The verdict in three sentences
On a 2,500 EUR monthly budget, a Dublin B2B SME usually gets a lower cost per meeting from targeted cold email (90 to 220 EUR) than from LinkedIn Ads (190 to 380 EUR), provided the list is clean and compliant with Irish ePrivacy rules. LinkedIn Ads wins when you need reach across hundreds of named accounts and brand familiarity that lifts email reply rates. The highest return often comes from a 60/40 split steered on cost per held meeting.
Unit costs of each channel in 2026
The example: a Dublin IT security consultancy (15 staff) selling 20,000 to 60,000 EUR projects to IT directors at Irish and UK companies with 100 to 1,000 employees. Figures are 2026 estimates for the Irish market.
| Metric | Cold email | LinkedIn Ads |
|---|---|---|
| Tool or platform | 30 to 300 EUR a month | Free access, media from 1,500 EUR |
| Contact cost | 0.40 to 1.50 EUR per verified contact | Cost per click: 5 to 13 EUR |
| Open or click rate | 25 to 45% opens | 0.4 to 0.9% clicks |
| Positive reply rate | 1 to 3% | Lead Gen Form: 8 to 15% of clicks |
| Cost per meeting | 90 to 220 EUR | 190 to 380 EUR |
| Time to stable results | 4 to 6 weeks | 8 to 12 weeks |
| Rules | GDPR + S.I. 336/2011 ePrivacy Regulations | LinkedIn ad policies, consent handled by platform |
Under Irish ePrivacy rules, unsolicited marketing email to individuals needs prior consent, while email to corporate addresses is treated more flexibly but must still identify the sender and offer an opt out. Generic role addresses and a documented legitimate interest assessment keep the risk low; the Data Protection Commission does fine marketing breaches.
Three year comparison: cost, ramp-up, lock-in, scalability
The table compares both strategies at a constant 2,500 EUR a month, or 90,000 EUR over three years.
| Criterion | Cold email | LinkedIn Ads | 60/40 mix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meetings per month | 12 to 20 | 7 to 12 | 11 to 18 |
| Meetings over 3 years | 432 to 720 | 252 to 432 | 396 to 648 |
| Average cost per meeting | 125 to 210 EUR | 210 to 360 EUR | 140 to 225 EUR |
| Ramp-up | 4 to 6 weeks | 8 to 12 weeks | 6 to 10 weeks |
| Vendor lock-in | Medium: recover lists and sequences | Low if the ad account is yours | Medium |
| Scalability | Capped by addressable market | High: new audiences, UK expansion | High |
| Saturation risk | High after 12 to 18 months | Low | Medium |
Email wins clearly in year one. After roughly 18 months, list fatigue pushes its cost per meeting up, while LinkedIn benefits from audiences already warmed. That is why the mix tends to win over three years.
Recommendation by profile
| Profile | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Narrow target (under 1,500 decision makers in Ireland) | Email first, LinkedIn retargeting |
| Broad target including the UK | LinkedIn first, email to engaged accounts |
| New, little known offer | LinkedIn to build familiarity, then email |
| Meetings needed within 30 days | |
| Small sales team | 60/40 mix with a weekly cost per meeting report |
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Illustrative example: Aoife, managing director of a Dublin 2 security consultancy, invests 2,500 EUR a month: 1,500 EUR on email (tool at 120 EUR, list and copy at 1,380 EUR) and 1,000 EUR on LinkedIn retargeting. After three months: 11 meetings from email (136 EUR each) and 4 from LinkedIn (250 EUR each), so 15 meetings at 167 EUR on average. With a 12% close rate and a 35,000 EUR average project, she wins 1.8 projects a month, about 63,000 EUR of revenue for 2,500 EUR spent.
FAQ
Is B2B cold email legal in Ireland?
To corporate addresses, yes, if the message is relevant to the role and includes a simple opt out; sole traders are treated like individuals and need consent. GDPR fines can reach 4% of global turnover.
What open rate should we target?
25 to 45% on a clean B2B list with SPF, DKIM and DMARC in place. Below 20%, fix deliverability before rewriting copy.
Is LinkedIn Ads worth it at 1,000 EUR a month?
For retargeting site visitors or a list of a few thousand decision makers, yes. To test cold audiences, plan at least 2,000 EUR a month.
How many sequences do we need?
Two or three sequences of 3 to 5 emails cover most SME targets. Refresh angles every 3 months to slow saturation.
Which metric should we check every week?
Cost per held meeting by channel. A gap above 30% for 4 weeks in a row is a clear signal to rebalance budget.
Get found by the buyers who are already looking for you. Before you split budget between email and LinkedIn, start with a visibility audit at 100,000 FCFA (about 152 EUR), then a Traffic Engine plan that brings in IT directors already searching Google for your service, with a weekly report: Traffic Engine. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
