Short answer: You can run LinkedIn Ads yourself, but it's harder than it looks. The ad platform is a live bidding environment with lots of small settings that quietly drain budget if you don't know what to look for. If you've tried it and written LinkedIn off, an audit by a specialist is usually the smartest next step, because the problem is often the setup, not the platform.

Trying LinkedIn yourself, deciding it doesn't work and blaming the platform is a bit like me doing the MOT on my own car, breaking a few parts, then deciding the car's terrible.

Why is LinkedIn harder to run than it looks?

On the surface it looks simple. Under the bonnet it isn't. The algorithms change constantly, the ad platform is an auction and there are dozens of small decisions that compound quickly when the foundations are wrong.

What mistakes cost DIY advertisers the most?

Here's one we've seen. A large UK financial services firm had spent a significant budget on LinkedIn Ads and couldn't work out why results were so poor. When we reviewed the account, a large share of that spend wasn't reaching the people they meant to target, because reach-widening settings had been left on. There are two to check. Audience expansion shows your ads to people on LinkedIn who are similar to your targeting. The LinkedIn Audience Network shows your ads on other sites and apps, off LinkedIn. Either one, left on by default, can bring clicks from people who were never the target buyer. Activity looked healthy. Relevance and return didn't.

That's just one issue. Others we see regularly:

• Maximum delivery from day one. LinkedIn is a bidding platform, so letting it bid as high as it likes before you've tested can burn budget fast.

• International targeting without splitting time zones. Your daily budget can be spent during the US morning, leaving nothing for Europe.

• Broad targeting with no testing. You pay to reach people who'll never buy.

I've gone through the most common settings in more detail in 6 LinkedIn Ads mistakes that drain your budget.

When does running it yourself make sense?

DIY can work if:

• You have time to learn the platform properly and keep up with changes.

• You're testing with a small budget and can afford some mistakes.

• You track leads and revenue, not just clicks and impressions.

• Someone checks the settings before every campaign goes live.

If those aren't true, the cost of learning by trial and error is usually higher than the cost of help.

When should you bring in a specialist?

When the spend is meaningful, when results have stalled, or when you've already concluded "LinkedIn doesn't work for us". LinkedIn does work, but only when it's treated as a specialist channel rather than a side project.

The first step doesn't have to be handing everything over. Start with an audit: fix the foundations, stop the wasted spend, then build towards steady, high-quality lead generation. If you do look at outside help, these questions to ask before choosing a LinkedIn growth partner will help you pick well.

What's the takeaway?

Before you blame the platform, check the setup. Small settings make a big difference on LinkedIn, and an audit often finds budget you're losing without realising.

If you'd like us to look at your account, book a call with me.

Hub guide: LinkedIn Ads costs and ROI guide

FAQs

Can I run LinkedIn Ads myself? Yes. Start small, check your settings carefully, avoid maximum delivery until you've tested and track leads and revenue rather than clicks.

What is LinkedIn audience expansion? A setting that shows your ads to people with attributes similar to your chosen targeting. It can be useful, but it widens who sees your ads, so check it, and whether the LinkedIn Audience Network is switched on, before launch.

What does a LinkedIn Ads audit look at? Targeting, placements, bidding, budgets, time zones, creative and conversion tracking, to find where spend is leaking and what to fix first.

Is a specialist worth it for a small budget? Sometimes not for ongoing management, but a one-off audit or setup review can stop you wasting budget while you learn.

Sources

• LinkedIn post: "Are you guilty of trying to run LinkedIn yourself, deciding it's not working, and blaming the platform?", Ben Ivey, Entrepreneur Lifestyle.

• LinkedIn Help: "Audience expansion", https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a418929

• LinkedIn Help: "Sponsored Content ads" (LinkedIn Audience Network placements), https://www.linkedin.com/help/lms/answer/a425628