Introduction

In today's digital world, social media advertising has become an integral part of any effective marketing strategy. LinkedIn is the largest professional networking site in the world, with over 700 million members, making it a great platform for businesses to sell their products and services. LinkedIn advertising is a potent instrument that allows organizations to access a highly-targeted audience of professionals based on their industry, job function, seniority, and other factors. To design a successful LinkedIn advertising campaign, it is essential to grasp the LinkedIn ad specifications.

Exploring LinkedIn Advertising

LinkedIn advertising is relatively simple to initiate. Initially, you must establish a free LinkedIn advertising account. After establishing your account, you may design your first advertising campaign. There are various ad options available on LinkedIn, including Sponsored Content, Sponsored InMail, Display Advertising, and Dynamic Ads. The advertisements vary in format, placement, and intended audience.

Depending on your marketing objectives, you must select the best ad format for your campaign. Sponsored Content is an excellent choice for businesses seeking to increase brand exposure and website traffic. Sponsored InMail is an effective strategy for B2B marketers seeking to create leads or cultivate relationships with existing clients. Display advertisements are helpful for promoting particular items or services to a focused audience. Lastly, Dynamic Advertising are perfect for businesses that want to produce targeted adverts based on user profile information.

Knowing LinkedIn ad specifications is essential for generating ads that engage with your target demographic and are effective. Each type of ads has its unique specifications, such as image dimensions, character restrictions, and aspect ratios. To avoid rejection or poor performance, advertisers must verify that their advertising adheres to these specifications.

Different Types of LinkedIn Ads and Specifications

LinkedIn ads typically belong to one of the following categories - Sponsored Ads, Direct Sponsored Content, Dynamic Ads. 

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content Advertisements show in desktop and mobile feeds. They are employed to generate leads, increase brand awareness, and maintain relationships throughout the sales cycle. Formats include single image ads, video ads, carousel ads etc. 

Sponsored Content - Single Image Ads Specs

Single-image ads are the most prevalent type of sponsored content on LinkedIn. The name of the advertisement is optional and limited to 255 characters. The opening text is limited to 150 characters on mobile devices and 600 characters on desktops. URLs longer than 23 characters are automatically shortened. The destination URL must begin with "http://" or "https://", and the destination link may be up to 2,000 characters.

The type and size of the advertisement's image must also be considered. You may submit JPG, PNG, or GIF files no larger than 5MB. If you choose to embed rich media, the image should have a ratio of 1.91:1 and a maximum width of 400px. The headline is limited to 70 characters, and the description should also be roughly 70 characters in length to avoid mobile truncation (300 max characters). The call-to-action (CTA) is optional, and several CTAs are available.

Sponsored Content - Video Ads Specs

LinkedIn video ads are an entertaining way to share your brand's story. The ad name is optional, and you have up to 255 characters to name your video advertisement. The introduction text is optional and may contain up to 150 characters. Video advertisements can range in length from three seconds to thirty minutes, with file sizes between 75KB and 200MB. The sole supported file format is MP4 and the frame rate is 30 frames per second.

Pixel and aspect ratio requirements change based on the direction of the video. Minimum resolution for landscape (16:9) is 640 x 360 pixels, and maximum resolution is 1920 x 1080 pixels. Minimum resolution for square (1:1) is 360 × 360 pixels, and maximum resolution is 1920 x 1920 pixels. Minimum resolution for vertical (4:5) is 360 x 450 pixels, and maximum resolution is 1536 x 1920 pixels. Ads with a 1:1 aspect ratio must have a resolution of at least 600 x 600 pixels and no more than 1080 x 1080 pixels.

The only acceptable audio formats for video advertisements are AAC and MPEG4, with an audio capacity of less than 64 kHz. Captions can only be uploaded in SRT format. The video's headline should not exceed 70 characters to avoid being cut off on the majority of devices (200 max characters). The destination URL for the link can be up to 2,000 characters and must begin with "http://" or "https://." The CTA grants access to many CTAs.

Sponsored Content - Carousel Ads Specs

Carousel advertising on LinkedIn enable advertisers to combine numerous images or videos within a single ad, so enhancing the viewer's dynamic and engaging experience. Advertisers may name their carousel ads with up to 255 characters and include up to 150 characters of introduction text to avoid truncation on certain devices (255 max characters).

Carousel advertisements must have a minimum of two and a maximum of ten cards, with a file size limit of 10 MB per card. The ideal image size for each card is 1080 x 1080 pixels with a 1:1 aspect ratio, and only JPG, PNG, and GIF formats that are not animated are supported for rich media.

Each card's headline text is limited to two lines, 45 characters for the destination URL, and 30 characters for carousel ads containing a Lead Gen Form CTA. Carousel cards may utilize destination URLs or lead to a Lead Generation Form, but carousel campaigns are ineligible for usage with LinkedIn Audience Network. Once a carousel advertisement has been saved, it cannot be modified.

Direct Sponsored Content

Direct Sponsored Content offers two primary forms of advertisements: Message Ads and Text Ads. Text Ads are brief, clickable advertisements that display in the user's feed. Message Advertising are personalized messages sent directly to a user's LinkedIn inbox. These ad formats have their own distinct criteria, allowing businesses to develop campaigns that are extremely targeted and effective.

Direct Sponsored Content - Message Ads Specs

Message Advertising are extremely effective at engaging target consumers on an individual basis. Advertisers may use up to 50 characters for the optional ad name. The sender can be selected from a list of options, and the subject line can have up to sixty characters, including spaces and punctuation. The message text is limited to 1,500 characters, including spaces and punctuation, and it may contain up to three clickable links. Advertisers may also put up to 70 characters of hyperlinked text within the message.

A maximum of 2,500 characters, including spaces and punctuation, may be used for custom terms and conditions. The maximum length of the Call-to-Action (CTA) button copy, including spaces, is twenty characters. The hyperlink or CTA must contain the landing page's URL, with a maximum of 1024 characters for the destination link. Creative for banners should be 300 × 250 pixels, saved as JPG, GIF (non-animated), or PNG (no flash), with a maximum file size of 2 MB.

Direct Sponsored Content - Text Ads Specs

Text Ads, on the other hand, are an excellent choice for firms that wish to reach a larger audience with a concise and readily digested message. Advertisers can upload an ad image with a maximum file size of 2 MB and 100 × 100 pixels. The length of the ad headline is limited to 25 characters, including spaces, and the length of the ad description is limited to 75 characters, including spaces. There must be a destination URL, with a maximum of 500 characters for the destination link. The ability to track clicks on destination URLs is supported.

Text advertisements are available in several sizes, including 300 x 250, 700 x 17, 160 x 600, 728 x 90, and 488 x 80. It is vital to note that the usage of unusual characters in the query string at the end of the URL may result in an error. Copy anything below the question mark and put it into a URL encoder such as http://meyerweb.com/eric/tools/dencoder/ if your URL generates an error. Then, replace the original query string in the URL with the copied results.

Dynamic Ads

Using member profile data, such as profile photographs, company names, and job titles, Dynamic Ads are a wonderful way to generate more targeted content. Businesses can reach larger audiences using Dynamic Advertising, however it is crucial to know that these advertisements are only available on desktops due to the small screen size of mobile devices. This article will examine the various forms of Dynamic Advertising and their respective standards.

Follower Ads Specs

Follower Advertising enables companies to market their LinkedIn page to their target demographic. Ad descriptions are limited to a maximum of 70 characters, including spaces, and can either be chosen from a list of suggested possibilities or written from scratch. The same applies to the ad headline, which may contain no more than 50 characters (including spaces). Business names are limited to a maximum of 25 characters (including spaces) and only shown when a member hovers over your logo.

For JPG or PNG, the minimum picture size for Follower Advertising is 100 x 100 pixels. The available options for call-to-action (CTA) for businesses include Visit Company (the default), Visit Jobs, and Visit Life. Non-followers will see the Follow CTA by default.

Spotlight Ads Specs

Spotlight Ads are an excellent method to promote your brand and draw attention to specific products or services. The maximum length for ad descriptions and headlines (including spaces) is 70 and 50 characters, respectively. Business names are limited to a maximum of 25 characters (including spaces) and are displayed when a member's cursor hovers over your logo.

Also, the minimum picture size for Spotlight Advertising is 100 by 100 pixels in JPG or PNG format. Businesses are permitted up to 18 characters, including spaces, for call-to-action (CTA) phrases. The landing page supports destination URLs for third-party click tracking, while a custom background image is optional. The image must be 300 by 250 pixels and 2 megabytes or less. Note that this format eliminates the ad description and member profile image, and that the white portion of the advertisement measures 276 x 148 pixels.

Job Ads Specs

Job Ads enable companies to publicize their available vacancies to their intended audience. Business names are limited to a maximum of 25 characters (including spaces), and a minimum logo size of 100 × 100 pixels is recommended. With a maximum of 70 characters, ad headlines can either be picked from a list of suggested alternatives or produced as bespoke text (including spaces).

For call-to-action (CTA), companies can select from pre-set alternatives or offer their own custom text. Note that the CTA for "Picture Yourself" and "Jobs Page" advertisements is automatic, however the CTA for "Jobs of Interest" ads can be customized.

Content Ad Specs

Content advertisements are perfect for promoting thought leadership and educational resources like whitepapers, e-books, and reports. These may feature a primary call to action, company name, company logo, document name, downloaded document, document preview, privacy policy URL, privacy policy conditions, and the number of followers on the LinkedIn page.

The primary CTA can be one of the provided options or up to 75 characters, including spaces, of unique content. Custom text is not automatically translated, but suggested possibilities are. The company name may contain up to 25 characters, including spaces, and the corporate logo is optional, although the recommended minimum size is 100 x 100px if you prefer to include one. Smaller logos may appear pixelated and operate less effectively. Bigger logos will be scaled down to 100 x 100px, while non-square logos will be scaled down to suit the largest dimension.

The document name may contain no more than 50 characters, including spaces, and only PDFs are permitted as downloads. The maximum file size is 10 MB, and both images and text are permitted. You may also provide a document preview with a maximum of five preview pages measuring 81 x 104 px.

Moreover, you must offer a legitimate privacy policy URL prefixed with "http://" and provide a link to it. The maximum number of characters allowed for the destination link is 2,000. You may also enter up to 2,000 characters, including spaces, for privacy policy terms. The optional LinkedIn page follower count displays the amount of LinkedIn Page followers and can be toggled on and off.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is necessary to comprehend LinkedIn ad standards in order to create efficient advertising campaigns on the network. By becoming familiar with the various ad formats and their specifications, you can guarantee that your ads appear in the appropriate format, with the appropriate messaging, and to the appropriate audience. Moreover, LinkedIn's dynamic advertisements can add a more personalized touch to your campaigns, which can increase engagement rates and boost outcomes.

As a result, it is essential to remember to pay close attention to elements such as image dimensions, character restrictions, and call-to-action buttons, since these can have a significant impact on the efficacy of your advertisements. In addition, testing with different ad layouts and monitoring the performance of your campaign using LinkedIn's analytics tools will help you determine what works best for your company.

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