When advertisers talk about LinkedIn Ads, one phrase comes up again and again: “They’re too expensive.” And on the surface, it’s easy to see why. But if you go deeper, the numbers tell a very different story.

A quick look back

When LinkedIn Ads launched in 2011, the floor CPC was $2 and there were fewer than 1,000 advertisers. Even then, people complained about cost compared to:

• Google Ads: ~$1 CPC
  
• Meta (Facebook): ~$0.003 CPC
  
  

Fast forward to today, CPCs on LinkedIn in North America range from $10–$16, with many advertisers paying $20+.

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Why LinkedIn feels expensive

LinkedIn is an auction platform, so competition drives up prices. And with millions of advertisers now on the platform, that competition is fierce.

But there’s something everyone forgets: LinkedIn has a monopoly on professional data. It’s the only platform where B2B advertisers can reliably target specific job titles, seniorities, industries, and companies. That data comes at a premium.

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The quality difference

We worked with a client spending big budgets on both Meta and LinkedIn. Here’s what happened:

• On Meta: cost per click and cost per lead were about ⅓ the cost of LinkedIn.
  
• On LinkedIn: CPC and CPL were higher—3x more expensive up front.
  
  

But when the sales team reviewed the leads, they found:

• 90% of Meta leads were disqualified (wrong audience).
  
• Almost all LinkedIn leads were qualified.
  
  

When measured through to closed deals, LinkedIn Ads delivered 2x higher ROI than Meta.

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So, are LinkedIn Ads really too expensive?

If your ROI is stronger, even at higher upfront costs, then the answer is no. What looks “expensive” in the platform can actually be the most efficient path to revenue when lead quality is factored in.

That said, there will come a point when costs truly outpace ROI. Likely around $50 CPC, where only Fortune 500 companies or businesses with very high lifetime values can justify the spend.

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How to cut costs now

Before you decide LinkedIn Ads are too expensive, make sure you know how to play the auction. By applying the right bidding strategies, you can often pay half of what your competitors are paying for the same audience.

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