LinkedIn has unveiled research-backed creative principles aimed at boosting B2B ad performance. The study highlights that nine out of ten CMOs are pushing for bolder creative campaigns. The LinkedIn Creative Principles are:
1.
Be Context Aware: Create ads tailored to the specific context they will appear in. 2. Make an Impact: Use eye-catching visuals, strong contrasts, and dynamic movement to grab attention in a feed.
Vertical mobile ads drive higher engagement than horizontal formats. 3. Show Up Distinctively: Focus on being uniquely memorable rather than just different from competitors.
4. Get Emotional: Tap into shared human truths and experiences to trigger an emotional response. Funny content drives higher engagement on LinkedIn.
5. Give, Then Take: Provide genuine value with your content before asking for anything in return. Business leaders respect brands that take disruptive industry stances.
LinkedIn also shared a bonus “half” principle: Test and Learn. The company advises testing best practices with organic content and then amplifying top performers with paid promotion. As B2B marketers look to maximize their LinkedIn advertising ROI in 2025 and beyond, these creative principles offer a roadmap for cutting through the noise with scroll-stopping content.
The key takeaway: In a sea of “boring to business” content, fortune favors the bold. By following these principles, marketers can enhance engagement and effectiveness in their LinkedIn B2B ad campaigns. Influencer marketing is now also increasingly being utilized in B2B campaigns.
Bolder creative strategies for LinkedIn ads
Professional influencers are offering their opinions and endorsements of product solutions that meet business needs. LinkedIn recently surveyed more than 1,700 tech buyers across the UK, US, and India to gain more insight into the role that influencers now play in shaping purchasing decisions.
Key findings:
– B2B influencers are trusted professionals whose endorsements carry significant weight in purchase decisions. – The survey covered tech buyers from the UK, US, and India, providing a comprehensive look at the global impact. – The data indicates that influencers play a crucial role in shaping buying decisions in B2B markets.
83% of B2B buyers in India perceive short-form videos from industry experts as a highly trusted content form. With this insight, LinkedIn has introduced a range of video features targeted at B2B marketers. LinkedIn data shows a 14.4% increase in live video events over the past year and thought leader ads generating 2.3 times higher click-through-rates compared to single image ads.
Marketers can post a 30-second video on LinkedIn to offer a ‘sneak peek’ into events, providing potential audiences with a preview to help drive registration and attendance. Support for video ads has also been introduced in the beta release of LinkedIn’s AI companion, Accelerate. This aims to help B2B marketers craft high-impact campaigns.
LinkedIn’s new feature, ‘sponsored newsletters,’ will allow brands to boost their own or any member’s newsletter article as a thought leader ad to drive engagement and build thought leadership at scale. Soumyajit Day, global head of digital experience optimization at Thoughtworks, noted, “LinkedIn Accelerate has proven to be a valuable tool for piloting our campaigns. We have experienced a 30% reduction in end-to-end campaign setup and launch time.”
Other key findings from LinkedIn’s survey include:
– 72% of buyers in India who consumed B2B influencer content said it helped build brand trust.
– 70% said it created awareness of different products and solutions. – 70% of B2B buyers in India, who were aware of B2B influencer marketing, said that influencer content played a critical role in the consideration stage of the IT buying process. – 56% of all B2B buyers surveyed said their use of B2B subject-matter experts in the tech buying process will increase over the next three years.
– 93% of Gen Z buyers in India, who were aware of B2B influencer marketing, said they engaged with B2B influencer content on a monthly basis. Sachin Sharma, director of LinkedIn Marketing Solutions India, stated, “B2B buying is a complex journey due to multiple stakeholders involved. With buyers favoring brands they know and trust, it’s critical for them to remain top of mind across touchpoints–even when buyers are not buying.
Building strong recall is key to influencing future buying decisions, which is best done by humanized storytelling. Authentic, expert-led videos can capture attention, cultivate trust, and create human connection, which can set brands apart in a crowded market.”
