Why Most Brisbane Business Owners Fail on LinkedIn
If you’ve ever tried running ads on LinkedIn, you probably noticed two things immediately: it’s expensive, and it’s complicated. I’ve spoken to dozens of business owners from Milton to Murarrie who have thrown $500 or $1,000 at LinkedIn, seen zero phone calls come in, and decided the whole platform is a scam.
It’s not a scam. But it is a platform where you can lose your shirt if you don't know what you're doing.
LinkedIn is the only place online where you can hand-pick exactly who sees your message based on their job title, the company they work for, and how big that business is. If you sell a $50,000 service or a $10,000-a-month contract, you don't need a million clicks. You need five of the right people to see your offer.
In this guide, I’m going to show you how to stop wasting money and start getting actual enquiries from the people who have the authority to hire you.
The Brutal Truth About the Cost
Let’s be honest: LinkedIn is the most expensive place to show an ad. On Facebook or Instagram, you might pay $1 or $2 to get someone to click on your website. On LinkedIn, you’re looking at $8, $12, or even $20 for a single click.
If you are selling a $20 t-shirt or a $50 lawn mowing service, stop reading now. LinkedIn is a waste of your money.
However, if one new client is worth $5,000 or more to your business, then paying $15 for a click from a Managing Director is the best investment you’ll ever make. You aren't paying for 'traffic'; you're paying for access to the person who signs the cheques.
Step 1: Stop Guessing Who Your Customer Is
The biggest mistake I see is 'broad targeting'. A local engineering firm might target 'everyone in Brisbane interested in construction'. That is a fast way to go broke.
You need to be surgical. LinkedIn allows you to target by:
Company Size: Don't waste money showing ads to one-man bands if you need companies with 50+ staff. Job Title: Do you need the HR Manager, the Owner, or the Head of Operations? Member Groups: Are they part of the 'Brisbane Business Network'? Seniority: Make sure you aren't paying for clicks from interns who have no power to buy from you.
I recently worked with a commercial fit-out business in Fortitude Valley. They stopped targeting 'business owners' and started targeting 'Office Managers' at companies with over 100 staff who had been in their role for less than 6 months. Why? Because new managers often want to refresh the office. Their enquiry rate tripled overnight because they were selling directly on social media to the exact person with a problem to solve.
Step 2: Your Ad Needs to Solve a Problem, Not Brag
Nobody cares that your business was 'Established in 1994'. They care about their own headaches.
If you’re a commercial plumber, don't run an ad saying 'We do commercial plumbing'. Run an ad that says: 'Is a blocked drain costing your restaurant $2,000 a night in lost bookings? We guarantee a 2-hour response time for Brisbane CBD venues.'
See the difference? One is a brochure; the other is a solution.
The Three Types of Ads That Actually Work
1. The 'Helpful Guide' Ad: Offer a short PDF or a checklist. '5 Things to Check Before Signing a Commercial Lease in QLD.' This gets people into your world without them feeling like they’re being sold to. 2. The Case Study: 'How we saved a Geebung manufacturing plant $12k a year on electricity.' This proves you can do what you say you can do. 3. The Direct Offer: 'Book a 15-minute site audit.' Only use this for people who already know who you are.
Step 3: Use Your Team to Build Trust
B2B (Business to Business) is actually H2H (Human to Human). People in Brisbane want to know who they are dealing with.
I always tell my clients that your staff are your best marketing asset. If your ads feature stock photos of people in hard hats from a US photo site, people will ignore them. Use photos of your actual team at your actual warehouse or office.
You can significantly increase your results by letting your team do the talking. When a potential client sees a video of your lead foreman explaining how a project works, the 'trust' hurdle is already cleared before they even pick up the phone.
Step 4: The 'Lead Gen Form' - Your Secret Weapon
When someone clicks your ad on a phone, and it takes them to your website, they usually have to wait for the site to load, then find the contact page, then type in their name, email, and phone number with their thumbs. Most people give up.
LinkedIn has a feature called 'Lead Gen Forms'. When someone clicks your ad, a little form pops up inside LinkedIn. It’s already pre-filled with their name and email from their profile. All they have to do is hit 'Submit'.
This is how you get more phone calls. It makes it incredibly easy for a busy business owner to say 'Yes, call me' while they are waiting for a coffee at a cafe in Newstead.
Step 5: Don't Forget the Follow-Up
LinkedIn ads will get you the lead, but they won't close the sale.
I’ve seen businesses spend $3,000 on LinkedIn, get 20 high-quality leads, and then wait three days to call them. By then, the lead has forgotten who you are or called your competitor.
You need to treat a LinkedIn lead like a house on fire. Call them within the hour. If you don't have the time to do this, you might need to look at turning your staff into sales stars so they can handle the intake while you run the business.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
The 'Set and Forget' Trap: You can't just turn these ads on and walk away. You need to check which ads are getting clicks and which ones are just sucking up money. If an ad hasn't generated a lead in 14 days, kill it. Small Budgets: If you only have $10 a day to spend, don't bother with LinkedIn. You'll get one click and your budget is gone. You need at least $50 a day to give the system enough data to find your customers. Sending People to Your Homepage: Never do this. If your ad is about 'Office Security', send them to a page about 'Office Security', not your general 'About Us' page. If they have to hunt for information, they will leave.
How Long Until You See Results?
LinkedIn is not a 'tap' you turn on for instant sales today. It’s a build-up.
Month 1: You are testing. You'll see which job titles are clicking and which messages they like. You might get a couple of enquiries, but you're mostly gathering data. Month 2: You turn off the stuff that didn't work and double down on what did. This is where the steady flow of leads starts. Month 3+: You should have a predictable 'machine' where you know that spending $X on ads results in $Y in new contracts.
What Should You Do First?
Before you spend a cent, do these three things:
1. Fix your own LinkedIn profile. If someone clicks your ad, they will likely click your name to see who you are. If your profile photo is from a fishing trip in 2012, they won't hire you. 2. Identify your top 5 most profitable clients. What do they have in common? What are their job titles? Target that, and nothing else. 3. Decide on your 'Lead Magnet'. What can you give away for free (a guide, a quote, a site visit) that is actually valuable to them?
LinkedIn is the 'big leagues' of advertising. It’s where the big contracts are signed. If you're ready to stop chasing small-fry customers and want to start talking to the decision-makers in Brisbane, it’s time to take this seriously.
Want to get more high-value enquiries without the headache of managing the tech yourself?
At Local Marketing Group, we help Brisbane businesses dominate their local market. We don't care about 'likes' or 'shares' – we care about your phone ringing.
Contact Local Marketing Group today and let’s see if LinkedIn is the right move for your business growth.