Expert networks charge a lot to put you on a call with someone who has done the job you want to understand. For many studies you don't need them. The practitioners and decision makers you want to speak to are on LinkedIn, searchable by title and company, and plenty will take a 30-minute paid call if you ask clearly and respect their time.
Short answer: find people with the experience your research needs, connect with a note that says it's a paid research call, and once they accept, invite them in two lines with the topic, length and fee, saying plainly it isn't a sales call. If they're interested, ask one question to confirm their hands-on experience, then share your scheduling link. Updately's Paid expert interview template runs that whole flow.
Key Takeaways
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who is this for? | Customer discovery, product and market research, investment research, expert calls |
| What gets shared instead of a survey link? | Your scheduling link, so they pick a time |
| How is experience confirmed? | One question in chat, before the link |
| What if they don't have the experience? | They're thanked and asked if a colleague would fit better |
| What if they want a higher fee? | The chat comes to you |
Who this campaign is for
Paid interviews suit research where a form can't capture the answer:
- Founders doing customer discovery who need 15 conversations with heads of operations before writing code.
- Product teams testing a workflow or pricing with the people who'd buy it.
- Investors and analysts doing diligence on a market or a vendor category.
- Research agencies filling qualitative interviews for a B2B client.
It's built for a decision maker audience. For larger samples where a form works, use the Paid survey invite instead.
Find the right experts
Start with a Profile search: job title, industry, location and company size, or paste a LinkedIn or Sales Navigator search URL. Some useful variations:
- Former roles. For "people who ran procurement at a hospital", search for current titles and accept that some will have moved. The fit question catches them.
- Companies hiring for a role. Updately's LinkedIn jobs signal finds companies hiring a specific role and the decision makers there. Useful when you want people who are living the problem right now.
- People posting about the topic. Keyword alerts and Post engagement find people who've been writing or reacting to posts about the exact problem you're researching. They tend to have opinions.
Interview studies need far fewer people than surveys, so keep the list tight. A few dozen well-chosen people usually beats hundreds of loose matches.
The sequence, day by day
Days count from the first step. Messages after the invitation wait until it's accepted.
| Day | Step | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | View profile | A light first touch |
| 1 | Connection request with a note | "Hi {FirstName}, I'm speaking with a few people with your experience for a short paid research call. Would be good to connect." |
| 2 | AI message: interview invite | References one specific thing about their role or experience, then in two short lines: short paid research interviews on your topic, the length and fee exactly as you've written them, and would they be open to it. Says it's not a sales call. No link yet |
| 6 | AI follow-up: reminder | One line on why their experience matters for the research and the fee, then a yes/no question |
| 13 | AI follow-up: close the loop | No worries if the timing's wrong; asks if a colleague might be a better fit. No link |
There's no webhook step here, because the booking itself is the finish line. Your scheduling tool sends the calendar invite.
Why "not a sales call" is in the first message
Senior people get a steady stream of "quick chat?" messages that turn out to be pitches. Saying up front that this is paid research, and that nothing will be sold, is what separates your message from the rest. Only say it if it's true. If you might want to sell to them later, don't run that conversation from a research campaign.
Why the close asks for a colleague
When someone isn't the right person, they often know who is. Asking for a referral in the last message turns a no into a warm introduction, and an expert recommended by a peer is usually a good one.
What the agent does when they reply
- They're interested: it asks one question to confirm hands-on experience with your topic, for example "Have you been involved in choosing or running X in the last couple of years?"
- They have the experience: it shares your scheduling link with the length and fee.
- They don't have the experience: it thanks them, asks whether a colleague would be a better fit, and ends the chat.
- They ask for a higher fee or different terms: it hands the chat to you. Negotiating money is your call.
- Questions about payment, who's running the research or confidentiality: answered only from Knowledge; anything missing comes to you.
- "Done, when do I get paid?" after the call: goes to a person to confirm and pay.
- A problem with the link: a one-line apology and a hand-off.
- No: a one-line thank-you and the chat ends.
The scheduling link is shared once, after a yes. If you haven't set one on the campaign, the agent hands off when they agree instead of leaving them hanging. If someone shares an email or phone number, or asks to arrange it by email, the chat comes to you too.
Follow-ups for people who agreed but didn't book
Two follow-ups go out: the first 3 days after the conversation stalls, the second 6 days after that. The first checks the link worked and re-shares it with a reminder of the fee. The second is a no-pressure close, and mentions your deadline only if you've written one in Knowledge.
Setting the fee and the facts
Everything the agent says about the interview comes from Knowledge. An example:
Research: how hospital procurement teams evaluate scheduling software
Run by: Acme Health, product research. Not a sales call; nothing will be pitched.
Format: 30-minute video call, recorded only with permission
Fee: £100 (UK) or $125 (US), paid by bank transfer or voucher within 5 working days
Who we want: people who have chosen or run scheduling software at a hospital in the last 2 years
Booking: pick any slot on the scheduling link; reschedule from the confirmation email
Answers: used for internal research only, never quoted by name
A few notes on fees:
- Price the person's time, not the call. A senior decision maker's half hour costs more than a practitioner's.
- Offer a charity option. Some people can't accept payment, especially in the public sector or regulated industries. A donation in their name removes the problem.
- Write down what isn't negotiable. The agent won't negotiate. Anything outside your stated fee comes to you.
Common mistakes
- Pitching in the interview. It burns trust, and it breaks the promise in your first message.
- Asking too many fit questions in chat. One is enough. Save the depth for the call.
- Long, rigid scheduling. Offer slots across several days and time zones. A link with two times a week loses people.
- Paying late. Experts compare notes. Pay promptly and the next round of recruiting is easier.
- Ignoring referrals. When the close-the-loop message gets a colleague's name, follow up personally.
How to launch it in Updately
- Build the list with a Profile search, a Sales Navigator list or one of the signals above.
- Create a campaign, open the AI Agent tab, click Start from a template and pick Paid expert interview.
- Put your scheduling link on the campaign and fill in Knowledge with the topic, format, fee and who you want.
- Test in the simulator: someone with the experience, someone without, and someone asking for double the fee.
- Run Test Sequence on one real lead, then launch.
All four research templates are on the campaign templates page. For studies with strict criteria, see screener questions on LinkedIn, and for the wider picture, the LinkedIn survey campaigns guide. If you're targeting senior people, how to find decision makers at target accounts covers building that list.
FAQ
How much should I pay for an expert interview?
Enough to respect the person's time at their seniority. Say the amount, method and timing in the first message, and keep it consistent across everyone in the study.
Is LinkedIn a good alternative to an expert network?
For many B2B studies, yes, especially when you need practitioners rather than famous names. You do the recruiting and screening yourself, which the template automates, and you pay the expert directly.
Can I record the interviews?
Only with permission. Say in Knowledge that calls are recorded with consent so the agent can answer if asked, and ask again at the start of the call.
What if someone wants to talk by email instead?
The agent hands the chat to you as soon as someone shares an email address or asks to move off LinkedIn.
How many interviews can I book in a week?
LinkedIn caps each account at roughly 100 connection requests a week, and only some will accept and qualify. For a typical discovery study of 10 to 20 interviews, one account is usually enough over a couple of weeks.