Guide · LinkedIn Ads
LinkedIn Ads, run next to outreach
Twelve ad formats as the person on the other side sees them, the audiences you can point them at, and three example plays that mix paid placements with invitations, messages and likes. The plays are illustrative sequences, and every name in the mockups is made up.
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Dmitry Ostrovtsev · Founder, Re:Vault · Fractional CRO
01
Three places an ad shows up
FeedBetween the posts people scrollPromoted posts, images, PDFs, carousels, video and events. Mobile and desktop.
InboxIn the LinkedIn messages tabA sponsored message from a named person, with buttons. LinkedIn delivers these outside the EU.
Right railThe column beside the feedSmall text units and personalised banners. Desktop only.
03
Who sees them
Any format above can point at any of these audiences. The first three come from the outreach itself, which is why ads and messages work better as one plan.
| Audience | How it is built | Use it for |
|---|
| This week's outreach list | Names and companies from the invitation queue, uploaded as a matched audience. LinkedIn needs 300 matched members to serve it. | Warm-up before the invitation |
| Website visitors | The LinkedIn Insight Tag on your site collects visitors from the last 30, 60, 90 or 180 days. | Following up on interest |
| Opened a form or a document | People who opened a lead form or read part of a document ad. | The warmest retargeting there is |
| Video viewers | People who watched 25, 50, 75 or 97% of a video. | Ranking who gets a message first |
| Company page visitors | Members who visited your LinkedIn page. | A second look at the offer |
| Job title, industry, company size | LinkedIn's own targeting by profile fields. | Reach beyond the outreach list |
04
Example plays
Three sequences that mix the channels. Each step names the channel it runs on and what triggers the next one.
Outreach invitations and messages from a personPaid LinkedIn AdsEngage likes and comments on their posts
Warm the list before the invitation
about 2 weeks
The person sees the sender's name three or four times before the invitation arrives, so the invitation comes from someone familiar.
- 5 days beforePaidThis week's invitation list goes up as a matched audience. A Thought Leader Ad runs the sender's best recent post to it.
- 3 days beforeEngageThe sender likes or comments on the person's latest post.
- Day 0OutreachThe invitation goes out.
- AcceptedOutreachFirst message with one fact about their company and one question.
- Pending after 7 daysPaidMessage Ad in the US and UK, a Document Ad with the playbook in Europe.
- Reply or formOutreachThe reply is handled the same day and closes to a call.
Message sent, no reply yet
10 to 45 days
They accepted and read the message, then went quiet. Paid placements keep the name in front of them while the thread rests.
- Day 0OutreachMessage sent and seen. No answer.
- Days 1 to 9PaidThey join a retargeting audience: a Document Ad in the feed and a Spotlight Ad on the rail.
- Day 4EngageA like on their next post.
- Day 10OutreachOne short line: would later in the quarter be a better time?
- Opened the documentPaidA Conversation Ad with two buttons: see the ten messages, or book 15 minutes.
- Day 45OutreachA second short check-in on timing.
Work a conference list
3 weeks before to 1 week after
Speakers, sponsors and people posting about the event make a list with a shared reason to talk and a date on it.
- 3 weeks beforePaidThe list of speakers, sponsors and attendees goes up as a matched audience.
- 2 weeks beforePaidA Thought Leader Ad: the sessions the sender plans to see at the event.
- 10 days beforeOutreachInvitation, then a message: are you at the show, 15 minutes on day two?
- Event weekEngageLikes and comments on their event posts while the show is running.
- Still pendingPaidA Conversation Ad in the US and UK with three buttons: day one, day two, after the show.
- Week afterPaidA Document Ad with the recap and a lead form, shown to everyone on the list.
- Week afterOutreachA follow-up to the people who opened the recap.
05
What it takes to start
- An ad account in Campaign Manager with a card on it, owned by your company.
- The LinkedIn Insight Tag on your website, so visitors become an audience.
- A budget. LinkedIn sets the minimum at $10 a day per campaign.
- One list for both channels. The outreach queue feeds the ad audiences, and the replies from both land in one pipeline.
06
Questions
Which LinkedIn ad format works best next to outreach?
A Thought Leader Ad aimed at the same list you are about to invite. It promotes a real post from the sender's profile, so the invitation that follows comes from a name the person has already seen.
Can I send LinkedIn Message Ads to people in Europe?
LinkedIn delivers Message Ads and Conversation Ads to members outside the EU. For EU audiences the same role goes to a Document Ad or a Thought Leader Ad in the feed.
How big does a LinkedIn matched audience need to be?
LinkedIn serves a matched audience once 300 members match. Upload companies as well as people when a single week's invitation list is smaller than that.
What is the minimum budget for LinkedIn Ads?
LinkedIn sets a minimum of $10 a day per campaign. Spend scales with the size of the audience and how often you want each person to see the ad.
ONE LIST, TWO CHANNELS
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