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

Format	What You Produce
Sponsored Content — Single Image	Intro text, image, headline, description, CTA
Sponsored Content — Video	Intro text, video, headline, CTA
Sponsored Content — Carousel	Intro text + 2–10 cards (each with image + headline) + CTA
Sponsored Content — Document	Intro text, document (PDF/PPT/DOC) preview + headline + CTA
Sponsored Content — Event	Intro text + LinkedIn Event card
Message Ads (formerly Sponsored InMail)	Subject line, sender selection, message body, CTA, optional banner
Conversation Ads	Subject line, message body, branching CTA buttons (up to 5)
Text Ads	Headline, description, small image, destination
Dynamic Ads	Headline, description, template-driven (Follower / Spotlight / Content)
Lead Gen Form	Form name, intro, form fields, privacy URL, thank-you message

Sponsored Content — Single Image / Video / Carousel Slots

Slot	Limit	Notes
Intro text	~150 chars before "see more"; 600 char cap	First 150 chars decide engagement
Headline	~70 chars shown before truncation (longer accepted — 2026: verify cap in Campaign Manager)	Below image — always visible
Description	~100 chars recommended	Renders on LinkedIn Audience Network only — NOT in main feed
Destination URL	URL	Landing page
CTA button	Enum	See CTA section
Image	1200×627 (1.91:1) recommended; 1:1 (1200×1200) and 1:1.91 vertical (628×1200) also accepted	Max 5MB
Video	16:9, 1:1, or 9:16 (vertical fully supported)	3s min, 30 min max — sweet spot 15–30s; max 200MB
Carousel cards	2–10 cards	Each card: 1080×1080 (1:1) + 45 char headline
Document	PDF, DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX	Up to 300 pages OR 1M words, max 100MB. Design ≤10 pages — feed previews only 3–10 pages before see-more truncation

Message Ads / Conversation Ads — Slots

Slot	Message Ads	Conversation Ads	Notes
Subject line	60 chars	60 chars	Inbox preview — must earn the open
Message body	1,500 chars	8,000 chars	Conversational tone, NOT a press release
Custom footer (legal/T&Cs)	2,500 chars	20,000 chars	Optional disclosure block
CTA button	Up to 3 buttons	Up to 5 branching buttons per node (typical tree depth 2-4)	25 chars per button
Banner image	300×250 (desktop only)	Same	Optional — if absent, another advertiser's banner may display in your slot
Sender	Must be a personal LinkedIn account	Same	Must be a 1st-degree connection of the campaign manager who explicitly approves; cannot be company page

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

Slot	Limit	Notes
Headline	25 chars	Hard cap
Description	75 chars	Hard cap
Image	100×100	Tiny — logo or face only

Visual Ratios by Format

Format	Ratio	Pixel Dimensions
Sponsored single image — landscape	1.91:1	1200×627
Sponsored single image — square	1:1	1200×1200
Sponsored video — landscape	16:9	1920×1080
Sponsored video — square	1:1	1080×1080
Sponsored video — vertical	9:16	1080×1920
Carousel card	1:1	1080×1080
Message banner	300×250	Right rail on desktop
Document	A4 / 16:9	Per slide / page

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