So you’ve identified LinkedIn as a channel you want to advertise on.

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The problem is, you don’t have the time or expertise to manage LinkedIn Ads yourself.

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So who do you outsource this to?

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A full-service agency may not be the best choice if you’re looking for someone who specializes.

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You can trust that either a freelancer or an agency that specializes in LinkedIn Ads will have the expertise you need.

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But is it better to hire a freelancer or a LinkedIn Ads agency?

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We’ve narrowed down the three most important things to consider when weighing your options:

• Costs
• Resources
• Reliability

And though we may be a little biased (we being a LinkedIn Ads agency ourselves), our goal in sharing this article is to provide you with the most unbiased information you need to make the decision that’s right for you.

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Let’s hit it!

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Costs

You can almost guarantee that a freelancer is going to be cheaper than a LinkedIn Ads agency.

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Agencies need to account for employee payroll, tool maintenance, and other overhead costs, so prices are going to be set higher in order to cover them.

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On the other hand, freelancers are only one person with few overhead costs, so they can afford to charge lower.

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So if you’re on a tight budget, then hiring a freelancer isn’t a bad option.

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Also worth considering, however, is how you’re charged.

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Agencies are often used if you’re looking for long-term services or ongoing projects.

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Whereas freelancers are often used for short-term or one-time projects.

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Because of this, agencies will often charge a monthly recurring fee, with longer payment terms, and freelancers will often charge by the hour, requiring payment to be made soon after services are completed.

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Whichever option you choose, it’s best to budget accordingly.

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Resources

The biggest difference between a LinkedIn Ads agency and a freelancer is that you’re getting a full, dedicated team of experts with one and a single expert with the other.

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Now, if you’re only looking for LinkedIn Ads management services, then hiring a freelancer may be right for you.

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But if you need all the other bells and whistles, like copywriting, graphic design, video creation, etc., then an agency will often have specialized teams or partners that can help with that.

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There are some discrepancies here.

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For example, not all agencies offer additional services and not all freelancers are limited to just media buying, so it’s worth doing your research to see what’s being offered.

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But generally speaking, this is the case.

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In addition, most agencies also use internal tools that allow them to turn around projects faster and with greater efficiency.

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Freelancers don’t have that luxury most of the time.

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So if you want to offload more from your plate than just your LinkedIn Ads management, then a LinkedIn Ads agency may be the best choice for you.

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Reliability

Agencies are bound to the 9 – 5, Monday through Friday, typical work schedule.

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If you need any work done outside of that, it’s likely not going to happen.

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On the other hand, because freelancers create their own schedules, they may be able to put in the time and effort to get your projects done on time outside of regular work hours.

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Just be sure to check first with any freelancers you’re considering, in case that’s not a possibility.

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So if you want that kind of flexibility, then a freelancer may be the right choice for you.

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That said, as mentioned earlier, freelancers are only one person.

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The drawbacks to this is that, if something comes up (whether they get sick, have a family emergency, etc.) and they become unavailable, then this limits their ability to get your project done on time.

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Whereas a LinkedIn Ads agency can cover for your main point of contact if they become unavailable because they have a full team that can pitch in to get the work done.

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So if you can’t afford to have your freelancer become unexpectedly unavailable, then a LinkedIn Ads agency may be the right choice for you.

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Which is Better?

In short, if you only need help with your LinkedIn Ads management (and nothing else), would like the flexibility of having work done outside of typical office hours, can afford unexpected setbacks if your point of contact becomes unavailable, and are working with a tight budget, then hiring a freelancer may be the best fit for you.

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On the other hand, if you want to offload other responsibilities (like copywriting, graphic design, video creation, etc.), value speed and efficiency, can’t afford unexpected setbacks if your point of contact becomes unavailable, and can afford the higher price tag, then hiring a LinkedIn Ads agency may be the best fit for you.

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If you do decide to hire an agency, be sure to check out our list of the best LinkedIn Ads agencies on the market right now in order to find the one that’s right for you.

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And if you’re curious how much it costs to hire a LinkedIn Ads agency, we’ve got a great resource breaking that information down, as well.

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There are a lot of great options to choose from. Here at B2Linked, we understand that you need to make every advertising dollar count in order to see a return (and remain in good standing with your boss).

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Most ad agencies, freelancers, and in-house marketing teams talk about getting a return from their digital advertising efforts, but after auditing 800+ LinkedIn Ads accounts, we’ve seen one common theme: Wasted ad spend.

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That’s why we help B2B companies maximize their return from LinkedIn Ads by minimizing waste from poor targeting, bidding, and campaign setup.

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If this all sounds important to you, consider booking a discovery call. We’d absolutely love the chance to get to work with you!

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Written by Eric Jones

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