How to Run Ads on LinkedIn: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

LinkedIn started as a platform for professionals to connect and network, but today it has grown into a powerful tool for businesses to reach their ideal customers. Running ads on LinkedIn can be very effective if you want to promote your brand, generate leads, or increase sales. In this article, we will walk through the simple steps to create LinkedIn ads, explain the different types of ads available, and share helpful tips to make the most of your advertising budget. Also, we will learn how to run paid ads on LinkedIn. LinkedIn advertisements can help your business grow and reach the right audience easily.

What Are LinkedIn Ads?

These are paid promotions that show up on LinkedIn and are aimed at professionals like business owners, managers, or people in specific job roles. What makes LinkedIn different from other social media sites is its powerful targeting. You can choose exactly who sees your ad based on their job title, industry, skills, or interests. LinkedIn ads are a great option for businesses that sell to other businesses (B2B) or offer professional services. Instead of reaching just anyone, LinkedIn helps you connect with the right people who are more likely to be interested in what you offer, making your ads more effective.

Step-by-Step: How to Run Ads on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is one of the best advertising platforms to reach professionals, business owners, or decision-makers. Whether you're promoting your brand, a product, or a job opportunity, LinkedIn Ads can help you reach the right people.

Step 1: Create a LinkedIn Business Page

Before you run ads, you need a LinkedIn Page for your company. Because your ads will be connected to this page, and people can learn more about your brand. How to create it:

• Go to LinkedIn

• Click on For Business.

• Choose “Create a Company Page.

• Fill in your company name, logo, website, and a short description

• Click Publish

Think of your LinkedIn Page like your business’s home on the platform. It’s where users will go after seeing your ad.

Step 2: Set Up LinkedIn Campaign Manager

This is the tool you’ll use to create and manage your LinkedIn ads.

Steps to follow:

• Visit the Campaign Manager site

• Link your LinkedIn Page

• Create a new ad account

• Add your payment or billing info

This tool acts like your personal ad control center.

Step 3: Choose Your Ad Goal

Now, LinkedIn will ask you what you want the ad to do. You can select a goal based on your needs.

1. If you want more people to recognise your brand, choose Awareness. These objectives are focused on getting your brand seen by more people.

• Brand awareness

• Goal: Make more people aware of your brand, product, or service.

• Use when: You're launching something new or trying to reach a broader audience.

• Example: A startup promoting its name and logo so people begin to recognise it.

• If you want people to engage with your ad, click, or watch your video, choose Consideration. These goals aim to get users more interested or involved with your business.

• Website visits

Goal: Drive traffic to a specific landing page or website.

Use when: You want people to learn more about your product or service by visiting your site.

Example: Directing users to a product page or blog post.

• Engagement

Goal: Increase interaction with your posts or company page (likes, comments, shares, follows).

Use when: You want to build a community or increase brand activity on social media.

Example: Promoting a post that encourages discussion.

• Video views

Goal: Get more people to watch your video content.

Use when: You’re running video campaigns to share brand stories, product features, or customer testimonials.

Example: A product demo video.

3. If your goal is to get people to sign up, buy, or fill a form, pick Conversions.

Example: If you’re offering a free eBook, you can select Lead Generation as your goal. These are action-focused objectives, aimed at driving real business results.

• Lead generation
  Goal: Collect contact information from people who are interested in what you offer (via forms, signups, etc.).
  Use when: You want to build a list of potential customers.
  Example: Offering a free eBook or consultation in exchange for contact info.

• Talent leads (Greyed out in image, may be unavailable or restricted)
  Goal: Attract and identify potential job candidates.
  Use when: You want to fill open positions with qualified applicants.
  Example: Promoting job listings to professionals in a specific industry.

• Website conversions
  Goal: Get people to take specific actions on your website, like purchases, sign-ups, or form submissions.
  Use when: You’re targeting users who are ready to act.
  Example: Encouraging people to buy a product or register for an event.

• Job applicants
  Goal: Get more people to apply for your job openings.
  Use when: You're actively hiring and want to boost the number of quality applicants.
  Example: Promoting job roles to targeted professionals based on skills or experience.

Step 4: Select Your Target Audience

Next, you decide who should see your ad.

LinkedIn allows you to target people based on their location (which is required), job titles, industries, skills, education, and company size. You can also upload your own contact list ,this is known as Matched Audiences.

Example: You can choose to show your ad only to Marketing Professionals in India who work in tech companies.

Step 5: Pick the Right Ad Format

Now choose how your ad will look.

Before you start running paid ads on LinkedIn, it’s good to understand the different types of LinkedIn Ads you can use:

• Sponsored Content: These are post ad on LinkedIn that show up in people’s LinkedIn feeds but are marked as Sponsored. Great for sharing articles, videos, or updates.

• Text Ads: Small, simple ads with just text. They appear on the side or top of LinkedIn pages and are budget-friendly for getting clicks.

• Sponsored InMail: These are direct messages sent to someone’s LinkedIn inbox. Useful for invites, offers, or collecting leads.

• Video Ads: Videos that play automatically in feeds. Perfect for telling your brand story or showing how something works.

• Carousel Ads: Ads with several images you can swipe through. Good for showing different products or features.

• Dynamic Ads: These are personalised ads that change based on the viewer, like showing their name or company logo.

Step 6: Set Your Budget and Schedule

Now it’s time to decide how much you want to spend and for how long.

You can set a daily budget (like ₹500 per day) or a lifetime budget (like ₹5,000 in total). Choose a start and end date which is optional. Also, pick how you want to be charged, either by clicks (CPC) or by views (CPM).

Tip: Start with a small amount. You can always increase it once you know what’s working.

Step 7: Write Your Ad Content

This is the creative part, You’ll need to add:

• A headline that’s short and catchy (e.g., Boost Your Career with AI Skills)

• A description that clearly explains your offer

• A call to action like Learn More or Sign Up

• A high-quality image or video which clearly shows your offerings

• A link to your website or lead form

Keep your message clear, focused, and benefit-driven. Think about what problem you’re solving for the viewer.

Step 8: Launch the Campaign

Once everything looks good, click Launch Campaign.

LinkedIn will review your ad first to make sure it follows their rules. This review usually takes a few hours. After it’s approved, your ad will go live and start showing to your chosen audience.

Monitor and Improve Performance

Launching the ad is just the beginning. Now you need to track how it’s performing and make changes if needed.

Check stats like:

• How many people saw your ad (impressions)

• How many clicked (clicks)

• The percentage of viewers who clicked (CTR)

• How much you’re spending per result

• How many leads or sign-ups you got

If your ad isn’t getting good results, try tweaking your image, headline, or target audience to improve performance.

Tips to Optimize LinkedIn Ads

Running LinkedIn ads isn’t just about setting them up, you also need to improve them so you get the most out of your money. Here are some simple tips:

• Try Different Versions: Test different headlines, pictures, or messages to see what gets the best response. This is called A/B testing.

• Target a Specific Audience: Focus on a narrow group, like certain job titles or industries. This helps avoid wasting money on people who aren’t interested.

• Use Clear Buttons or Messages: Tell people exactly what to do, like Download Now or Sign Up Today.

• Keep an Eye on Performance: Check your ad results often. Stop or fix ads that aren’t doing well.

• Use LinkedIn Lead Forms: If you want people’s contact info, use LinkedIn’s built-in forms. They make it quick and easy for users to sign up.

How Much Do LinkedIn Ads Cost?

LinkedIn advertising costs depend on who you’re targeting, how many other people are bidding for the same audience, and your ad settings. LinkedIn advertisements are usually more expensive than Facebook or Google because they target working professionals.

You can be charged in different ways:

• CPC (Cost per click): You pay when someone clicks your ad.

• CPM (Cost per 1,000 views): You pay for every 1,000 times your ad is shown.

• Cost per send: For Sponsored InMail, you pay for each message sent.

You can start with as little as 800 Rs a day, but spending more can give better results.

Why Use LinkedIn Ads for Getting Leads?

LinkedIn ads lead generation is great for finding new customers, especially for businesses selling to other businesses (B2B). You can target the right people, like managers or decision-makers, and use lead generation forms to collect their contact details without them leaving LinkedIn. This makes getting leads fast and easy.

Best Tips for Running LinkedIn Ads

To get the most out of LinkedIn ads, follow these simple tips:

• Know your goal before creating the ad.

• Use clean and professional images or videos.

• Keep your text clear and short.

• Test different versions of the ad and improve over time.

• Use LinkedIn’s smart targeting to reach the right people.

• Follow LinkedIn’s rules so your ad doesn’t get rejected.

As you explore the power of LinkedIn advertising, you’ll notice it’s just one piece of the bigger digital marketing puzzle. Learning how to combine it with SEO, email campaigns, and analytics can take your strategy to the next level. A well-rounded digital marketing course can help you master it all.

Conclusion

LinkedIn ads are a powerful way to connect with professionals who are hard to reach elsewhere. Whether you run a small business or a big company, learning how to use ads can help you get more leads and grow your brand. By picking the right ad type, setting clear goals, targeting the right audience, and improving your ads regularly, you can make the most of LinkedIn paid ads. If you’re looking to grow your business through strong professional networks, LinkedIn ads are a smart step forward.