LinkedIn ad placement options for advertisers
14 min
Nov 03, 2023

LinkedIn Ad Placement Options: A Guide for Advertisers

Author avatarSVSébastien Vassaux
Discover Sebastien VassauxSee more
Expert in the following topics: linkedin, online marketing
LinkedIn Ad Placement Options for Advertisers

LinkedIn Ad Placement Options: A Guide for Advertisers

When it comes to advertising on LinkedIn, understanding the ad placement options is crucial for advertisers. These options determine where your ads will be displayed and how they will reach your target audience.

LinkedIn offers several ad placement options, including Sponsored Content, Text Ads, Sponsored InMail, and Dynamic Ads. These options allow you to reach LinkedIn users on various platforms, such as the desktop news feed, mobile news feed, right rail, LinkedIn messaging, and the LinkedIn Audience Network.

Choosing the right ad placement on LinkedIn requires understanding your target audience and setting campaign objectives. By testing and optimizing your ad placements, you can ensure that your ads are reaching the right people at the right time.

Best practices for LinkedIn ad placement include creating compelling ad visuals and copy, using targeting options effectively, and monitoring and adjusting your ad placements based on performance.

What are ad placement options on LinkedIn?

On LinkedIn, there are several ad placement options available for advertisers. These options determine where your ads will be displayed and how they will reach your target audience.

One of the most popular ad placement options on LinkedIn is Sponsored Content. This allows you to promote your content directly in the LinkedIn feed, making it highly visible to your target audience. Sponsored Content can appear on both desktop and mobile devices, ensuring maximum reach.

Another option is Text Ads, which are displayed on the right rail of the LinkedIn desktop interface. These ads are concise and can be highly targeted based on factors such as job title, industry, and location.

If you're looking to reach professionals directly in their inbox, Sponsored InMail is a great option. This allows you to send personalized messages to LinkedIn members, delivering your message in a professional and direct manner.

For more visually impactful ads, Dynamic Ads are a great choice. These ads are personalized and can feature the profile picture and name of the LinkedIn member viewing the ad, making it highly relevant and engaging.

When it comes to ad placement on LinkedIn, you can also take advantage of the LinkedIn Audience Network. This allows your ads to be displayed on partner websites and apps, reaching a wider audience beyond the LinkedIn platform.

Overall, the ad placement options on LinkedIn provide advertisers with a variety of ways to reach their target audience and achieve their campaign objectives. By choosing the right ad placement strategy and optimizing your ads, you can maximize the impact of your LinkedIn advertising efforts.

Sponsored Content is one of the key ad placement options on LinkedIn. It allows advertisers to promote their content directly in the LinkedIn feed, making it highly visible to the platform's professional audience.

With Sponsored Content, advertisers can create and distribute native ads that seamlessly blend in with the organic content on LinkedIn. These ads can include text, images, videos, and even carousel formats, providing a versatile and engaging way to reach users.

One of the main advantages of Sponsored Content is its targeting capabilities. Advertisers can target their content based on factors such as job title, industry, company size, and more. This ensures that the ads are shown to the most relevant audience, increasing the chances of engagement and conversions.

Sponsored Content can be displayed on both desktop and mobile devices, allowing advertisers to reach their audience regardless of their preferred platform. The ads can appear in the LinkedIn feed as users scroll through their network updates, providing a non-intrusive and natural advertising experience.

When creating Sponsored Content, it is important to focus on creating compelling and valuable content that resonates with the target audience. The content should provide useful information, solve a problem, or offer insights that are relevant to the audience's professional interests.

By leveraging Sponsored Content on LinkedIn, advertisers can effectively promote their brand, products, or services to a highly engaged professional audience. With the right targeting and compelling content, Sponsored Content can drive brand awareness, generate leads, and ultimately contribute to the success of an advertising campaign.

Text Ads

Text Ads are another ad placement option on LinkedIn that allows advertisers to display concise and targeted ads on the right rail of the LinkedIn desktop interface.

Text Ads are characterized by their simplicity and effectiveness. They consist of a headline, a short description, and a destination URL. The limited space available for text ads encourages advertisers to craft compelling and concise messages that capture the attention of the target audience.

One of the key advantages of Text Ads is their precise targeting capabilities. Advertisers can target their ads based on various criteria, including job title, industry, company size, and more. This allows for highly targeted campaigns that reach the most relevant professionals.

Text Ads are an effective way to drive traffic to a specific landing page or website. They can be used to promote products, services, events, or even job openings. The simplicity of Text Ads makes them easy to set up and manage, and they can be a cost-effective option for advertisers with a limited budget.

When creating Text Ads, it is important to focus on writing compelling headlines and descriptions that resonate with the target audience. Clear and concise messaging, combined with a strong call-to-action, can encourage users to click on the ad and take the desired action.

By leveraging Text Ads on LinkedIn, advertisers can effectively reach their target audience and drive traffic to their desired destination. With precise targeting and compelling messaging, Text Ads can be a valuable addition to any LinkedIn advertising campaign.

Sponsored InMail is a highly effective ad placement option on LinkedIn that allows advertisers to send personalized messages directly to the LinkedIn inboxes of their target audience.

Sponsored InMail messages are delivered in a professional and direct manner, making them a powerful tool for engaging with LinkedIn members. These messages can include personalized greetings, compelling content, and a clear call-to-action.

One of the key advantages of Sponsored InMail is its ability to reach users when they are actively using LinkedIn. Unlike other ad formats that can be easily overlooked, Sponsored InMail messages are sent directly to the recipient's inbox and are typically opened and read by the user.

When creating Sponsored InMail messages, it is important to focus on personalization and relevance. Craft messages that are tailored to the recipient's interests, job title, or industry. By providing value and addressing the recipient's pain points, you can increase the chances of engagement and conversions.

Sponsored InMail also offers advanced targeting options, allowing advertisers to reach their desired audience based on criteria such as job title, company size, and more. This ensures that the messages are delivered to the most relevant individuals, maximizing the impact of the campaign.

By leveraging Sponsored InMail on LinkedIn, advertisers can effectively deliver personalized messages to their target audience, fostering meaningful connections and driving desired actions. With careful targeting, compelling content, and a clear call-to-action, Sponsored InMail can be a valuable tool in any LinkedIn advertising strategy.

Dynamic Ads

Dynamic Ads are a highly engaging and personalized ad placement option on LinkedIn. These ads allow advertisers to deliver tailored messages to LinkedIn members based on their profile information.

Dynamic Ads are designed to capture the attention of the target audience by featuring the recipient's profile picture, name, and job title in the ad creative. This level of personalization makes the ads highly relevant and increases the chances of engagement and conversion.

One of the key advantages of Dynamic Ads is their versatility. They can be used to promote various objectives, such as driving website visits, generating leads, or increasing brand awareness. Advertisers can choose from different ad formats, including single image, carousel, and video, to create visually impactful ads.

Dynamic Ads can be displayed on both desktop and mobile devices, ensuring maximum reach and visibility. They can appear in the LinkedIn feed, the right rail, and even in the LinkedIn messaging platform, allowing advertisers to reach their audience at various touchpoints.

When creating Dynamic Ads, it is important to focus on creating compelling visuals and messaging that resonate with the target audience. Highlight the value proposition, address pain points, and provide a clear call-to-action to drive desired actions.

By leveraging Dynamic Ads on LinkedIn, advertisers can effectively deliver personalized and visually appealing messages to their target audience. With the right targeting, creative elements, and messaging, Dynamic Ads can drive engagement, conversions, and ultimately contribute to the success of an advertising campaign.

Where can you place your ads on LinkedIn?

When advertising on LinkedIn, you have several options for ad placement to reach your target audience. These include:

  • Desktop News Feed: Your ads can appear directly in the news feed as users scroll through their LinkedIn desktop interface.
  • Mobile News Feed: Similar to desktop placement, your ads can be displayed in the news feed on mobile devices, reaching users on the go.
  • Right Rail: This placement option allows your ads to be displayed on the right side of the LinkedIn desktop interface.
  • LinkedIn Messaging: Your ads can be shown within the messaging platform, reaching users directly in their LinkedIn inbox.
  • LinkedIn Audience Network: This option allows your ads to be displayed on partner websites and apps outside of the LinkedIn platform, expanding your reach to a wider audience.

By utilizing these different ad placement options, you can strategically position your ads to maximize visibility, engagement, and conversions on LinkedIn.

Desktop News Feed

The Desktop News Feed is a prime ad placement option on LinkedIn that allows advertisers to reach their target audience as they scroll through their LinkedIn feed on a desktop device.

By placing your ads in the Desktop News Feed, you can leverage the high engagement levels of LinkedIn users and capture their attention with your content. This placement option ensures that your ads are seamlessly integrated into the organic content, increasing the chances of visibility and engagement.

The Desktop News Feed placement offers a wide range of ad formats, including single image ads, carousel ads, and video ads. This allows you to choose the format that best suits your campaign objectives and creative assets.

When creating ads for the Desktop News Feed, it is important to focus on creating compelling visuals and engaging copy that resonate with your target audience. Highlight the unique value proposition of your products or services, address pain points, and include a clear call-to-action to drive desired actions.

By placing your ads in the Desktop News Feed, you can effectively reach professionals in a context where they are actively engaging with relevant content. This placement option provides an opportunity to generate brand awareness, drive website traffic, and generate leads among a highly targeted audience.

Mobile News Feed

The Mobile News Feed is a valuable ad placement option on LinkedIn that allows advertisers to reach their target audience as they browse their LinkedIn feed on mobile devices.

With the Mobile News Feed placement, your ads can be seamlessly integrated into the organic content, capturing the attention of LinkedIn users as they scroll through their mobile feeds. This placement option ensures that your ads are prominently displayed on the small screens of mobile devices, maximizing visibility and engagement.

LinkedIn offers various ad formats for the Mobile News Feed, including single image ads, carousel ads, and video ads. This gives you the flexibility to choose the format that best suits your campaign objectives and creative assets.

When creating ads for the Mobile News Feed, it is important to focus on creating visually compelling and captivating content. Use eye-catching images or videos, craft concise and persuasive copy, and include a strong call-to-action to encourage users to take action.

By leveraging the Mobile News Feed placement, you can effectively reach professionals on the go, ensuring that your ads are seen by a highly engaged mobile audience. This placement option provides an opportunity to drive brand awareness, generate website traffic, and generate leads among a targeted mobile user base.

Right Rail

The Right Rail is a prominent ad placement option on LinkedIn that allows advertisers to display their ads on the right side of the LinkedIn desktop interface.

With the Right Rail placement, your ads are positioned in a highly visible location, ensuring that they capture the attention of LinkedIn users as they navigate through the platform. This placement option provides an opportunity to reach professionals who are actively engaging with their network and exploring relevant content.

LinkedIn offers various ad formats for the Right Rail, including single image ads, carousel ads, and text ads. This allows you to choose the format that best suits your campaign objectives and creative assets.

When creating ads for the Right Rail, it is important to focus on creating concise and compelling content that resonates with your target audience. Craft attention-grabbing headlines, clear and concise copy, and include a strong call-to-action to encourage users to click on your ads.

By leveraging the Right Rail placement, you can effectively reach professionals as they navigate through the LinkedIn platform. This placement option provides an opportunity to generate brand awareness, drive website traffic, and generate leads among a targeted desktop user base.

LinkedIn Messaging on LinkedIn

LinkedIn Messaging

LinkedIn Messaging is a powerful ad placement option that allows advertisers to reach their target audience directly in their LinkedIn inbox.

With LinkedIn Messaging, your ads are delivered as personalized messages, making them highly engaging and effective in capturing the attention of LinkedIn users. This placement option provides a direct and intimate way to communicate with professionals on the platform.

LinkedIn offers various ad formats for Messaging, including text-based ads and sponsored messages. Text-based ads appear as banner-like ads within the messaging interface, while sponsored messages are personalized messages sent directly to the recipient's inbox.

When creating ads for LinkedIn Messaging, it is important to focus on personalization and relevance. Craft messages that are tailored to the recipient's interests, job title, or industry. By providing value and addressing the recipient's pain points, you can increase the chances of engagement and conversions.

By leveraging LinkedIn Messaging, you can effectively deliver personalized messages to your target audience, fostering meaningful connections and driving desired actions. This placement option provides an opportunity to generate brand awareness, drive website traffic, and generate leads among a highly engaged professional audience.

LinkedIn Audience Network

The LinkedIn Audience Network is an expansive ad placement option that allows advertisers to extend their reach beyond the LinkedIn platform and display their ads on partner websites and apps.

By leveraging the LinkedIn Audience Network, your ads can reach a wider audience and increase brand visibility among professionals who may not be actively using LinkedIn at the moment. This placement option provides an opportunity to connect with professionals in various contexts and touchpoints across the web.

The LinkedIn Audience Network offers a range of ad formats, including native ads and display ads. These ads are designed to seamlessly blend in with the content on the partner sites and apps, ensuring a non-disruptive and native advertising experience.

When creating ads for the LinkedIn Audience Network, it is important to consider the context and format of the partner sites and apps. Craft visually appealing and engaging ads that resonate with the target audience in those specific environments.

By leveraging the LinkedIn Audience Network, you can effectively expand your reach and connect with professionals beyond the LinkedIn platform. This placement option provides an opportunity to generate brand awareness, drive website traffic, and generate leads among a wider professional audience.

How to choose the right ad placement on LinkedIn

Choosing the right ad placement on LinkedIn is crucial for the success of your advertising campaign. Here are some key factors to consider:

  • Understanding your target audience: Identify where your target audience is most active on LinkedIn and choose ad placements that align with their browsing habits.
  • Setting campaign objectives: Determine your campaign goals, such as brand awareness, lead generation, or website traffic, and select ad placements that are most likely to help you achieve those objectives.
  • Testing and optimizing: Experiment with different ad placements and monitor their performance. Optimize your ads based on data and insights to maximize results.
  • Best practices: Follow best practices for each ad placement, including creating compelling visuals and copy, using targeting options effectively, and monitoring and adjusting your ad placements based on performance.

By carefully considering these factors, you can choose the right ad placement on LinkedIn to effectively reach your target audience and achieve your campaign objectives.

Understanding your target audience

Understanding your target audience is a crucial step in choosing the right ad placement on LinkedIn. By gaining insights into your audience's characteristics, behaviors, and preferences, you can effectively tailor your ad placements to reach them in the most impactful way.

Start by conducting thorough market research to identify your target audience's demographics, such as age, gender, location, and industry. This information will help you determine which ad placements are most relevant to your audience's browsing habits on LinkedIn.

Additionally, consider your audience's behaviors and interests. Are they more likely to engage with ads on their desktop or mobile devices? Do they spend more time in the LinkedIn News Feed or the messaging platform? Understanding these nuances will guide you in selecting the most appropriate ad placements.

It's also important to consider the mindset of your target audience on LinkedIn. Are they actively seeking information, networking, or searching for job opportunities? Tailor your ad placements to align with these specific intents to maximize engagement.

Lastly, leverage LinkedIn's targeting options to further refine your ad placements. You can target based on job titles, company sizes, industries, and more. This ensures that your ads are displayed to the most relevant professionals, increasing the chances of capturing their attention and driving desired actions.

By truly understanding your target audience, you can make informed decisions about ad placements on LinkedIn, ensuring that your ads are reaching the right people at the right time and in the right context.

Setting campaign objectives

Setting clear campaign objectives is essential in choosing the right ad placement on LinkedIn. Your objectives will guide your decision-making process and help you align your ad placements with your desired outcomes.

Start by defining what you want to achieve with your campaign. Are you aiming to increase brand awareness, generate leads, drive website traffic, or promote a specific product or service? Each objective may require a different ad placement strategy.

For example, if your objective is to increase brand awareness, you may want to consider ad placements in the LinkedIn News Feed or the Right Rail, as these positions offer high visibility and reach a wide audience.

If your goal is to generate leads, you may opt for ad placements in the LinkedIn Messaging platform or Sponsored InMail, as these placements allow for more personalized and direct communication with your target audience.

It's important to set specific and measurable campaign objectives. This will enable you to track the performance of your ads and optimize them accordingly. Monitor key metrics such as impressions, clicks, conversions, and engagement rates to evaluate the effectiveness of your ad placements.

Remember to align your campaign objectives with your overall marketing goals and ensure they are realistic and attainable within your budget and time frame.

By setting clear campaign objectives, you can make informed decisions about ad placements on LinkedIn that are aligned with your desired outcomes and maximize the success of your advertising campaign.

Testing and optimizing your ad placements

Testing and optimizing your ad placements is a crucial step in maximizing the effectiveness of your LinkedIn advertising campaign. By continuously monitoring and adjusting your ad placements, you can improve performance, increase engagement, and drive better results.

Start by conducting A/B tests to compare different ad placements and variations. Test different placements, such as the News Feed, Right Rail, or Sponsored InMail, to determine which ones resonate best with your target audience and drive the highest engagement.

Monitor key metrics such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and cost per acquisition to evaluate the performance of your ad placements. Analyze the data and make data-driven decisions to optimize your campaign.

Consider experimenting with different ad formats and creative elements within each placement. Test variations in ad copy, visuals, and calls-to-action to identify the most effective combination. Continuously refine and iterate your ad creative based on the insights gained from testing.

Additionally, leverage LinkedIn's targeting options to optimize your ad placements. Refine your audience targeting based on job titles, industries, company sizes, and other relevant criteria. By narrowing down your target audience, you can ensure that your ads are reaching the most relevant professionals.

Regularly review and analyze the performance of your ad placements. Make adjustments based on the insights gained from testing to optimize your campaign's effectiveness and maximize return on investment.

By continuously testing and optimizing your ad placements on LinkedIn, you can refine your strategy, improve performance, and achieve better results for your advertising campaign.

Best practices for LinkedIn ad placement

When it comes to LinkedIn ad placement, following best practices is crucial for maximizing the effectiveness of your advertising campaigns. Here are some key best practices to keep in mind:

  • Create compelling ad visuals and copy that capture the attention of your target audience and convey your message effectively.
  • Use targeting options effectively to ensure that your ads are reaching the most relevant professionals.
  • Monitor and adjust your ad placements based on performance data to optimize your campaign.

By adhering to these best practices, you can create impactful LinkedIn ad placements that drive engagement, conversions, and ultimately contribute to the success of your advertising efforts.

Creating compelling ad visuals and copy

Creating compelling ad visuals and copy is essential for capturing the attention of your target audience and driving engagement on LinkedIn. Here are some best practices to consider:

Visuals:

  • Use high-quality images or videos that are visually appealing and relevant to your brand and message.
  • Choose images that feature people, as they tend to attract more attention and create a sense of connection.
  • Ensure that your visuals are clear, well-composed, and easy to understand at a glance.

Copy:

  • Craft a compelling headline that grabs attention and entices users to learn more.
  • Keep your copy concise and to the point, focusing on the key benefits or value proposition of your offering.
  • Use clear and persuasive language to communicate your message effectively.
  • Include a strong call-to-action that prompts users to take the desired action, such as clicking a link or filling out a form.

Remember to align your visuals and copy with your brand identity and messaging. Consistency in design and tone of voice will help build brand recognition and trust.

Regularly test different visuals and copy variations to identify which combinations resonate best with your target audience. Analyze performance metrics such as click-through rates and engagement rates to optimize your ad creative over time.

By creating compelling ad visuals and copy, you can capture the attention of LinkedIn users, convey your message effectively, and drive desired actions for your advertising campaign.

Using targeting options effectively

Using targeting options effectively is crucial for maximizing the impact of your LinkedIn ad placements. Here are some best practices to help you reach the most relevant professionals:

Job title targeting:

  • Identify the job titles that align with your target audience and include them in your targeting criteria.
  • Consider using variations or related job titles to broaden your reach.

Industry targeting:

  • Specify the industries that are most relevant to your products or services.
  • Combine industry targeting with other criteria for more precise targeting.

Company size targeting:

  • Determine the company sizes that are most likely to be interested in your offerings.
  • Use company size ranges to capture a wider audience within your target market.

Location targeting:

  • Specify the locations where your target audience is located.
  • Consider targeting specific regions, cities, or even postal codes for more localized campaigns.

Interest targeting:

  • Utilize interest targeting to reach professionals who have indicated specific interests on their LinkedIn profiles.
  • Combine interest targeting with other criteria to narrow down your audience further.

Regularly review and refine your targeting options based on the performance data of your ads. Analyze metrics such as click-through rates, conversions, and engagement rates to optimize your targeting strategy over time.

By using targeting options effectively, you can ensure that your LinkedIn ads are shown to the most relevant professionals, increasing the chances of capturing their attention and driving desired actions.

Monitoring and adjusting your ad placements

Monitoring and adjusting your ad placements on LinkedIn is essential for optimizing the performance of your advertising campaign. Here are some best practices to help you effectively manage and optimize your ad placements:

Track key metrics:

  • Regularly monitor metrics such as impressions, clicks, click-through rates, conversions, and engagement rates to gauge the performance of your ad placements.
  • Identify trends and patterns in the data to gain insights into what is working and what needs improvement.

Optimize underperforming placements:

  • If certain ad placements are not delivering the desired results, consider adjusting your targeting, ad creative, or bidding strategy.
  • Experiment with different variations to identify the most effective combination.

Allocate budget effectively:

  • Regularly review your budget allocation across different ad placements to ensure that you are maximizing the impact of your spend.
  • Shift budget towards placements that are driving the highest engagement and conversions.

Continuously test and iterate:

  • Experiment with different ad formats, visuals, copy, and targeting options to identify the most effective combination for your campaign.
  • Regularly test new placements and variations to stay ahead of changes in user behavior and platform updates.

By actively monitoring and adjusting your ad placements, you can optimize your campaign's performance, increase engagement, and drive better results on LinkedIn.

Choosing the right ad placement on LinkedIn involves understanding your target audience and setting clear campaign objectives. You should also test and optimize your ad placements to maximize their effectiveness. By monitoring and adjusting your ad placements, you can ensure that your ads are reaching the right people in the right places on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn offers several ad placement options, including:

  • Sponsored Content
  • Text Ads
  • Sponsored InMail
  • Dynamic Ads
  • Desktop News Feed
  • Mobile News Feed
  • Right Rail
  • LinkedIn Messaging
  • LinkedIn Audience Network

These options allow advertisers to reach their target audience in various locations across the LinkedIn platform.

Some best practices for LinkedIn ad placement include:

  • Creating compelling ad visuals and copy that resonate with your target audience
  • Using targeting options effectively to reach the right people
  • Monitoring and adjusting your ad placements based on performance data

By following these best practices, you can optimize your ad placements and achieve better results on LinkedIn.

To effectively use targeting options for LinkedIn ad placement, you should first define your target audience based on demographics, job titles, industries, and other relevant criteria. Then, utilize LinkedIn's targeting features to narrow down your audience and ensure that your ads are shown to the right people. Regularly review and refine your targeting options to optimize your ad placements.