Linkedin Advertising Specs

LinkedIn is an online professional networking and career development platform. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and Eric Ly. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. The current CEO is Ryan Roslansky. According to the latest reports available, it has over 740 million registered members around the world. LinkedIn employs over 20 thousand people across 33 global locations. It was listed on the New York Stock Exchange till December 2016 but is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation. 

Advertising on LinkedIn

Members can advertise on Linkedin through Dynamic Ads, Sponsored Content, Sponsored Messaging, and Text Ads. Advertising forms a part of Linkedin Marketing Solutions. 

• To start advertising users have to create a Campaign Manager Account. A campaign manager allows users to set a budget, select goals (clicks or impressions) and control the campaign timeline. It allows users to track clicks, likes, shares, comments and follows of the ads. It shows users demographic information about users, who click on the ads. Each campaign begins with choosing the objective of the campaign. The objective could be to create awareness or to engage the users to visit the website or conversions in terms of lead generation etc. 

• The second step is to decide the target audience for the campaign. The target audience can be selected using various parameters like Company Size, Company Name, Member Schools, Member Interests, Member Groups, Skills, Job Title, Job Seniority etc. It is very important to set the right target audience because only then it will lead to user engagement and conversions. 

• The third step is to choose the mode of advertising. The options available are Dynamic Ads, Sponsored Content, Message Ads and Text Ads. 

• The fourth step is to set your budget and schedule. Users can choose from “Cost per send” or “Cost per Impression” or “Cost per click” depending upon the mode of advertising selected. 

• The final step is to monitor and measure the performance of the campaign through the campaign manager. Users can modify campaign settings to optimise the outcome. 

LinkedIn Advertising Specifications

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content ads come in different formats. Single Image Ads, Video Ads, Carousel Ads, and Event Ads are the options available in this category. 

1. Single Image Ads

For Single Image Ads, the file type should be jpg or png. The file size should not be more than 5 MB. The image ratio should be as follows:

• 1.91:1 (horizontal, desktop, and mobile) 
• 1:1 (square, desktop, and mobile)
• 1:1.91 (vertical, mobile-only)

The ad name can be up to 255 characters. The headline should not be more than 70 characters. Introductory text can be up to 150 characters. Using LinkedIn Audience Network ( LAN ), the description should be up to 70 characters. 

2. Video Ads

For video ads, the file format should be MP4. The video sound format should be ASC or MPEG4. The recommended frame rate is 30 frames per second. A customer thumbnail is also recommended. The Ratio should be as such: 

• 16:9 (landscape; 1.78)
• 1:1 (square; 1.0)
• 9:16 (vertical; 0.57)

An ad name of up to 255 characters ( optional) can be used. The headline can be up to 70 characters, and the introductory text can be 150 characters. The Video File Size can be from 75 KB (min) to 200 MB (max). The Video Duration can be from 3 seconds up to 30 minutes. The video captions are optional. The video sound file size should be less than 64 kHz. 

The following calls to action are available:

• Apply
• Download
• View Quote
• Learn More
• Sign Up
• Subscribe
• Register
• Join
• Attend
• Request Demo. 

The Video Thumbnail File Format can be. JPG or PNG. The Video Thumbnail File Size should be less than 2 MB Video. The Thumbnail Aspect Ratio & Resolution must match the video. A landing page URL is required. The URL can have up to 2000 characters. 

3. Carousel Ads

For Carousel ads, the file type should be JPG or PNG. The Aspect Ratio should be 1:1. The recommended resolution is at least 1080 x 1080 pixels. The ad name can be up to 255 characters. The ad name is an optional attribute. The card headline can be up to 45 characters. The introductory text can be up to 255 characters. The number of carousel cards can range between 2 and 10. The maximum file size allowed is 10 MB. A landing page URL is required. The URL length can be up to 2000 characters. Carousel Ads currently do not support video. 

4. Event Ads

For Event Ads, the Image Ratio should be 4:1. The image will be pulled from the Event page. The event name can be up to 255 characters. The event name is an optional attribute. The introductory text can be up to 600 characters. An event URL is required, up to 2000 characters in length. The URL must be a Linkedin Event Page URL. 

5. Sponsored Messaging

LinkedIn has discontinued location targeting in the European Union (EU) on all Sponsored Messaging campaigns, effective January 10, 2022. Sponsored messaging includes Conversation Ads and Message Ads. 

6. Conversation Ads

The banner file type can be JPG or PNG. The banner image size can be 300 * 250 pixels. The banner image file size can be up to 2 MB. LinkedIn uses a profile image of the designated sender. The optional Ad name can be up to 255 characters. The message text can be up to 500 characters. The Custom Footer Can be up to 2500 characters. The Call-to-Action can be up to 25 characters. A landing page URL is required, which can be up to 1024 characters. 

7. Message Ads

Advertisers can send direct messages to a targeted audience using this feature. The banner file type can be JPG or PNG. The banner image size can be 300 * 250 pixels. The banner image file size can be up to 2 MB. LinkedIn uses a profile image of the designated sender. The optional Ad name can be up to 50 characters. The message subject can be up to 60 characters. The message text can be up to 1500 characters. The Custom Footer can be up to 2500 characters. The Call-to-Action can be up to 20 characters. A  landing page URL is required, up to 1024 characters. 

8. Lead Generation Forms

Advertisers can collect leads from their Linkedin Ads using pre-filled Lead Generation forms. The Form Name can be up to 256 characters. The landing page URL can be up to 2000 characters. The Offer Headline can be up to 60 characters.

The optional Offer Detail can be up to 160 characters. A Privacy Policy can be mentioned, up to 2000 characters. The Call-to-Action can be up to 20 characters. A Confirmation Message can be up to 300 characters.3-4 Form fields are recommended as a good practice. Up to 12 form fields can be embedded. Up to 3 custom questions can be included in the form. The number of characters in each custom question can be up to 100. 

9. Text and Dynamic Ads

LinkedIn also offers Text Ads, Spotlight Ads, and Follower Ads to suit the requirements of different types of advertisers. 

10. Text Ads

The Logo file type should be JPG or PNG, and the size can be up to 2 MB. Keep in mind that the logo Image dimension is 100*100 pixels. The headline can be up to 25 characters and the description up to 75 characters. A landing page URL of up to 2000 characters is required. A Call to Action is to be selected. 

11. Spotlight Ads

The Company Logo Size should be 100 * 100 pixels up to 2 MB, and the type can be either JPG or PNG. The optional Background Image File Type should be in JPG or PNG format. The Background Image Dimensions should be 300 * 250 pixels. The Background Image File Size can be up to 2 MB. The headline can be up to 50 characters. The description can be up to 70 characters. The Company Name can be up to 25 characters. The Call-to-Action can be up to 18 characters. A Landing Page URL is required, up to 500 characters. A Call to Action is to be selected. 

12. Follower Ads

The Company Logo Size should be 100 * 100 pixels. The Company Logo File Type should be JPG or PNG. The Company Logo File Size can be up to 2MB. The headline can be 50 characters. The description can be up to 70 characters. The Company Name can be up to 25 characters. A Call to Action is to be selected. 

Conclusion

LinkedIn offers several different types of advertising options for marketers. Marketers can choose the most likely alternative to generate the desired results and where the Return on Investment is highest. Marketers can experiment with different strategies or take the help of a seasoned Linkedin marketing agency. Advertising on LinkedIn has better chances of achieving the desired results than advertising on other social networking platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Marketers can precisely target the audience in terms of their educational and professional attributes, which is not possible with other networking platforms. 

Do check LinkedIn carousel ad examples.