The Insider’s Guide to LinkedIn Ads [With Examples]

Phonexa

18 minute read

“One out of every three professionals on the planet is on LinkedIn. “

– Jason Miller

LinkedIn is one of the ten most popular and successful social networks. Despite its more businesslike approach and narrower audience than some of the Meta networks, LinkedIn has no analogs and is in demand in Europe, Canada, Australia, and the USA.

But LinkedIn isn’t just for making connections and scouting job opportunities. Despite its unique focus, LinkedIn proves excellent for B2B promotion. It’s also a goldmine for advertising your business to a highly targeted audience. Moreover, the audience on LinkedIn isn’t just inclined to purchase — many are prepared to invest.

So, how can you leverage the power of LinkedIn ads to propel your business to new heights?  How effective are LinkedIn ads? Let’s explore the LinkedIn ad library where B2B opportunities exceed expectations.

Source: GIPHY

Why Choose LinkedIn? Explore the Fundamentals

LinkedIn is different from other social networks. Many think it’s just for job seekers and recruiters, but we see it as a prime platform for B2B marketing. Why?

Users share detailed profiles, making it easy to find the right professionals. Plus, its targeting LinkedIn ad options are top-notch.

➥   LinkedIn, established in 2004, reigns as the globe’s premier professional social platform, boasting nearly 800 million members spanning 200 nations. Among its top user bases are the United States, Brazil, India, and Great Britain.

Source: LinkedIn

   ➥ Every sixty seconds, LinkedIn welcomes six new hires into its fold.

   ➥ Businesses that advertise on LinkedIn can reach 12% of the world’s population of working-age people.

   ➥ LinkedIn’s ad engagement rates are reportedly 50% higher than other social media.

   ➥ Over 46% of social media traffic to corporate websites comes from LinkedIn.

One of the biggest advantages of LinkedIn marketing ads is its robust targeting options. With LinkedIn, you can hone in on your ideal audience based on specific criteria. It offers over 20 distinct attributes, for instance:

• Company name
• Team size
• Group affiliations
• User interests
• Educational background
• Job title
• Tenure
• Expertise

This precision targeting ensures that your ads are seen by people who matter most to your business.

Understanding the Influence of LinkedIn Ads

Here’s the most recent statistics for the popular platform:

What advantages does LinkedIn advertising offer? We’ll let numbers do all the talking:

   ➥ Extensive reach, encompassing over 13% of the global population (Hootsuite)

   ➥ 4 out of 5 LinkedIn users wield decision-making influence (as reported by LinkedIn)

   ➥ The average advertising return on investment stands at 17.60%, surpassing that of Google Ads (impressive, isn’t it?)

Leveraging LinkedIn.com ads targeting capabilities enables the execution of successful campaigns, garnering increased visibility and conversion rates.

Advertising on LinkedIn is ideal for companies that:

• Target a niche audience
• Have a high Lifetime Value (LTV) of $10,000 – $15,000 or higher, especially in American and Western European markets
• Cater to entrepreneurs, managers, or senior professionals

Keep in mind that most LinkedIn users aren’t ready to make immediate purchases. They may not be actively seeking your product but could develop interest through informative content. Therefore, deals must yield significant returns to justify advertising expenses and ensure profitability.

LinkedIn advertising options may not be the best fit for e-commerce ventures or businesses targeting the younger generation finding their footing. Despite this, it’s a potent lead generation tool. While it primarily caters to B2B ventures, affiliate marketers can tap into its potential occasionally, making it a niche yet effective avenue for lead acquisition.

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Discovering LinkedIn Ad Types

LinkedIn ads work behind the scenes to help businesses meet their goals. Here’s a quick rundown of the main LinkedIn campaign objectives you can seek when using the popular platform:

Remember to choose the right LinkedIn ads format for your goals. For instance, video tags wouldn’t make sense for sponsored notifications. For more guidance, we’ll discuss the features of each ad format in detail.

There are various LinkedIn ad formats for advertisers to choose from.

The key to effective offers lies in providing genuine value to your audience through free content. Here are LinkedIn ad examples that tend to perform well:

• Articles
• Videos
• Infographics
• Tutorials and guides
• Reports
• Reviews
• Checklists
• Webinars
• Survey results
• eBooks
• Whitepapers

Let’s dive deeper into the basic categories of LinkedIn advertising services.

Refine Your Message With LinkedIn Ads

Imagine having the ability to send personalized messages directly to your target audience’s LinkedIn inbox. That’s precisely what Sponsored InMail allows you to do. Whether you’re promoting a webinar, offering a special discount, or inviting prospects to connect, Sponsored InMail enables you to deliver tailored messages that resonate with your audience.

What does a LinkedIn ad look like? Here’s an example:

Message LinkedIn ads are sent directly to users’ inboxes, so they’re common among sales development reps or recruiters. With such ads, you can initiate conversations with talent and prospects without them actively seeking out the message.

By employing advertising messages on LinkedIn, businesses can:

• Directly engage with prospective clients through messaging to prompt action
• Evoke favorable emotional responses from interacting with the company, better than conventional direct mail
• Assess the behaviors and engagement of various segments within the target audience to refine attributes

Leverage Personalization With LinkedIn Spotlight Ads

LinkedIn dynamic ads leverage the wealth of member data to deliver highly personalized experiences. For those aiming to advertise job openings, present pertinent content, or stimulate event registrations, dynamic ads offer a seamless pathway to achieving objectives.

These personalized ads leverage users’ profile data, including their name, LinkedIn profile photo, and job function, to grab attention. By featuring this personalized information, they stand out in the newsfeed and are more eye-catching compared to generic ads.

However, there’s a caveat: Dynamic ads use LinkedIn profile details like photos, company names, and job titles, which users can restrict access to.

Advertisers can choose from three formats:

1. Follower ads: Propel your LinkedIn page or website forward.
2. Spotlight ads: Direct traffic to your resources or prompt actions such as event registrations or sign-ups for product demos.
3. Job postings: Amplify the pool of candidates for your available positions.

Understand Click-Through Capabilities With Carousel LinkedIn Ads

LinkedIn carousel ads look a lot like Sponsored Content featuring a series of swipeable cards, showcasing multiple offers or products for your audience to explore. They appear naturally in the news feed, your LinkedIn page, and followers’ news feeds, including mobile platforms.

With each card featuring a headline and intro text, carousel LinkedIn ads have 3 benefits over other ad formats:

1. Better storytelling: Personalize your ad by telling a story with each card, underlining your brand’s personality, and fostering a connection with the audience.
2. Promoting more content: Unlike other ad formats limited to one ad creative, carousel ads can promote up to 10 images or cards, each with its call-to-action (CTA) and link to a unique landing page.
3. Higher click-through rates (CTRs): Carousel ads have shown higher engagement and click-through rates compared to standard Sponsored Content campaigns, with over 75% of advertisers reporting increased engagement. This is because these LinkedIn ads contain more content, providing multiple opportunities to entice users to click.

Captivating the Audience With Single-Image LinkedIn Ads

Imagine scrolling through your LinkedIn feed, and suddenly, you come across an ad that looks just like any other post — except it’s promoting a product, service, or event. That’s a LinkedIn single-image ad in action.

These ads are like chameleons; they blend in with the rest of your feed, so you might not even realize you’re looking at an ad at first glance. That’s part of their charm. Since they’re so seamlessly integrated, they grab people’s attention without feeling intrusive.

Single-image LinkedIn banner ads are also one of the most cost-effective options out there. The cost per click (CPC) is often lower compared to other ad formats. So, if you’re looking to make a splash with your advertising campaign on LinkedIn, starting with single-image ads is a no-brainer.

Unleash Engagement With LinkedIn Video Ads

Let your brand’s story unfold naturally with LinkedIn video ads, reaching a vast audience effortlessly. Use them to establish thought leadership, introduce new products, share customer experiences, and more.

Here’s a video LinkedIn ad template, featuring a talk show for marketers:

Despite their visual appeal and ability to disrupt the traditional feed, video ads typically garner lower click-through rates (CTRs) of around 0.44%, contrasting with the higher CTR of 0.56% for sponsored content.

Discover Concise and Impactful LinkedIn Text Ads

Text ads are the perfect choice for businesses looking for a cost-effective way to reach their target audience. These simple, text-only ads appear in the right column of the LinkedIn feed or on the top banner of the page. While they may be small in size, text ads pack a punch with their concise messaging and clear call-to-action.

These ads effectively draw in leads from professional demographics. Since 58% of marketers view text format as the most user-friendly, these opportunities should be noticed. Plus, the budget can accommodate businesses of any size.

Utilizing text LinkedIn ads allows you to:

   ➥ Swiftly create and launch ads within minutes

   ➥ Tailor communication with your audience

   ➥ Optimize your budget by paying only for ads that yield results

Ensure Engagement With Conversation LinkedIn Ads

Essentially chatbots within LinkedIn, these message ads offer a set of possibilities similar to popular live chat widgets. They provide functionality to create detailed conversation flows, with copy tailored to your target audience, allowing for informative interactions.

In contrast to message ads, LinkedIn conversational ads enable marketers to interact directly with their audience via messaging, featuring numerous CTAs within LinkedIn messaging for enhanced engagement.

Maximize Event Attendance With LinkedIn Ads

They are like virtual invitations to your LinkedIn live or in-person events. They’re similar to single-image LinkedIn ads but with a twist. Instead of just showing off a cool picture or graphic, they come with a special call-to-action like booking meetings, enhancing traffic quality, etc.

When people see your LinkedIn ad and click on it, they’re not taken to some far-off website. No, they’re led right to a registration form, all within LinkedIn. Talk about convenience, right?

LinkedIn Sponsored Ads Explained

LinkedIn users often encounter sponsored posts popping up when scrolling their feeds on smartphones or tablets. They blend right in with the regular content, so your followers might not even notice their ads at first glance.

But here’s the thing: those sneaky LinkedIn-sponsored posts have pretty impressive click-through rates (CTR). For every 100 people who see a sponsored image ad, about 0.56% of them click on it. And for videos, it’s not far behind at 0.44%. That might not sound like much, but in the world of online advertising, those numbers are golden.

Sponsored content can be in the form of single-image LinkedIn ads, carousel ads, or video ads to showcase a brand in the most visually engaging way. Along with compelling copy, sponsored content can stop scrollers in their tracks and drive meaningful engagement.

Sponsored content enables businesses to:

   ➥ Pinpoint the most pertinent audience utilizing precise user profile information

   ➥ Engage an intrigued audience through native advertising within a professional network

   ➥ Allure potential clients, establish a recognizable brand, and foster a community

Now that we’ve explored the types of LinkedIn ads, learn how to define your audience and create effective LinkedIn marketing campaigns.

3 Steps to Successful LinkedIn Ads Management

Wondering about how to run LinkedIn ads? When crafting a compelling text ad on LinkedIn, the process begins with setting up your account. This step is crucial, as it lays the foundation for your entire advertising campaign. Take a moment to enter a name for your account, select your preferred currency, and if applicable, link to your company or brand page. This adds credibility to your ad.

Once your account is set up, it’s time to name your ad and select the language. Choosing a descriptive and memorable name for your ad campaign will not only help you stay organized but also make it easier to track its performance.

Once you hit the “Create an Advertisement” button on the LinkedIn website, you’ll land on the “Select an Advertising Product” page. There, you’ll find many ad options.

Defining Your Target Audience

Users on LinkedIn are typically:

• Leaders, influencers, decision-makers, and managers
• Well-educated, affluent, and ambitious individuals
• Engaged in educational pursuits and personal growth
• Predominantly aged between 25 and 34 years old
• With an average annual income exceeding $75,000

LinkedIn ads offer a plethora of targeting options, similar to other platforms yet featuring a unique spin. You’ll find an extensive array of audience segments, including:

You can also add or exclude parameters as needed. Keep an eye on your audience size — if it’s fewer than 1000, you’ll need to expand it before launching your LinkedIn ad campaign.

By leveraging LinkedIn ad targeting options effectively, you can enhance your advertising efforts and reach the right audience efficiently. And don’t worry — you can create audiences at any time, not just during ad creation. This makes LinkedIn ads highly effective, especially for B2B marketing.

LinkedIn offers robust targeting options for effective advertising:

1. Job-related targeting: Use positions, job levels, skills, groups, company details, education, and location for precise targeting. Exclude marketing and sales positions to avoid irrelevant audiences.
2. Company targeting: Reach specific companies, their connections, followers, or industry sectors. Tailor ads on LinkedIn based on company size.
3. Skills & seniority: Combine skills with work experience for better precision. Monitor demographics to ensure accuracy.
4. Group targeting: Join relevant groups or target users based on group memberships.

Analyzing ideal clients and their common traits, like group memberships and interests is crucial. Aim for an audience size of 20,000 to 80,000 for optimal results. Additionally, disable LinkedIn’s audience expansion feature, as it may not yield the desired results.

How To Create a LinkedIn Advertisement Online

Crafting a LinkedIn ad involves several key steps and considerations:

1. Start creating your ad: Begin by clicking the “Create a new ad” button in your LinkedIn campaign interface.
2. Content format: Choose appropriate text and images for your ad, ensuring they meet LinkedIn’s technical requirements: square or rectangular images (100*100 / 1080*1080px or 1200*600px), in .jpg or .png format, under 2 MB. LinkedIn ad headline should not exceed 25 characters, and LinkedIn ad introductory text can contain up to 75 characters. Ensure your destination URL is current.
3. LinkedIn ad management: Once your ad content is set, return to the Campaign Manager screen. You can create additional ads with different text, images, or URLs. LinkedIn’s advertising algorithms offer options for displaying and rotating ads if you’ve created multiple variations.
4. LinkedIn CTA options: An effective CTA is essential for a high click-through rate (CTR). Make it direct and compelling, such as “Download the eBook now” or “Order free samples”.
5. Value proposition: Highlight special value in your ad text to entice clicks. Even a small offer like “20% off” or “Sale ends today” can create urgency and drive action.
6. Testing: Experiment with different formats, texts, images, and CTAs for various audiences. Each campaign allows for multiple ad variations, enabling you to find the most effective format for your target customers.

Remember, LinkedIn reviews each ad before it runs, so anticipate a delay before your ad becomes active. By following these steps and considerations, you can create compelling LinkedIn ads that drive engagement and conversions.

Budgeting LinkedIn Campaigns

To get your LinkedIn ad campaign rolling smoothly, here’s what you need to do:

1. Budget: Setting a daily budget can help test customer interaction and message clarity. Analyze results to ensure your investment aligns with the audience’s needs.
2. Display schedule: Decide on start and end dates for your LinkedIn ad campaign or keep it running continuously.
3. Rate type: Choose from automatic bidding, maximum CPC, or max bid with CPM based on your goals. Choose between CPC and CPM based on what you need — maximizing clicks or increasing site visits.

For your first LinkedIn advertising attempts, start with test campaigns to find the right budget, typically ranging from $300 to $1000. Aim for a testing duration of at least one week. For ongoing advertising on LinkedIn, consider a monthly budget starting from $3,000, especially when targeting the U.S. market.

Conversion Tracking Made Simple

To finish setting up your LinkedIn ad campaign, set up conversion tracking. Here’s how:

1. Install the Insight Tag and conversion tracking code on your website.
2. Click “Create New Conversion,” name your conversion, and choose a trigger. If your trigger isn’t listed, select “Others.”

Enter the estimated cost per conversion, choose attribution settings, and select the Insight Tag tracking method.

LinkedIn Advertising Best Practices

While LinkedIn ads hold tremendous potential for your business, it’s crucial to recognize that success isn’t instantaneous. Just like cultivating any relationship or mastering a skill, it takes time, effort, and strategy to yield fruitful results.

Creating an ad that stands out amidst the LinkedIn feed can be challenging, but fear not! We’ve rounded up some handy LinkedIn ads tips to help any business thrive.

1. Know your audience inside out. As your business evolves, so do your customers. It’s crucial to keep tabs on their changing values and needs. By understanding your target audience, you can offer them exactly what they’re looking for and when they’re most likely to convert.
2. Segment customers. Personalization is key to effective LinkedIn ads. Segment your customers into groups to target their specific needs, as well as boost engagement and conversion rates.
3. Learn from social media ads and competitors. Gaining inspiration from existing ads and competitors’ strategies can spark fresh ideas and save time. Analyze what works and what doesn’t to refine your LinkedIn advertising approach.
4. Share relevant content. LinkedIn ads should be created to precisely meet the needs and goals of the target audience. Focus on delivering relevant and valuable content.
5. Grab attention with visuals and language. Make sure every aspect of your LinkedIn ad aligns with your brand’s visual identity. Use compelling graphics and language to entice viewers to take action.
6. A/B test your ads. It is worth experimenting with different ad elements and formats to see what resonates best with your audience. Test one variable at a time to pinpoint what drives success.
7. Use LinkedIn lead gen forms. Offer valuable resources in exchange for information using Lead Gen Forms. Simplify the process by pre-filling LinkedIn profile data for participants.
8. Track your budget. LinkedIn’s auction-based pricing model guarantees payment solely upon achieving specific marketing objectives. It’s advisable to monitor your budget closely for optimal spending.
9. Monitor CTR. Identify underperforming LinkedIn ad campaigns and allocate resources to successful ones. Maximizing your investment in the best LinkedIn campaigns is key to achieving your goals.
10. Analyze campaign success. LinkedIn’s Campaign Manager dashboard provides comprehensive analytics to track the performance of your ads. Measure clicks, costs, and CTR to fine-tune your LinkedIn ad strategy and strike gold.

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Charting the Course: Navigating Success With LinkedIn Ads

LinkedIn isn’t just for networking, it’s a game-changer for businesses and advertisers. The popular platform remains a powerful hub for targeted ads, connecting you with decision-makers and influencers.

By leveraging LinkedIn’s unique advertising opportunities, businesses can forge valuable connections, establish authority, and reach their digital potential. The effectiveness of LinkedIn lead generation ads makes it a prime platform for B2B promotion.

So, whether you’re a seasoned marketer or a budding entrepreneur, it’s time to seize the reins and ride the wave of marketing success with LinkedIn ads by your side.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is one advantage of advertising on LinkedIn?

One key benefit of LinkedIn ads is its professional and business-oriented audience. It’s a platform where users are actively engaged in career development, networking, and business-related activities, making it ideal for B2B advertising.

How many days does LinkedIn recommend you wait before making improvements to a campaign?

LinkedIn recommends waiting at least 7 days before making improvements to a campaign to allow for sufficient data collection and analysis to make informed decisions.

How much should I spend on LinkedIn ads?

The amount you should spend on LinkedIn advertising depends on various factors such as:

• Advertising goals
• Target audience
• Industry
• Ad format
• Bidding strategy
• Competition

How much does a LinkedIn ad cost? There are different LinkedIn advertising costs. Generally, LinkedIn paid ads operate on a cost-per-click (CPC) or cost-per-impression (CPM) basis and the price can range from a few dollars to several hundred dollars per click or impression.