Quick Answer
Yes, it is possible to run LinkedIn ads on your personal profile. However, LinkedIn recommends using a Company Page rather than a personal profile when running ads for a few reasons:
- Company Pages allow for greater targeting options and insights
- Company Pages look more professional and credible to prospects
- Company Pages can have multiple admins, allowing you to collaborate with others
So while you can technically run ads from a personal profile, it’s best to create a Company Page for your business and run ads from there.
Overview
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 722 million members. This makes it an excellent place to run targeted ads to reach your ideal customers and prospects.
When setting up LinkedIn ads, you have two options for where the ads can come from:
- A personal profile
- A Company Page
Both options allow you to run Sponsored Content, Message Ads, Text Ads, and more. However, Company Pages provide greater functionality, insights, and credibility.
Here’s an overview of the key pros and cons of using a personal profile vs Company Page for LinkedIn ads:
Personal Profile
Pros:
- Quick and easy set up process
- Don’t need to create a Company Page
Cons:
- Limited targeting and audience options
- No ability to create ad accounts and manage collaborators
- Appears less professional without Company Page branding
- No LinkedIn Page Insights to optimize ads
Company Page
Pros:
- More targeting options for your ads
- Ad accounts allow collaboration with others
- Pages Insights provide data to optimize campaigns
- Company branding builds credibility
Cons:
- Need to set up Company Page first
- Slightly more complex setup process
So in summary, while you can run LinkedIn ads from a personal profile, LinkedIn strongly recommends using a Company Page for the best results.
Can I legally run LinkedIn ads on my personal profile?
Yes, running LinkedIn ads on your personal profile is allowed within LinkedIn’s policies. However, to avoid issues, be sure your ads and targeting comply with LinkedIn’s advertising guidelines below:
- Ads must comply with LinkedIn’s Professional Community Policies
- Ads cannot contain fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading claims
- Targeting must be based on professional demographics and criteria
- Ads must clearly represent your business, product, or service
- Ads cannot promote illegal or regulated products and services
As long as your LinkedIn ads and targeting follow these rules, it is perfectly legal to run them from a personal profile.
However, a Company Page that clearly represents your business will be viewed as more legitimate and credible.
What are the limits for LinkedIn ads on personal profiles?
When running LinkedIn ads on a personal profile, you’ll face some limitations compared to Company Pages:
Targeting Options
Personal profiles have less targeting options available. You can target by location, age, gender, interests, skills, company name and more.
However, Company Pages unlock more advanced options like:
- Job title targeting
- Company size targeting
- Industry targeting
- Seniority level targeting
This allows for more precision in reaching your ideal customers with Company Pages.
Insights
Personal profiles provide limited analytics on your ad performance. You can see basic metrics like impressions, clicks, and spend.
But Company Pages give you access to powerful Page Insights where you can analyze:
- Page engagement over time
- Post reach and engagement
- Follower demographics
- Paid advertising data
- Content interactions
These insights help you continuously optimize your LinkedIn ads and strategy.
Branding
Ads on personal profiles will show your name and profile photo only. But Company Pages allow you to showcase your business branding, logo, images, videos, and more.
This branding builds credibility with prospects to drive more clicks and conversions.
Managing Accounts
With personal profiles, you alone manage the ads. But Company Pages let you create separate ad accounts and add collaborators to help manage campaigns.
So if you want to provide access to an agency or coworkers, you need a Company Page.
Should I use my personal profile or Company Page for LinkedIn ads?
While you can use a personal profile, LinkedIn strongly recommends setting up a Company Page to run ads.
Here are some of the key benefits of using a Company Page for LinkedIn ads:
More Targeting Options
As covered earlier, Company Pages unlock more targeting filters to reach your precise audience, like job title, seniority, company size, and more. You’re limited to basic demographic and interest targeting with a personal profile.
Powerful Insights
Company Pages give you access to Page Insights so you can view engagement metrics, follower demographics, content analytics, and advertising data to optimize efforts. Personal profiles offer limited reporting.
Greater Credibility
A Company Page allows you to showcase branding, media, and content to build authority and trust with your audience. Personal profiles only display your name and photo.
Collaboration
You can add managers and create separate ad accounts to collaborate with others by managing Company Pages. Personal profiles only allow one person to manage ads.
More Ad Options
Company Pages unlock more advanced ad formats like Message Ads, Dynamic Ads, and Lead Gen Forms. You’re limited to simpler ads on personal profiles.
So in summary, Company Pages provide greater targeting, insights, authority, collaboration, and ad options compared to personal profiles. The advantages are very significant.
Step-by-Step: How to Run LinkedIn Ads on Personal Profile
If you still prefer to run LinkedIn ads on your personal profile, here is a step-by-step guide:
Step 1: Access LinkedIn Campaign Manager
– Go to the LinkedIn Campaign Manager at https://www.linkedin.com/campaignmanager/accounts
– Log into your account
Step 2: Create Campaign
– Click “Create campaign” and choose your objective: Brand awareness, Website visits, Lead generation etc.
– Name your campaign and set the budget and duration
Step 3: Set Targeting
– Target your location, demographics, interests, skills, companies etc
– Focus on tight, relevant targeting for best results
Step 4: Design Ad
– Create your ad copy, including headline, image/video, body text, call-to-action
– Tailor ad messaging to your audience and campaign goals
Step 5: Place Bid
– Set your bid amount and payment method
– Use automatic bidding or set manual bids per click/impression
Step 6: Review and Launch
– Review your campaign settings, targeting, ads, and bids
– Launch campaign when ready!
Once live, monitor performance in Campaign Manager. Optimize targeting and ads continuously to improve results.
Tips for Running LinkedIn Ads from Personal Profiles
If you do plan to run LinkedIn ads from your personal account, here are some top tips:
Refine Targeting Frequently
Take advantage of LinkedIn’s detailed targeting options for demographics, location, interests, skills, and more. Routinely refine your targeting to improve results.
A/B Test Ad Variations
Try different ad headlines, images, text, layouts, and calls-to-action. Set up A/B ad tests to determine what messaging resonates most.
Mention Your Business
Although you don’t have a Company Page, mention your business name prominently in the ad copy to provide context.
Use Professional Photo
Make sure your profile photo looks polished and professional since it will appear in your ads. Avoid casual selfies.
Share Company Updates
Stay active posting company news and content on your profile to showcase expertise and build credibility.
Link to Company Site
Include links to your business website in the ad text and display URL so visitors can easily learn more.
Focusing on precision targeting, compelling messaging, branded visuals, and prominent calls-to-action can help boost ad performance even without a Company Page. Routinely test and optimize based on insights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about running LinkedIn ads on personal profiles:
What types of ads can I run from a personal profile?
You can run Sponsored Content, Message Ads, Text Ads, Dynamic Ads, and more. You have access to most of LinkedIn’s ad formats.
Can I manage collaborators from a personal profile?
No, only Company Pages allow you to add additional managers and create separate ad accounts.
Is there a way to add my business branding?
Not directly, but you can mention your business prominently in the ad text, images, headline, and display URL.
Can I reuse content from my Company Page?
Yes, you can repurpose visual assets, articles, and other content from a Company Page when running ads from your profile.
Do personal profile ads appear less professional?
They may appear slightly less authoritative without company branding. But you can build credibility through targeting, messaging, and posting expertise.
Can I convert my profile into a Company Page later?
Yes, LinkedIn allows you to convert an individual profile into a Company Page down the line if needed.
Conclusion
Although possible, running LinkedIn ads from a personal profile has notable limitations compared to Company Pages. You miss out on advanced targeting options, collaborative ad management, and powerful Page Insights for optimization.
Company Pages also showcase branding to build credibility, unlock more ad formats, and enable seamless teamwork. For best results, LinkedIn heavily favors Company Pages over individual profiles for advertising.
However, you can still run compliant, relevant, and well-targeted ads from a personal profile in a professional manner. If you take the time to refine targeting, craft compelling messaging, and actively post expertise, personal profile ads can still drive interest and clicks, albeit at a disadvantage.
Carefully weigh the pros and cons and consider your specific business needs. For larger brands and advertisers, Company Pages are almost always the better choice. But personal profiles can work on a limited basis in some situations when thoughtfully executed.
