Does it Work?
Let's Dig into a Thought Leadership Ad Strategy
Today we are digging into LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads.
We dove deep into LinkedIn Ads data across multiple accounts and uncovered some eye-opening insights. After analyzing over 2,000,000 impressions on both standard single image ads and influencer ads, here’s what we found:
Standard Single Image Ads
• Average CTR: 0.34%
LinkedIn Influencer Ads
• Average CTR: 0.87%
That’s a 155% increase in CTR from Thought Leader Ads.
Obviously there is are a lot of factors at play here - from creative to offer to targeting but it's hard to argue with that lift.
Why Do Thought Leader Ads Work So Well?
Because no one wants to see or engage with content from brands. People trust people. Thought leader ads feel more authentic, more relatable, and they inspire action. It’s that simple.
But it doesn’t stop there. We followed it all the way through the funnel (because as you hopefully know, revenue is what actually matters) and across multiple industries targeting wildly different persona's:
• Thought Leader Ad clicks converted into leads at a 61% higher rate.
• Those leads converted into revenue at a 12% higher rate.
What were the common keys to success?
After running these campaigns across different industries and testing various strategies, here are the critical takeaways:
1. Best Creative Comes From Outside the Company
Ads featuring thought leadership content from people outside the company consistently performed best. When someone external—like an industry expert—talks about your product, it’s far more impactful than a company-led message.
2. Let Ads Run Organically Before Sponsoring
We saw better performance when we let Thought Leader Ads run organically for a day or two. By the time they were sponsored, they had already accumulated likes, comments, and social proof, which helped them resonate even more.
3. Shorter Shelf Life
These ads have a much shorter shelf life compared to standard creative. Once someone has seen the post a few times, they’re quick to recognize it as sponsored content, which reduces engagement. This means refreshing these ads frequently is critical for success. Our best campaign groups cycled through content every 10-15 days.
4. Content Type Matters Based on Audience Segments
The type of content you run makes a big difference, depending on your audience.
For cold audiences, Thought Leadership content works best. These audiences are more likely to engage with value-driven, non-promotional content that builds trust and credibility.
For warm audiences (people already engaging with your company), Product Feature Ads outperform. These audiences already have some familiarity with your brand, so showcasing the product directly leads to higher conversions.
5. Closed-Lost Opportunities Are a Hidden Goldmine
One of the most interesting segments we targeted was closed-lost opportunities. By running Product Feature Ads and retargeting these audiences, we saw strong engagement and conversions, proving it’s never too late to win back lost deals.
6. Retargeting Engagers with InMail Campaigns
Another winning play involved retargeting people who engaged with Thought Leader Ads. After someone interacted with a post, we followed up with a personalized LinkedIn InMail campaign to the same audience. These InMail campaigns performed significantly better than both standard InMails and traditional retargeting campaigns.
If you’re running LinkedIn Ads, it’s essential to test different content types across your audience segments.
And don’t forget to take full advantage of retargeting—engagement is a signal, and when you use that signal to deliver the right follow-up, you’ll see better results across the board.
Hit reply and let me know what you think—I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks for reading,
Adam
