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LinkedIn Ad Formats: The Complete List and How to Choose
LinkedIn Ad Formats: The Complete List and How to Choose
LinkedIn has around fifteen ad formats spread across placements: the feed (sponsored content), the inbox (sponsored messaging), the desktop right rail (dynamic and text ads), and newer surfaces like Connected TV. Most B2B budgets go to the feed formats, but each format exists for a different job, and picking the wrong one wastes spend. This guide lists every LinkedIn ad format, including the newer ones most guides miss, explains what each is best for, gives the click-through rate to expect, and shows how to choose.
Key takeaways
- LinkedIn ad formats span four placements: sponsored content (feed), sponsored messaging (inbox), dynamic and text ads (desktop right rail), and Connected TV (streaming).
- Feed sponsored content is where most B2B budget goes: single image, carousel, video, document, event, thought leader, plus newer article/newsletter, job, and Connected TV ads.
- Thought leader ads earn the highest engagement (2.68% CTR or more); right-rail formats earn the least (near 0.02%) but are cheap.
- Lead Gen Forms are an add-on to sponsored content, not a standalone placement, and lift conversion sharply.
- Choose by goal: leads (single image, document), reach (video, Connected TV), trust (thought leader), direct response (conversation).
LinkedIn ad formats at a glance
| Format | Placement | Best for | Typical CTR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single image | Feed | Traffic and lead generation | 0.42% to 0.65% |
| Carousel | Feed | Multi-point stories | 0.32% to 0.60% |
| Video | Feed | Reach and recall | 0.24% to 0.37% |
| Document | Feed | Gated lead capture | 0.50% to 0.75% |
| Event | Feed | Event registrations | Varies |
| Thought leader | Feed | Trust via a person | 2.68% to 3.40% |
| Article / Newsletter | Feed | Long-form thought leadership | Varies |
| Job ads | Feed / dynamic | Driving applicants | Varies |
| Connected TV | Streaming | Brand awareness on streaming | Not click-based |
| Conversation | Inbox | Direct response | 3% to 7% (in-message) |
| Message | Inbox | One-to-one offer | 3% to 7% (in-message) |
| Spotlight (dynamic) | Right rail (desktop) | Personalized traffic | around 0.02% |
| Follower (dynamic) | Right rail (desktop) | Page followers | around 0.02% |
| Text | Right rail (desktop) | Cheap desktop reach | around 0.02% |
Lead Gen Forms sit on top of most sponsored content formats as a native, pre-filled form rather than a format of their own. For the exact dimensions and character limits of each, see the ad specs cheat sheet.
Sponsored Content formats (the feed)
Sponsored content runs natively in the LinkedIn feed and is where most B2B advertisers spend. Single image ads are the default workhorse for traffic and leads. Carousels tell a multi-card story and front-load value. Video buys reach and recall and should be captioned for mobile. Document ads gate a report behind a Lead Gen Form, which suits lead capture. Event ads promote a LinkedIn Event. Thought leader ads run a real person’s post as an ad, earning the highest engagement. And LinkedIn has added article and newsletter ads for long-form thought leadership, and job ads for driving applicants, which also appear in the feed.
Newer formats: Connected TV, article, and newsletter ads
Beyond the classics, LinkedIn has expanded the catalog, and most format guides miss these. Connected TV (CTV) ads extend your brand message to premium streaming environments using LinkedIn’s B2B targeting, so they are a brand and awareness play rather than a click format. Article and newsletter ads promote long-form authored content directly in the feed, which suits thought leadership and nurture rather than a direct click. These are not where most lead-gen budget goes, but they matter for brand and for staying complete on the platform’s options.
Sponsored Messaging formats (the inbox)
Sponsored messaging is delivered to the member’s LinkedIn inbox rather than the feed. Conversation ads present a choose-your-path set of buttons leading to different offers, while message ads deliver a single message with one call to action. Their click-through rates look very high (3% to 7%), but that is a click inside an opened message, not a feed impression, so it is not comparable to sponsored content. Use them sparingly for warm, high-value audiences.
Dynamic and Text Ads (the right rail)
These run only in the desktop right rail, so they miss the majority of activity that happens on mobile. Dynamic Ads personalize automatically: Spotlight ads drive personalized traffic to a landing page, and Follower ads grow your Page. Text ads are simple, cheap, non-personalized units. All three have very low click-through rates (near 0.02%) by design, so they are judged on cheap reach and their specific job, not on clicks, and they work as a support layer rather than a primary channel.
How to choose the right LinkedIn ad format
Start from the goal, not the format. For lead generation, use single image or document ads with a Lead Gen Form. For reach and brand, use video or Connected TV. For trust, use thought leader or newsletter ads. For direct response to a warm list, consider conversation ads. For cheap desktop presence and follower growth, use the right-rail formats as support. Then let the campaign objective and the format agree: pick the objective for your goal first (the objective guide helps), and the format that serves it.
Whatever you choose, judge each format on pipeline, not on its own CTR, since the formats are not comparable on clicks. If you want help choosing and measuring the right format mix, you can book a demo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What are the LinkedIn ad formats?
LinkedIn has around fifteen formats across placements: sponsored content in the feed (single image, carousel, video, document, event, thought leader, article/newsletter, and job ads), Connected TV on streaming, sponsored messaging in the inbox (conversation and message ads), and desktop right-rail formats (Spotlight and Follower dynamic ads, and text ads). Lead Gen Forms attach to sponsored content.
Q2. What is the best LinkedIn ad format?
There is no single best format; it depends on the goal. Single image and document ads are best for lead generation, video and Connected TV for reach, thought leader ads for trust and engagement, and conversation ads for direct response to warm audiences. Match the format to the objective rather than defaulting to one.
Q3. How many ad formats does LinkedIn have?
Around fifteen, grouped by placement. The feed holds sponsored content (single image, carousel, video, document, event, thought leader, article/newsletter, job ads), streaming holds Connected TV, the inbox holds conversation and message ads, and the desktop right rail holds Spotlight, Follower, and text ads. Lead Gen Forms attach to sponsored content.
Q4. What are the newer LinkedIn ad formats?
The newer additions are Connected TV ads, which extend B2B targeting to streaming for brand awareness, and article and newsletter ads, which promote long-form authored content in the feed for thought leadership. Most format guides miss these, but they matter for brand and nurture even though they are not primary lead-generation formats.
Q5. What is the difference between sponsored content and sponsored messaging?
Sponsored content runs natively in the LinkedIn feed and looks like an organic post. Sponsored messaging is delivered to the member’s inbox as conversation or message ads. They have different mechanics and benchmarks, so a messaging CTR of 3% to 7% is not comparable to a feed CTR near 0.44%.
Q6. Which LinkedIn ad format has the highest CTR?
Thought leader ads have the highest feed click-through rate, around 2.68% to 3.40%, because they run a real person’s post and look organic. Sponsored messaging shows even higher rates (3% to 7%), but that is a click inside an opened message, not a feed impression, so it is measured differently.
Q7. Which LinkedIn ad formats work on mobile?
All feed sponsored content formats and sponsored messaging work on mobile, and Connected TV runs on streaming devices. Dynamic ads (Spotlight, Follower) and text ads run only in the desktop right rail, so they do not appear on mobile, which is their main limitation.
Q8. How do you choose a LinkedIn ad format?
Start from your goal and pick the objective first, then the format that serves it: single image or document for leads, video or Connected TV for reach, thought leader or newsletter for trust, conversation for direct response, and right-rail formats for cheap support. Judge each on pipeline rather than its own CTR.
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