Should You Hire a LinkedIn Ads Agency or Do It In-House?
The honest pros and cons of each approach
This is a common question for founders and marketing directors. Here's how to decide.
Reasons to hire an agency:
You lack expertise - they've run hundreds of campaigns
They have established processes - no learning curve
You save time - they handle everything
They have multiple specialists - creative, strategy, analytics
They see what works across clients - broader perspective
You can scale quickly - they have the capacity
Reasons to keep it in-house:
You know your product better than anyone
You can move faster - no approval processes
You learn and build internal capability
It's often cheaper long-term
You maintain complete control
You build proprietary knowledge
The hybrid approach:
Use tools like Stirling to bridge the gap. Get AI-powered creative without agency costs. Keep strategy and optimization in-house. It's the best of both worlds.
Hire a consultant for setup and training, then run it yourself.
Use agencies for overflow when your team is at capacity.
Questions to ask yourself:
What's your budget? Agencies typically need $5,000+ per month.
Do you have time to learn? LinkedIn ads have a learning curve.
How important is LinkedIn to your strategy? Core channel = consider in-house.
Do you have someone analytical on your team? Managing ads requires data skills.
Will you run ads consistently? If occasional, agency makes sense.
Red flags for agencies:
They promise unrealistic results
They won't share performance data
They lock you into long contracts with no flexibility
They won't explain their strategy
They've never worked in your industry
Red flags for in-house:
You're too busy to check campaigns weekly
You hate analyzing data
You have no budget for tools or training
You need results immediately with zero ramp time
The truth? Most successful companies eventually bring it in-house. But agencies can accelerate your start.
Start with an agency if you need fast results and expertise. Move in-house once you understand what works and have the capacity.
Or use the modern approach - leverage AI tools for creative, keep strategy and optimization in-house. Get agency-quality creative at a fraction of the cost.
