I used to think the biggest LinkedIn ad problem was getting the targeting right.
Turns out, there’s another problem that’s much easier to miss.
You’re asking for too much, too soon.
Chris Nelson spent years working inside LinkedIn before starting his own agency helping B2B businesses advertise on the platform.
And he sees this mistake constantly.
Someone who has never heard of you sees your ad
and the next thing you ask them to do is book a 30-minute demo.
That might work when someone already knows you.
But with a completely cold audience?
You’re asking for a pretty big commitment from a stranger.
Chris broke down what you should be doing instead—and the way he explained the different “levels of friction” completely changed how I think about LinkedIn advertising.
We also got into:
The positioning advantage Chris got from working at LinkedIn
The moment his agency stopped feeling like a glorified freelance operation
Why systematizing everything can actually make your agency worse
How he handles onboarding when five new clients say yes at once
And there’s one part near the end where Chris explains why AI can look at the exact same campaign data as you and come to the completely wrong conclusion.
That one is worth hearing.
Catch the full episode on The Agency Uplift Podcast
- Sean
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