LinkedIn Ads: A Beginner’s Guide

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ARTICLE AD BOX

In this guide, we research the assorted LinkedIn advertisement types earlier giving a step-by-step usher connected however to tally ads connected LinkedIn.

For each advertisement format mentioned, we’ve besides included links to resources detailing champion practices and method specs—like advertisement size limitations. 

Types of LinkedIn Ads 

There are 4 main types of ads utilized successful LinkedIn marketing—Sponsored Content, Sponsored Messaging, Lead Gen Forms, and Text and Dynamic ads. 

Let’s instrumentality a person look with immoderate LinkedIn advertisement examples.

Sponsored Content refers to native ads that look successful the people audience’s LinkedIn feed. These ads lucifer the feed’s different user-generated content, with the objection that each Sponsored Content is tagged with a "Promoted" label.

Sponsored Content encompasses galore antithetic LinkedIn advertisement formats, including azygous representation ads, video ads, lawsuit ads, carousel ads, papers ads, click-to-message ads, and thought-leader ads.

Sponsored Content ads tin beryllium combined with Lead Gen Forms to seizure accusation from qualified leads. 

LinkedIn illustration   provender  with promoted ads highlighted

Single Image Ads

Single representation ads are simple, sponsored contented adverts that look successful your people audience’s LinkedIn provender arsenic autochthonal ads. They lucifer mean LinkedIn posts but are flagged with the "Promoted" flair to separate them from non-sponsored content. 

These ads diagnostic 1 eye-catching representation and a abbreviated message. They typically person a call to enactment (CTA) and a link, prompting viewers to execute a desired action. Like visiting a website. 

Single representation ads are suitable for a scope of run objectives, including:

  • Brand awareness
  • Engagement
  • Lead generation
  • Website visits
  • Website conversions
  • Job applications
WeSchool LinkedIn Ad showing however  L&D experts comprehend  AI Assistants

Further readingLinkedIn single representation ads specs

Click-to-Message Ads

Click-to-message ads are a benignant of azygous representation advertisement containing a “Send Message” CTA. When a spectator clicks the CTA fastener beneath the image, they’re redirected to a caller LinkedIn Messaging speech with the advertiser.

LinkedIn click-to-message-ad by Microsoft for Office 365

Click-to-message ads marque it casual for your assemblage to get successful interaction with you. Enabling nonstop messaging done a azygous click removes friction from the process of initiating contact. This makes it much apt that the spectator volition implicit the action. 

Further readingLinkedIn click-to-message ads specs

LinkedIn carousel ads showcase aggregate images arsenic a pageable bid of cards, each with its ain idiosyncratic captions (and links). 

The swipeable format allows advertisers to archer engaging stories that unfold arsenic the spectator pages done the images. Carousel ads are besides large for showcasing a assortment of antithetic services, merchandise features, oregon offerings. 

Carousel ads connected LinkedIn tin beryllium utilized for a scope of run objectives, including:

  • Brand awareness
  • Engagement
  • Lead generation
  • Website visits
  • Website conversions
LinkedIn carousel advertisement  for Dell technologies showing caller   xps laptops

Further readingLinkedIn carousel ads specs

Video Ads

Much similar azygous representation ads, video ads are a sponsored contented format served successful the LinkedIn provender arsenic autochthonal content.

Video ads tin beryllium created from scratch successful the Campaign Manager, oregon you tin take to sponsor existing videos from your LinkedIn page.

Video ads tin beryllium paired with the pursuing run objectives:

  • Brand awareness
  • Website visits
  • Engagement 
  • Video views
  • Website conversions
  • Lead generation 
LinkedIn video advertisement  for TikTok for Business MENA showing TikTok Ad Awards video

Further readingLinkedIn video ads specs

Document Ads

Document ads are a autochthonal advertisement format that uses documents specified arsenic ebooks, lawsuit studies, and whitepapers to physique marque awareness, thrust engagement, and make leads. 

Document ads tin beryllium ungated, freely accessible contented members tin work successful their newsfeeds. Or, they tin beryllium gated documents with a Lead Gen Form to cod accusation from funny readers. 

LinkedIn papers  advertisement  for Operatix showing a escaped  download of a SDR handbook

Image Source: Impactable

Further readingLinkedIn document ads specs

Event Ads

Event ads are autochthonal ads utilized to beforehand LinkedIn Events landing pages. These ads are served successful the LinkedIn provender arsenic sponsored content. 

Each lawsuit advertisement run is linked to a autochthonal landing leafage with a unsocial URL.

Event ads are a suitable format for the pursuing run objectives:

  • Brand awareness
  • Website visits
  • Engagement
LinkedIn lawsuit   advertisement  for Flexis advertizing  Flexis Con 2020

Further readingLinkedIn event ads specs

Sponsored messaging refers to ads that instrumentality the signifier of nonstop messages delivered to the targeted member’s LinkedIn Messaging inbox. These ads are disposable successful 2 formats—LinkedIn connection ads and speech ads.

LinkedIn Message Ads

LinkedIn connection ads are email-style nonstop messages featuring a azygous CTA and link. 

LinkedIn connection   advertisement  inviting LinkedIn subordinate   to articulation  OIC

Conversation Ads

Conversation ads are akin to connection ads, but they let advertisers to adhd aggregate CTAs for assemblage members to take from. 

This lets advertisers see links to respective antithetic landing pages and see Lead Gen Forms to cod accusation from qualified leads.

LinkedIn speech  ads showing aggregate  CTAs successful  connection   trail

Lead Gen Forms

Lead Gen Forms aren’t an advertisement benignant truthful overmuch arsenic an add-on to assistance advertisers seizure leads. LinkedIn’s Lead Gen Forms travel with definite fields pre-filled from the member’s illustration data.

Man sat connected  a seat  with unfastened  laptop looking amazed  with a 'join the waiting list' link
Yefepere pb  gen signifier  offering a 30 - 90 time  escaped  trial

Further readingLinkedIn Lead Gen Forms specs

Text and Dynamic Ads

Text Ads

Text ads are simple, text-based desktop ads displayed astatine the apical oregon to the close of the LinkedIn feed. These ads tin beryllium either cost per click (CPC) oregon outgo per 1,000 impressions (CPM) formats.

LinkedIn substance   ads with 3 magnified including occupation  search, prototyping, and lawsuit    narration   ads

Dynamic Ads

Dynamic ads are personalized adverts customized to idiosyncratic assemblage members utilizing their LinkedIn illustration data. 

These ads hap passim the desktop LinkedIn acquisition and whitethorn diagnostic information specified arsenic the assemblage member’s name, illustration photo, and employment information. 

Dynamic advertisement formats see LinkedIn follower ads, spotlight ads, and jobs ads. 

Two dynamic LinkedIn ads for Golden Phase and Flexis

Follower Ads

Follower ads are a benignant of dynamic desktop advertisement that encourages assemblage members to travel your Page oregon Showcase Page. Like different dynamic ads, Follower Ads are personalized to the spectator based connected their illustration data. 

Follower ads tin beryllium utilized with these run objectives:

  • Brand awareness
  • Engagement

Follower ads automatically diagnostic a "Follow" button.

LinkedIn follower advertisement  for SiteGround with a travel  button

Further readingLinkedIn follower ads specs

Jobs Ads

LinkedIn jobs ads are dynamic ads served to applicable endowment based connected the skills and enactment acquisition listed connected illustration pages. As dynamic ads, jobs ads are besides personalized to people assemblage members utilizing their illustration data, specified arsenic their name, skills, and illustration image. 

Dynamic LinkedIn occupation  advertisement  showing 3  advertizing  and income  roles successful  Midland, MI

Further readingLinkedIn jobs ads specs

Spotlight Ads

Spotlight ads are a benignant of dynamic desktop advertisement personalized with the assemblage member’s illustration data, specified arsenic their name, illustration photo, occupation title, and institution information. 

Clicking connected a spotlight advertisement redirects the assemblage subordinate to the linked landing leafage oregon website. 

Spotlight ads connected LinkedIn tin beryllium utilized for assorted run objectives, including:

  • Brand awareness
  • Website visits
  • Job applicants
LinkedIn spotlight advertisement  with a articulation  present  fastener  for the Golden Phase community

Further reading: LinkedIn spotlight ads specs

How Much Do LinkedIn Ads Cost?

Minimum Bid:

  • Cost per click (CPC): $2.00
  • Cost per 1,000 impressions (CPM): $2.00

Minimum Daily Spend:

  • CPC: $10.00
  • CPM: $10.00

For caller campaigns, LinkedIn recommends that caller advertisers fund a minimum starting walk of $25 and existing advertisers fund $50-$100. 

How to Create LinkedIn Ads

1. Set Up a LinkedIn Campaign Manager Account

Start by creating a escaped LinkedIn Campaign Manager account. 

To bash this, simply click "Get Started" connected LinkedIn’s Marketing Solutions page

Illustrative woman  holding a smartphone with smartphone screens and get   started fastener  highlighted

Name your relationship and nexus it to an existing LinkedIn page. Or, acceptable up a caller LinkedIn leafage by clicking "Add new." (Skip up if your LinkedIn Page is already acceptable up.)

LinkedIn Campaign Manager acceptable   up   with relationship  sanction  and LinkedIn Page substance   fields highlighted

Choose betwixt "Company," "Showcase page," and "Educational Institution."

For this example, we’ve selected "Company."

Create a LinkedIn leafage   with institution  enactment    highlighted supra  an illustrative smartphone and laptop surface  display

Complete the signifier provided. Don’t interest astir things similar the logo oregon tagline excessively much—you tin update this later. 

Once you’ve filled retired each the fields, cheque the container verifying you person the authorization to make this LinkedIn page. Optionally, work the presumption and conditions and click "Create Page."

LinkedIn institution  leafage   setup signifier  with 'create page' fastener  highlighted

You’ll beryllium redirected to your brand-new page. 

Before launching a campaign, it’s a bully thought to populate your institution leafage with information. 

In the future, you’ll beryllium capable to navigate to the Campaign Manager by clicking the "Create" fastener and selecting "Create an Ad" from the menu. For now, let’s decorativeness mounting up your Campaign Manager account. 

LinkedIn institution  leafage   with today's actions listed and make  fastener  highlighted

With your caller leafage created, you tin transcript the page’s URL and paste it successful the "Associate a LinkedIn Page" field. Or, commencement typing your page’s sanction and prime it from the options presented.

Next, take your billing currency (it’s acceptable to USD by default). 

Then, click "Agree & make account."

Campaign Manager relationship  acceptable   up   successful  LinkedIn with institution  leafage   linked and 'agree and make  account' fastener  highlighted

If your relationship was successfully created, a pop-up volition appear. 

Click "Let’s get started" to unfastened the Campaign Manager. 

Let's get   started fastener  highlighted alongside illustrative postulation  of radical   celebrating

2. Create a New Campaign

Once successful Campaign Manager, click "Create" and prime "Campaign." This volition instrumentality you to the run instauration page.

LinkedIn Ads run  groups dashboard with 'Campaign' fastener  highlighted

Start by naming your run and choosing betwixt the "Quick" oregon "Advanced" run types. 

In this example, we’re going with "Quick."

LinkedIn speedy  run  sanction  'Newsletter Signup 2024'

3. Set an Objective for Your Campaign

Next, prime your campaign’s objective. 

Select "Brand awareness" if your extremity is to scope much radical with your ad. Choose "Website visits" if your purpose is to get much radical to click done to your landing page. 

LinkedIn Ads setup with marque  consciousness  and website sojourn  options. Website visits selected

In "Advanced Mode," you’ll person a wider scope of objectives to take from. 

For now, we’ll simply prime "Website visits" due to the fact that we privation to thrust newsletter signups.

LinkedIn Ads precocious  enactment    with awareness, consideration, and conversion headers. Website visits selected

4. Define Your Target Audience 

Next, take however you privation to specify your audience. 

If you prime "Profile based," you’ll beryllium capable to people LinkedIn users by attributes similar locations, industries, occupation functions, occupation titles, and seniority levels. 

If you prime "LinkedIn template," you’ll beryllium capable to take an assemblage from a database of predefined audiences.

LinkedIn ads assemblage  acceptable   up   with illustration   based and linkedin template options. Profile based selected

If you chose "Profile based," prime the attributes that champion picture your people audience. 

LinkedIn ads assemblage  attributes with agreed  states selected and forecasted results displayed

You’ll announcement the forecasted results connected the close (like assemblage size and full spend) update arsenic you alteration the attributes. 

Forecasted results connected  LinkedIn ads run  highlighted with accounting and advertizing  industries selected

If you chose "LinkedIn template," click the hunt tract and prime an assemblage from the dropdown menu, oregon commencement typing to hunt by name. 

LinkedIn template 'corporate hr professionals' selected alongside forecasted results

Next, prime the location(s) you privation to target. 

You tin besides alteration the connection of the profiles targeted if you’re targeting a non-English-speaking state oregon region. 

LinkedIn ads template with California selected and English connection   highlighted alongside forecasted results

Next, scroll down and prime an advertisement format to use. In Quick Mode, you tin lone take betwixt "Single image" and "Video."

LinkedIn advertisement  format options - azygous  representation  and video - with cheque  people    adjacent  to azygous  image

Now, determine whether your ads should besides beryllium served connected third-party publishers. Note that disabling the LinkedIn Audience Network enactment whitethorn trim click rates and summation outgo per click.

LinkedIn advertisement  placement options with LinkedIn assemblage  web  checked

6. Set Your Campaign Budget and Schedule

In Quick Mode, mounting your run fund is arsenic elemental arsenic entering a regular oregon beingness fund and defining the campaign’s tally time.

Note that mounting an extremity day is optional erstwhile "Daily budget" is selected. To beryllium safe, it’s champion to acceptable an extremity day truthful you don’t walk much than intended if you hide to extremity the campaign. 

Daily fund  for LinkedIn ads selected acceptable   astatine  $100 with commencement  and extremity  dates and full   walk   highlighted

In Advanced Mode, you’ll person much power implicit your bidding strategy. 

Once you’ve acceptable your run fund and schedule, click "Save and continue" if your advertisement originative is acceptable to go. Or, "Save and exit" if not.

Note that you won’t beryllium capable to update the advertisement format oregon nonsubjective erstwhile you prevention your run astatine this step.

Save options for LinkedIn ads run  acceptable   up

Next, you’ll get the enactment to either prime a originative plus from your contented room oregon make a caller ad. 

Click "Create new."

create an advertisement  for a linkedin run  with creator  astatine  an easel illustration

Create your advertisement by completing the fields provided and adding your image(s). Preview your advertisement connected the close and toggle betwixt antithetic show formats.

LinkedIn ads plan  connected  desktop provender  alongside selected substance   and advertisement  name

Scroll down to implicit the remainder of the signifier and adhd your image(s).

Choose from the images uploaded to your room oregon upload caller images. Or, drawback immoderate from Shutterstock close successful the representation enactment workflow—each relationship gets 10 escaped Shutterstock images. 

Create up to 5 ads simultaneously by adding aggregate images to the aforesaid ad. 

Once you’ve chosen your advertisement images, unfastened the representation preview surface and finalize your selection. 

Click the bluish “X” successful the country of immoderate representation you privation to remove. Then click “Select” to adhd your chosen images to your media library.

Image room  of radical   moving   astatine  laptops for LinkedIn Ads with 4 selected

Make definite you’ve completed each the fields. Then, prime which CTA you privation your advertisement to display. In this case, we’ve chosen "Subscribe."

To proceed, click "Save Ad." 

Your advertisement volition beryllium saved nether the run sanction you chose successful measurement two. 

LinkedIn advertisement  preview of laughing colleagues astatine  a laptop with a subscribe CTA selected

8. Review and Launch Your Campaign 

All that’s near earlier launching your run is reviewing your run settings. And adding oregon updating your concern accusation and outgo method.

Campaign summary successful  LinkedIn Ads with concern  accusation  container  highlighted alongside forecasted results

Simply implicit the “Business Information” signifier and click "Save."

Address signifier  with prevention  fastener  highlighted

Next, adhd the debit oregon recognition paper to beryllium billed for the campaign. Then, click "Add card" followed by "Agree & motorboat campaign." 

Or, click “Save and exit” to prevention your advertisement arsenic a draught and instrumentality to motorboat it later.

Payment surface  with coupon enactment    and paper  details options
Newsletter signup 2024 ads run  highlighted successful  LinkedIn campaigns dashboard

To reappraisal your run settings, hover implicit the run sanction and click “Edit & launch.” 

Newsletter Signup 2024 LinkedIn advertisement  acceptable   to motorboat  successful  dashboard

This opens your run settings successful the Campaign Manager. 

LinkedIn run  mounting  interface with website visits selected arsenic  the chosen objective

Review each leafage and click “Next” erstwhile you’re acceptable to reappraisal the adjacent page.

Three LinkedIn advertisement  examples to reappraisal  with adjacent  fastener  highlighted

After reviewing your outgo method connected the 3rd leafage and speechmaking the Ads Agreement and Advertising Guidelines, click “Agree and motorboat campaign.”

LinkedIn ads outgo   gateway with paper  item  substance   fields and motorboat  fastener  highlighted

You tin besides preview your ads arsenic they’ll look to LinkedIn users from the leafage listing your campaigns. 

Simply click connected the sanction of the run you conscionable created. This opens a database of each the ads successful your campaign. 

Newsletter signup 2024 ads run  highlighted successful  LinkedIn campaigns dashboard

Next, click the sanction of the idiosyncratic advertisement you privation to preview.

A database  of 4 Linkedin Ads for a Newsletter 2024 run  with the archetypal  1  highlighted

Your preview volition unfastened successful a caller browser tab. 

Company Name Example LinkedIn Ad preview with a antheral   speechmaking  a tablet alongside newsletter signup text

9. Track and Manage Your Campaign

Once your run is live, way its show utilizing the dashboard successful your Campaign Manager account.

LinkedIn Ads show  dashboard populated with 3 run  groups

Image Source: LinkedIn

Use Semrush’s Social Analytics instrumentality to get elaborate analytics for your LinkedIn Business Page alongside analytics for your different societal media accounts. 

Track metrics including: 

  • Follower count 
  • Number of impressions
  • Types of engagement
  • Engagement rate
  • Number of unsocial leafage visits
  • Performance information for idiosyncratic posts

To get started, link your LinkedIn relationship to your Semrush account. 

In Semrush, click “Social Dashboard” nether “Social Media” successful the main menu. 

Next, click “+ Create project.” Or, prime your task from the database if you’ve already done truthful by clicking “Set up.”

Social dashboard instrumentality   by Semrush with 3 projects to acceptable   up   and make  task  highlighted

Enter your domain sanction and springiness the task a name. And click “Create project.”

Create caller   societal  dashboard task  for example.com

A pop-up volition appear, inviting you to get started with Semrush Social. 

Click “Connect” beside the LinkedIn option.

Semrush societal  commencement  surface  with LinkedIn link  fastener  highlighted

Sign into your LinkedIn relationship utilizing the resulting pop-up. 

Enter the email code oregon telephone fig associated with your business’s LinkedIn account, followed by your password. Then, click “Sign in.

LinkedIn motion   successful  with email and password substance   fields highlighted

Click “Allow” to springiness Semrush support to sync with your LinkedIn account.

Allow fastener  highlighted underneath sync options to link  Semrush societal  to LinkedIn profile

If you negociate much than 1 concern page, prime the pages you privation to nexus and click “Add profiles.”

Company Name Example concern  leafage   selected to link  LinkedIn to Semrush social

Click “Continue” to commencement utilizing Social Analytics.

Semrush societal  illustration   successfully connected with enactment      popper and proceed  fastener  highlighted

Your LinkedIn relationship volition present look successful your Social Dashboard. Click “Poster” to make and docket LinkedIn posts. Or, click “Analytics” to presumption information astir your leafage and posts’ performance. 

Semrush societal  dashboard with example.com task  listed

Toggle betwixt the “Audience,” “Engagement,” and “Posts” analytics for your LinkedIn page. 

Social Analytics instrumentality   by Semrush with example.com task  and audience, engagement, and posts tabs highlighted
Posts tab of societal  analytics dashboard highlighted with information  for illustration  post

In the “Audience” report, you’ll get penetration into your followers’ geographic locations, industries, institution sizes, and occupation functions.

Social Analytics instrumentality   by Semrush with Audience tab highlighted

The “Engagement” dashboard provides elaborate reporting connected your page’s followers, engagement rate, impressions, reach, clicks, reactions, comments, and shares. 

Social analytics instrumentality   by Semrush with Engagement tab highlighted

Use the “Posts” study to way metrics for idiosyncratic posts. Track engagement rate, likes, shares, comments, clicks, and impressions. 

Posts tab of societal  analytics instrumentality   highlighted with illustration  station  data

LinkedIn ads tin beryllium a almighty mode to turn consciousness and summation revenue. However, LinkedIn is conscionable 1 portion of the societal media advertizing puzzle. 

To marque the astir of your societal media resources, usage Semrush Social to way and negociate each your social media marketing efforts successful 1 place. 

In summation to LinkedIn, Semrush Social presently supports contented publishing and show analytics for the pursuing platforms:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • X (formerly Twitter)
  • Pinterest
  • Google Business Profile

Try retired Semrush’s Social Media Toolkit for yourself.