In the world of B2B digital marketing, one name has become synonymous with LinkedIn Ads expertise, AJ Wilcox.
As the founder of B2Linked, AJ has not only carved out a niche but has also educated and empowered countless marketers through his unwavering dedication to delivering high-value content.
From humble beginnings in SEO and PPC to managing the world’s highest-spending LinkedIn Ads account, AJ’s journey is a masterclass in focus, persistence, and strategic branding.
In this exclusive interview, we dive into AJ’s story. How a side project at a SaaS company turned into a full-blown obsession with LinkedIn Ads, how video content became his secret weapon, and what it really takes to build a lasting personal and business brand in the digital space.
Tell us a bit about yourself AJ. How did your journey as a LinkedIn Ads fanatic begin?
I started out my career in digital marketing in SEO and PPC. I went to go work for a pre-IPO SaaS company where I was the first digital marketer. As I was getting started, the CMO told me to run some tests on a brand new LinkedIn Ads account. I had no idea what I was doing so I applied my same Google Ads strategies to it and within a couple weeks the sales team came over and said ” We have no idea what you’re doing over here but we are fighting over your leads. Keep it up!” Needless to say I kept investing in LinkedIn Ads over the next 2.5 years where it became the highest spending LinkedIn Ads account in the world. The platform itself was terrible back then but I fell in love with the quality of the leads and the business opportunity that it drove.
Was there a specific moment or piece of content that helped you grow?
Early in my career, when I specialized in SEO, there was an awesome resource that Moz created and kept up to date that I absolutely loved. That was the SEO cheat sheet. I always had a printed copy up in my cubicle or on my desk because it was so valuable. Nothing like that exists for LinkedIn Ads that I have found but I always remember how useful I found that piece of content and as I create content I always keep that example in the back of my mind. I always want to create content that my prospects want to keep around forever!
What type of content do you enjoy creating the most and why?
Video content for sure! Especially short, educational, talking-head style videos. They perform so amazingly well in ads, especially at the top of the funnel, and they are so inexpensive to make. It can be a little scary to get started, especially if you are like me and have a face for radio, but as soon as you get over the fact that people don’t care how you look, as long as you are bringing them great value, you can quickly get over the fear.
How do you decide which topics, trends, or tools to focus on in your content?
This is really easy for me because I am wholly focused on LinkedIn Ads. That means that anything connected to LinkedIn advertising is going to be something that I know I want to cover in my content. I like to focus on the kinds of things that I see, causing advertisers to pay too much for their traffic, because as an Advertiser, that’s what care most about. Saving money is so important to your company because it has a direct impact on your return on investment. ROI is what’s going to keep you around, and get you a raise. Obviously, any new news or features on the LinkedIn Ads platform are also no-brainers.
What challenges have you faced while building your personal brand and B2Linked?
The biggest challenge that I have found building B2Linked is that it was so easy for me to become known as the “LinkedIn Ads Guy”, but it’s so much harder to have a brand known as the agency that knows LinkedIn Ads. Building a personal brand for me was very easy because I love to be helpful and teach people. As I’ve naturally done that, teaching and generously giving my time and suggestions, it has built up a lot of goodwill. When I personally post on social media about advertising on LinkedIn I get a lot of attention. But as you probably know, when you post on social media as a brand, if you don’t put dollars behind it, hardly anyone sees it.
How do you maintain authenticity while working with brands or promoting products?
Before I ever consider working with a brand, I need to be a believer in their product. I won’t do a collaboration unless I really have a chance to test out their product and have had such a positive experience that I would love to shout their brand from the rooftops even if I weren’t being compensated for it. Also as you are talking about a brand, don’t allow your voice and style to change. Those who have always followed you need to know that this really is your advice, and not just a commercial break.
Which tools or platforms help you stay consistent with your content?
I haven’t yet found a platform or tool that I absolutely love which keeps me up on content. So far I’ve used a lot of spreadsheets where I map out my content calendar, and have help from my marketing team.
How do you measure success or impact as a creator?
I learned a really important lesson during the hardest time of my life. I went through a divorce back in 2021 and as a result went through a really deep depression for many months. What was so shocking to me is that even though my head wasn’t in content creation for many months, I still really often had friends come to me and say, “Man I see you everywhere! You are killing it!” What I learned was that if you spend enough time putting value out into your community, it builds over time and acts as an investment. After 11 years of sharing great LinkedIn Ads advice to the community, if I miss a post or two it won’t disrupt things and I’m still going to see the business impact from all of those Investments I’ve made in the past.
One piece of advice for aspiring creators or influencers in the digital space?
Plan on it taking a long time of creating content before you really start to reach your goals. Don’t quit or give up. I know it’s a ton of effort and time that you put into your content, and early on, not everyone will appreciate it (or even see it yet). But that’s okay. It’s an investment that pays off later.
What do you love doing when you’re not creating content?
I absolutely love geeky projects like Robotics and data science. And I also love off-roading and going fast any chance I get.
AJ Wilcox’s story is proof that real growth stems from staying committed to your niche, showing up with authenticity, and investing in your audience long before you see the results.
His dedication to LinkedIn Ads and his community-first mindset have not only helped shape a successful business but also created a legacy that continues to grow.
A big thank you to AJ Wilcox for sharing his time and experiences with us! We’re inspired by your commitment to transparency, education, and relentless drive to improve the B2B marketing landscape.
