LinkedIn ad credits are a form of digital advertising currency that can be used to purchase ads on LinkedIn. LinkedIn provides ad credits to incentivize businesses and organizations to advertise on their platform. Ad credits allow you to try LinkedIn advertising at low risk before committing a full advertising budget.
How do you get ad credits on LinkedIn?
There are a few ways to obtain LinkedIn ad credits:
- New LinkedIn advertisers may be eligible for a free ad credit promotion when setting up their first campaign. This usually ranges from $25-$100 in free ad credit.
- Existing advertisers may be offered periodic re-engagement ad credits. LinkedIn may provide these credits if you haven’t advertised in a while to encourage you to try again.
- You can earn credits by participating in LinkedIn’s advertising partner programs. Partners like AdRoll and WordStream often provide their customers with free LinkedIn ad credits.
- LinkedIn sales representatives may provide ad credits to incentivize big advertising commitments. If you spend a certain amount on LinkedIn ads, they may offer a percentage back in ad credits.
- Attending or sponsoring LinkedIn events like LinkedIn Marketing Solutions summits can earn you ad credit giveaways.
- Referring a business to LinkedIn Advertising through their referral program earns you $100 in ad credit after they spend $25.
How do ad credits work on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn ad credits work like cash to pay for your LinkedIn advertising. Here’s how it works:
- Ad credits are applied to your LinkedIn advertising account after you create your first campaign.
- When you accrue ad credits, they appear as a balance in your advertising account.
- As you run advertising campaigns, your ad credit balance is reduced by the amount spent.
- You can use ad credits for any LinkedIn advertising objective, including Sponsored Content, Sponsored InMail, Text Ads, and more.
- Ad credits can only be used to pay for LinkedIn ads, not third-party partner advertising.
- Any unused ad credit balance expires after 12 months if not used.
Essentially, ad credits allow you to purchase LinkedIn advertising at full value but using a promotional credit instead of actual dollars. The ads you run with credits function exactly the same as if you paid for them with your own money.
Why does LinkedIn offer ad credits?
LinkedIn provides ad credits to serve a few strategic purposes:
- Acquire new advertisers – Ad credits give new advertisers free money to experiment with LinkedIn ads at no financial risk. This gets more businesses hooked on LinkedIn advertising.
- Reactivate inactive accounts – Dormant advertisers are enticed to resume advertising if LinkedIn grants them free ad credit.
- Reward loyal advertisers – Giving ad credits to consistent advertisers incentivizes them to maintain their spending.
- Promote products – Ad credits may be offered for specific ad products LinkedIn wants to grow, like video ads.
- Advertiser discounts – For big ad commitments, LinkedIn may provide ad credits as a form of discounted media.
Overall, ad credits allow LinkedIn to cost-effectively grow their advertising revenue from businesses. It’s a strategic incentive for advertisers at relatively little direct cost to LinkedIn.
What are the pros and cons of LinkedIn ad credits?
Here are the key benefits and drawbacks of LinkedIn’s ad credit program:
Pros:
- Free advertising – Ad credits let you test LinkedIn advertising at no cost. Great for new advertisers with no LinkedIn budget history.
- Flexible use – Credits can be used for any type and number of ad campaigns, giving you control.
- Low risk – You aren’t spending your actual media budget, so ad credits allow you to experiment freely.
Cons:
- Limited availability – Ad credits are provided intermittently. You can’t rely on receiving them regularly.
- Expire quickly – Credits typically expire within 12 months, so you must use them promptly.
- Small amounts – Ad credit amounts are minor compared to paid media budgets. Don’t expect huge free promotions.
5 tips for using LinkedIn ad credits
Here are 5 suggested tips for making the most of LinkedIn ad credits:
- Act quickly once received – Redeem credits right away before they expire.
- Test new ideas – Use credits to experiment with new ad formats or content you otherwise wouldn’t risk.
- Target narrowly – Focus ad credit spend on your most niche, targeted audience segments.
- Measure results – Run A/B test campaigns and analyze performance data.
- Scale winners – If a campaign does well, invest your real ad budget into scaling it up.
Can you transfer LinkedIn ad credits?
LinkedIn ad credits are non-transferable. The credits are tied specifically to the LinkedIn advertiser account that earned them. There is no way to transfer ad credits to another account or advertiser.
If you operate multiple LinkedIn advertising accounts, you cannot combine ad credit balances across accounts or transfer credits from one to another. The credits must be used on the specific account that accrued them.
Do LinkedIn ad credits expire?
Yes, LinkedIn ad credits do expire if not used within 12 months. Make sure to redeem any earned ad credits promptly within the year before they disappear from your account’s balance.
Expiration periods may vary for some promotional ad credits, but 12 months is the standard. LinkedIn will notify you via email in advance of any pending ad credit expiration dates.
Once ad credits expire, they cannot be reinstated or extended. The only option is to earn fresh ad credits through new promotions.
Can I redeem LinkedIn ad credits for cash?
No, LinkedIn does not allow advertisers to redeem unused ad credits for cash refunds. The credits have no cash value and cannot be converted to money under any circumstance.
Ad credits are solely for purchasing LinkedIn advertising. If any credit balance remains after expiration, it simply disappears – it cannot be withdrawn or paid out.
Are ad credits tax deductible?
Businesses cannot claim standard tax deductions on LinkedIn ad credits specifically. However, the advertising purchased with ad credits is still tax deductible. Ad credits are basically a discount on regular ads.
You can deduct any LinkedIn advertising campaign expenses on business taxes, including portions covered by ad credits. Just be sure to only deduct the actual out-of-pocket ad spend from your taxes, not the total media cost including credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of ads can I purchase with LinkedIn ad credits?
You can use LinkedIn ad credits to pay for any advertising format on LinkedIn, including Sponsored Content, Sponsored InMail, Text Ads, Dynamic Ads, and more. The credits are valid for all ad products.
How much ad credit does LinkedIn typically provide?
Ad credit amounts vary, but are typically $25-$100 for new advertiser promotions. Existing advertisers may get $200-$500 in re-engagement credits. Large ad commitments can earn thousands in credits.
Can I use ad credits with LinkedIn advertising partners?
No, LinkedIn ad credits can only be applied to advertising directly purchased through LinkedIn. You cannot use them for ads bought externally via partners.
Are ad credits available in every country?
No, ad credits are only redeemable in countries where LinkedIn paid advertising is available. Credits won’t work in regions without active LinkedIn ad markets.
Can I bid higher by combining ad credits and money?
Yes, if your campaign budget is $100, you could place a max bid of $75 using $50 of ad credit and $25 of your actual funds. Credits can supplement paid budgets.
How do I check my LinkedIn ad credit balance?
Sign into your LinkedIn ad account and navigate to the billing page. Your current ad credit balance will be listed at the top, alongside your monetary credit card balance.
Conclusion
LinkedIn ad credits provide free promotional money to incentivize advertising on LinkedIn. credits allow brands to test LinkedIn ads at no financial risk. While the amounts are limited, credits are great for new advertisers and experimenting with campaigns.
To maximize value, use credits quickly for focused testing of niche audience segments and new creative approaches – then scale what works with your real ad budget. Ad credits can be a strategic way to cost-effectively launch and refine your LinkedIn advertising.