Getting Started with Thought Leader Ads on LinkedIn

Looking to cut through the noise and stand out as a thought leader on LinkedIn? It’s time to leverage LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads, the highest converting ad format on LinkedIn.

Why? When compared to traditional single image ads, single image Thought Leader Ads deliver a 252% increase in clicks, a 62% decrease in cost-per-click, a 23% decrease in cost-per-lead, and a 48% increase in lead generation.

Keep reading to learn more about how to demonstrate thought leadership on LinkedIn, why you should strongly consider using Thought Leader Ads, real-world examples of what effective ads look like, and some best practices to increase the chances your investments pay off.

How to Demonstrate Thought Leadership on LinkedIn?

Executives can demonstrate thought leadership on LinkedIn by sharing valuable content that’s relevant to the industry and their audience. That might include insights, trends, and predictions, and it can also highlight products and services your organization is working on.

By posting original articles, videos, and commentary on a regular basis, you can demonstrate your expertise and kickstart meaningful discussions with your audience.

What Are Thought Leader Ads on LinkedIn?

Thought Leader Ads are a LinkedIn capability that enables organizations to turn thought leadership content from executives, employees, and anyone who’s a first- or second-degree connection into sponsored advertisements that look the same as organic posts (with just a minor Promoted by [Company] differentiator).

The key distinction between Thought Leader Ads and other ad formats on LinkedIn is that they come from the accounts of real individuals, not brands. Instead of getting an ad from a faceless company, in other words, recipients get what looks like an actual LinkedIn post from a real human, whose profile they can click on and explore.

According to LinkedIn, this digital ad format enables you to target specific audiences (e.g., your ideal customer profile) and is designed to increase brand awareness and drive engagement. At its core, it combines LinkedIn’s robust paid advertising functionality with its professional social network capabilities.

A recent study from Matter Communications revealed that 69% of respondents trust influencers more than brands. By adding Thought Leaders Ads into your digital marketing tool belt and sharing content from actual human beings, you can increase credibility and generate more opportunities because, ultimately, people do business with other people — not companies.

3 LinkedIn Thought Leadership Ads Benefits

Thought Leader Ads have a 1.7x higher click-through rate and a 1.6x higher engagement rate compared to other ads, according to LinkedIn. Here’s why.

1. Increasing authenticity

Thought Leader Ads help increase authenticity by showcasing genuine ideas and opinions from an organization’s leadership or subject matter experts. By sharing insights and real-world examples instead of traditional marketing content, organizations can create a more transparent and relatable presence on LinkedIn.

This is a big deal because authenticity builds trust — and trust drives sales. In fact, one recent report found that customers are willing to spend 51% more with businesses they trust.

Bottom line? When an audience sees content that appears credible, they’re more likely to engage.

2. Putting a human face on your brand

Thought Leader Ads put a human face on your brand by highlighting the people behind it — executives, experts, and key team members — who share their unique experiences and perspectives.

In today’s ever-cluttered digital world, folks are drawn to humanized content that feels personal and seems relatable. By leveraging the voices of your actual team, Thought Leader Ads enable your brand to connect with audiences on an emotional level, showcasing the personalities and passions that drive your business.

3. Highlighting expertise & unique insights

Since 73% of decision-makers agree that a company’s thought leadership content is more important than marketing materials and sales sheets when making a buying decision, Thought Leader Ads are a powerful sales tool.

By sharing in-depth knowledge and industry trends, these ads can position key executives and employees as thought leaders in your field — which can lead to more engagement and more customers while differentiating your brand from the competition.

What Are the Best Practices for Creating Effective Thought Leadership Ads on LinkedIn?

Before launching your first campaign, make sure your LinkedIn profile is optimized with a professional headshot, a value-driven headline, and a solid LinkedIn bio. Once that’s done, consider these best practices so you can make the biggest splash.

1. Figure out your target audience

The first step to creating effective Thought Leader Ads on LinkedIn is identifying your ideal target audience. Determine the kinds of folks you want to reach based on their roles, industries, and interests and what you’re trying to accomplish (e.g., getting more followers). Fortunately, LinkedIn makes it easy to microtarget along these criteria. (More on that below!)

The better you know your audience, the easier it’ll be to create content that is relevant and engaging — and achieve your goals because of it.

2. Craft a message

Crafting a clear, compelling message is key to capturing your audience’s attention and showcasing your thought leadership.

As you begin creating your campaigns, focus on delivering valuable insights that resonate, addressing audience pain points, and providing behind-the-scenes looks into what you’re working on.

For the best results, make sure your messaging is authentic and aligns with your brand’s voice while also being friendly, approachable, and engaging.

Ideally, your Thought Leader Ads should reflect your expertise while also evoking curiosity and sparking conversations. Avoid coming off as too salesy or overtly promotional, as this isn’t the best use of Thought Leader Ads.

As you begin crafting your next ad, keep these additional tips top of mind to increase the chances it resonates:

• Keep them skimmable, since LinkedIn users typically scroll quickly through their feeds, and no one is going to read a novel. While certain ads might only require a couple of sentences, you may want to experiment with longer-form content, too, which can drive more engagement. Just remember to format it so that folks can get the gist without reading the whole post (e.g., using whitespace, bold text, and bullet points).
• Use credibility signals, like industry research or executive quotes, to demonstrate authority and trustworthiness.
• End each ad with a conversation-starter. For example, instead of including a standard “Learn more” call-to-action, ask an open-ended question: How is your team overcoming this challenge?

Pro tip: Did one of your top customers say something nice about your company or your products? Consider using those posts as Thought Leader Ads, since the social proof is already baked in. Just ask their permission first.

3. Include visuals

In order to catch your followers’ eyes as they’re scrolling through posts, be sure to include images with each Thought Leader Ad. Believe it or not, posts with images typically get twice as many comments as those without them.

Once again, you’ll want to ensure that the visuals you choose align with your brand identity and enhance your organization’s overall narrative.

By accompanying each post with a compelling visual, you can help your ads stand out in a crowded feed — making your thought leadership content more memorable.

4. Measure and optimize

Once you’ve launched your first campaign, it’s time to regularly measure its performance to gauge its effectiveness. Use this data to refine and optimize your messaging, visuals, and targeting for future campaigns.

See which kinds of posts are working best and seek to replicate that success.

By continuously analyzing and adjusting your messaging, you can ensure Thought Leader Ads are delivering maximum value and reaching the right audience.

LinkedIn Thought Leadership Ads: Examples

Now that you have a better idea of the nuts and bolts of effective LinkedIn Thought Leadership Ads, let’s examine three winning real-world examples.

1. Salma Mahmoud, Senior Growth Marketing Manager at LinkedIn

A video LinkedIn Thought Leadership Ad telling you how you can use video LinkedIn Thought Leadership Ads to connect with your customers on a deeper level? Meta. The ad works because it includes concise copy, visuals, and credibility signals.

2. Naveen Viswanatha, Director of Product Management at Google

Anytime the director of product management at Google talks about Google products, the message carries instant credibility.

In these three short sentences, Viswanatha hits a common pain point and offers a solution, all while challenging a common assumption that we all need to replace our devices every couple of years.

It’s strategic positioning — not a hard sell — but this ad is almost certainly generating revenue. Plus, there’s a clear call-to-action, so readers know exactly what to do next.

3. Sam Ross, CEO at Numeral

With video consumption soaring on LinkedIn, Ross piggybacks on the trend with a clip from a recent interview where the host essentially makes the pitch for Numeral on his own. When a credible third party sings your company’s praises, it’s quite persuasive in raising brand awareness.

Getting started with Thought Leader Ads on LinkedIn

Now that you know the ins and outs of Thought Leader Ads on LinkedIn, your social media management team can follow these simple steps to launch your first campaign.

Step #1: Log into Campaign Manager

Step #2: Choose your objective — either brand awareness or engagement

Step #3: Select your audience

Step #4: Choose the ad format — Thought Leader Ads are always single-image ads or video ads

Step #5: Select your budget, schedule, and bidding strategy

Step #6: Click “Browse existing content”

Search for executives, employees, and other folks who are 1st or 2nd degree connections or copy and paste the URL of the post you’re going to promote.

Step #7: Get approval from the thought leader to use their content

Let the thought leader know once these steps have been completed; they’ll have to approve a request to use their LinkedIn posts in order to begin the promotion.

Step #8: Monitor the campaign results and optimize accordingly

To do so, track how many new followers each Thought Leader Ad brings in, along with how many users click through to the thought leader’s profile. You should also track engagement metrics, including likes, reposts, and comments.

Need some help getting started with Thought Leader Ads on LinkedIn? Enlist the services of a social media management agency that can run campaigns for you.

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