The call-to-action (CTA) button is one of the most important elements of a LinkedIn carousel ad. It prompts the viewer to take a specific action, like signing up for a newsletter, downloading content, or purchasing a product or service. Optimizing the CTA button can significantly improve ad performance and conversion rates.
What is a LinkedIn Carousel Ad?
LinkedIn carousel ads allow advertisers to showcase multiple pieces of content in one ad unit. They work similarly to a carousel on a website – viewers can swipe left and right to scroll through different slides or cards.
Each card in a LinkedIn carousel ad can contain images, videos, text, and CTA buttons. Using multiple pieces of content allows you to tell a more compelling story, demonstrate various features/benefits, and guide the viewer through your sales funnel within a single ad.
Benefits of LinkedIn Carousel Ads
There are several key advantages to using LinkedIn carousel ads versus single image ads:
- Display more content – Get to showcase up to 10 cards with different text, images, videos, and CTAs
- Keep viewers engaged – Carousels have higher view-through rates as viewers swipe through multiple cards
- Send different messages – Highlight diverse products, features, offers, or brand messages in each card
- Guide prospects through funnel – Use cards to educate prospects and move them closer to converting
- Improve relevance – Match different cards to viewer’s interests and role to boost relevance
- Stand out – Carousels have higher view rates and lower cost-per-click compared to single image ads
Elements of a LinkedIn Carousel Ad
There are a few key elements that go into creating each card in a LinkedIn carousel ad:
- Visual – Image or video that captures viewer attention
- Text – Brief headline and description (under 150 characters)
- Branding – Logos and visual styling
- CTA button – Call-to-action button to drive desired conversion
- Link – URL the card will send visitors to when clicked
Aligning each of these elements to your campaign goals and viewer’s customer journey is crucial for success. The CTA button plays an integral role in driving conversions.
Best Practices for LinkedIn Carousel Ad CTA Buttons
Follow these best practices when creating CTAs for your LinkedIn carousel ads:
- Place prominently – The CTA should be visible at first glance, often centered at the bottom of the card image.
- Use contrasting colors – Make the CTA stand out from the background using high contrast colors.
- Keep text short and action-oriented – Use clear verb phrases like “Download now” or “Sign up.”
- Use relevant messaging – Reflect what the offer or content is and match viewer’s place in the sales funnel.
- Consistency across cards – Use the same CTA style, color scheme, size, and placement.
- Send to a dedicated landing page – Make sure your CTA links connect to a page aligned to the viewer action.
- Drive micro-conversions – Ask for smaller commitments first before larger conversions.
- Test variations – Experiment with different messages, designs, placements to optimize performance.
Types of LinkedIn Carousel Ad CTA Buttons
Some of the most effective types of CTAs to test on LinkedIn carousel ads include:
Request Demo CTAs
If you are promoting a product or service, include CTAs that allow prospects to request or schedule a demo. This removes friction in the purchase process.
Download Content CTAs
Offering exclusive content like whitepapers, ebooks, or guides in exchange for contact information is a great way to generate leads.
Sign-Up CTAs
Ask prospects to sign-up for newsletters, product updates, or event notifications to keep your brand top of mind.
Watch Video CTAs
If your cards include video content, add CTAs to encourage continued viewership and engagement.
Shop Now CTAs
For product businesses, add shop now or buy now CTAs to link directly to your online store or commerce platform.
Contact Us CTAs
Make it easy for interested prospects to follow-up via phone or email contact options.
Visit Site CTAs
Drive traffic to key landing pages on your website showcasing products, content offers, or more details.
Register for Event CTAs
If promoting webinars or in-person events, use CTAs to get visitors signed up to attend.
Follow on Social CTAs
Build awareness by asking viewers to follow your LinkedIn company page or other social media profiles.
Learn More CTAs
For top-funnel ads focused on education, use CTAs to direct visitors to resources to continue learning.
Optimizing LinkedIn Carousel Ad CTA Buttons
To improve CTA performance for your LinkedIn carousel ads, incorporate these optimization best practices:
- A/B test different CTA buttons and language
- Make CTAs consistent with each ad’s objective and target audience
- Ensure CTAs stand out visually on each card
- Test placement in upper vs lower half of cards
- Try directing CTAs to different landing pages
- Analyze CTRs by card and adjust low performers
- Review click-to-lead and conversion rates
- Refine ad targeting based on converts vs non-converts
Example LinkedIn Carousel Ad CTA Buttons
To make these concepts more concrete, here are some LinkedIn carousel ad CTA button examples from different brands:
HubSpot
HubSpot uses clear “Get the guide” CTAs in their carousel ads to obtain lead contacts in exchange for an exclusive resource.
VMware
VMware ads highlight diverse content offers focused on education first before promoting their wider catalog of products.
Snowflake
Snowflake drives visitors to live and on-demand webinar content to generate high-intent leads.
RingCentral
RingCentral ads focus on promoting free trial sign-ups to get prospects engaged with their software.
ZipRecruiter
ZipRecruiter simplifies their CTAs to focus on driving visits to their website and product pages.
Key Takeaways
Optimizing your LinkedIn carousel ad CTA buttons is critical for improving performance and conversions for your campaigns. Following UX best practices and aligning with your ad objectives will help generate more clicks and leads.
Some key tips include:
- Place CTAs prominently and use high contrast colors
- Craft action-oriented text e.g. “Download now”
- Ensure consistency in CTA style across carousel cards
- Link to relevant, dedicated landing pages
- Test different CTA types and language
- Analyze click and conversion rates to refine CTAs
Taking the time to optimize your LinkedIn carousel ad CTA buttons will directly translate to higher ad ROI and more conversions for your business.
| CTA Type | Example Text | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Request Demo | Schedule a Demo | Promoting software trial or sales conversations |
| Download Content | Get the Ebook | Lead generation with gated content |
| Sign-Up | Subscribe Now | Email newsletter or update signups |
| Watch Video | View Webinar | Driving engagement with video content |
| Shop Now | Buy Now | Ecommerce purchase driving ads |
| Contact Us | Get in Touch | Facilitating prospect conversations |
| Visit Site | See Our Products | Sending traffic to key webpages |
| Register for Event | RSVP Now | Getting signups for webinars or conferences |
| Follow on Social | Follow Us on Twitter | Building social media followers |
| Learn More | Read the Article | Directing to educational or informational content |
Conclusion
LinkedIn carousel ads present a big opportunity to drive conversions and engagement. But simply creating them isn’t enough – you need to meticulously optimize each element, especially the CTAs. Following UX and design best practices can significantly improve your CTA click and conversion rates.
Test different messaging, placements, contrast, size, and connections to landing pages. Offer CTAs aligned to each ad objective and viewer’s place in the sales funnel. Analyze performance and continuously refine over time. Higher performing CTAs will equal higher ROI from your LinkedIn carousel ad campaigns.
