The verdict in three sentences
This worked example follows a fictional IT recruitment firm in Chicago, representative of the market, that replaces part of its cold calling with a LinkedIn, landing page and email funnel. In 3 months and for 16,500 USD, the funnel produces 7 signed retained searches, about 2,360 USD per contract, a small cost against fees that run well into five figures. The deciding lever is the lead magnet, a Chicago tech salary guide, which CIOs download because they actually use it in budget talks.
The setup and its budget
The firm has 20 consultants covering software engineering, data and security roles. Before the project, three consultants spent roughly 40% of their time cold calling IT leaders. The funnel runs on 5,500 USD a month.
| Line | Monthly amount, USD | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| LinkedIn Ads media | 3,000 | CIOs, CTOs and VPs of engineering at companies with 250+ staff in the Chicago metro |
| Campaign and email sequence management | 1,500 | Weekly optimization, message tests, 5 email sequence |
| Content production | 750 | Salary guide update, creatives, landing page |
| Email platform and CRM | 250 | Automation and download tracking |
| Total | 5,500 | 16,500 USD over 3 months |
The landing page offers the 2026 salary guide (ranges by role and seniority for Chicago) behind a short form: name, title, company, headcount. Follow-up emails collect only business contact data and include a clear opt-out, in line with CAN-SPAM requirements. After download, five emails over three weeks offer a 20 minute call on the team's hiring challenges.
The funnel in numbers, stage by stage
Cumulative results over 3 months, with stage conversion rates.
| Stage | Volume over 3 months | Conversion rate | Cost per unit, USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landing page visitors | 2,600 | Not applicable | about 6.35 |
| Salary guide downloads | 104 | 4% of visitors | about 159 |
| Meetings with CIOs | 22 | about 21% of downloads | 750 |
| Search proposals sent | 13 | about 59% of meetings | about 1,270 |
| Retained searches signed | 7 | about 32% of meetings | about 2,360 |
Before and after, over one quarter.
| Quarterly metric | Cold calling only | With the funnel |
|---|---|---|
| Consultant hours on business development | about 600 | about 220 |
| Meetings with IT leaders | 13 | 22 |
| Retained searches from outbound | 3 | 7 |
| External cost | 0 USD | 16,500 USD |
The real timeline: 4 weeks of preparation (guide, page, sequences, targeting), first downloads in week 5, first meetings in week 7, first signed search in week 9. CIO decision cycles make the second quarter stronger than the first, as several month 3 meetings convert in month 4.
What made the difference
Narrow targeting kept the firm from paying for clicks from rival recruiters and job seekers. The email sequence revived dormant downloads: about a third of meetings came from emails 3 to 5. The firm also noticed CIOs arriving from Google after searching for IT recruitment firm Chicago or data engineering recruiters, so search visibility complements the funnel at lower cost. As a nearshore option, Kolonell's prices are 305 EUR (200,000 FCFA) a month for Growth SEO and 152 EUR (100,000 FCFA) for an ad campaign setup: Kolonell's own prices, separate from the amounts in this example.
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Mini case study
Illustrative example, continuing the case: the firm's managing partner must decide whether to extend the funnel for 6 months. With retained search fees around 30,000 USD per search (a 2026 estimate for senior tech roles, often a quarter to a third of first year compensation), the 7 searches represent 210,000 USD of potential fees for 16,500 USD of spend. Even if only 5 end in a placement, that is 150,000 USD, more than 9 times the spend. Freeing about 380 consultant hours a quarter for candidate sourcing seals the decision at the same budget.
FAQ
What budget does a LinkedIn funnel need in IT recruitment?
Here, 5,500 USD a month including 3,000 USD of media. As a 2026 market ballpark, 4,000 to 8,000 USD a month reaches Chicago IT leaders with enough volume to optimize.
Why a salary guide as the lead magnet?
Because CIOs use it for budgets and internal negotiations. Here 4% of visitors downloaded it, a strong rate for senior decision makers.
How long before the first signed search?
Allow 4 weeks of preparation then 4 to 5 weeks of delivery: the first search was signed in week 9. The second quarter is usually more productive than the first.
Is the email sequence essential?
Yes: about a third of the 22 meetings came from emails 3 to 5. Without follow-up, most of the 104 downloads would have gone nowhere.
Does the funnel replace cold calling entirely?
No, it cut business development time from about 600 to 220 hours a quarter in this case. Calls still help follow up downloads from priority accounts.
Get found by the customers already looking for you. CIOs searching for a tech recruitment firm in Chicago should land on you: start with a 100,000 FCFA visibility audit (about 152 EUR, credited against setup if you start within 30 days), then a Traffic Engine plan that fits, with a weekly report on the requests received. 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.
