How to choose the best LinkedIn Ads agency in 2026?

Finding the right LinkedIn Ads agency isn't about chasing “the biggest customer logo” or “the best CTR.” CTR is simply the click through rate. What matters is your pipeline: prospects who advance to the appointment, then to the opportunity and finally to the sale. This guide is not a directory. It is a method for deciding calmly, with concrete criteria, pitfalls to avoid and a realistic test budget.
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Express summary

1. A LinkedIn Ads agency is judged by the pipeline : Look at the cost per SQL and the cost per opportunity, not just CTR. SQL stands for Sales Qualified Lead, it is a lead accepted by sales.
2. Start a 6 to 8 week pilot : test three message angles. For example customer pain, encrypted proof, simple method.
3. Creation counts more than the audience : prepare 6 to 12 variations and repeat every two weeks.
4. Plugged CRM : clean UTMs, feedback from offline conversions and a clear path from lead to MQL, then SQL, then opportunity. MQL stands for Marketing Qualified Lead.
5. SLA on the sales side : a prospect must be called back within 24 to 48 hours. Weekly quality feedback avoids wasting the budget.
6. Test budget in order of magnitude : annual contract value of less than 10,000 euros: 4 to 8 thousand euros. Between 10,000 and 50,000 euros: 8 to 20,000 euros. Greater than 50,000 euros or ABM: 15 to 40 thousand euros.
7. Week 7 or 8, verdict : continue, adjust or stop according to the cost per SQL and the cost per opportunity.

What defines a good LinkedIn Ads agency

A good agency doesn't just “launch ads.” She clarifies the target, formulates hypotheses, installs simple tracking and reads sales figures.

• B2B impact evidence : concrete cases that lead to opportunity, not just clicks.
• Method and rhythm : a weekly update and a test plan with simple decision criteria.
• Creatives adapted to LinkedIn : educational carousels, numerical testimonies, UGC in interview format.
• CRM and reporting. HubSpot or Salesforce connected, consistent UTMs, offline conversions.
• Transparency : access to accounts, ownership of assets, and real functioning with the sales team.

Practical clue : ask for a anonymized dashboard And a recent test plan. In three minutes you will see the real level.

Field example : an agency like Growth Room works in two-week sprints. It maintains a list of test hypotheses, and publishes simple reporting from lead to opportunity in the CRM. It's this type of pace that moves a pipeline forward.

Use this grid in under two minutes, add up the scores out of 5. A total of 22 out of 30 or more is a good signal to move forward. Between 18 and 21 test a short pilot. Under 18 pass your turn.

Traps that are expensive

• Judging by the wrong metrics : CTR and CPC are resources. Ask for the cost per SQL, the MQL to SQL rate, and the cost per opportunity.
• Targeting everyone : Define your ICP. It's your ideal customer profile. Start with key accounts and titles. Exclude your current customers, your prospects already in negotiation and your employees.
• Underinvesting in creation : allow 6 to 12 variations at startup and then a refresh every two weeks.
• Easy form, low intent : Lead Gen Forms add volume, especially at the top of the funnel. For long cycles or high baskets, a landing page with qualification and connection to the CRM converts better.
• No alignment with sales : without a reminder SLA within 24 to 48 hours, interest subsides. Your agency must animate this ritual with you.
• Bancal tracking : Inconsistent UTMs, no offline conversions, undefined CRM stages. We lose the link between click and revenue.

What does a good 6-8 week pilot look like?

Week 0. Framing : clear objectives, for example opportunities per month and cost per opportunity, Target and offers, available assets, tracking plan and decision grid.

Weeks 1 and 2. Launch : 3 message hypotheses, 2 to 4 creations per hypothesis, 1 or 2 audiences per hypothesis, lists of own accounts and a first balance sheet around J plus 10. We cut what doesn't work and we double what works.

Weeks 3 to 6. Iterations : new angles and recycling of the best creations. Adjusting offer and page according to signals, weekly feedback from the sales team and setting up offline conversions.

Weeks 7 and 8. Verdict : we read the cost per SQL, the MQL to SQL rate, the cost per opportunity and the length of time observed until the first appointment. The recommendation is simple: continue, rotate, or stop.

How much should you invest to get started?

The aim is not to “spend to see.” The aim is to buy enough Of information to decide.

• Duration : 6 to 8 weeks.
• Media budget: annual contract value of less than 10,000 euros. 4 to 8 thousand euros. Between 10,000 and 50,000 euros. 8 to 20k €. Greater than 50,000 euros or ABM. 15 to 40k €.
• Agency fees : 6 to 12k € for implementation, creation, testing, tracking and reporting.
• Create UGC or lightweight video : 2 to 5k € if necessary.

example : B2B SaaS with an annual value of 20,000 euros. €12k of media over 8 weeks. €9k in fees. The “numerical proof” angle comes out to 950 euros per SQL, with 45% acceptance by sales. We're consolidating this angle. We add a small brick ABM. Lead Gen Forms are cut off if the quality remains too low.

These orders of magnitude cover six weeks of testing. Adapt according to margin, return rate and creative capacity.

What should a contract say in black and white

• Ownership : accounts, data and creations belong to you and administrator access from day one.
• Cadence : a weekly review and a report every two weeks with clear decisions.
• Transparency : budgets, auctions, audiences, exclusions and documented schedules.
• Management KPI : cost per SQL, MQL to SQL rate (to understand everything about Difference between MQL and SQL, go to our dedicated article), cost per opportunity, reminder period on the sales side.
• Exit clause : option to stop at the end of the pilot if the criteria are not met.

What does a collaboration that works look like

You no longer hear “we are going to optimize the CTR”. You hear “we test the evidence angle with a testimony and a number, we reinforce the retargeting on committed accounts and the sales team calls back within 24 hours. Here is the dashboard with the cost per opportunity.” Decisions are factual, creation is breathing, the pipeline is progressing, and you already know what to test next month.

Quick grid in five questions

1. Does the agency show me a credible test plan over six to eight weeks
2. Does it have encrypted evidence up to SQL or the B2B opportunity
3. Can it produce and renew creations adapted to LinkedIn
4. Does she know how to connect the CRM properly. UTM, offline conversions, and pipeline dashboard
5. Does it offer clear governance. SLA on the sales, access, ownership and exit clause side

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Transparency
Growth Room is our agency. We apply this short and measured pilot model on a daily basis. This guide remains independent and applies to any service provider able to meet these standards.