Paid media strategy 2026: Surviving rising CPCs and budget shifts in SaaS

Rising ad costs and tighter performance expectations are forcing SaaS marketers to rethink their paid media strategy in 2026. On this episode of Closing Time, Jonathan Bland, paid media strategist and co-founder of Omni Lab, breaks down the paid media trends shaping the year ahead—from rising CPCs and shifting Google Ads economics to what’s actually working on LinkedIn ads for SaaS. Covering seasonal pricing dynamics, creative formats like thought leader ads, and when it makes sense to rethink channel mix altogether, this conversation offers practical guidance to help digital marketing leaders plan for 2026 with confidence. Explore Unbounce's go-to-market solutions: https://unbounce.com/go-to-market-sol... Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw Connect with Jonathan Bland:   / jonathan-r-bland   Connect with Val Riley:   / valerie-riley-marketer   00:00 Introduction 00:42 Seasonal paid media trends 02:45 Rise of Google ad costs 05:14 Investing in high-intent ads 07:04 High-performing ad formats 09:20 Thought leadership LinkedIn ads 10:58 Competitor research 13:44 Strategy for challenger brands 16:52 Strategy for category leaders #paidmedia #paidmediastrategy2026 #googleads