LinkedIn has four families of ads: Sponsored Content in the feed, Sponsored Messaging in the inbox, Dynamic Ads and Text Ads in the right-hand rail, plus Lead Gen Forms that work with most of them. Inside those families sit 14 formats, from single image and document ads to conversation ads and Connected TV. The right one depends on whether you want people to notice you, consider you or contact you.
Below is every LinkedIn ad type, where it appears, the specs that matter and when we use it for B2B clients.
All LinkedIn ad types at a glance
| Ad type | Family | Where it shows | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single image ads | Sponsored Content | Feed | Traffic and offers |
| Video ads | Sponsored Content | Feed | Awareness and explaining a product |
| Carousel ads | Sponsored Content | Feed | Several products, features or steps |
| Document ads | Sponsored Content | Feed | Gated guides and lead generation |
| Thought Leader ads | Sponsored Content | Feed | Trust, using posts from your people |
| Event ads | Sponsored Content | Feed | Webinar and event registrations |
| Article and newsletter ads | Sponsored Content | Feed | Long-form thought leadership |
| Job ads | Sponsored Content | Feed and jobs | Hiring |
| Connected TV ads | Sponsored Content | Streaming TV | Brand awareness at scale |
| Conversation ads | Sponsored Messaging | Inbox | Demo and content offers with several paths |
| Message ads | Sponsored Messaging | Inbox | One direct invitation or offer |
| Spotlight ads | Dynamic Ads | Right rail, desktop | Personalized traffic driving |
| Follower ads | Dynamic Ads | Right rail, desktop | Growing your company page |
| Text ads | Text Ads | Right rail, desktop | Low-cost clicks on small budgets |
Specs below come from LinkedIn’s official ads guide.
Sponsored Content
Sponsored Content appears in the LinkedIn feed on desktop and mobile, between posts from people’s own networks. It is where most LinkedIn budgets go.
Single image ads
One image, a headline, intro text and a call-to-action button. Images are 1200 x 627 pixels, PNG or JPG, under 5MB. Simple to build, simple to test, and the baseline every other format gets measured against.
Video ads
MP4 files under 500MB and up to 30 minutes long, in several aspect ratios. In practice, 15 to 30 seconds holds attention best. Video tends to bring a lower cost per lead than static images once you retarget the people who watched.
Carousel ads
Two to ten swipeable cards, ideally 1080 x 1080 pixels and under 10MB each. Good for a product range, a step-by-step process or several proof points in one ad.
Document ads
PDF, DOCX or PPTX files up to 100MB and 300 pages, readable in the feed with no landing page. You can show a few pages free and ask for contact details before the rest. This is one of our most reliable lead generation formats.
Thought Leader ads
Promote posts from your founders, experts or employees, including text, image, video, article and newsletter posts. Because they come from a person rather than a logo, they usually earn more engagement for the same budget.
Event ads
Promote a LinkedIn Event page, with intro text up to 600 characters. Built for webinar and event registrations.
Article and newsletter ads
Sponsor native LinkedIn articles or newsletters from verified authors to grow readership and subscribers.
Job ads
Promote an existing job post to qualified candidates, with intro text up to 150 characters.
Connected TV ads
Run video on streaming TV while keeping LinkedIn’s professional targeting. An upper-funnel format for larger brand budgets.
Sponsored Messaging
Sponsored Messaging lands in members’ LinkedIn inboxes. It is billed per send rather than per click.
Conversation ads
A message with up to 5 call-to-action buttons, so each reader can choose their own path: book a demo, download a guide or see pricing. Messages can run up to 8,000 characters, with an optional 300 x 250 pixel banner on desktop.
Message ads
A single direct message of up to 1,500 characters with one call-to-action button of up to 20 characters. Best for one clear invitation, such as a webinar seat or a consultation.
Dynamic Ads and Text Ads
These sit in the right-hand rail on desktop. They are small, cheap and easy to ignore, but useful on tight budgets.
Spotlight ads personalize the ad with the viewer’s profile details and send traffic to your site. Follower ads grow your company page. Both use a 100 x 100 pixel logo and a headline of up to 50 characters. Text ads are the simplest self-serve option, with the same small logo and headline limits.
Lead Gen Forms
Lead Gen Forms are not a separate ad type. They attach to Sponsored Content and Sponsored Messaging and open inside LinkedIn, pre-filled from the member’s profile. You get up to 12 form fields and 3 custom questions, with CRM integrations and CSV download. Because nobody has to load a landing page or type their details, far more people complete them.
Which ad type to choose for each goal
| Goal | Ad types that fit |
|---|---|
| Get known by a new audience | Video, Thought Leader, Connected TV, article and newsletter ads |
| Get considered against competitors | Carousel, single image to a comparison page, document ads with the first pages free |
| Get leads | Document ads or single image with Lead Gen Forms, Conversation ads to warm audiences |
| Fill a webinar or event | Event ads, Message ads to a targeted list |
| Hire | Job ads |
| Small budget test | Text ads and Spotlight ads |
The mix we start most B2B accounts with
- Document ads with Lead Gen Forms to cold audiences, offering a genuinely useful guide or benchmark.
- Thought Leader ads from a founder or expert to build familiarity at a lower cost per engagement.
- Conversation ads to people who engaged with either, offering a call or a demo.
Format choice also changes what you pay. Single image clicks often cost $8 to $12, while Message ads are billed at $0.20 to $1 per send. We cover the full numbers in how much LinkedIn ads cost.
If you want this set up and managed for you, our LinkedIn ads agency team builds the formats, audiences and Lead Gen Forms, and reports on qualified leads as part of our PPC management.
FAQ
How many types of LinkedIn ads are there?
LinkedIn’s ads guide lists 14 formats across four families: Sponsored Content, Sponsored Messaging, Dynamic Ads and Text Ads. Lead Gen Forms add a form to most of them.
Which LinkedIn ad type is best for lead generation?
Document ads or single image ads paired with Lead Gen Forms, then Conversation ads to people who have already engaged. The pre-filled forms remove the biggest drop-off point.
What size should LinkedIn single image ads be?
1200 x 627 pixels, PNG or JPG, under 5MB.
Are LinkedIn Text ads worth using?
For small budgets, yes. Clicks are cheap, often $3 to $6, but click-through rates are very low, so they suit testing messages more than driving volume.