LinkedIn Ad Formats for Cybersecurity: A Deep Dive FAQ
Navigating the diverse landscape of LinkedIn advertising is crucial for reaching senior security professionals and key decision-makers. Choosing the right format can be the difference between a campaign that captures attention and one that gets lost in the feed. This guide provides practical, in-depth answers to common questions about leveraging LinkedIn's ad formats, from Document and Conversation Ads to video and Lead Gen Forms. The insights here are synthesized from real-world campaign performance and strategic discussions, offering a clear path to optimizing your B2B advertising efforts in the competitive cybersecurity space.
What's the difference between a standard single-image ad and a Document Ad on LinkedIn?
The fundamental difference lies in how users interact with your content. A standard single-image ad is designed to capture attention with a compelling visual and headline, with the primary goal of driving a click-through to an external landing page or website. It serves as a visual gateway to your content.
A LinkedIn Document Ad, however, allows you to upload a document (like a PDF, PowerPoint, or Word doc) that users can read and download directly within the LinkedIn feed. This creates a more seamless, low-friction experience, as the user doesn't have to leave the platform to consume your content.
Key Distinctions:
- User Experience: Single-image ads send users off-platform. Document Ads keep them on LinkedIn, which can significantly reduce drop-off.
- Content Delivery: Document Ads deliver value upfront by presenting the content within the ad unit itself. Users can preview slides or pages before deciding to download.
- Lead Generation: While both can be used for lead generation, Document Ads can be paired with an optional Lead Gen Form. This allows a user to preview the value of the content before submitting their information, potentially leading to more qualified, high-intent leads.
In the cybersecurity industry, Document Ads are a popular format, often used to share white papers, threat reports, or case studies without the immediate barrier of a landing page. This format is excellent for building brand awareness and establishing thought leadership by sharing valuable content freely.
When should we use a Document Ad instead of linking to a landing page?
The choice between a Document Ad and a traditional landing page CTA depends on your campaign's primary objective and your tolerance for friction in the user journey.
Use a Document Ad When:
- Your goal is maximum content consumption and reach. By allowing users to view and download content directly in the feed, you remove the extra step of a page load, which often leads to higher engagement and completion rates. This is ideal for top-of-funnel (TOFU) awareness campaigns where the priority is to educate a wide audience.
- You want to build trust by 'ungating' content. In the B2B space, there's a growing trend of providing value upfront. Offering a high-value report or guide without asking for an email address immediately can build significant brand trust and credibility.
- You want to pre-qualify leads. You can configure a Document Ad to require a Lead Gen Form for the full download. This gives users a preview of the document's quality, meaning those who fill out the form are genuinely interested, which can improve lead quality over a blind landing page form.
Link to a Landing Page When:
- You need more control over branding and messaging. A landing page gives you complete freedom to add videos, testimonials, detailed product information, and custom branding that a Document Ad cannot offer.
- Your offer is complex and requires more explanation. For bottom-of-funnel (BOFU) offers like demo requests or sales consultations, a dedicated landing page is necessary to provide sufficient context and persuasion.
- You want to track detailed on-site behavior. Landing pages allow for more sophisticated tracking with tools like Google Analytics, enabling you to monitor user behavior, retarget visitors with more precision, and understand the full customer journey.
Are Conversation Ads effective for engaging senior security professionals?
Conversation Ads can be a highly effective, albeit expensive, tool for engaging senior security professionals, but their success hinges on strategy and context. These ads appear in a user's LinkedIn inbox, offering a more direct and personalized line of communication than a standard feed ad.
Why They Can Be Effective:
- Personalization: The inbox format feels more like a one-to-one conversation, especially when sent from a credible individual's profile (like a sales leader or subject matter expert). This can cut through the noise of the main feed.
- Interactivity: The 'choose-your-own-path' structure allows you to tailor the conversation based on the prospect's responses. You can guide them toward the most relevant content, whether that's a case study, a webinar registration, or a demo booking page.
- High-Intent Signals: Engagement with a Conversation Ad, such as clicking a specific CTA button, is a strong indicator of interest. This allows you to build high-value retargeting audiences of professionals who have actively engaged with your messaging.
Best Practices for Senior Professionals:
- Use for Mid-to-Lower Funnel: Because they are costly (priced on a cost-per-send basis), Conversation Ads are best used for remarketing to audiences who have already shown interest, or for highly targeted, high-value audiences. Offering an 'exclusive invitation' to a webinar or a direct path to a demo for a warm audience is a common successful tactic.
- Provide Immediate Value: Senior leaders are time-poor. Your opening message must clearly articulate the value proposition. Avoid generic sales pitches. Instead, offer a solution to a specific pain point or provide a compelling piece of data.
- Keep the Flow Simple: Don't overwhelm them with too many options. A clear, logical flow with two or three distinct paths is most effective. Make the benefit to them, not you, the focus of each call-to-action.
While they require careful planning and a solid budget, Conversation Ads are a powerful format for nurturing high-value prospects in the cybersecurity space when used strategically.
How do we build an effective conversation flow for a Conversation Ad?
Building an effective conversation flow is about creating a valuable, intuitive, and non-intrusive experience for the user. The goal is to guide, not force, them toward an outcome. A successful flow feels like a helpful dialogue.
1. Start with a Strong, Personalized Opener
The message should come from a credible person, not a generic company account. Use macros like %FIRSTNAME% to personalize the greeting. The opening lines are critical and should immediately establish relevance and value. Clearly state why you are messaging them and what benefit they can expect. Avoid a hard sell.
2. Offer Clear, Distinct Paths
Your first set of call-to-action (CTA) buttons should present logical choices. A common structure includes:
- Learn More: Directs to a landing page, article, or case study.
- Get a Resource: Links to a content download (often via a Lead Gen Form).
- Book a Demo/Talk to Us: A higher-commitment CTA for those ready to engage further.
Each button should lead to a distinct next step in the conversation or to a relevant URL. This 'choose-your-own-path' approach empowers the user and provides you with valuable data on their intent.
3. Map Out Each Branch
For each CTA, plan the subsequent message. If they click 'Learn More,' the next message could thank them and provide the link, perhaps with an additional, softer CTA. If they are not interested, provide a simple way to close the conversation. Visualizing this as a flowchart is extremely helpful. Keep the number of layers to a minimum (2-3 steps is ideal) to avoid fatigue.
4. Focus on Benefits, Not Features
Frame your CTAs around what the user will gain. Instead of 'Our Pricing,' try 'See How We Can Reduce Your Costs.' Instead of 'Product Demo,' consider 'See How to Automate Threat Detection.' The language should be user-centric, focusing on solving their problems.
Finally, always test your flow. Use the preview function to walk through each path and ensure it's a smooth and logical experience before launching.
What are the pros and cons of using LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms versus our own landing page forms?
Choosing between a native LinkedIn Lead Gen Form and your own landing page involves a trade-off between conversion volume and lead qualification depth. Both have distinct advantages and are suited for different stages of the marketing funnel.
Pros of LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms
- Higher Conversion Rates: This is their biggest advantage. By pre-populating fields with a user's LinkedIn profile data (name, company, job title, etc.), you dramatically reduce friction. Users can submit a form in just a few clicks without leaving the platform, often leading to 2-4x higher conversion rates than landing pages.
- Seamless Mobile Experience: Since most LinkedIn engagement is on mobile, these forms are natively optimized for a fast, smooth mobile experience.
- Lower Cost Per Lead (CPL): Higher conversion rates almost always translate to a lower CPL, making them highly efficient for top-of-funnel (TOFU) campaigns like content downloads or webinar registrations.
Cons of LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms
- Potentially Lower Lead Quality: The ease of submission can sometimes lead to lower-intent leads. Users might submit a form without fully considering the offer, leading to a higher volume of less-qualified prospects.
- Limited Customization: You are restricted to LinkedIn's templates and predefined fields. There's no room for custom branding, videos, testimonials, or complex form logic that you could have on a landing page.
- Data Syncing: While integrations exist, getting leads from LinkedIn into your CRM requires a setup process. Without a direct integration, you must manually download leads as a CSV file.
When to Use Your Own Landing Page
Use a landing page for bottom-of-funnel (BOFU) offers like demo requests or sales consultations, where lead quality is more important than quantity. A landing page gives you the space to build a stronger case, provide detailed information, and fully control the user experience to attract higher-intent prospects.
How can we customize the fields in a LinkedIn Lead Gen Form?
LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms offer a degree of customization that allows you to collect the specific information you need, though they are more structured than a form on your own website. The key is to balance asking for necessary data with keeping the form frictionless.
Standard Pre-Filled Fields
The main advantage of Lead Gen Forms is their ability to auto-populate fields from a user's profile. You can choose from a variety of these fields, including:
- First Name, Last Name
- Email Address
- Phone Number
- Job Title
- Company Name
- Company Size
- Industry
- Seniority
- Country/Region
Using these pre-filled fields maximizes the form's convenience and boosts completion rates.
Adding Custom Questions
If you need information not available on a user's profile, you can add up to three custom questions. These are crucial for qualifying leads. Custom questions can be one of two types:
- Multiple Choice: You can create a question and provide a set of predefined answers. This is useful for segmenting leads, for example, by asking, "What is your biggest security challenge?" with options like "Endpoint Security," "Cloud Misconfigurations," or "Insider Threats." You can provide up to five options.
- Open-Ended Text Field: This allows users to type in their own answer. While it provides more detailed insights, it also adds friction because it requires manual input and breaks the auto-fill experience. Use this format sparingly for essential qualifying questions that cannot be framed as multiple choice.
Hidden Fields
You can also add up to 20 hidden fields to your form. These fields are not visible to the user but pass static values through with the form submission. They are useful for tracking and routing, allowing you to pass campaign-specific data (like campaign ID, ad creative name, or offer code) into your CRM for better attribution.
To create or customize a form, navigate to the Assets > Lead Gen Forms section in Campaign Manager. Here you can build a new form or edit an existing one, selecting your desired fields and adding custom questions as needed.
What makes a compelling video ad for LinkedIn?
In the B2B space, and especially for a technical audience like cybersecurity professionals, a compelling video ad is one that is authentic, valuable, and respects the viewer's time. Flashy production is less important than a clear, resonant message.
Key Elements of a High-Performing Video Ad:
- Hook Attention in the First 3 Seconds: The LinkedIn feed is a fast-scrolling environment. Your video must grab attention immediately. Use bold text overlays, a surprising statistic, a direct question, or intriguing visuals. Don't waste time on a long branded intro.
- Design for Sound-Off Viewing: Most videos on LinkedIn autoplay with the sound off. Your message must be understandable without audio. Use prominent, easy-to-read captions or burn-in subtitles. Visual storytelling and clear on-screen text are essential.
- Show, Don't Just Tell: Instead of generic stock footage of office workers, show your product in action. A quick screen recording of your platform's UI, a diagram illustrating a security concept, or an authentic clip of your team can be far more engaging.
- Focus on Authenticity and Human Connection: Videos featuring real employees, founders, or subject matter experts speaking directly to the camera tend to outperform overly polished corporate videos. Unscripted, genuine moments build trust. Referencing workplace humor or shared industry challenges also creates a stronger connection.
- Provide Clear, Actionable Value: The video should either teach the viewer something, offer a unique insight, or clearly articulate how your solution solves a critical problem. Focus on the emotional outcome and future benefits rather than just listing product features.
Recent studies show that B2B videos incorporating memes, authentic "real talk" clips, and expert voices see significantly higher engagement. The goal is to be culturally fluent and emotionally authentic to resonate with your audience.
What's the ideal length for a video ad on LinkedIn?
The ideal length for a LinkedIn video ad depends entirely on your campaign objective and where your audience is in the marketing funnel. There is no single 'best' length, but there are clear guidelines for different goals.
For Brand Awareness and Engagement (Top-of-Funnel)
Keep it under 30 seconds. For cold audiences, attention spans are short. The primary goal is to make an impression quickly. LinkedIn's own data shows that videos under 30 seconds achieve a 200% lift in view completion rates. Many successful awareness videos are even shorter, in the 15-30 second range. These short, snappy videos are perfect for grabbing attention, delivering a single key message, and building brand recall.
For Consideration and Lead Generation (Mid-Funnel)
Aim for 45 to 90 seconds. Once you have a viewer's interest, you have a bit more time to provide value and build your case. This length is effective for:
- Explaining a specific product feature or benefit.
- Showcasing a brief customer testimonial.
- Sharing an insight from a subject matter expert.
These videos should be focused and deliver a clear, valuable takeaway that encourages a next step, like downloading a guide or visiting a landing page.
For Deeper Education (Bottom-of-Funnel)
Longer videos (2 minutes or more) can work for retargeting. For warm audiences who have already engaged with your brand, longer-form content like webinar snippets, detailed case studies, or in-depth product explainers can be very effective. These users have demonstrated interest and are more willing to invest time to get detailed information they need to make a decision. However, these should be used selectively for highly engaged, niche audiences.
In summary, start short to capture attention, and earn the right to show longer content to more engaged prospects as you move them down the funnel.
Should we be testing Carousel Ads to showcase different product features or benefits?
Yes, absolutely. Carousel Ads are an excellent and often underutilized format for showcasing multiple product features, benefits, or use cases in a single, interactive ad unit. They are particularly well-suited for B2B and cybersecurity products, which are often complex and have multiple value propositions.
Why Carousel Ads Are Effective for This Purpose:
- Interactive Storytelling: Carousels allow you to tell a sequential story. You can use the cards to walk a prospect through a problem, your solution, and the outcome. Each swipe deepens their engagement.
- Highlighting Multiple Features: You can dedicate each of the 2-10 cards to a different feature or benefit. This allows you to appeal to different segments of your audience with a single ad. For example, one card could highlight threat detection, another could focus on compliance reporting, and a third on integration capabilities.
- Increased Engagement: The interactive, swipeable nature of carousels encourages users to stop scrolling and engage with your content. This can lead to higher dwell time and better message retention compared to a static image.
- Detailed Performance Metrics: LinkedIn provides click and impression data for each individual card in the carousel. This gives you valuable insight into which features or messages are resonating most with your audience, allowing you to refine your messaging for future campaigns.
Best Practices for Testing:
- Start with a clear narrative or theme for your carousel.
- Use visually consistent, high-quality images (1080x1080 pixels is recommended).
- Ensure each card has a clear, concise headline and a specific call-to-action if applicable.
- Use the final card to summarize the value proposition and present a strong, overall call-to-action.
By testing carousels, you can effectively communicate the multifaceted value of your product and gather data on what aspects are most compelling to your target professionals.
We want to run follower ads. What's the best way to do that and what results should we expect?
Follower ads are a specific type of Dynamic Ad designed to increase the follower count of your LinkedIn Company Page. They are a straightforward way to build your on-platform audience, which can then be leveraged for organic content reach and future ad campaigns.
How Follower Ads Work
Follower ads are a simple, templatized format. They appear in the right-hand rail on desktop and in the feed. The ad automatically pulls in the viewer's profile picture alongside your company's logo and a clear call-to-action button that says "Follow." This personalization, showing the user their own photo, is designed to grab their attention and make the invitation feel more direct.
Best Way to Run Follower Ads:
- Target Precisely: The goal is to attract relevant followers, not just any followers. Use LinkedIn's detailed targeting to reach professionals who match your ideal customer profile. Target by job title, industry, company size, and relevant skills to ensure you're building a quality audience.
- Customize Your Copy: While the format is rigid, you have control over the headline and description. Use this space to give a compelling reason to follow your page. Instead of a generic "Follow us for updates," try something more specific like, "Follow us for weekly threat intelligence reports and cybersecurity insights."
- Run 'Always-On' Campaigns: Follower growth is a marathon, not a sprint. It's often effective to run a low-budget, 'always-on' follower campaign in the background to ensure a steady stream of new, relevant followers.
- Exclude Existing Followers: To maximize budget efficiency, make sure to exclude your current company page followers from your targeting.
What Results to Expect:
The primary result is, of course, an increase in page followers. The cost-per-follower (CPF) can vary widely based on your industry and how niche your targeting is, but it's the key metric to monitor. Building a larger, relevant follower base provides long-term value by increasing the organic reach of your page content and creating a warm audience you can retarget with other ad campaigns in the future.
How do Dynamic Ads work and are they suitable for our B2B audience?
Dynamic Ads are a unique LinkedIn ad format that personalizes creative at scale by automatically using information from a viewer's public profile, such as their photo, first name, company, or job title. This level of personalization is designed to cut through the noise and create a more relevant, attention-grabbing ad experience. They are highly suitable for B2B audiences when used correctly.
How They Work:
You create an ad template, and LinkedIn dynamically inserts the user's profile data into the ad creative as it's served. For example, an ad might say, "Hi [First Name], see how [Your Company] helps leaders at [Company Name]." This creates a feeling of one-to-one communication, even in an automated campaign. These ads typically appear in the right-hand column on desktop, making them visible without being as intrusive as in-feed content.
Types of Dynamic Ads:
- Follower Ads: Encourage users to follow your Company Page. They feature the user's profile image next to your company logo.
- Spotlight Ads: Drive traffic to your website or a landing page. They can feature a user's profile photo to draw attention to your CTA and custom background image.
- Content Ads: Used to generate leads for content downloads, personalizing the ad copy to the viewer.
Suitability for a B2B Audience:
Dynamic Ads are very well-suited for B2B, particularly for account-based marketing (ABM) strategies. Because the B2B buying journey is about building relationships and trust, personalization makes a big difference. Seeing their name or company in an ad makes it feel more relevant and less like generic advertising. Early results from this format show significant lifts in click-through rate and dwell time. For a professional audience already in a work mindset on LinkedIn, this recognition can be the key to capturing their attention and driving action, whether it's following your page, downloading a report, or visiting your site.
Which ad formats are seeing the best performance in the cybersecurity industry right now?
In the competitive cybersecurity landscape on LinkedIn, the ad formats that perform best are those that deliver tangible value and build trust. While performance can vary by campaign goal and target audience, several formats consistently stand out.
Top Performing Formats:
- Video Ads: Video is the dominant format on LinkedIn, shared 20 times more than other content types. For cybersecurity, short-form videos (under 60-90 seconds) that are authentic and educational perform exceptionally well. Strategies like showing real subject matter experts, using customer testimonials, or creating mobile-first vertical videos with clear captions are driving high engagement and generating better, more qualified leads. Campaigns have seen 3x more conversions from video compared to static images.
- Document Ads: This format is extremely popular and effective in cybersecurity for sharing high-value content like threat intelligence reports, annual summaries, and technical white papers. By allowing users to consume content directly in the feed, they generate high engagement and are perfect for top-of-funnel awareness and thought leadership. When paired with a Lead Gen Form, they can also be a powerful tool for capturing high-intent leads.
- Conversation Ads: While more expensive, these are highly effective for mid-to-lower funnel engagement with valuable targets like CISOs and IT Directors. Using them to send a personalized invitation to a webinar or offer a consultation to a warm, retargeted audience yields strong results.
Formats with Untapped Potential:
- Carousel Ads: This format is surprisingly underutilized by cybersecurity firms. It's a powerful way to break down complex solutions, showcase multiple use-cases, or tell a compelling story across several interactive cards.
The most successful strategies use a mix of these formats, aligning the format with the specific goal of the campaign—from broad awareness with video and documents to high-touch conversion with conversation ads.
