11 Highly Effective LinkedIn Ads Examples and Why they work

Early marketing involved entrepreneurs and sales reps moving from prospect to prospect to sell their products. Since then, it has come a long way. 

Several avenues offer improved ROI, including online directories, email marketing, account-based marketing (ABM) and webinars. But we can never leave out one of the most popular channels – LinkedIn. 

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LinkedIn lets you build long-term relationships with the world's largest professional audience. It has the numbers to back it up:

• The platform has over 900 million members worldwide and over 230 million in Europe alone. 
• 4 out of 5 LinkedIn members are decision-makers. 
• Audiences are 6x more likely to convert using this platform.

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When it comes to advertising, LinkedIn marketing campaigns use zero-party data for superior performance. This information is shared by members with the platform directly, making it more trustworthy, reliable, compliance-proof and better targeted.

It all comes together to make LinkedIn a powerful lead acquisition tool today.

Consequently, the platform has proved successful for ad campaigns as it crossed a massive $5 billion in revenue in 2022 for the first time.

But, the question that naturally comes to mind for marketers is that social media is increasingly becoming a crowded marketing and ad space. What can you do to stand out?

Let's answer this by learning from the best LinkedIn ads examples and understanding what they do right.

LinkedIn ads examples in the real world

Here are some of the most recent and best examples of LinkedIn ads.

1. Semrush: Showcase thought leadership via Video

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Video is a popular content format on social media. On LinkedIn alone, it gets 5x more engagement than other formats.

An example of a LinkedIn video ad, Semrush uses the format to its maximum advantage by creatively pushing forth its latest case study on voice search. The graphics are quirky, use bold colours and instantly grab attention. Moreover, the ad uses a 1:1 video, filling the screen for better impact.

A concise copy presents the problem and corresponding solution – just enough to get the audience interested. The CTA 'want the same success' hits the mark, encouraging viewers to click on the ad.

Semrush's ad, including the video, copy and CTA, is an excellent LinkedIn ads example well-suited to its primary target audience of advertisers or marketers.

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💡Takeaways from this LinkedIn ads example:

• You can experiment with real and created graphics for videos to see what works best. 

Videos generally need more development time and carry more digital marketing weight than static ads. Remember to make the most of it and extract as much ROI as possible.

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2. HubSpot: Hook leads with authoritative findings

HubSpot presents one of the best LinkedIn ads using a lead generation form here. These forms increase conversions by 2-3x over standard sponsored content.

At first glance, the ad highlights key findings from the latest report for its target audience of marketers. But the ad is further segmented for the UK, which is made amply clear in the creative copy, description and CTA.

HubSpot hooks leads with a strong CTA, incentivising prospects to share their details in exchange for valuable content.  Linkedin pre-fills some of the form fields, making the journey smoother.

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💡Takeaway from this LinkedIn ads example:

• Showcase your expertise by publishing a guide, eBook or report backed by solid research. Use this content piece as a lead magnet to attract prospects.

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3. Accenture: Engage the audience with clean design

Carousels tell a story through images or videos.

Accenture does it expertly in this example by using a simple and clean design to capture attention. The creative copy is a continuous thread; therefore, the audience must scroll through the entire carousel to read the message.

The description – swipe to see – is short and actionable, fortifying the concept of 'less is more'.

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💡Takeaways from this LinkedIn ads example:

• There are multiple technicalities involved in running ad campaigns. But remember that clean and visually impactful design wins hearts (and leads). 

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4. Google: Split screen view drives the message home

Besides clients, LinkedIn is also the best platform to find prospective employees.

A good LinkedIn single image ads example is this one from Google. It immediately conveys that the company's employees enjoy work-life balance because of flexible work policies.

The creative copy also drives home the message with Google's infamous logo front and centre. The design, too, is clean and minimal. It uses a real person's face to make the ad more relatable.

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💡Takeaways from this LinkedIn ads example:

• Bring in leads (in Google's case, prospective employees) with crisp copy and a clean image that says it all in one glance. 
• You have limited time to hold the audience's attention with single images. Therefore, display your logo prominently to trigger brand awareness and recognition. 

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5. University of Cambridge: Spark discussions with prospects

The University of Cambridge is a globally recognised institution that needs no introduction. It highlights the event's name and purpose with a forthright copy.

Since the event's primary objective is to get the maximum number of attendees, the institution uses LinkedIn's event ad format. With this, it captures attendees directly, making them quality leads.

It's also important to note that the event will be a live video. Live videos gain 24x more engagement on LinkedIn.

However, the creative copy isn't visible. Subtle changes to the design may attract more attendees.

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💡Takeaways from this LinkedIn ads example:

• Use event ads on LinkedIn when trying to get leads to sign up directly for an event. 
• You'll get more traction if your event runs as a live video on the platform. 
• Since leaders and professionals are already present on the platform, event ads give you rich opportunities to expand your network (creating value for larger audiences) and bring in more qualitative leads.

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6. Netflix: Make the most of pop culture

The Netflix brand is synonymous with entertainment and light-hearted content on social media. And LinkedIn is no exception.

This example of a LinkedIn video ad becomes super relatable to the audience by using pop culture references – the shot is from a popular series on the streaming platform.

Considering the video is based on a web series specific to the city of Paris, the copy aptly directs the audience to travel the world with Netflix – all from the comfort of your couch. To do that, the audience can use Netflix's latest basic plan. The copy highlights 'just $6.99' in critical places such as the description and CTA. 

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💡Takeaways from this LinkedIn ads example:

• Don't shy away from using pop culture references appropriate for your audience. They help make an immediate connection. 
• But remember to tie your ad back to your overarching brand story. If pop culture doesn't align with your brand, it's best to avoid it rather than create a force fit. 

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7. Oracle: Tackle problem-solving head on

Oracle uses a single-sentence creative copy to get right into the problem that its target audience faces, i.e., leaders are dealing with increased data activity problems today. Aligned with that problem, Oracle offers a solution in the same sentence, backed with a key statistic.

The post description gives a quick overview of three benefits leaders will receive from Oracle's solution. It further entices them to download the eBook by pushing seven more benefits in the lead magnet.

The CTA, too, is concise and drives action. 

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💡Takeaways from this LinkedIn ads example:

• Understand your target audience's fundamental problems and position your offering as the most effective solution. 
• Attract leads via lead generation forms in exchange for valuable research.
• Use statistics as they effectively grab attention.

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8. Kantar: Ride on social proof

Social proof is a productive way to reel in more leads by showcasing exceptional customer experiences.

In this LinkedIn single image ads example, Kantar leverages social proof to solidify its solution's effectiveness, creating relevance and relatability. Via the post description, the ad provides a brief yet detailed overview of the solution and what problems it solves.

The CTA' request demo' encourages quick action, which captures qualitative leads faster.

What could have been better is the post description. It doesn't give out any unique information regarding the solution.

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💡Takeaways from this LinkedIn ads example:

• Use social proof and highlight your USP to show how your prospects benefit from the solution. It adds more weight and validity to your solution's success. 
• You could also explore creating a case study by relaying customer stories and converting social proof into a lead magnet. 

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9. Samsung: Conversations fuel user engagement

Samsung gets right to the point when it comes to their latest offering – the Galaxy Note10. Given that the product is top-rated, it needs no introduction. The brand starts by explaining the phone's features and keeping it brief.

This is also an excellent LinkedIn conversation ads example that lets users choose between multiple options. Samsung used it to its advantage by linking them to custom landing pages and qualifying leads more qualitatively.

For those who didn't already have the Galaxy Note10, the CTA led them to more information and options to purchase. Those who already had the product were led to an existing page with accessories for the phone.

These conversation ads garnered a 23% uplift in CTR for Samsung Electronics Italia.

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💡Takeaways from this LinkedIn ads example:

• Use this LinkedIn conversation ads example as inspiration to experiment with new ad formats.
• Engage the audience one-on-one for a personalised experience. 
• Additionally, use CTAs wisely to create as much value as possible for the audience, including those who aren't interested in your product. For instance, avoid keeping the options' Not Interested' or 'No Thanks'.

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10. LinkedIn: More everything with a free trial

This example of LinkedIn ads retargets those who have already used their solution and would like to continue. Since the ad targets a specific audience, the message is tailored to that segment.

The post description and creative copy are crisp, putting forth just the right benefits to attract leads – focusing on the fact that users get 'more' with LinkedIn Premium.

Moreover, using an actual image makes the ad more relatable.

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💡Takeaways from this LinkedIn ads example:

• Ads work best when the image is powerful, and the copy is crisp. 
• Consider retargeting ads as part of your lead generation on LinkedIn. These ads generally have a higher conversion rate and lower cost per lead (CPL) because they target those who may already know your brand. 

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11. Driftrock – Reach a niche audience

InMail ads help you target a niche audience and converse with them one-on-one. Like this LinkedIn message ads sample from Driftrock that showcases what customised communication should look like.

It addresses the user directly and is explicitly targeted to their profile – making the ad highly personalised

Matt Wheeler, Founder & CEO, reaches out with a message that almost doesn't come across as an ad. He backs the lead magnet with social proof, making the message exceptionally engaging.

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💡Takeaways from this LinkedIn ads example: 

• Use InMail ads for personalised communication but be brief in your messaging.
• You could also use bullet points (it's available as an option when drafting the copy).
• LinkedIn ads give you deeper targeting options to reach people by job experience, company, education and the like. Use them to your advantage particularly when sending InMail ads.

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Don’t miss out on LinkedIn lead generation

At Driftrock, we have a lot of experience running lead generation ads across digital media, including LinkedIn lead generation forms.

Our platform connects your lead campaigns seamlessly, syncing lead capture to your CRM and other marketing analytics tools. Driftrock also takes the pressure off you by automatically validating leads before they reach the CRM. The platform tracks leads right from capture through to conversion.

Driftrock can help with optimising your LinkedIn lead generation campaigns, too. Use our custom dashboards to monitor key KPIs and our audience sync features to scale lookalike audiences to widen your reach and capture more leads. Even better, you can automatically add exclusions to your audience – such as leads already present in your system – to spend more efficiently and maximise ROI.

Hit the bullseye with LinkedIn every time. Book a demo with us today.

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