When creating ads on LinkedIn, it’s important to understand the different ad formats and sizes available to make sure your ads look great and capture attention. LinkedIn offers a variety of ad formats including Text Ads, Sponsored Content, Message Ads, Dynamic Ads and more. Each format has recommendations and requirements for dimensions, file sizes, aspect ratios and lengths.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down the size requirements for every LinkedIn ad format so you can create visually compelling ads optimized for the platform.
Text Ads
Text ads on LinkedIn contain a headline, description and display URL. They appear in the LinkedIn feed and messages.
Specifications:
– Headline: 25 characters
– Description: 75 characters
– Display URL: 15 characters
So in total, a LinkedIn text ad can contain up to 115 characters of text.
The ads are designed to blend seamlessly into the LinkedIn feed and capture attention with concise, relevant messaging. Keeping text ads short and compelling is key.
Sponsored Content
Sponsored Content on LinkedIn allows you to publish native ads that match the look and feel of organic posts. These in-feed ads can include images, video and text.
Image Sponsored Content:
– Image Size: 1,024 x 512 pixels
– Aspect Ratio: 1.91:1 – 2:1
– Image Format: JPG or PNG
– File Size: 10MB max
Video Sponsored Content:
– Aspect Ratio: 1.91:1
– Video Format: MP4 or MOV
– Length: Up to 10 minutes
– File Size: 200MB max
Text Length:
– Headline: 25 characters
– Description: 150 characters
Sponsored Content sizes allow brands to share visual stories while keeping text concise. Images and videos should be high-quality and attention-grabbing.
Message Ads
Message ads on LinkedIn appear in the LinkedIn Messaging section. They’re designed to drive clicks and encourage recipients to take direct action.
Specifications:
– Headline: 25 characters
– Body Text: 300 characters
– Image Size: 300 x 250 pixels
– Call to Action Button: 30 characters
Message ads combine brief text and a bold CTA button with a square image. Keeping text short and clear is recommended, as message ads have limited space.
Dynamic Ads
Dynamic ads on LinkedIn automatically showcase specific products or content to targets based on their profile data and activity. The ads pull personalized content from a LinkedIn Business Page.
Specifications:
– Image Size: 400 x 400 pixels
– Aspect Ratio: 1:1
– Image Format: JPG or PNG
– File Size: 10MB max
– Headline: 25 characters
– Description: 75 characters
Dynamic ads adapt to each viewer but the image size stays consistent. Square 1:1 images tend to perform best.
Sponsored InMail
Sponsored InMail allows sending customized messages directly to LinkedIn members. These paid messages appear alongside regular LinkedIn messages.
Specifications:
– Subject Line: 100 characters
– Body Text: 2,000 characters
Sponsored InMail provides a large amount of space for writing an engaging personalized message. The subject line should capture attention.
Text Ad vs Image Sizes
To visualize the differences between text ad and image sizes on LinkedIn, here’s a comparison:
| Ad Format | Text Length | Image Size |
|---|---|---|
| Text Ad | 25-75 characters | None |
| Sponsored Content | 25-150 characters | 1024 x 512 px |
| Message Ad | 25-300 characters | 300 x 250 px |
This illustrates the major differences in text vs image sizes between common LinkedIn ad formats. Text ads have no images, while Sponsored Content and Message Ads require large, attention-grabbing images.
Creative Best Practices
When designing ads for LinkedIn, keep these key creative best practices in mind:
– Use high-quality, eye-catching images that align with your industry and messaging. Avoid generic stock photos.
– For Sponsored Content and Dynamic Ads, use images with a 1.91:1 or 2:1 aspect ratio. This vertical orientation performs well in-feed.
– Message Ads look best with square 1:1 ratio images. Horizontal images can also work.
– Optimize images for web and compress files to keep file sizes low. LinkedIn recommends JPGs and PNGs under 10MB.
– With text, focus on writing compelling headlines and descriptions within the character limits. Be clear and concise.
– Personalize content when possible using LinkedIn’s targeting and segmentation tools. Tailor messaging to your audience’s needs and interests.
– Provide a strong call-to-action so viewers know what action to take next. “Learn More” and “Get Started” are good default options.
Conclusion
Understanding LinkedIn’s advertising specifications allows you to create ads optimized for the platform. Follow the recommended dimensions, file sizes, aspect ratios and text limits for each ad format. Invest time in visually striking images and videos that catch the viewer’s eye. Keep text tight, clear and relevant. Combine these best practices to develop engaging LinkedIn ads that generate results.
