ad-linkedin

Overview

This skill defines exactly what to produce for a LinkedIn ad. It is platform-spec only: the slots LinkedIn exposes, the limits per format, asset ratios, and the CTA enum. It does not cover audience filters, account targeting, or Insight Tag setup.

LinkedIn ads play to a different audience norm than Meta or TikTok: the viewer is logged into a professional identity, expects substance over flash, and treats fluff as a credibility hit. Insight-led, stat-led, or named-customer copy outperforms pitch-led copy on most formats.

Instructions

Ad Formats Covered

Sponsored Content — Single Image / Video / Carousel Slots

Message Ads / Conversation Ads — Slots

EU targeting (2026 — verify live): since mid-October 2024, Sponsored Messaging (Message Ads and Conversation Ads) can target EU members only if they opted in to receive these ads in their inbox; members can withdraw consent. Expect much smaller EU reach than audience estimates for feed ads.

Text Ads — Slots

Visual Ratios by Format

CTA Button Enum (Current 2026)

Sponsored Content CTAs (campaign-objective driven):

• Apply
• Download
• Get quote (renamed from "View Quote")
• Learn more
• Sign up
• Subscribe
• Register
• Join
• Attend
• Request demo
• Visit website
• View jobs
• Try now
• Order now
• Contact us

CTAs cannot be custom — pick from the enum. Match the verb to the landing action.

Thought Leader Ads

Promote a personal LinkedIn post from any member (employee or external) with their explicit permission.

• No editable headline / intro / description / CTA / URL in Campaign Manager — the post itself IS the creative
• Author edits the post organically; advertiser sponsors as-is
• Author must publish the post BEFORE it can be promoted; cannot retroactively change content
• Author approval is required in Campaign Manager
• Supported objectives and formats keep expanding — 2026: check Campaign Manager before planning
• Practitioner benchmarks often show higher engagement than company-page ads; treat vendor CTR claims as directional
• Best fit: CEO/founder personal POV posts, contrarian operator takes, customer-success narratives

Connected TV (CTV) Ads

LinkedIn has sold CTV since 2024, using LinkedIn targeting on streaming inventory through partners (2026: verify current publishers and buying path in Campaign Manager).

• Spec: 15s or 30s creative, 1920×1080 16:9, MP4/MOV (verify size limit)
• No clickable URL or CTA in-stream — awareness, not direct response
• Use for high-value account-based awareness; pair with retargeting Sponsored Content for response

Copy Rules — What Wins on LinkedIn

• Lead with a stat, a named customer, or a contrarian insight. "Most B2B founders…" works; "We're excited to announce…" doesn't.
• First-person founder voice outperforms third-person corporate voice for early-stage products.
• Specificity matters more than on consumer platforms — "We cut deploy time from 22 to 4 minutes at [named customer]" beats "Faster deploys."
• Avoid hashtag spam in intro text — 1–3 max, and only if they're real LinkedIn topics.
• Document ads outperform single-image for thought-leadership content (whitepaper, framework, checklist).
• Carousel cards: each card must stand alone. Most viewers swipe 2–3 cards, not all 10.
• Video: caption everything. LinkedIn autoplay is silent, captions decide watch time.

Subject Line Rules (Message Ads)

• ≤40 chars performs best in the inbox preview
• Personalisation (first name) lifts open rate ~10–15%
• Curiosity > pitch — "Quick question about [their company]'s onboarding" beats "Demo invite"
• Skip ALL CAPS and emojis — both flag as marketing-bait on a professional surface

Policy Constraints (Common Rejections)

• Misleading employment claims: "Make $X working from home" — auto-disapproval
• Personal attribute targeting in copy: "You, a CTO at a Series B…" — Personal Attributes policy
• Get-rich-quick / crypto / dating — restricted categories
• Trademark in copy without authorisation — disapproval
• Misleading product claims — manual review
• Body parts isolated — disapproval risk
• Bait-and-switch landing pages — account suspension risk

Output Format

# LinkedIn Ads — [Product] [Campaign Name]

## Format
[Sponsored Content / Message Ad / Conversation Ad / Text Ad / Document Ad / Carousel]

## Destination URL
[Landing page URL]

## Intro Text (≤150 char preview, ≤600 hard)
> [Copy — first 150 chars must hook]

Preview slice (first 150 chars): "[show what's visible before see more]"

## Headline (~70 char visible)
> [Headline] — [chars]

## Description (~100 char, Audience Network only)
> [Description] — [chars]

## CTA Button (from enum)
[Selected CTA]

## Visual Spec
- Format: [Single image / Video / Carousel / Document]
- Ratio: [1.91:1 / 1:1 / 16:9 / 9:16]
- Shot: [concrete scenario]
- Text overlay: "[copy]"
- Video captions: [yes — silent autoplay is the default]

## Carousel Cards (if format = carousel)
| Card | Headline (≤45 char) | Visual Brief |
|------|---------------------|--------------|
| 1 | [headline] | [shot] |
| 2 | ... | ... |

## Message Ad Specific (if format = message)
- Sender (real person): [name + role]
- Subject (≤60 char, ≤40 preferred): "[subject]"
- Body (≤1500 char): "[message]"
- CTA buttons (up to 3, 25 char each): "[CTA 1]" / "[CTA 2]" / "[CTA 3]"

## Variant Set
| # | Angle | Intro Hook | Headline | CTA |
|---|-------|------------|----------|-----|
| 1 | [angle] | [≤150 char] | [≤70] | [enum] |
| 2 | ... | ... | ... | ... |

## Pre-Submit Checklist
- [ ] Intro text hook within first 150 chars
- [ ] Lead is stat / named customer / contrarian insight (not "we're excited")
- [ ] Headline ≤70 chars
- [ ] CTA from enum matches landing action
- [ ] Video captioned for silent autoplay
- [ ] Carousel cards stand alone (don't depend on swipe-to-N)
- [ ] No personal-attribute language ("you, a [role]")
- [ ] No misleading income/employment claims
- [ ] Visual ratio matches format

When NOT to Use This Skill

• Account-Based Marketing list building → out of scope
• Insight Tag pixel setup → out of scope
• Matched audience upload → out of scope
• Sales Navigator outreach → that's organic, not paid