LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads : The Definitive Guide for B2B Marketers

The traditional approach to LinkedIn ads involves running ads through a LinkedIn company page, with the audience perceiving them as brand-centric promotions. However, the landscape has evolved with the introduction of LinkedIn thought leader ads, which allow you to pair your LinkedIn ad account with a personal profile.

What are LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads?

LinkedIn thought leader ads enable you to sponsor personal posts from your LinkedIn ad account and target them to your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). You have the flexibility to target specific audiences, allocate a daily budget, monitor click performance, and retarget user interactions. Essentially, you are harnessing the combined power of LinkedIn’s paid advertising capabilities and the organic nature of personal profiles.

Unlike traditional ads that appear as company-sponsored content, thought leader ads resemble regular posts from a personal profile. The key difference is a small note indicating the promotion by the sponsoring ad agency, which makes the ad look more authentic.

Benefits of Thought Leader Ads

Here are a few reasons why thought leader ads are a good choice:

1. Authenticity

Thought leader ads avoid the typical “salesy” or corporate feel commonly associated with traditional ads. Posts from personal profiles often receive more traction and engagement simply because they come from a person.

2. Humanizing the Brand

Thought leader ads help humanize your brand. When individuals receive information from real people within your company, it creates a deeper connection.

3. Extracting Subject Matter Expertise

These ads can showcase the expertise within your organization, establishing trust and credibility with potential clients.

The Limitations of LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads

Here are a few things to be careful about regarding LinkedIn thought leader ads:

1. Better as Part of a Broader Strategy

They should be integrated with other ad types and not relied upon solely to drive traffic.

2. Not Suitable for Smaller Businesses

Smaller businesses new to LinkedIn advertising might struggle if they don’t have other channels in place.

3. Time-Limited Campaigns

These ads are limited to posts from the last six months.

4. Dependency on Profile Attachment

They rely on the person being attached to the company. If the individual leaves, the ads become unusable.

5. Chargeable Interactions

Every interaction, such as clicking “read more,” is considered a chargeable click.

Best Practices for LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads

Here are some best practices to maximize the effectiveness of thought leader ads:

1. Retargeting with LinkedIn Influencer Ads

Use thought leader ads in retargeting campaigns rather than cold ad campaigns.

2. Selecting the Most Impactful Posts for Promotion

Prioritize posts that have demonstrated the ability to generate inbound leads.

3. Attach Interactions to Retargeting Audiences

Interactions with thought leader ads can be incorporated into retargeting audiences.

4. Using Videos and GIFs to Grab More Attention

Combining a boosted personal post with a video or GIF can help attract attention.

Step-by-Step Guide: Creating a LinkedIn Thought Leader Ad Campaign

1. Choose Engagement or Brand Awareness Objectives

Thought leader ads are only available with these objectives.

2. Browse Existing Content

Access the ad creation interface and click on “Browse existing content.” This will display both the company and employee tabs.

3. Select the Employee Tab

Search for the relevant individual and browse through their posts from the past six months. Send requests to the person for approval to use their posts as ads.

4. Launch the Campaign

Once approved, select the desired posts to sponsor and launch your LinkedIn thought leader ad campaign.

Case Studies:

Here are two examples of successful implementation of LinkedIn thought leader ads:

1. Case Study 1: HubSpot

HubSpot leveraged thought leader ads by promoting content from their executives, significantly increasing engagement and lowering the cost per click.

2. Case Study 2: Salesforce

Salesforce used thought leader ads to humanize their brand by featuring posts from their senior leadership, resulting in higher engagement rates and better brand perception.

Conclusion:

LinkedIn thought leader ads provide a powerful way to leverage personal profiles for effective advertising. By combining the authenticity and human touch of personal posts with the reach and targeting capabilities of LinkedIn, companies can enhance their brand image, showcase subject matter expertise, and engage with their target audience in a more meaningful way.

Originally published in The B2B Marketing Newsletter on LinkedIn. Read on LinkedIn