other organizations that have many locations.
He has achieved 25% of his goal of creating a million digital marketing jobs because of his partnership with universities, professional organizations, and agencies. Companies like GoDaddy, Fiverr, onlinejobs.ph, 7 Figure Agency, and Vendasta partner with him to create training and certifications.
Dennis created the Dollar a Day Strategy for local service businesses to enhance their existing local reputation and make the phone ring. He's coaching young adult agency owners who serve plumbers, AC technicians, landscapers, roofers, electricians in conjunction with leaders in these industries.
Mr. Yu believes that there should be a standard in measuring local marketing efforts, much like doctors and plumbers need to be certified and licensed. His Content Factory training and dashboards are used by thousands of practitioners.