LinkedIn creative Archives

LinkedIn Document Ads: The Underrated Format Driving High Engagement

Posted on March 14, 2026 by Dennis Yu

By AJ Wilcox

LinkedIn Document Ads are one of the most underutilized ad formats on the platform, yet they consistently deliver some of the highest engagement rates. In this episode of The LinkedIn Ads Show, I break down exactly how Document Ads work, why they're so effective, and how to use them in your campaigns.

What Are LinkedIn Document Ads?

Document Ads allow you to share PDFs, PowerPoints, and Word documents directly in the LinkedIn feed as a swipeable carousel experience. Users can preview your document without leaving LinkedIn, swiping through pages like a carousel. This native experience drives significantly higher engagement than traditional single-image ads because it provides immediate value right in the feed.

Why Document Ads Outperform Other Formats

Document Ads consistently outperform other ad formats for several reasons. First, they're inherently more engaging — the swipeable format encourages interaction. Second, they deliver value upfront rather than asking users to click away to a landing page. Third, LinkedIn's algorithm rewards high-engagement content with more impressions. The result is lower costs per engagement and higher click-through rates compared to standard Sponsored Content.

Best Practices for Document Ad Creative

The most effective Document Ads follow a specific structure. Lead with a compelling cover slide that clearly communicates what value the viewer will get. Keep each page focused on a single idea with large, readable text. Use visual elements like charts, graphs, and icons to break up text. End with a strong call-to-action page that tells the viewer what to do next. The optimal length is 5 to 10 pages — long enough to deliver value but short enough to maintain attention.

Gating vs Ungating Your Documents

LinkedIn gives you the option to gate your Document Ads behind a lead form or leave them ungated. Gated documents capture lead information but reduce engagement. Ungated documents maximize reach and engagement but don't capture leads directly. My recommendation depends on your funnel stage: use ungated documents for awareness campaigns and gated documents for conversion campaigns targeting warm audiences who have already engaged with your content.

Get Expert Help From B2Linked

Want to incorporate Document Ads into your LinkedIn strategy? B2Linked has deep expertise with every LinkedIn ad format and can help you create campaigns that drive engagement and leads. Visit b2linked.com to learn more about our LinkedIn advertising services.

Watch the Full Episode

Watch the complete episode above for detailed examples of high-performing Document Ads, recommended page layouts, and tips for maximizing engagement. For the full show notes, visit the B2Linked blog.

LinkedIn Ads That Actually Work: Top Secrets for B2B Success

Posted on March 14, 2026March 14, 2026 by Dennis Yu

By AJ Wilcox

In this episode of Called to Action with Aimtal's CEO Janet Mesh, I reveal the LinkedIn Ads strategies that actually drive results for B2B companies. While many advertisers struggle to make LinkedIn work, the approaches I share here have been proven across hundreds of campaigns and over $200 million in managed ad spend at B2Linked.

A Proven Approach for Driving Success

The foundation of LinkedIn Ads success isn't a single tactic — it's a systematic approach. I break down the methodology that consistently works: starting with precise audience definition, building a multi-stage funnel, creating content that resonates with professional audiences, and optimizing based on the right metrics. Most companies fail on LinkedIn because they skip these fundamentals and jump straight to trying to generate leads from cold audiences.

The Rising Impact of the Buying Committee

Modern B2B purchasing decisions involve an average of 6 to 10 stakeholders. LinkedIn is uniquely positioned to influence multiple members of a buying committee simultaneously because you can target by job function and seniority within specific companies. The most sophisticated LinkedIn advertisers build campaigns that reach different roles with tailored messaging — technical content for engineers, ROI-focused content for finance leaders, and strategic content for executives.

Creative That Stops the Scroll

On LinkedIn, you're competing with a feed full of professional content. Your ads need to earn attention rather than demand it. The creative approaches that perform best include strong hooks in the first line of ad copy, visuals that stand out from typical corporate imagery, and offers that provide genuine value. I share specific examples of ad creative that consistently outperforms generic branded content by 3X or more in click-through rate.

Metrics That Actually Matter

Too many advertisers optimize for vanity metrics on LinkedIn. Impressions and clicks feel good but don't pay the bills. The metrics that actually matter are cost per marketing qualified lead, pipeline generated, and revenue influenced. I recommend connecting your LinkedIn Ads data to your CRM so you can track the full buyer journey and optimize for business outcomes rather than platform metrics.

Get Expert Help From B2Linked

Want LinkedIn Ads that actually work for your business? B2Linked specializes exclusively in LinkedIn advertising and brings deep expertise to every campaign. Visit b2linked.com to learn how we help B2B companies generate pipeline through LinkedIn.

Watch the Full Episode

Watch the complete conversation above for all the details including specific campaign examples and a rapid-fire Q&A. Thanks to Janet Mesh, Tucker, and the Aimtal team for hosting this on Called to Action.

Free LinkedIn Ads Masterclass: The Complete Guide to B2B Advertising on LinkedIn

Posted on March 14, 2026March 14, 2026 by Dennis Yu

By AJ Wilcox

In this comprehensive masterclass hosted by Real Business Connections, I walk through everything you need to know to launch, optimize, and scale LinkedIn Ads campaigns that drive real B2B results. This is the same framework I use at B2Linked to manage campaigns for companies ranging from startups to enterprise organizations.

What Sets LinkedIn Ads Apart From Other Platforms

LinkedIn is the only advertising platform where you can target professionals based on their actual business identity — job title, company, industry, seniority level, skills, and more. This means you're not guessing whether your ad is reaching decision-makers; you know it is. Other platforms can approximate this through interest-based or behavioral targeting, but LinkedIn has the definitive professional data because people update their own profiles with accurate career information.

Campaign Structure Fundamentals

The foundation of any successful LinkedIn Ads strategy is proper campaign structure. I recommend organizing campaigns by audience segment so you can clearly see which groups are performing. Each campaign should have a single, well-defined audience with a consistent message. This gives you the granular control needed to optimize effectively, rather than lumping everything together and hoping for the best.

Choosing the Right Ad Format

LinkedIn offers several ad formats, and choosing the right one depends on your goals. Sponsored Content (single image and video ads in the feed) is the workhorse format for most campaigns. Thought Leader Ads, which amplify organic posts from personal profiles, are the newest and most engaging format. Message Ads can work for highly targeted offers but should be used sparingly to avoid being perceived as spam. Document Ads are excellent for sharing valuable content like reports or guides directly in the feed.

Targeting Best Practices

Effective targeting on LinkedIn requires balancing specificity with audience size. Too broad and you waste money reaching irrelevant people; too narrow and your campaigns won't deliver enough volume. I typically recommend audiences between 20,000 and 80,000 for single image ads and slightly larger for video campaigns. Layer targeting dimensions like job function plus seniority plus company size to build focused audiences that are still large enough to optimize.

Bidding and Budget Optimization

One of the most impactful optimizations on LinkedIn is switching from the default Maximum Delivery bidding to manual CPC bidding. This single change can reduce your costs significantly. Start by bidding near the lower end of LinkedIn's suggested range and increase only if you're not getting enough delivery. For budget, I recommend a minimum of $3,000 to $5,000 per month to generate enough data for meaningful optimization.

Get Expert Help From B2Linked

Ready to put these strategies into practice? B2Linked is the only agency focused exclusively on LinkedIn advertising. We bring over $200 million in managed spend experience to every campaign we touch. Visit b2linked.com to learn how we can help you achieve better results from your LinkedIn Ads investment.

Watch the Full Masterclass

Watch the complete masterclass above for the full walkthrough including live campaign examples, audience building demonstrations, and advanced optimization techniques. Thanks to Real Business Connections for hosting this session.

How to Stop Wasting Money on LinkedIn Advertising: Common Mistakes and Fixes

Posted on March 14, 2026March 14, 2026 by Dennis Yu

By AJ Wilcox

In this detailed conversation with Eli Adams on Fire Us Marketing, I dive deep into the most common mistakes B2B advertisers make on LinkedIn — and how to fix them. If you've ever felt like LinkedIn Ads were burning through your budget without delivering results, this episode breaks down exactly where things go wrong and what to do instead.

The Biggest LinkedIn Ads Money Wasters

Most companies waste money on LinkedIn Ads not because the platform doesn't work, but because they approach it with the wrong strategy. The biggest culprit is targeting too broadly. LinkedIn's targeting is incredibly powerful, but many advertisers use only basic criteria like industry and company size. The real power comes from layering targeting dimensions — combining job function, seniority level, and specific skills to create laser-focused audiences of your ideal buyers.

Why Your LinkedIn Ad Creative Is Probably Wrong

Another major area of waste is creative. LinkedIn is a professional platform, and the content that works here is fundamentally different from what works on Facebook or Instagram. Overly salesy, promotional ads get ignored. What works is content that provides genuine value — insights, data, frameworks, and perspectives that your target audience actually wants to consume. Think of your ads as content marketing that happens to be promoted, not traditional advertising.

The Landing Page Problem

Even when your targeting and creative are dialed in, a poor landing page experience will destroy your results. I see companies spending thousands on clicks that lead to generic homepages or cluttered landing pages that don't match the ad's message. Every LinkedIn ad should lead to a dedicated landing page that continues the specific conversation started in the ad. The message match between ad and landing page is one of the highest-leverage optimizations you can make.

Bidding Strategies That Save Money

LinkedIn's bidding system is another area where advertisers lose money unnecessarily. The default bidding strategy, Maximum Delivery, essentially tells LinkedIn to spend your budget as fast as possible. I almost always recommend switching to manual CPC bidding, which gives you control over what you pay per click. Start by bidding at the lower end of LinkedIn's suggested range and adjust based on whether you're getting sufficient delivery. This simple change can reduce your cost per click significantly.

Campaign Structure Best Practices

How you structure your campaigns matters more than most people realize. I recommend separating campaigns by audience segment so you can see exactly which audiences are performing and which aren't. Many advertisers lump everything into one campaign, making it impossible to identify what's working. Clean campaign structure gives you the visibility you need to make smart optimization decisions and stop wasting budget on underperforming segments.

Get Expert Help From B2Linked

If you're tired of wasting money on LinkedIn Ads and want expert help optimizing your campaigns, B2Linked specializes exclusively in LinkedIn advertising. We've managed over $200 million in LinkedIn ad spend and know exactly how to eliminate waste and maximize results. Visit b2linked.com to learn how we can help transform your LinkedIn advertising performance.

Watch the Full Interview

Watch the complete conversation above for all twenty topics we covered, including detailed campaign walkthroughs, real examples of what works and what doesn't, and actionable tips you can implement today. Thanks to Eli Adams and Fire Us Marketing for hosting this in-depth discussion.

LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads: How to Supercharge Your Campaigns

Posted on November 1, 2025March 14, 2026 by Dennis Yu

By AJ Wilcox

Why Thought Leader Ads Need a Strategy

LinkedIn’s Thought Leader Ads let you boost posts from your employees’ personal profiles and can generate high click‑through rates at low cost. However, many marketers struggle to translate that performance into results for company ads. In a recent episode of the LinkedIn Ads Show, AJ Wilcox explained why the shift from personal engagement to brand impact is so tricky (b2linked.com). People connect more easily with individuals than with companies, so you need a deliberate strategy to make the trust and attention you build flow back to your brand.

Top Tactics to Transfer Trust to Your Brand

To bridge the gap between Thought Leader Ads and Mention the company early. Have your thought leader call out the company name in the first sentence of the post. This simple cue helps readers associate the person with the brand.

Encourage followers to follow the company. Use your Thought Leader Ads to invite people to follow your company page and explain why they should (e.g., weekly research or tips).

Add your logo to the creative. Include the company logo as a watermark on images or videos so people visually link the thought leader to the brand.

Tell an origin story. Use the ad to share a founding or inspirational company story that naturally mentions your organization.

Retarget engaged viewers. Build audiences of people who interacted with your Thought Leader Ads and retarget them with company ads. This allows you to test whether warmed‑up audiences respond better than cold audiences.

Funnel Positioning & Community Engagement

Thought Leader Ads work best at the top of the funnel: they build trust quickly, create engagement at record levels and expand your retargeting pool. But AJ explains that these ads can also play a role in the middle or bottom of your funnel when paired with retargeting and strong storytelling. Join the LinkedIn Ads Fanatics community to share your experiences and get support from other advanced marketers.

Get Expert Help From B2Linked

If you’d like expert guidance on launching and scaling your Thought Leader Ads, reach out to the B2Linked team of LinkedIn Ads specialists. They’ve managed hundreds of accounts since 2014 and can help you craft a full‑funnel strategy that connects personal trust to company growth.

Watch the Full Episode & Join the Conversation

Watch the full episode below, then let us know which tactic you’re most excited to try. Have you already run Thought Leader Ads? Share your results in the comments or drop your questions for AJ and the team.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysvA8oYplj4company ads, AJ shared several tactics (b2linked.com):

Mention the company early. Have your thought leader call out the company name in the first sentence of the post. This simple cue helps readers associate the person with the brand.
Encourage followers to follow the company. Use your Thought Leader Ads to invite people to follow your company page and explain why they should (e.g., weekly research or tips).
Add your logo to the creative. Include the company logo as a watermark on images or videos so people visually link the thought leader to the brand.
Tell an origin story. Use the ad to share a founding or inspirational company story that naturally mentions your organization (b2linked.com).
Retarget engaged viewers. Build audiences of people who interacted with your Thought Leader Ads and retarget them with company ads. This allows you to test whether warmed‑up audiences respond better than cold audiences.

Funnel Positioning & Community Engagement

Thought Leader Ads work best at the top of the funnel: they build trust quickly, create engagement at record levels and expand your retargeting pool (b2linked.com). But AJ explains that these ads can also play a role in the middle or bottom of your funnel when paired with retargeting and strong storytelling. Join the LinkedIn Ads Fanatics community to share your experiences and get support from other advanced marketers.

Get Expert Help From B2Linked

If you’d like expert guidance on launching and scaling your Thought Leader Ads, reach out to the B2Linked team of LinkedIn Ads specialists. They’ve managed hundreds of accounts since 2014 and can help you craft a full‑funnel strategy that connects personal trust to company growth.

Watch the Full Episode & Join the Conversation

Watch the full episode below, then let us know which tactic you’re most excited to try. Have you already run Thought Leader Ads? Share your results in the comments or drop your questions for AJ and the team.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysvA8oYplj4

What Video Format Performs Best on LinkedIn Ads? Horizontal vs Vertical vs Square

Posted on October 31, 2025March 14, 2026 by Dennis Yu

By AJ Wilcox

Why Horizontal Video Wins on LinkedIn

There’s a common belief that vertical video performs best on social platforms because it takes up more screen space on mobile. But after analyzing over $140,000 in LinkedIn ad spend across multiple campaigns, we discovered that horizontal (16:9) video dramatically outperformed vertical (9:16) and square (1:1) formats. Horizontal videos achieved two to four times better view rates, completion rates and cost efficiency than their vertical and square counterparts. In other words, horizontal videos delivered a better return on spend.

Key Learnings from the Experiment

Horizontal video likely wins because LinkedIn’s feed is largely consumed on desktop screens and because the format allows for more context and on-screen text. Our experiments showed that horizontal videos kept viewers engaged longer and drove more conversions. The results underline that advertisers should prioritize horizontal creatives on LinkedIn, even though vertical video dominates other social platforms. The key takeaway: always test creative formats rather than blindly following trends.

What Should Advertisers Do?

For your next LinkedIn campaign, test horizontal creative alongside vertical or square variations to see what resonates with your audience. Focus on strong opening hooks, clear messaging and captions to capture attention. And don't assume vertical is better just because it's trendy—our data shows the opposite. Use data-driven experiments to guide your video strategy.

Get Expert Help from B2Linked and Chandler Quinton

If you'd like help maximizing your LinkedIn video campaigns, reach out to the B2Linked LinkedIn ads specialists. They’ve spent over $150 million on LinkedIn Ads and know how to create high-performing creative. You can also connect with Chandler Quinton on LinkedIn or his site funb2bads.com for more video insights. We're here to help you build ads that stand out and convert.

Watch the Full Episode & Join the Conversation

Watch the full episode below, then share your thoughts. Have you tested different video aspect ratios on LinkedIn? What results have you seen? Comment with your experiences or questions—we might feature them on a future show.

Related Articles: How to Build a Unique Personal Brand in 2024 – strategies for building your brand with vertical or horizontal videos. Blog Posting Guidelines for Repurposing Long-Form Videos – learn our process for repurposing long-form videos into articles.