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OAKS, UK Visibility & Paid Marketing

Report 1 of 3 in the OAKS 21-month tiered plan. LinkedIn Ads + Google Search + Email campaigns as the spine across three 7-month tiers (Prove · Amplify · Convert & Compound). SEO, content, and events compound underneath.

Client
OAKS, UK
Sector
FE / Apprenticeship
Spine channels
LinkedIn · Google · Email
Horizon
21 Months
Prepared
Oct 6, 2026
Executive Summary

Channel-mix principle: spend shifts per tier, the spine doesn't.

Per the brief, marketing is mostly paid ads + LinkedIn paid ads + email campaigns. Across the three tiers the channel mix shifts from infrastructure-building to conversion acceleration — but LinkedIn + Google + Email stay the workhorses for all 21 months.

Tier 1 (M1–M7, Oct 2026 – Apr 2027) is conservative paid in learn mode — £150–£200/mo LinkedIn + £150–£200/mo Google — until named-customer proof lands. Tier 2 (M8–M14) scales to £600–£900 LinkedIn + £300–£450 Google and activates the AoC Strategic Partnership. Tier 3 (M15–M21) is the full-fat version at £1,000–£1,400 LinkedIn + £500–£700 Google with ABM 1-to-1, YouTube retargeting, and case-study compounding.

The Brief is right that do not lead with broad paid media yet — Tier 1 keeps YouTube and broad display off the table. Video opens in Tier 2 once case studies exist. ABM display opens in Tier 3 once the named-account list is large enough.

Channel Mix

The spine stays the same. The weights shift per tier.

Tier 1 builds infrastructure; Tier 2 scales the engine; Tier 3 maximises conversion. LinkedIn never drops below 30% because the FE market is senior-decision-maker-driven and LinkedIn-aligned.

Channel
Tier 1 · M1–M7
Tier 2 · M8–M14
Tier 3 · M15–M21
Note
LinkedIn paid ads
30%Lead engine
35%Full ABM
33%ABM 1-to-1
Spine
Google paid search
25%Capture
22%Conquest
20%Long-tail
Spine
Email campaigns
20%3 sequences
23%12+ sequences
25%Renewal motion
Highest ROI
Retargeting / video
5%Audience build
10%Video on
14%YT + ABM
Compounding
Partnerships
0%Research
5%AoC live
5%AoC + media
AoC partnership
Events
5%2 local
3%FELTAG ×3
3%AoC conf
FELTAG + AoC
Tooling
5%HubSpot
2%ABM tool
—Optimised
CRM + ABM
Tier 1 · M1–M7 · Oct 2026 – Apr 2027

Tier 1 — Prove

Close the six readiness gaps from the Brief. Build the 50-account named list. Run paid in learn mode; don't chase volume. Secure ≥2 named-customer case studies before Tier 2 scale-up.

Months 1–7 · Foundation

Prove Conservative paid, learn mode, build proof.

~£3.5k/mo
  • LinkedIn Ads at £150–£200/mo. Lead Gen Forms (30%) + Sponsored Content single image + carousel (60%) + Conversation Ads (10%). Targeting: Principal / VP / Director of Quality / Head of MIS / IT Director / Apprenticeship Lead. Industry = Education — Further Education. Geo: South East first.
  • Google Ads at £150–£200/mo. Exact + phrase match on priority terms: "OneFile alternative", "FE college LMS", "Ofsted compliance software", "apprenticeship evidence software UK". 4 dedicated landing pages. Negative match on "free", "tutorial", "jobs", "course".
  • Retargeting pool at £50–£75/mo — start the audience for Tier-2/3 scale.
  • Email infrastructure (HubSpot), domain warm-up, ICP-segmented master lists. 1× monthly FE Sector Insights broadcast + 3 lead-magnet nurture sequences (Ofsted Inspection Readiness Guide, OneFile Replacement Buyer's Guide, Apprenticeship Efficiency Checklist) + demo no-show recovery.
  • 4 pillar pages + 4 articles/month targeting the SEO keyword list. AEO discipline (FAQ schema, structured H2s, "what is" + "how to" framing).
  • Build 50-account named list in Sales Nav + HubSpot. Tiered by Ofsted risk and OneFile status.
  • Close 6 readiness gaps: Shrewsbury status, OneFile migration, customer permissions, security assurance, vendor clarity, authority depth.
  • 2 contributed articles (FE Week, AIG blog).

Tier-1 KPIs (end of M7)

  • Qualified demos: 8–15
  • CPL: ≤ £150 (LinkedIn + Google)
  • Named accounts: 50 with 1+ contact
  • Email list: 500; CTR 3%+
  • Case studies: 2 named customers
  • SERP: top-10 for 3 keywords
Tier-end outcome OAKS has paid in learn mode, 50 named accounts, 2 named customers, and infrastructure ready for Tier-2 scale.
Months 8–14 · Scale

Amplify Scale paid, activate ABM, AoC partnership live.

~£7k/mo
  • LinkedIn Ads scale to £600–£900/mo. Mix shifts: 45% Lead Gen Forms, 30% Sponsored Content (Thought Leader ads), 15% Conversation Ads, 10% Video Ads. Audience expands to all-England FE + ITP employer providers. ABM audiences via Matched Audiences.
  • Google Ads scale to £300–£450/mo. Bid strategy switches to Target CPA once 30+ conversions recorded. Adds conquest on "OneFile review", "Aptem alternative", "Bud alternative", "Smart Assessor alternative".
  • Retargeting + video at £200–£350/mo. First video ads (30s customer testimonials + 60s product demos). Programmatic display test via ABM partner (£300/mo) targeting ITP and FE employer-matching audiences.
  • Activate AoC Strategic Partnership at £4,000–£6,000/year. AoC Annual Conference (Nov 2027) — pre-book 6+ meetings, run booth demo. FE Week + TES banners + 1× sponsored content/quarter. 3× FELTAG events at £500–£750 each.
  • Email programme expansion: monthly FE Sector Insights continues, monthly webinar funnel (4 webinars × 5-touch each), post-webinar nurture, re-engagement sequence, customer story drip. Target: 1,500 subscribers by M14.
  • ABM 1-to-few microsites for top-20 accounts (5–8 contacts each). 4 articles/month continued cadence.
  • 2 guest articles/quarter in FE Week + TES. LinkedIn organic 3→6 posts/week.

Tier-2 KPIs (end of M14)

  • Cumulative demos: 35–50
  • Active pilots: 5–10
  • CPL: ≤ £130
  • MQL→SQL: ≥ 25%
  • Named accounts: 100 with 5+ contacts engaged
  • AoC partnership: live, 4 co-branded pieces
Tier-end outcome Paid at break-even CPL, ABM 1-to-few live, AoC activation underway, 5–10 pilots in flight.
Months 15–21 · Convert

Convert & Compound Pilot-to-contract push, ABM 1-to-1, case studies fuel year 2.

~£9.5k/mo
  • LinkedIn Ads at £1,000–£1,400/mo. Mix: 35% Lead Gen Forms, 20% Sponsored Content, 10% Conversation Ads, 25% Video Ads, 10% Document Ads. ABM 1-to-1 audiences for the 10 strategic accounts. 10+ creatives/month.
  • Google Ads at £500–£700/mo. Full long-tail keyword coverage. YouTube retargeting only (no broad YouTube). Performance Max retargeting.
  • Retargeting + display + video at £450–£700/mo. Demandbase / RollWorks ABM display on top 50. LinkedIn video to cold lookalike audiences.
  • Email at scale: monthly "State of FE Compliance" report (gated — primary list-builder), 3× demo-attribution campaigns/month, 2× mini case studies from pilot cohort/month. Target: 1,500+ subscribers.
  • ABM 1-to-1 for the top 8 strategic accounts (Strategic ABM tier — ABV justifies £5k+/account).
  • AoC Annual Conference (Nov 2027 — Tier 2 — then prep for Nov 2028). 5+ named-case-study video packages produced. 4× webinars/year. 6 contributed articles + 1 flagship research report.
  • Build forward-looking named-account list refresh for Year 2 (20% new / 20% removed per quarter per SiriusDecisions cadence).

Tier-3 KPIs (end of M21)

  • Cumulative demos: 150–200
  • Active pilots: 30–40
  • Signed contracts: 15–20
  • Top-3 SERP: 5 keywords
  • LinkedIn followers: 2,000+
  • Articles published: 84+
  • Email subscribers: 1,500+
Tier-end outcome Phase-2 KPIs hit in 21 months; case-study library fuels Year-2 inbound compounding; Year-2 plan launched from a known baseline.
UK Benchmarks Anchored

Channel targets grounded in current UK B2B data.

Targets are set at the realistic end of the band, not the optimistic end — the plan needs to hold up in a tier-gate review.

Channel Metric Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 UK B2B benchmark
LinkedIn AdsCPC£5–£8£5–£9£5–£10£4–£10 (senior targeting)
LinkedIn AdsCPM£49–£70£55–£75£60–£89£20–£35 baseline; £49–£89 senior
LinkedIn AdsCPL≤ £150≤ £200≤ £180£60–£122 SaaS B2B UK
Google AdsCPC£2.50–£5.00£3.00–£6.00£3.00–£6.50Education £1.20–£4.80 UK
Google AdsCTR5–7%5–7%5–7%6.66% (WordStream 2025)
Google AdsCPL≤ £70≤ £80≤ £75£57 education avg ($71.52)
EmailOpen30–40%35%+35%30–40% UK B2B
EmailCTR3%+3%+5%2.5–4%; top quartile 6–10%
EmailROI£29/£1£29/£1£29–£34/£1UK B2B standard
RetargetingCPM£5–£10£8–£14£10–£18Display / LinkedIn Matched
Seasonal Calendar

The plan is timed to FE-sector seasonality.

Ofsted inspections, apprenticeship starts, AoC Annual Conference, and ESFA funding band updates all dictate when to push and when to nurture.

WindowSector eventMarketing implication
Sep–OctApprenticeship starts peak; ESFA returnsPush Lead gen on apprenticeship software terms
NovAoC Annual ConferencePush Tier 2 presence (Nov 2027); Tier 3 prep (Nov 2028)
Dec–JanSlow sales; year-end planningNurture Free trials; Q1 readiness messaging
Feb–MarOfsted inspection wave startsPush Tier-gate windows for readiness content
Apr–MayFunding band updates; new academic yearPush "What's new in 2027/28 funding" content
Jun–JulProvider results releasedPush Case-study publishing window
AugQuietNurture AEO content production; system refresh
Tier-Gate Review Points

Every 7 months, the plan re-allocates spend based on data, not vanity.

Three gates across 21 months. Each has a clear decision rule: hit the targets and proceed; miss them and the plan pauses for a creative / landing-page refresh.

GateDecision triggerAction
End of Tier 1 (M7)CPL ≤ £150, MQL→SQL ≥ 15%, ≥ 8 demos, ≥ 2 named customersPromote to Tier 2 plan as written
End of Tier 1 (M7)CPL > £200 OR MQL→SQL < 8% OR < 5 demosHold Tier 2; spend 4 weeks on creative + landing-page A/B; re-baseline
End of Tier 2 (M14)CPL ≤ £130, ≥ 35 demos cumulative, ≥ 5 active pilotsTier 3 as written
End of Tier 2 (M14)< 25 demos OR < 3 pilotsCut ABM 1-to-few; raise Google + email retargeting; rebuild case studies first
End of Tier 3 (M21)≥ 15 signed contracts"Hit Phase-2 KPIs in 21 months" — Year 2 plan launched
End of Tier 3 (M21)8–14 contractsYear 2 plan: repeat Tier 3 motions; refresh ICP
End of Tier 3 (M21)< 8 contractsFull strategy review with Shrewsbury + AIG leadership
Risk Register

Eight risks with explicit stop/go rules.

Risk
Trigger
Stop/go rule
Paid ads run before case-study proof
Tier 1 launched without ≥ 2 named-customer permissions
Delay LinkedIn scale-up; redirect spend to email + organic until permissions land
CPL blows out
CPL > £200 in Tier 1 for 4 consecutive weeks
Halt paid; refresh creative + landing pages; A/B test messaging
AoC activation delayed
AoC contract not signed by M7
Use budget originally earmarked for AoC to scale LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms + retargeting in Tier 2
Sales capacity shortfall
MQL volume exceeds SDR demo-booking capacity
Pause lead-gen campaigns; rebuild nurture; or hire a second SDR earlier (push Tier 2 ramp to M10)
OneFile competitive response
OneFile launches AI features during Tier 1
Shift messaging from "replacement" to "incremental AI capability"; refresh creative within 2 weeks
Ofsted framework shift
New framework guidance alters buying signals
Subscribe to Ofsted monthly updates; refresh SEO content quarterly
Funding band reform mid-cycle
Skills England announces major standard rebands
Refresh keyword strategy; gate Tier-3 long-tail keywords on funding-band updates
ESFA system change (post-MYMIDD)
ILR rules change
Refresh email sequences for ILR/ESFA compliance messaging
Sources

Every benchmark and number is anchored to a primary or industry source.

All sources are dated where relevant; current as of October 2026.