When you’re looking to partner with a LinkedIn ads agency, it can be tough to separate the real experts from the pretenders. After running hundreds of LinkedIn campaigns and managing millions in ad spend, I’ve seen what separates legitimate agencies from those just trying to cash in on the LinkedIn ads gold rush.

Here are 10 red flags that should make you think twice before signing on the dotted line.

1. They Don’t Run LinkedIn Ads for Themselves

This is my biggest pet peeve when vetting agencies. Do they actually run LinkedIn ads for their own business?

You can easily check this by going to LinkedIn’s ad library and searching for any company to see their current ads. Out of maybe 20 LinkedIn ads agencies I know, only 3-4 have actually run ads for themselves, and maybe 2-3 are actively running them today.

You have to wonder – if they’re a real LinkedIn ads agency and they truly believe in the power of LinkedIn ads, why wouldn’t they be running ads for themselves? If they can’t figure out how to make LinkedIn ads work for their own business, how confident can you be that they’ll make it work for yours?

At Impactable, we’re constantly running our own LinkedIn campaigns. We eat our own dog food because we believe in what we’re selling.

2. They’re Not Active on LinkedIn Organically

LinkedIn isn’t just an advertising platform – it’s a powerful organic platform too. If a LinkedIn ads agency truly believes in LinkedIn as a platform, they should be there vocally and organically as well.

Look at who’s running the company. Are they active and vocal on LinkedIn? Do they have any kind of following or validation there? Do they have trust and credibility built up on the platform?

For example, I have LinkedIn’s official Top Voice badge, which is extra credibility that most other LinkedIn ads agency founders don’t have. If an agency leader isn’t even established on LinkedIn organically, that’s telling.

3. They’re Not Platform Certified

Are they LinkedIn certified? More importantly, is their team certified?

This might sound basic, but you’d be surprised how many agencies aren’t even LinkedIn Insider certified. At Impactable, we have 20+ LinkedIn certified insiders – probably more than any other agency in the world, since no other LinkedIn ads agency has as many people as us, and no other broad marketing agency would invest that time to get their people certified.

4. No Official LinkedIn Partnership or Recognition

Most LinkedIn ads agencies don’t have any official recognition or partnership from LinkedIn. This is a huge differentiator.

At Impactable, we have an official agency agreement with LinkedIn. As evidence of this deep partnership, we have access to ad credits for our clients and prospective new advertisers. We’re also part of LinkedIn’s conversion tracking API partnership.

We’ve been invited to LinkedIn’s annual independent agency summit two years in a row – not just to attend, but we had two speaking spots on the panel last year. Out of all the agencies in that room, we were the only pure LinkedIn ads agency with multiple panel seats.

5. No Technology Partnership

We’re also on track to get LinkedIn’s technology partnership through our DemandSense platform. This means we’ll have dual partnerships with LinkedIn – both agency and technology side. LinkedIn highlighted to us that this is rare; most agencies might have one or the other, but we’re one of the first to have both.

If an agency doesn’t have this level of integration and partnership with LinkedIn, you have to question how deep their relationship really goes with the platform.

6. One-Size-Fits-All Approach

Do they have proven frameworks for your specific segment, industry, and budget size? Or are they just selling you a generic idea of LinkedIn ads?

A lot of agencies lack expertise in your specific industry and company size. They might not be equipped to help you specifically because they’re taking a cookie-cutter approach.

At Impactable, we have solidified frameworks for different industries, budget sizes, and use cases. We’re not just throwing spaghetti at the wall – we have data-backed approaches for software companies, marketing agencies, IT services, and more.

7. No Transparency in Expertise and Resources

If you have to pay an agency thousands of dollars before you find out whether they actually have training, frameworks, and resources, that’s a red flag.

Real LinkedIn ads agencies should have an abundance of resources visible upfront. At Impactable, we have a YouTube channel with 300+ videos, including complete beginner’s guides. If someone has the time, they could grab our frameworks and do it themselves using our free resources.

We’re oozing with frameworks and training materials that prove we have the expertise. If an agency keeps their knowledge under lock and key, you have to question whether they actually have it.

8. No Pricing Transparency

If they don’t list their pricing, that’s usually a big red flag to me. I don’t want to waste time talking to someone just to figure out if they’re even in the ballpark.

At Impactable, we have transparent pricing and flexible options. A lot of other vendors have rigid, one-size-fits-all pricing structures. You should look for an agency that offers pricing transparency and flexibility to match your specific needs.

9. No Credible Reviews, Testimonials, or Case Studies

Do they have real reviews from real clients? More importantly, do they have credible case studies that you can verify?

One of our strongest case studies is actually an official LinkedIn case study on our client Lacework, showing 6X ROI. Lacework themselves shared this case study and recognized us as the agency that delivered those results. When LinkedIn itself creates a case study featuring your work, that’s about as credible as it gets.

Look for agencies with verified testimonials and case studies, not just claims of success.

10. They Only Offer LinkedIn Ads (No Supporting Expertise)

Here’s something most people don’t realize: LinkedIn ads don’t work great in a silo. To actually get the most success from LinkedIn ads, you need an agency with expertise that spans beyond just LinkedIn ads.

No pure LinkedIn ads agency that only deals with LinkedIn ads can run truly successful campaigns if they don’t have expertise to identify and support the other factors that contribute to LinkedIn success.

At Impactable, we’ve acquired a CRO agency for conversion optimization, we have in-house copy and design, paid search experts, Meta and programmatic specialists, and lead automation and AI capabilities. We know LinkedIn ads need support, and we’ve staffed ourselves accordingly.

Other LinkedIn ads agencies have one tool in their toolbelt. If your only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Their only solution will be to throw more LinkedIn ads at the problem, when that’s not always the case.

The Bottom Line

When evaluating LinkedIn ads agencies, don’t just look at their promises – look at their proof. Do they practice what they preach? Are they recognized by LinkedIn itself? Do they have the depth of expertise to support your entire funnel, not just run ads?

The difference between a real LinkedIn ads agency and a fake one often comes down to these fundamentals. Take the time to verify these points, and you’ll save yourself a lot of headaches (and money) down the road.

Want to see how a real LinkedIn ads agency operates? Get in touch!