Yes, you can create carousel ads on LinkedIn. LinkedIn rolled out carousel ads in 2018 as a new ad format option. Carousel ads allow advertisers to showcase multiple pieces of content in one ad unit. This can be an effective way to tell a more complete brand story and highlight various products, services, promotions, etc.
What are the benefits of using carousel ads on LinkedIn?
There are several potential benefits to using carousel ads on LinkedIn:
Showcase more content
With a carousel ad, you can showcase up to 10 cards/images within a single ad unit. This allows you to feature a greater breadth of content than a static, single image ad. You can use the multiple cards to:
– Highlight different products or services
– Feature various customer testimonials or reviews
– Tell a more complete brand story across multiple assets
– Promote different offers or call-to-actions
Stand out in the feed
Carousel ads breathe new life into LinkedIn’s mobile feed. The sliding cards create movement and visual interest. This can help your ad stand out against static content in the feed.
Keep viewers engaged
By swiping through the carousel cards, viewers are interacting with your ad. This builds engagement and leads to higher overall viewer time. According to LinkedIn, carousel ads see up to 2x higher engagement compared to single image ads.
Target content to audiences
You can tailor each carousel card to a different audience segment based on their interests, pain points, or where they are in the buyer’s journey. For example, you can showcase an educational overview video for top-of-funnel viewers and a promotional offer for those ready to convert.
Split test content
The multiple cards allow you to A/B test different images, captions, offers, and calls-to-action. You can see which perform best and optimize accordingly.
Retarget visitors
If someone engages with your carousel ad but doesn’t convert, you can retarget them later with a new ad featuring different content. The new message may better convince them to convert.
What are the key features of LinkedIn carousel ads?
Here are some of the notable features and options for LinkedIn carousel ads:
Up to 10 cards per ad
Each carousel ad can showcase up to 10 cards or images. This gives you flexibility in how much content you feature.
Square 1:1 images
The required image dimensions for carousel ads are 1080×1080 pixels. Images must be high resolution square images.
Up to 20 text characters per card
Each card can feature a small amount of overlay text – up to 20 characters. You can use this for short slogans, promo codes, CTA text, etc.
Video cards
In addition to static images, you can also include up to 4 video cards in each carousel ad. Videos auto-play as muted when viewed.
Call-to-action button
Each ad can feature one call-to-action button below the carousel. For example, “Shop Now” or “Start Free Trial”.
Ad rotation
You can choose whether your carousel cards rotate automatically or are viewed through manual swiping. Automatic rotating keeps content fresh if the viewer pause on the ad.
Detailed targeting options
Carousel ads leverage LinkedIn’s detailed targeting based on job role, industry, interests, company, location, and more. You can further target ads using Matched Audiences from your email lists or website visitors.
Step-by-step guide to creating a LinkedIn carousel ad
Here is a step-by-step walkthrough of how to create a carousel ad on LinkedIn:
Step 1: Access the LinkedIn Campaign Manager
– Log into your LinkedIn business account and access the “Campaign Manager”. This is where you’ll create, manage, and monitor LinkedIn ads.
Step 2: Create a new campaign
– Click the blue “+ Create campaign” button to start setting up a new ad campaign. Choose your campaign objective, such as traffic or conversions.
Step 3: Set up the campaign details
– Enter your campaign name, budget, schedule, and other settings. Use the targeting tools to define your campaign’s target audience.
Step 4: Create a carousel ad
– Within the campaign, click “Create an ad”. Choose the “Carousel” ad format.
Step 5: Design the carousel cards
– Upload up to 10 image files for the individual carousel cards. Arrange them in the desired order. Optionally add up to 20 overlay text characters per card.
Step 6: Add a call-to-action button
– Add a CTA button below the carousel, such as “Register” or “Contact Us”.
Step 7: Preview and launch ad
– Preview how the carousel ad will look on mobile and desktop. Make any final edits. When ready, launch the campaign and start advertising!
Step 8: Monitor and optimize performance
– In the Campaign Manager, monitor metrics like impressions, clicks, and conversions. Tweak targeting or creative as needed to improve results.
Carousel ad best practices
To maximize the impact of your LinkedIn carousel ads, keep these best practices in mind:
Use high-quality images
Visually stunning, professional images will best grab attention in the carousel cards. Avoid cluttered images or too much text overlay.
Highlight one product/service per card
Resist the urge to overload each carousel card. Focus on one key product, service, or message per card for clarity.
Use concise overlay text
The 20-character limit forces you to use short, hard-hitting text. Highlight promos, offers, or key brand differentiators.
Rotate your ads frequently
Update your carousel cards regularly with fresh content to keep viewers engaged. LinkedIn reporting helps guide optimization.
Combine video and images
Mixing video cards and static images provides visual variety. Just ensure videos are short, simple, and convey one key message.
Personalize the experience
Use LinkedIn’s robust targeting to deliver relevant, personalized ads to different audience segments. Send each segment content tailored to their needs.
Drive clicks to a specific landing page
The carousel CTA button should send clicks to a landing page specifically aligned to the ad creative and audience.
Do LinkedIn carousel ads work?
Yes, when executed effectively, LinkedIn carousel ads can deliver strong results and ROI. Here are a few stats on their performance:
33% higher CTR vs single image ads
LinkedIn has reported carousel ads generate an average 33% higher click-through rate compared to regular static image ads.
18% lower CPC vs single image ads
Carousel ads yield an average 18% lower cost-per-click than standard LinkedIn image ads due to their increased engagement and optimization.
2x higher engagement
Carousel ads see up to 2x more engagement measured in viewer time compared to single image ads.
High ad recall
Nielsen Neuroscience research found LinkedIn carousel ads score 19% higher on overall ad recall compared to other formats.
So in short – yes, carousel ads can deliver boosts in key performance metrics like CTR, CPC, engagement rate, and recall. But quality execution and testing is key.
Examples of effective LinkedIn carousel ads
Here are a few examples of LinkedIn advertisers running clever, high-performing carousel ad campaigns:
Microsoft
Microsoft uses LinkedIn carousel ads to promote its software and cloud services to B2B professionals. The cards focus on a specific product benefit – like reliability or security.
Oracle
Oracle carousel ads highlight customer success stories. Each card features a quote from a major brand discussing how Oracle helped solve a business challenge.
Salesforce
Salesforce carousel ads promote special content offers like guides, research reports, and infographics. They attract opt-ins by offering exclusive downloads.
Adobe
To generate leads, Adobe carousel ads focus each card on a different popular software product. The CTA invites viewers to request a free demo.
SAP
SAP carousel ads take a “less is more” approach – using minimal overlay text and letting bold imagery tell the story.
Conclusion
In closing, carousel ads give marketers a powerful new tool to capture attention and drive engagement on LinkedIn. By using high-quality creative, thoughtful targeting, and compelling content tailored to each viewer, carousel ads can deliver superior results versus traditional static ads. Follow LinkedIn’s best practices, continually test and optimize, and carousel ads can become an integral part of an impactful LinkedIn ad strategy.