LinkedIn has just rolled out a game-changing update to its advertising platform: Thought Leader Ads.

Until now, ads on LinkedIn were limited to company pages, but this update allows companies and ad accounts to leverage their employees’ content as well. These ads enable marketing on a more human level, because people will always get more engagement than companies. This will also enable more personal brands and influencer marketing on LinkedIn.

It’s a great move that promises to inject warmth and authenticity into the traditionally corporate realm of B2B marketing.

Let’s dive in and explore this new ad format.

What Do Thought Leader Ads Look Like?

Thought Leader Ads operate by seamlessly blending the promotion of posts with the authenticity and credibility of individual thought leaders. While these posts are promoted by the company, they appear as if they were sent by the original author. This creates a sense of personal connection.

In the example below, you can see that Thought Leader Ads look like normal posts, except for the “Promoted by x company” heading:

What Are The Benefits? 

Thought Leader Ads bring a ton benefits to the table, making them a valuable addition to your B2B marketing arsenal.

When a regular post is promoted using the ads platform, it undergoes a boost and is transformed into a “Thought Leader Ad”. This also enables you to control the specific audience you wish to see your posts. 

In other words, the company gains the ability to choose and tailor the audience for maximum impact. Maybe you boost Founder posts to tell the story of the company. Or maybe you boost posts from salespeople as a way to introduce them to prospects who they will be calling on. Consider taking already top performing social posts, and boost them to further their reach.

Companies will be able to amplify their messages while preserving the authenticity and credibility of individual thought leaders by actively promoting regular posts through the ads platform. These ads provide a unique opportunity to share company news and company culture in a way that resonates with target audiences on a more personal level.

By positioning your employees as thought leaders, these ads give your company a fresh and influential voice that stands out in leading conversations on LinkedIn. They also serve as a powerful tool to showcase your company culture and beliefs, attracting high-quality talent to your organization. 

Do you want to learn how to boost a post into a Thought Leader ad on LinkedIn?

Check out our video on YouTube to get a step-by-step guide!