LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 700 million members. As one of the most popular social media platforms for business professionals, LinkedIn offers a unique opportunity for companies to promote their brand and products through advertising.
One of the main types of ads on LinkedIn is banner ads. Banner ads are rectangular image or text ads that appear at the top or sides of a LinkedIn page. When a user clicks on a banner ad, they are redirected to the advertiser’s website or landing page.
Banner ads allow businesses to reach a massive audience of working professionals in a visual and attention-grabbing format. But in order to create effective LinkedIn banner ads, it’s important to understand the key features, requirements, sizes, and best practices.
What are the key features of LinkedIn banner ads?
LinkedIn banner ads have several defining features:
– Visual – Banner ads rely on images, graphics, or text to capture attention. They should use colors, fonts, and design aligned with a brand’s style.
– Clickable – The goal of banner ads is to drive traffic to an external site. They must include a clickable call-to-action that sends users to a landing page.
– Attention-grabbing – Banner ads are designed to stand out on a page and interrupt normal content consumption. Advertisers use animation, contrast, or relevant messaging to peak interest.
– Contextual – LinkedIn allows advertisers to target banner ads by member demographics, interests, company, job title, and more. Contextual targeting increases relevance.
– Branding – In addition to driving clicks, banner ads promote brand awareness by putting a company’s name, logo, and messaging in front of a targeted audience.
What are the requirements and specs for LinkedIn banner ads?
LinkedIn has specific requirements and recommended specifications for banner ads:
– File Types: JPG, PNG, GIF (animated GIF allowed)
– Max File Size: 150 KB
– Animation Length: 15 seconds max
– Frame Rate: 24 frames per second
– Recommended Aspect Ratio: 1.91:1
– Ad Text Limit: 125 characters
– URL Limit: 1024 characters
In addition to these specs, LinkedIn banner ads must be high resolution for optimal quality on both desktop and mobile. Here are the standard banner sizes:
| Ad Unit Name | Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Leaderboard | 728 x 90 px |
| Rectangle | 300 x 250 px |
| Mobile Leaderboard | 320 x 50 px |
What are the different LinkedIn banner ad types?
There are several core LinkedIn banner ad formats advertisers can use:
– **Leaderboard** – Horizontal rectangle banner at top of page
– **Rectangle** – Vertical rectangular banner on right side
– **Mobile Leaderboard** – Horizontal banner at top of page on mobile
– **Sponsored Content** – Native ad with branded image and text
– **Sponsored InMail** – Custom email sent to targeted members
– **Text Ads** – Text-based ads targeting keywords
The placement of the banner ad unit impacts performance. Leaderboard and rectangle ads place a brand front-and-center high on the page. Sponsored content appears in the LinkedIn feed for relevant reach.
But beyond these standard options, LinkedIn offers specialty ad units like:
Conversation Ads
– Drive engagement with Q&A prompts
Spotlight Ads
– Market new product launches
Follower Ads
– Promote company follower growth
Message Ads
– Send customized messages to individuals
This diversity allows advertisers to choose banner ad types that align with campaign goals.
What are the banner ad formats and specs?
LinkedIn offers a range of banner ad formats that serve different marketing objectives:
Static Banner Ads
Static banner ads consist of a single image and stay fixed during display. They conform to standard IAB sizes:
– 728 x 90 Leaderboard
– 300 x 250 Rectangle
– 320 x 50 Mobile Leaderboard
Static banners enable brand consistency across placements. But animations and video often outperform static ads.
Animated Banner Ads
Animated banner ads incorporate movement like spinning logos, moving objects, or illustrations to capture attention. Animation length maxes out at 15 seconds. Popular formats include:
– GIFs – Comprised of multiple images in a loop
– Cinemagraphs – Mostly static with minor isolated movement
– HTML5 – Canvas animations programmed with JavaScript
Limiting animations to 3-5 frames reduces file size without compromising engagement.
Video Banner Ads
Video banner ads play an auto-sound video clip when rendered. Videos 15-30 seconds long are recommended. The most common video banner ad is:
– In-banner video – Playing video content within ad unit sizes
Video banner ads boost brand recall but can be intrusive with audio. Advertisers often include the text “sound on.”
Interactive Banner Ads
Interactive banners encourage engagement through user input like hover effects, polls, quizzes, calculators, and games. They prompt a hands-on experience beyond passive ad consumption.
What are the best practices for Optimizing LinkedIn banner ads?
These tips will help optimize LinkedIn banner ads for maximum impact:
Targeting
Leverage LinkedIn’s extensive member targeting options like job title, industry, interests, company size, etc. Well-targeted ads average 2-4x higher CTRs.
Design
Use strong visuals reflecting brand identity and minimal text for clear messaging. Leverage LinkedIn’s image and video design best practices.
Call-to-Action
CTAs should be prominently displayed and use action-driven language like “Sign up now.”
Value Proposition
Convey a concrete benefit of clicking your ad focused on the target audience’s needs and interests.
Relevance
Ensure the ad content, offer, and landing page directly align with the target audience for a cohesive experience.
Testing
A/B test ad variations to identify what imagery, copy, offers, and designs perform best. Iterate based on learnings.
Applying these tips will help LinkedIn banner ads drive more clicks, conversions, and ROI from each impression.
What are the pros and cons of LinkedIn banner ads?
LinkedIn banner ads come with unique benefits along with drawbacks to consider:
Pros
– Gain access to LinkedIn’s highly targeted B2B audience
– Generate brand awareness among relevant professionals
– Drive traffic to your site from a trusted platform
– Relatively low cost per impression compared to other paid channels
– Visually impactful canvas for showcasing products/services
– Interactive options like video and animation
Cons
– Banner blindness causes ads to be ignored
– Small text limits branding capabilities
– Difficult to convey complex messaging in banners
– Low click-through rates without relevance and testing
– Limited reach and frequency compared to content marketing
– Not inherently shareable or memorable
Overall, LinkedIn banner ads are best leveraged to achieve awareness and click-based objectives among a niche professional audience. They should be part of a broader social media strategy.
What types of companies use LinkedIn banner ads most effectively?
Certain company types are naturally suited for LinkedIn banner ad success:
– **B2B Product Companies** – Can target routes to market and buyer keywords.
– **SaaS Companies** – Access highly relevant audience for digital tools.
– **HR Tech Companies** – Reach talent acquisition decision makers.
– **Business Services Companies** – Connect with other businesses in need of services.
– **Higher Education** – Promote degrees to working professionals.
– **Professional Development Companies** – Target continuous learners and career builders.
– **Enterprise Tech Companies** – ITDMs and technologies purchasers are well-represented.
– **Financial Institutions** – Banking and financial services thrive with a professional audience.
– **Recruiting Agencies** – Reach passive and active job seekers.
B2C companies can also leverage LinkedIn ads to reach decision makers and working professionals. But the platform is ideal for B2B companies selling specialized products or services.
What types of objectives are LinkedIn banner ads most suited for?
LinkedIn banner ads are optimized for the following campaign objectives:
– **Brand Awareness** – Drive brand visibility among a niche target audience. LinkedIn guarantees impressions.
– **Lead Generation** – Motivate professionals to convert into marketing qualified leads.
– **Website Traffic** – Send professionals to your website to drive actions and conversions.
– **Audience Building** – Grow your LinkedIn company follower count.
– **Employee Recruitment** – Attract and engage passive job seekers.
– **Product Promotions** – Spotlight new product features to key accounts and prospects.
– **Event Promotion** – Increase attendance and registrations for webinars or in-person events.
– **Gated Content Promotion** – Promote downloadable guides or reports to capture lead data.
The micro-targeting capabilities make LinkedIn ads effective at driving desired actions aligned to the member’s role.
How much do LinkedIn banner ads cost?
LinkedIn banner ad pricing is based on an auction where advertisers bid against each other for ad placement. The cost per click (CPC) or cost per thousand impressions (CPM) varies based on factors like:
– Targeting selections – More specific targeting decreases competition
– Ad positioning – High visibility placements like the homepage cost more
– Engagement rate – High performing ads warrant higher bids to maintain rank
– Supply and demand – Times of high demand increase costs
On average most advertisers end up paying:
– **CPM:** $10 – $20
– **CPC:** $1 – $5
Assuming an average 0.05% click-through rate, it costs around $2,000 to get 1,000 clicks. More strategic targeting and testing can decrease costs.
Typical LinkedIn Banner Ad Budgets
| Monthly Budget | Estimated Deliverables |
|---|---|
| $500 – $2,000 | Brand awareness and minor lead gen for startups |
| $2,000 – $5,000 | Focused lead gen for small businesses |
| $5,000 – $10,000 | Volume lead gen, promotion for mid-market companies |
| $10,000+ | Large audience reach and engagement for enterprises |
With the right targeting and creative strategy, LinkedIn banner ads can deliver results cost-effectively. But larger budgets expand reach.
Conclusion
LinkedIn banner ads provide a unique way to engage B2B professionals visually with targeted messaging. By following LinkedIn’s technical guidelines and promoting relevant offers, advertisers can drive awareness, traffic, and leads.
But banner ads work best as part of a broader LinkedIn marketing plan that may include Sponsored Content, Sponsored InMail, and organic content distribution. Coordinating initiatives boosts overall engagement and ROI on the platform.
