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Oct 13, 2020 · 39m · startups-for-the-rest-of-us

Episode 518 | A Live LinkedIn Ads Consult with Anthony Blatner and Scatterspoke

Anthony Blatner · 17m spoken John Samuelson · 12m spoken Rob Walling · 6m spoken
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In this live consultation episode of Startups for the Rest of Us, host Rob Walling brings together advertising specialist Anthony Blatner and ScatterSpoke co-founder John Samuelson to design a high-converting B2B LinkedIn ad strategy. Anthony walks John through audience segmentation, Scaled Agile persona targeting, content-first lead magnet funnels, and realistic budget benchmarks for bootstrapped SaaS growth.

How this conversation actually went

Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. Rob holds 18% of the talking time here. How this is scored →

Rob as informed peer 0.9 Guest teaching 5.7 Guest disagreement 0.0 Rob pushing back 0.1
05100:0010:0020:0030:004:13–7:33 · Rob as informed peer 6/10 Key Prerequisites for B2B SaaS Advertising on LinkedIn Rob outlines the core distinctions between search intent channels like Google and role-based B2B platforms like LinkedIn. Anthony details the prerequisites for B2B SaaS LinkedIn ad viability, highlighting minimum LTV and niche ideal customer profiles.7:34–13:12 · Rob as informed peer 0/10 ScatterSpoke Overview and Industry Segmentation Strategy Rob steps back as Anthony leads a structured consultation with John regarding ScatterSpoke's customer segments and industry categorization on LinkedIn. Anthony explains how to split test broad tech targeting against vertical industries.13:12–19:05 · Rob as informed peer 0/10 Target Personas, Scaled Agile (SAFE), and Enterprise Roles John shares details about enterprise Scaled Agile Framework (SAFE) adoption, while Anthony evaluates how to target specific job titles and LinkedIn groups. Anthony guides John on mapping organizational hierarchy and purchasing authority.19:06–24:42 · Rob as informed peer 0/10 Skill Targeting, Competitor Analysis, and Lead Magnet Strategy Anthony reveals tactical tips for inspecting competitor ad libraries on LinkedIn company pages and explains why direct-response free trial ads underperform compared to educational lead magnets on cost-per-click platforms.24:43–30:35 · Rob as informed peer 0/10 Designing the Lead Magnet and Demo Conversion Funnel John asks whether landing pages should strictly focus on lead magnet downloads or offer secondary demo scheduling options. Anthony clarifies how top-of-funnel content nurtures cold prospects while still providing embedded scheduling widgets.30:36–34:52 · Rob as informed peer 0/10 Audience Sizing, Pain Points, and Ad Copy Formulation Anthony calculates estimated audience sizes on LinkedIn (20,000 to 80,000 members) and works with John to formulate high-converting ad copy focused on engineering management pain points.34:53–37:52 · Rob as informed peer 0/10 Budget Allocation, Split Testing Structure, and Performance Benchmarks Anthony outlines minimum budget thresholds of $1,000 to $2,000 per campaign for statistical significance and explains standard click-through rates and CPC auction mechanics on LinkedIn.4:13–7:33 · Guest teaching 6/10 Key Prerequisites for B2B SaaS Advertising on LinkedIn Rob outlines the core distinctions between search intent channels like Google and role-based B2B platforms like LinkedIn. Anthony details the prerequisites for B2B SaaS LinkedIn ad viability, highlighting minimum LTV and niche ideal customer profiles.7:34–13:12 · Guest teaching 5/10 ScatterSpoke Overview and Industry Segmentation Strategy Rob steps back as Anthony leads a structured consultation with John regarding ScatterSpoke's customer segments and industry categorization on LinkedIn. Anthony explains how to split test broad tech targeting against vertical industries.13:12–19:05 · Guest teaching 5/10 Target Personas, Scaled Agile (SAFE), and Enterprise Roles John shares details about enterprise Scaled Agile Framework (SAFE) adoption, while Anthony evaluates how to target specific job titles and LinkedIn groups. Anthony guides John on mapping organizational hierarchy and purchasing authority.19:06–24:42 · Guest teaching 7/10 Skill Targeting, Competitor Analysis, and Lead Magnet Strategy Anthony reveals tactical tips for inspecting competitor ad libraries on LinkedIn company pages and explains why direct-response free trial ads underperform compared to educational lead magnets on cost-per-click platforms.24:43–30:35 · Guest teaching 6/10 Designing the Lead Magnet and Demo Conversion Funnel John asks whether landing pages should strictly focus on lead magnet downloads or offer secondary demo scheduling options. Anthony clarifies how top-of-funnel content nurtures cold prospects while still providing embedded scheduling widgets.30:36–34:52 · Guest teaching 5/10 Audience Sizing, Pain Points, and Ad Copy Formulation Anthony calculates estimated audience sizes on LinkedIn (20,000 to 80,000 members) and works with John to formulate high-converting ad copy focused on engineering management pain points.34:53–37:52 · Guest teaching 6/10 Budget Allocation, Split Testing Structure, and Performance Benchmarks Anthony outlines minimum budget thresholds of $1,000 to $2,000 per campaign for statistical significance and explains standard click-through rates and CPC auction mechanics on LinkedIn.4:13–7:33 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Key Prerequisites for B2B SaaS Advertising on LinkedIn Rob outlines the core distinctions between search intent channels like Google and role-based B2B platforms like LinkedIn. Anthony details the prerequisites for B2B SaaS LinkedIn ad viability, highlighting minimum LTV and niche ideal customer profiles.7:34–13:12 · Guest disagreement 0/10 ScatterSpoke Overview and Industry Segmentation Strategy Rob steps back as Anthony leads a structured consultation with John regarding ScatterSpoke's customer segments and industry categorization on LinkedIn. Anthony explains how to split test broad tech targeting against vertical industries.13:12–19:05 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Target Personas, Scaled Agile (SAFE), and Enterprise Roles John shares details about enterprise Scaled Agile Framework (SAFE) adoption, while Anthony evaluates how to target specific job titles and LinkedIn groups. Anthony guides John on mapping organizational hierarchy and purchasing authority.19:06–24:42 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Skill Targeting, Competitor Analysis, and Lead Magnet Strategy Anthony reveals tactical tips for inspecting competitor ad libraries on LinkedIn company pages and explains why direct-response free trial ads underperform compared to educational lead magnets on cost-per-click platforms.24:43–30:35 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Designing the Lead Magnet and Demo Conversion Funnel John asks whether landing pages should strictly focus on lead magnet downloads or offer secondary demo scheduling options. Anthony clarifies how top-of-funnel content nurtures cold prospects while still providing embedded scheduling widgets.30:36–34:52 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Audience Sizing, Pain Points, and Ad Copy Formulation Anthony calculates estimated audience sizes on LinkedIn (20,000 to 80,000 members) and works with John to formulate high-converting ad copy focused on engineering management pain points.34:53–37:52 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Budget Allocation, Split Testing Structure, and Performance Benchmarks Anthony outlines minimum budget thresholds of $1,000 to $2,000 per campaign for statistical significance and explains standard click-through rates and CPC auction mechanics on LinkedIn.4:13–7:33 · Rob pushing back 1/10 Key Prerequisites for B2B SaaS Advertising on LinkedIn Rob outlines the core distinctions between search intent channels like Google and role-based B2B platforms like LinkedIn. Anthony details the prerequisites for B2B SaaS LinkedIn ad viability, highlighting minimum LTV and niche ideal customer profiles.7:34–13:12 · Rob pushing back 0/10 ScatterSpoke Overview and Industry Segmentation Strategy Rob steps back as Anthony leads a structured consultation with John regarding ScatterSpoke's customer segments and industry categorization on LinkedIn. Anthony explains how to split test broad tech targeting against vertical industries.13:12–19:05 · Rob pushing back 0/10 Target Personas, Scaled Agile (SAFE), and Enterprise Roles John shares details about enterprise Scaled Agile Framework (SAFE) adoption, while Anthony evaluates how to target specific job titles and LinkedIn groups. Anthony guides John on mapping organizational hierarchy and purchasing authority.19:06–24:42 · Rob pushing back 0/10 Skill Targeting, Competitor Analysis, and Lead Magnet Strategy Anthony reveals tactical tips for inspecting competitor ad libraries on LinkedIn company pages and explains why direct-response free trial ads underperform compared to educational lead magnets on cost-per-click platforms.24:43–30:35 · Rob pushing back 0/10 Designing the Lead Magnet and Demo Conversion Funnel John asks whether landing pages should strictly focus on lead magnet downloads or offer secondary demo scheduling options. Anthony clarifies how top-of-funnel content nurtures cold prospects while still providing embedded scheduling widgets.30:36–34:52 · Rob pushing back 0/10 Audience Sizing, Pain Points, and Ad Copy Formulation Anthony calculates estimated audience sizes on LinkedIn (20,000 to 80,000 members) and works with John to formulate high-converting ad copy focused on engineering management pain points.34:53–37:52 · Rob pushing back 0/10 Budget Allocation, Split Testing Structure, and Performance Benchmarks Anthony outlines minimum budget thresholds of $1,000 to $2,000 per campaign for statistical significance and explains standard click-through rates and CPC auction mechanics on LinkedIn.

speaking balance: gold is Rob, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)

0:00 · Rob 100% · guest 0%0:00 · Rob 100% · guest 0%3:00 · Rob 54.7% · guest 45.3%3:00 · Rob 54.7% · guest 45.3%6:00 · Rob 30.2% · guest 69.8%6:00 · Rob 30.2% · guest 69.8%9:00 · Rob 0% · guest 100%9:00 · Rob 0% · guest 100%12:00 · Rob 0% · guest 100%12:00 · Rob 0% · guest 100%15:00 · Rob 0% · guest 100%15:00 · Rob 0% · guest 100%18:00 · Rob 0% · guest 100%18:00 · Rob 0% · guest 100%21:00 · Rob 0% · guest 100%21:00 · Rob 0% · guest 100%24:00 · Rob 0% · guest 100%24:00 · Rob 0% · guest 100%27:00 · Rob 0% · guest 100%27:00 · Rob 0% · guest 100%30:00 · Rob 0% · guest 100%30:00 · Rob 0% · guest 100%33:00 · Rob 0% · guest 100%33:00 · Rob 0% · guest 100%36:00 · Rob 33.1% · guest 66.9%36:00 · Rob 33.1% · guest 66.9%39:00 · Rob 95.6% · guest 4.4%39:00 · Rob 95.6% · guest 4.4%
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 22:16 Challenging direct-to-demo ad strategies

Anthony firmly advises against standard industry practices of advertising free trials or direct demo requests, noting they burn budget due to high cost-per-click dynamics.

 Hardest push from Rob ▶ 6:21 Rob categorizing advertising platforms by user psychology

Rob clarifies how LinkedIn differs fundamentally from intent-based search networks and interest-based platforms like Facebook, anchoring the interview's strategic premise.

 Biggest teaching moment ▶ 26:24 Educating on conversion dropoff from cold demos

Anthony details why uneducated leads from cold demo ads fail to convert, teaching the mechanics of lead-magnet qualification funnels.

 Rob holds their own ▶ 6:21 Rob synthesizing B2B ad channel targeting vectors

Rob demonstrates clear domain expertise by breaking down user intent and targeting variables across major digital ad platforms before handing over the consult.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
ChapterTopicRob as informed peerGuest teachingGuest disagreementRob pushing backWhy
Key Prerequisites for B2B SaaS Advertising on LinkedIn 6601 Rob outlines the core distinctions between search intent channels like Google and role-based B2B platforms like LinkedIn. Anthony details the prerequisites for B2B SaaS LinkedIn ad viability, highlighting minimum LTV and niche ideal customer profiles.
ScatterSpoke Overview and Industry Segmentation Strategy 0500 Rob steps back as Anthony leads a structured consultation with John regarding ScatterSpoke's customer segments and industry categorization on LinkedIn. Anthony explains how to split test broad tech targeting against vertical industries.
Target Personas, Scaled Agile (SAFE), and Enterprise Roles 0500 John shares details about enterprise Scaled Agile Framework (SAFE) adoption, while Anthony evaluates how to target specific job titles and LinkedIn groups. Anthony guides John on mapping organizational hierarchy and purchasing authority.
Skill Targeting, Competitor Analysis, and Lead Magnet Strategy 0700 Anthony reveals tactical tips for inspecting competitor ad libraries on LinkedIn company pages and explains why direct-response free trial ads underperform compared to educational lead magnets on cost-per-click platforms.
Designing the Lead Magnet and Demo Conversion Funnel 0600 John asks whether landing pages should strictly focus on lead magnet downloads or offer secondary demo scheduling options. Anthony clarifies how top-of-funnel content nurtures cold prospects while still providing embedded scheduling widgets.
Audience Sizing, Pain Points, and Ad Copy Formulation 0500 Anthony calculates estimated audience sizes on LinkedIn (20,000 to 80,000 members) and works with John to formulate high-converting ad copy focused on engineering management pain points.
Budget Allocation, Split Testing Structure, and Performance Benchmarks 0600 Anthony outlines minimum budget thresholds of $1,000 to $2,000 per campaign for statistical significance and explains standard click-through rates and CPC auction mechanics on LinkedIn.

Statements from this episode (9)

Insight
B2B SaaS needs a $10k+ LTV before using LinkedIn ads
“A couple of things that we usually look for or recommend to use LinkedIn is first of all, having your LTV be around 10 K or above to start. LinkedIn's a more expensive channel, so when your LTV's above 10 K, then the math gets easier. If it's below 10 K, it ca…”
Anthony Blatner Oct 13, 2020 ▶ 5:04
Insight
LinkedIn ads work best for niche decision-makers, not broad audiences
“When you have an extremely broad audience, then honestly other channels might be cheaper and better for you. LinkedIn is awesome when you need to target a niche decision maker at scale, because that's what LinkedIn has is like those job titles, those industrie…”
Anthony Blatner Oct 13, 2020 ▶ 5:41
Insight
Split-test software versus non-software audiences in B2B LinkedIn campaigns
“Commonly when we have, like, a industry like this, what we'll do is we'll do one campaign or one split test that targets just the computer software industry, and then we'll have one that targets everybody but the computer software industry, so we can see those…”
Anthony Blatner Oct 13, 2020 ▶ 12:08
Insight
Engineering tool purchasing power sits with directors, not developers
“Most software engineers are not the person that can swipe the credit card and engineering managers can, but we see it sometimes usually goes up to directors of engineering that are usually like, yep, I approve because they usually own a budget.”
John Samuelson Oct 13, 2020 ▶ 18:38
Insight
Direct free trial LinkedIn ads convert poorly and cost more
“You do see a lot of people out there that will advertise directly for like free trial or schedule now or sign up now. And on LinkedIn, you're usually paying for every click. So as soon as somebody clicks in your ad, you've paid for that click, whether they sig…”
Anthony Blatner Oct 13, 2020 ▶ 23:01
Insight
Quick downloadable guides achieve the highest LinkedIn ad conversion rates
“Usually we see that like white papers, guides, and checklists often do the best. Quick and easy downloadables, something that someone can learn something about you, and we see that quick and easy downloadables get the highest conversion rate”
Anthony Blatner Oct 13, 2020 ▶ 27:17
Insight
The ideal LinkedIn ad audience size is 20,000 to 80,000 people
“Our usual target is somewhere between 20 to 80,000 people. If it's under 20, that might be a little small. If it's over 80,000 people, then usually we have the opportunity to get more targeted in it.”
Anthony Blatner Oct 13, 2020 ▶ 31:52
Insight
Test LinkedIn ads with a minimum of $1,000 per campaign
“I usually recommend minimum for each campaign is, is about 2000, and then minimum amount per campaign level is about a thousand. Then you can be sure you're getting at least enough clicks in that you're getting good data, enough data to make a decision based o…”
Anthony Blatner Oct 13, 2020 ▶ 36:23
Assertion Supported
LinkedIn's average ad CTR is 0.4%; beating it lowers auction costs
“LinkedIn's average is about .4. So anything above that and your ads will actually benefit going in the auction. You'll get cheaper ad costs.”
Anthony Blatner Oct 13, 2020 ▶ 37:01
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