LinkedIn ads can be an effective way to reach a professional audience and promote your business or brand. However, the cost of running ads on LinkedIn can quickly add up, especially for small businesses or individuals with limited advertising budgets. The good news is that there are strategies you can use to get LinkedIn ads for free, or at least reduce your advertising costs.
Understanding the Power of LinkedIn Ads
Before we jump into the strategies, it’s important to understand why LinkedIn Ads are so powerful. LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network, boasting over 900 million users. More importantly, LinkedIn Ads provide access to a highly targeted audience of professionals, decision-makers, and C-level executives. The ability to segment audiences by industry, job title, seniority, and even company size makes LinkedIn Ads particularly effective for B2B marketers.
The challenge, however, lies in LinkedIn’s relatively high cost per click (CPC) compared to other platforms like Google Ads or Facebook Ads. Despite this, the platform’s potential ROI makes it worth the investment — especially if you can find ways to reduce your ad spend or get LinkedIn Ads for free.
Strategy 1: Leverage LinkedIn Free Ad Credits
One of the easiest ways to get LinkedIn Ads for free is by using LinkedIn ad credits. From time to time, LinkedIn offers promotional ad credits to new advertisers or businesses that haven’t advertised in a while. These ad credits are essentially free money that you can use to run LinkedIn Ads without dipping into your marketing budget.
How to Get LinkedIn Ad Credits:
- Check your email inbox: LinkedIn often sends promotional ad credit offers to users via email, especially if you’ve set up a business page but haven’t run ads yet.
- Sign up for LinkedIn Ads: When you first create a LinkedIn Ads account, you might receive an offer for ad credits, allowing you to test the platform without committing any funds.
- Look for limited-time promotions: LinkedIn periodically runs promotions, especially around major events like Black Friday or the end of the fiscal year. Stay on the lookout for these opportunities.
These ad credits can range from $50 to $500, depending on the promotion. While this may not seem like much, it can be a great way to experiment with LinkedIn Ads and see how they perform for your business without spending a dime.
Strategy 2: Join LinkedIn Beta Programs
LinkedIn regularly tests new ad formats and features before rolling them out to all users. By participating in LinkedIn’s beta programs, you may have the opportunity to run new ad formats at no cost. This can give you early access to tools that aren’t yet available to your competitors and allow you to test innovative advertising methods without spending money.
How to Participate:
- Monitor LinkedIn updates: Keep an eye on LinkedIn’s official blog and updates from the LinkedIn Marketing Solutions team. They often announce beta programs and call for participants.
- Reach out to LinkedIn support: If you’re interested in joining a beta program, contact LinkedIn support or your account manager (if you have one) to express your interest. Early adopters are often given free or discounted access to test these new features.
Strategy 3: Organic Content + Sponsored Content Strategy
Another way to reduce your reliance on paid LinkedIn Ads is by combining a strong organic content strategy with Sponsored Content. While organic content itself is free, strategically boosting it through Sponsored Content can stretch your ad budget much further. This method involves creating high-quality, engaging posts and only boosting the ones that naturally perform well.
Here’s how to do it:
- Create engaging, organic content: Focus on posting valuable content that resonates with your target audience. Share industry insights, thought leadership pieces, and actionable tips. Videos, infographics, and long-form posts also tend to perform well on LinkedIn.
- Monitor performance: After posting, track engagement metrics such as likes, shares, comments, and click-through rates. Identify the top-performing posts that are already getting organic traction.
- Boost top-performing content: Instead of creating new ads from scratch, boost your high-performing organic posts using Sponsored Content. Since these posts have already proven to be engaging, you’re more likely to see higher ROI on your ad spend.
By only boosting posts that have a proven track record of performance, you can significantly lower your LinkedIn advertising costs while maximizing your reach. While not technically “free,” this approach can stretch a small budget much further.
Strategy 4: Run Contests and Encourage Engagement
Contests and giveaways are a tried-and-true method for generating buzz and engagement on LinkedIn — without spending much on advertising. While you may still want to invest in a small ad spend to promote your contest initially, the organic engagement generated can lead to significant brand exposure, especially if your audience shares your content.
How to Run a Contest on LinkedIn:
- Choose a relevant prize: Offer a prize that’s relevant to your audience. For example, if you run a marketing agency, you could offer a free consultation or a one-month trial of your services.
- Create a simple entry process: Ask users to engage with your post by liking, commenting, or sharing. You can also ask them to tag colleagues or connections to spread the word further.
- Encourage sharing: The key to getting maximum organic reach is encouraging participants to share the contest with their network. This can lead to exponential growth in visibility without needing to invest in further paid advertising.
While you may spend a little on the prize or initial promotion, the organic engagement generated from a well-executed contest can far exceed the value of any LinkedIn ad spend.
Strategy 5: Use LinkedIn’s Free Tools for Lead Generation
LinkedIn offers several free tools that can help you generate leads and grow your business without spending a penny on advertising. By using these tools effectively, you can create a pipeline of high-quality leads without relying on paid ads.
Key Free LinkedIn Tools for Lead Generation:
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator (free trial): While LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a paid tool, it offers a free trial that you can use to generate leads. With advanced search filters, you can find and engage with decision-makers who match your ideal customer profile.
- LinkedIn Groups: Join and actively participate in LinkedIn Groups that are relevant to your industry. By sharing valuable insights and engaging in discussions, you can establish your expertise and build relationships with potential clients without needing paid ads.
- LinkedIn Company Page: Regularly update your company’s LinkedIn page with high-quality content, company news, and industry insights. This helps build brand awareness and generate organic leads over time.
By leveraging these free tools and resources, you can grow your LinkedIn presence and generate valuable leads without the need for paid advertising.
Final Thoughts: Can You Really Get LinkedIn Ads for Free?
While it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to run LinkedIn Ads entirely for free over the long term, the strategies outlined in this article can significantly reduce your advertising costs and, in some cases, allow you to access LinkedIn Ads for free (at least for a limited time).
