What type of content works for LinkedIn ads?

It’s one thing deciding you want to do promotional activity on LinkedIn, it’s another deciding what to actually put in front of your audience.

In this third and final instalment of my interview with Lisa Kyriacou Faulks, founder of Social Medicine, we’re talking content: what’s changed, what hasn’t, and what’s working now.

How has LinkedIn changed as an ad platform over the past 2–3 years?

LinkedIn is a quirky place! There’s always something new to learn, which is why it’s become a career for so many.

There are more AI-led features now, and the range of formats has expanded too.

Alongside standard single image and video ads, we now have, for instance, carousels (a series of images you can swipe through), direct messaging (we’ve all received one of those), and conversation ads (more interactive, giving prospects multiple options to explore).

So while it may not always feel as slick and intuitive as other platforms, it has become much more versatile.

What type of ad content works well in your experience? And how does engagement compare for company versus personal accounts?

Thought leadership ads, without a doubt.

For a long time, brands were mainly focused on running ads through company pages. That still matters, of course.

But once LinkedIn launched thought leadership ads, it really changed things. Now you can promote content from individuals as well as company pages, and in many cases that performs far better.

Content from a founder or senior leader can do exceptionally well – especially if that person is already active on LinkedIn and has built a (relevant) following.

Let me give you an example.

As a benchmark, you might expect click-through rates of around 0.5% on most campaigns.

But with one well-connected client, we recently saw thought leadership content achieve something more like an 18% CTR! An incredible result.

That tells you a lot about how people engage with content on the platform today.

So, for founders, does personal brand matter just as much as paid strategy?

Absolutely. You’re not just promoting a company – you’re amplifying a voice people already trust and want to hear from.

That human element is often what makes the difference.

Are gated assets still worth using on LinkedIn, or are they outdated?

Yes, I think they’re still valuable, and they remain part of a strong LinkedIn strategy. The key is to match the format to the audience and buying stage.

In the B2B world, customers often respond better to personal outreach at the conversation stage.

However, lead magnets work particularly well in the middle of the funnel.

For more technical audiences, that might mean whitepapers or how-to guides – content that helps someone solve a problem or understand a topic in more depth.

Would you recommend using the native lead forms offered by LinkedIn?

They can work well, because they reduce friction – through pre-filled data, for example.

But, as with my overall approach to ads, I recommend testing, i.e. native forms versus sending people to a landing page.

Attribution can still be tricky, of course, which is why it’s important to connect LinkedIn with your CRM wherever possible.

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That’s a wrap on this mini-series about LinkedIn ads!

Thank you, Lisa, for sharing your expertise and advice.

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Read part two of our interview with Lisa, LinkedIn ads: How much to spend, here.

Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn. Don’t forget to mention Pour Femme in your connection note 😉.