For SaaS marketers, picking the right LinkedIn ad format is more than just a creative choice—it’s a strategic lever for improving ROI across the funnel. Whether your goal is to raise awareness, generate leads, or drive demo signups, selecting the right ad formats on LinkedIn can be the difference between wasted spend and scalable growth.
In 2025, LinkedIn continues to evolve its ad ecosystem, offering more targeted and intent-friendly formats than ever before. This guide breaks down which ones work best for SaaS brands at each stage of the buyer journey—so you can invest your time and budget where it counts.
Overview of LinkedIn Ad Formats in 2025
Here’s a quick rundown of the major LinkedIn ads format options available this year. These are the formats we’ll explore in detail below:
- Single Image Ads
- Carousel Ads
- Video Ads
- Conversation Ads
- Document Ads
- Lead Gen Forms
- Event Ads
- Thought Leader Ads
Each of these plays a distinct role in the SaaS marketing funnel, and choosing the wrong one can stall results, even with the right targeting.
Best LinkedIn Ad Formats by Funnel Stage
Top of Funnel: Awareness
At this stage, your goal is visibility and value, not conversions.
- Video Ads: Perfect for 30–60 second brand stories or animated product explainers. Videos get more engagement and help build initial trust.
- Carousel Ads: Use these to showcase multiple product features, use cases, or testimonials. Great for engaging B2B buyers with swipeable, educational content.
- Thought Leader Ads: These are boosted posts from people. These are great for introducing your people and your company to your target audience. They draw much higher engagement rates, therefore achieving cheaper costs, which make for a great tactic to break into your cold audience.
Middle of Funnel: Consideration
Now your audience knows you, but are they interested?
- Document Ads: These let you share downloadable content like playbooks, frameworks, or onboarding guides. Ideal for value-first lead nurturing.
- Lead Gen Ads (Forms): A staple for SaaS marketers. Promote webinars, whitepapers, or comparison guides while collecting lead data directly within LinkedIn.
- Conversation Ads: Delivered directly to a user’s inbox, these feel personal and can guide prospects to take the next steps based on their interests.
Bottom of Funnel: Conversion
When it’s time to convert, simplify, and focus.
- Single Image Ads: Use bold visuals and clear CTAs, such as “Book a Demo” or “Start Free Trial.” These are ideal for retargeting and high-intent messaging.
- Retargeting Ads (any format): Serve dynamic ads to users who visited your pricing page or downloaded content. Use concise messaging and social proof.
Pro Tips for Maximizing Format Performance
- Match message to funnel stage: Don’t use product-pitch ads for cold audiences.
- A/B test creative + CTA: Small tweaks can swing conversion rates by 20%+.
- Use native lead forms: LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms almost always outperform landing page click-through ads.
- Retarget engaged users: Build warm audience lists from document viewers, video watchers, or form submissions.
SaaS Use Case Example: Multi-Format Campaign Flow
Let’s say you’re launching a new B2B SaaS analytics tool.
- Week 1–2 (Top of Funnel): Run Video Thought Leader Ads to introduce the product and pain points.
- Week 3–4 (Mid Funnel): Launch Document Ads with a downloadable “Benchmark Report.” Follow up with Conversation Ads for a personalized CTA.
- Week 5–6 (Bottom Funnel): Retarget previous engagers with Single Image Ads offering a free demo. Use Lead Gen Forms with demo request as CTA.
Expected result: 2.5x lift in demo signups compared to single-format campaigns. Higher quality leads, better engagement rates, and shorter sales cycles.
Final Thoughts
The best LinkedIn ad format depends on your funnel stage, messaging, and offer. Instead of defaulting to what’s familiar, test multiple formats based on where your buyer is in their journey. The right format at the right time creates a better experience for your prospects—and stronger results for your business.
Need help mapping your ad formats to your funnel?
Book a free strategy call with us to build a high-converting SaaS campaign on LinkedIn.