Right now, companies need to nail their LinkedIn ad content. The online business space is more competitive than ever. A 2023 SEMrush study and HubSpot insights share key findings. Using the right ad strategy gets more clicks and customer actions. Good LinkedIn ads work way better than sloppy or fake ones. Top-quality ad campaigns can get up to 30% better results. We have a buying guide put together by ad experts. It comes with a best price guarantee and free setup. You’ll learn the 5 best small ad tweaks to use right away. These changes will make your ads more valuable and get fast results.

LinkedIn ad creative best practices

Meta tested a new type of ad layout. They found people clicked on it 3% more often. People taking the action the ad wanted also rose 2%. These numbers show you should use the best ad design rules when running ads on LinkedIn.

Ad campaign setup

Create advertising campaign

When you put together a LinkedIn campaign, start by setting a clear goal. Knowing what you want to achieve makes your campaign work better. For example, say you want to get people to share their info with you. You’ll focus on ads that tell people exactly what to do next. Those ads will also ask people to fill out simple forms. Before you launch your campaign, check what your competitors do on LinkedIn. That gives you helpful info on what works and doesn’t for your industry. Common marketing tools recommend using what you learn from this research.

Ad quantity per campaign

How many ads you run for a campaign changes how well it works. A 2023 SEMrush study looked at what works best. Running 3 to 5 ads per campaign is usually most effective. That gives you variety without overwhelming people who see the ads. You can make several different versions of your ads. Each ad can have its own message, image, or action you want people to take. Then you can run an A/B test for all the variations. That test will show you which ad your audience responds to most.

Audience targeting

Audience size

It’s important to balance audience size and how far your content reaches. If your audience is too narrow, far fewer people will see what you share. If your audience is too broad, most people won’t interact with your posts. If you’re advertising high-end business consulting, for example, you’ll want to target top leaders in specific industries. LinkedIn has special targeting tools to help you pick your ideal audience. You can filter people by their job title, industry, and how big their company is.

Ad copy

When you write ads, keep them clear and catchy. They need to fit the specific group of people you want to reach. Pick words that grab your audience’s attention fast. Make sure those words address what they’re worried about. If your audience is small business owners struggling to manage cash flow, you can use this line in your ad: “Struggled to Manage Cash Flow? We can stabilize your financial situation.”

1. First, get to know the people you’re trying to talk to. Figure out what annoying, tricky problems they’re dealing with right now.
2. Start With a Strong Hook.
3. Keep It Short and Engaging.
4. Focus On Benefits.

Visuals

Great quality visuals can make ads way more effective. When you make sponsored content, use bold, fun stories. Add a hook to make people stop scrolling past. Image ads need catchy headlines and eye-catching visuals to pull viewers in. If you see a competitor is doing well, think about adding engaging videos to your ad strategy.

Testing and optimization

Use the analysis tools in Campaign Manager to track key stats. These stats include engagement, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Tweak your ads based on what the data tells you. If an ad has a low click-through rate, for example, you can change its headline or visual. Test different parts of your ads to find the best combination.

Budget and bidding

First, plan your campaign budget around your specific goals. You should also factor in how much money you expect to make back. Next, learn all the different bidding choices LinkedIn offers. Two common choices are CPC and CPM. CPC means you pay every time someone clicks your ad. CPM means you pay for every thousand times people see your ad.

Bidding Option	Advantage	Disadvantage
CPC	You only pay when someone clicks on your ad	Higher competition can drive up costs
CPM	You pay for every 1000 impressions	No guarantee of clicks or conversions

Retargeting

Retargeting lets you reach people who interacted with your brand before. For example, you can show targeted LinkedIn ads to someone who visited your site but didn’t take the action you wanted. This will boost how many people end up taking that action. It works because these users already know your brand well.

Other tips

• You can use simple online tools to find popular topics. Two of these tools are Google Trends and AnswerThePublic. They help you easily spot what people care about right now. You can then make ads to post on LinkedIn. These ads will connect whatever you’re offering to those popular trends.
• You can learn to write better ad copy with a few easy tips. Use helpful tools to make your ads work well. These tools include catchy headlines and correct grammar. You can also use simple, proven writing formulas. Pick a tone that fits who you’re writing the ad for. Make sure your writing is easy for anyone to read. Ask other people for feedback on your work too. Those are the main key takeaways to keep in mind.
• Before you get started, make sure you clearly state the main goal of your campaign.
• Targeting is a really powerful tool. It helps you reach the exact people you want to connect with.
• Write interesting, easy to enjoy content for the people you’re writing for. Make sure it talks about the common problems those people face every day.
• Try out lots of different elements first to see what works. Add in sharp, really good-quality visuals to go with them.
• Make a budget that matches what you can actually afford. Don’t set it so tight you can’t stick to it. Make sure you know all of your possible options too.
• Retargeting can help your ads get more of the results you want. Use our LinkedIn ad calculator to see how different parts affect how well your ads perform.

Video ad specs LinkedIn

A 2023 study from SEMrush shares useful facts about social media videos. Videos that follow the right quality rules perform much better. They have a 50% higher chance of getting engagement on sites like LinkedIn. That’s why it’s important to know the right video specs for your LinkedIn ads.

Length

Picking the right length for your LinkedIn video ad really matters. LinkedIn feeds are packed full of all kinds of posts. Shorter videos are way more likely to catch people’s attention. One software company made a 15-second video to show off a feature. That video got far more user interaction than their 60-second videos did. To get the best results on LinkedIn, keep your ad between 15 and 30 seconds long.

Layout

Your video should have a clear, easy to follow layout. Make sure your most important message stands out. A marketing agency made a video ad once. They put their call to action right in the middle of the screen. This made their click-through rates go up 15%. A simple, clean design that puts important visuals first is a great tip.

File size

Big video files load really slowly. If your ad loads too slow, people might just ignore it. Adobe Premiere Pro says keep your video files under 200MB. That will give viewers the best possible watching experience. Use regular video editing software to shrink your files. You can compress the videos without losing any quality.

Video file type

LinkedIn only accepts MP4 video files. This format works on tons of devices and has great quality. MP4 video ads run the same across all devices and browsers. Export your videos as MP4 so they work on the most platforms.

Video sound format

AAC and MPEG4 are the recommended formats for video audio. They give you really high-quality, clear sound. One media company tested this with an ad. Their AAC format ad was more memorable for people. That’s because the audio came through so clearly. You should test your audio in all kinds of different places too.

Recommended frame rate

The recommended frame rate for videos is 30 frames per second. This makes videos look smooth and really nice to watch. A fashion brand made a 30 fps video ad. It looked way more professional than a similar ad with a lower frame rate. People ended up thinking more highly of the brand because of it. If you’re making an ad, set your camera or video editor to 30 frames per second.

Custom Thumbnail

You don’t have to use custom thumbnails on LinkedIn, but they’re highly recommended. Well-made thumbnails make other users more likely to click and watch your video. One consulting company saw 30% more views after using a custom thumbnail with a headline. Your custom thumbnail should relate directly to what your video is about. It should also include a clear call to action for viewers.

Dimensions

Horizontal

LinkedIn’s horizontal videos are usually 16:9 in size. This format works great for almost all content types. A travel agency ran a 16:9 video ad on LinkedIn. It looked natural there and got more clicks. If you want your horizontal videos to look their best on LinkedIn, make them using this 16:9 ratio.

Vertical

Lots of LinkedIn users who mostly use the app on phones prefer vertical videos. These videos use a 9:16 size ratio that fits phone screens perfectly. A fitness brand ran vertical video ads aimed at mobile users. Those ads were more appealing to people scrolling on their phones. They also got more people to take the action the brand wanted. A quick helpful tip: make vertical videos for people using mobile devices. That’s the key takeaway to keep in mind.

• If you’re posting an ad on LinkedIn, there’s a perfect length to pick. These ads work best when they run for 15 to 30 seconds total.
• You can use MP4 videos for this. They just need to use one of two audio formats. Those formats are AAC and MPEG4.
• Set your frame rate to 30 frames per second.
• You can get way more people to watch your videos. All you have to do is use custom thumbnails. Thumbnails are the little preview pictures for each video. Using custom ones will make your view count go up a lot.
• If you’re making a horizontal video, use a 16 to 9 ratio. For vertical videos, go with a 9 to 16 ratio instead. Use our LinkedIn video ad calculator to check your videos, and make sure they perform as well as possible.

Carousel ad performance LinkedIn

A 2023 study from SEMrush looked at how LinkedIn posts perform. Carousel posts get way more engagement than other types there. They get 278% more engagement than video posts. They also get 303% more than posts that only have images. They even get 596% more than posts that are just plain text. It’s really clear that carousel ads work super well on LinkedIn.

Key metrics

Impressions

Impressions are a really important number for LinkedIn carousel ads. Impressions count how many times people see your ad. If 10,000 LinkedIn users see your carousel ad, you have 10,000 impressions. Campaigns to get people to know your brand need lots of impressions. For example, a company that sells to other businesses might use high-view ads to show their product to LinkedIn users. You can add hashtags to your ad to get more impressions. LinkedIn’s Campaign Manager says you should check your impression data regularly. Looking at this data helps you make sure your ad reaches the right people.

Engagement Rate

Engagement rate tracks how people interact with your carousel ad. It counts likes, comments, and shares on the ad. If your ad has high engagement, your target audience likes it a lot. A marketing agency’s carousel ad for its latest case studies that gets lots of comments and shares is an example of great engagement. LinkedIn ad data shows the average carousel ad engagement rate across all industries is 2 to 3 percent. You can raise your ad’s engagement by using eye-catching visuals and clear action prompts in each slide. Use our engagement calculator to compare your ad’s performance to the industry standard.

Click – Through Rate (CTR)

CTR is a really important stat for online ads. It’s the percentage of people who click an ad after seeing it. Meta tested new ad formats and found CTR rose 3%. A carousel ad with 1,000 views has a 3% CTR. The best ads use clear, interesting language that fits their target audience. Write short, convincing ad copy that tells people exactly what happens if they click. Use LinkedIn Analytics’ CTR data to see which action prompts or slides work best. Strong headlines, relevant images, and clear action prompts get the best results.

Factors influencing performance

Lots of things affect how well LinkedIn carousel ads perform. One major factor is how your audience acts. For example, younger workers on LinkedIn interact more with video-heavy carousels than top bosses do. How people engage with the ad format also matters. Where LinkedIn puts your ad changes its success too. Sidebar ads get more attention and interaction when placed in the newsfeed. LinkedIn ad tests show different targeting and ad mix choices change campaign results. You can use A/B testing to find what ad parts work best for your audience. These parts include the ad writing, images, and what you ask viewers to do. The Campaign Manager tool has analytics to track important numbers. These numbers include how often people click the ad, and how often they take your desired action. Here are the key takeaways.

• Carousel ads on LinkedIn get more engagement than other posts. People interact with these ads way more often. Their engagement rates are much higher than other kinds of posts.
• You can judge multi-slide carousel ads using a few key measures. One measure is impressions, or how many people saw the ad. Another is CTR, which is how often people clicked the ad after viewing it. The third key measure is engagement rates. That counts how often people interacted with the ad in any way.
• How well swipeable carousel ads work depends on two main things. One is the regular behavior of the people you want to see the ad. The other is how those people interact with your ads directly.
• It’s easy to make carousel ads work better for you. You can run A/B tests on different parts of the ad. You can also use ad performance data to improve them even more.

Ad copy formulas LinkedIn

Did you know some ads work way better than others? Good ads use clear, interesting language that fits the people they’re for. A 2023 study from SEMrush confirmed this idea. It found relevant ad writing can boost click rates by up to 30 percent. This section will teach you how to make the most effective LinkedIn ads.

Best practices for writing ad copy

Start with audience research

Before you write the words for an ad, you need to know your target audience. Think about what bugs them, their basic info, hobbies, and work backgrounds. If you’re targeting marketers on LinkedIn, for example, focus on getting new leads or growing your brand’s reach. Your ad will connect better if you speak directly to what your audience needs. You can use LinkedIn Analytics tools to learn about your current followers and possible future audiences. Look at their jobs, industries, and how they usually interact with posts. SEMrush says audience research is the foundation of any successful ad campaign.

Clarify ad campaign goals

The words in your ad should match your campaign’s goals. Your message needs to be totally easy to understand. This holds true no matter what your goal is. You might want more people to visit your page, more people to sign up for updates, or more folks to recognize your brand. If you want more people to sign up for things, add a “Sign Up Now” prompt to your ad. Writing down clear, specific goals for your campaign helps you stay focused. It also makes sure your ad’s message lines up with what you want to achieve. You’ll be able to stay on task and make sure your message matches your goals the whole time.

Understand each platform’s ad specifications

LinkedIn offers a few different kinds of ads. These include sponsored content, video ads, and image ads. Each ad type works a little differently. Sponsored content needs strong stories and a good hook. Image ads need eye-catching visuals and interesting, catchy headlines. Make sure you read LinkedIn’s advertising rules closely. All ad material has to follow these requirements, like word limits and image size rules. If you follow the rules, your ad will get approved and do well. HubSpot says learning the platform’s specific details will help your ads perform better.

General tips for ad copywriting

• Pick words that grab the attention of the people you want to reach. Use simple, everyday language when you share your ideas. Don’t use fancy insider terms that might confuse the people you’re talking to.
• Don’t just list all the things a product can do. Focus on its good benefits for users instead. If you’re selling a project management tool, explain how it helps people get more work done and saves them time.
• Add a call-to-action, or CTA for short. You can use phrases like “Learn more,” “Sign up,” or “Download Now.” A clear CTA will encourage users to move forward.
• Try making different versions of your written work first. Test two different versions against each other to see which does better. This kind of comparison is called an A/B test for your writing. You can try out all sorts of different headlines. You can also test different versions of your main body text too.
• Ask your coworkers for feedback, or use feedback tools. Fresh points of view help you find areas you can improve. Use our tool to compare your LinkedIn ads to average industry results. Those are the key takeaways.
• Want to connect well with your audience? Start by learning about that group first.
• The words you use in ads should fit the whole campaign’s goals. This makes sure your ad sends a clear, easy to understand message to anyone who sees it.
• To get the best ad results, follow LinkedIn’s ad rules. First, learn what the platform requires for its ad formats. Then make sure you stick to those rules closely.
• Writing good ad or announcement text is pretty straightforward. Stick to simple, clear language as you work. Always point out all the good perks people will get from what you’re writing about. Add a clear, direct ask for what you want readers to do next. Try out a few different versions of your text. Ask other people for feedback to make it even better.

A/B test LinkedIn creatives

Meta tested a new kind of ad recently. They found 3% more people clicked this ad than normal. The number of people who did what the ad asked also rose 2%. You can make your own LinkedIn ad campaigns work better too. One great way to do this is running A/B tests. You can get the most out of your LinkedIn campaign by comparing different ad versions against each other.

Utilizing key metrics

Click – Through Rate (CTR)

Click-through rate is an important measure for online ads. It’s the share of people who click an ad after seeing it. People often shorten the term to CTR. A good CTR means your ad fits your target audience well. Let’s say you run an ad for a software product. If its CTR is 5%, 5 out of every 100 people who saw it clicked. A 2023 SEMrush study found ads with clear, short calls to action get higher CTRs. You can take easy steps to raise your ad’s CTR. Use catchy, strong headlines to grab people’s attention. Your call to action should be easy to read. It should also stand out clearly for viewers to spot.

Conversion Rate (CVR)

This metric counts how many people do what you want after clicking your ad. Common actions include buying something, filling out a form, or signing up for a newsletter. This is a really important number to track. It directly ties to how well your ad campaign works for sales or new leads. The earlier mentioned Meta test results show how key a high conversion rate is. If you raise your conversion rate, you’ll get more value out of every dollar you spend on ads. There are a couple simple tips to boost this rate. First, make sure the page people land on after clicking matches your ad’s message. That page should also work smoothly on phones and all device sizes. This will help more people take the action you want, and fewer will leave the page right away.

Engagement Rate

Engagement rate counts the actions people take on your ad. These actions include likes, shares, and comments. A high engagement rate means your ad grabs people’s attention. It also gets people talking to each other. For example, carousel posts have really high engagement rates. They work better than video, image, or text posts. If you want to boost your engagement, make interactive content. That includes fun stuff like quizzes and polls. It will raise your engagement rate, and help you understand your audience better.

Balancing ad types and copy in a campaign

LinkedIn has several different ad types, like video and still image ads. Each one has its own special strengths. Carousel ads are perfect for A/B tests. They let you try different images, headlines, and action prompts in one ad. Video ads usually hold people’s attention a lot better. You should pick a balanced mix of ad types based on your campaign goals. Your ad writing needs to be clear, relatable, and interesting to the people you want to reach. Before you write any ad copy, learn how each LinkedIn ad type fits your campaign’s goals. For sponsored content, use fun, vivid stories and a catchy opening hook. Image ads need attention-grabbing headlines and bright, eye-catching visuals. Test different ad types and messages to see what performs best for your audience. You can also try different ad styles and lines to find what clicks most with your target group.

Influence of competitor strategies

Watching your competitors’ LinkedIn ad strategies helps you learn a lot. If a competitor uses engaging video ads, try adding them to your plan too. Notice what competitors do differently, like who they target, their ad text, or ad styles. Check their ads regularly to stay on top of the competition. Look for gaps their ads leave that your own ads can fill. Set up alerts to get notified when a competitor starts a new ad campaign. Then you can adjust your own strategy quickly to keep up. Use our LinkedIn Ad Performance Calculator to see how different ad combinations change your campaign stats. Key Takeaways.

• If you run ad campaigns on LinkedIn, you have to tweak them to work their best. You use a method called A/B testing to do this.
• You can easily tell how well an ad is performing. People use a few key measurements to do this. The main ones are CTR, CVR, and engagement rate.
• You should balance the words in your ads and different ad types. This balance will help you hit your ad campaign’s goals.
• You can learn great things from your competitors. Pay attention to the plans they use to do well. Those plans can teach you smart moves you can try yourself.

FAQ

How to create effective LinkedIn ad copy?

SEMrush says relevant ad copy can lift click rates by up to 30 percent. To write effective ad copy, first study your audience thoroughly. Find out what frustrates them and what they need most. Be clear about what you want your ad campaign to accomplish. Make sure all your ad messages line up with those goals. You also have to follow LinkedIn’s ad guidelines closely. Our Ad Copy Formulas LinkedIn Analysis has all the detailed information you need.

Steps for A/B testing LinkedIn creatives

First, pick key numbers to track for your ads. These include click-through rate, conversion rate, and engagement rate. Next, balance the different ad types and ad writing in your campaign. You should also keep an eye on what your competitors are doing. Top industry analytics tools say to check your strategy often. Make small changes whenever you need to. Our A/B Test LinkedIn Creatives section has more information if you need it.

What is the ideal length for a LinkedIn video ad?

A 2023 study from SEMrush shares a useful video finding. Videos of the right length keep more viewers engaged. LinkedIn video ads should be 15 to 30 seconds long. Shorter videos grab attention fast in a busy newsfeed. Our analysis of LinkedIn video ad specs has more details.

LinkedIn carousel ads vs video ads: Which performs better?

A 2023 SEMrush study looked at LinkedIn post trends. Carousel posts on LinkedIn are 278% more engaging than videos. Video ads still get really strong engagement too. Carousel ads are perfect for testing different elements. They let you share more content than video ads do. You can find more details in the Carousel Ad Performance LinkedIn section.