# LinkedIn ads Human Guide

## What This Is For
Guides LinkedIn Ads setup, targeting, and optimization. It gives the agent a clearer input/output frame for social content: what context to ask for, what decisions to make, and what usable artifact to return.

Use this as a human-readable version of the LinkedIn ads agent skill. It is meant for marketers, operators, founders, and other non-coders who want the workflow without reading agent-specific implementation instructions.

## When To Use This
- Use this when you need a repeatable process for LinkedIn ads.
- Use this when the task needs judgment, examples, constraints, or a clear output format rather than a one-off prompt.
- Use this when you want to hand an AI assistant enough context to produce a usable marketing artifact.

## When Not To Use This
- Do not use this when you only need a quick factual answer.
- Do not use this when the work depends on private data you cannot share with the assistant.
- Do not use this as a replacement for legal, compliance, financial, or medical review.

## What You Need Before Starting
- The goal or business outcome you want.
- The audience, customer segment, or market context.
- Any source material the assistant should respect, such as notes, briefs, examples, URLs, or brand guidance.
- Constraints such as tone, length, channel, deadline, region, or approval requirements.
- A clear definition of what a good final answer should look like.

## Step-By-Step Workflow
1. State the job clearly: "Use the LinkedIn ads guide to help me with..."
2. Add context: audience, goal, offer, channel, source material, and constraints.
3. Ask the assistant to identify missing inputs before producing the final output.
4. Have the assistant follow the skill-specific guidance below.
5. Review the result against the final checklist and ask for revisions where needed.

## Skill-Specific Guidance
- **Campaign Manager** is the main UI: [campaignmanager.linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/campaignmanager) · [Get started (help)](https://www.linkedin.com/help/lms/answer/a9509136)
- **Marketing Solutions** = ads for brands/leads; **Talent Solutions** = hiring products (separate when choosing objectives).
- **Review**: build **at least ~1–2 days** before go-live; last-minute changes may miss launch. [Ad set best practices](https://www.linkedin.com/help/lms/answer/a422123)
- **Single image, video, carousel** (carousel ad cards often **2–10** in guide) · **Document** (PDF/DOC/PPT-style; large page/file limits in guide)
- **Event** ads (promote a LinkedIn Event) · **Job** ads (boost an existing job post)
- **Thought Leader** ads: amplify **qualified** members’ posts (eligibility rules in Ads Guide)
- **Article and Newsletter** ads: promote in-platform long-form/series
- **CTV (Connected TV)**: in-stream **reach**-oriented video with LinkedIn **targeting**; not a feed click campaign by default
- Placements can include **LinkedIn Audience Network (LAN)**—third-party app/site inventory. Toggle/availability is in the ad set. [LAN (help)](https://www.linkedin.com/help/lms/answer/a423409)
- Native forms on ads; **profile pre-fill**; typically **~12 fields and ~3 custom questions** at most (verify current product)
- Minimize fields for higher completion; sync to CRM/Marketing automation
- **Text ads**: **Desktop**-oriented; small image + text; often CPC/CPM. [Placements (help)](https://www.linkedin.com/help/lms/answer/a417880)

## Decision Points And Nuance
The original skill emphasizes: Account and product context, Campaign structure (naming and hierarchy), Marketing objectives (funnel, abbreviated), Ad formats and placements (high level), Sponsored Content (feed and related), Lead Gen Forms, Sponsored Messaging (inbox), Text and Dynamic Ads, Targeting strengths, Creative best practices.

Use these questions to steer the work:
- What is the intended audience or buyer?
- What source material must be preserved?
- What should the assistant optimize for: clarity, persuasion, accuracy, speed, creativity, or conversion?
- What examples represent the desired quality bar?
- What should the assistant avoid?

## Common Mistakes
- | **Exclusions, expansion** | **Audience expansion** (when offered)—broaden carefully |

## Copy-And-Paste Prompt
```text
Use the LinkedIn ads human guide.

My goal:
[Describe the business outcome]

Audience:
[Describe who this is for]

Context and source material:
[Paste notes, examples, links, or existing copy]

Constraints:
[Tone, length, channel, timeline, must-include items, must-avoid items]

Before producing the final output, ask me for any missing information that would materially improve the result.
```

## Final Checklist
- [ ] The output matches the original goal.
- [ ] The audience and context are reflected in the answer.
- [ ] Important constraints and source material were preserved.
- [ ] The assistant made the relevant decisions explicit.
- [ ] The final artifact is ready to use, review, or hand to the next person.

## Source
This guide was generated from the kostja94/marketing-skills skill entry for `linkedin-ads`.

## Source Skill Notes
These notes preserve the nuance from the original skill. Use them as supporting reference when the workflow above feels too generic.

# Paid Ads: LinkedIn Ads

Guides LinkedIn Ads setup, targeting, and optimization. LinkedIn excels at B2B and professional targeting; use when job title/company targeting matters and ACV is higher.

**When invoking**: On **first use**, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On **subsequent use** or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

## Account and product context

- **Campaign Manager** is the main UI: [campaignmanager.linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/campaignmanager) · [Get started (help)](https://www.linkedin.com/help/lms/answer/a9509136)
- **Marketing Solutions** = ads for brands/leads; **Talent Solutions** = hiring products (separate when choosing objectives).
- **Sponsored Content** in-feed and **Sponsored Messaging** generally require a free **[LinkedIn Page](https://business.linkedin.com/advertise/ads/best-practices/what-you-need-to-get-started)** (per official getting-started guidance—confirm in your account).
- **Review**: build **at least ~1–2 days** before go-live; last-minute changes may miss launch. [Ad set best practices](https://www.linkedin.com/help/lms/answer/a422123)

## Campaign structure (naming and hierarchy)

**Naming (example)**: `LI_[Objective]_[Audience]_[Offer]_[Date]` (e.g. `LI_LeadGen_CMOs-SaaS_Whitepaper_Mar24`)

**Hierarchy in Campaign Manager (names vary slightly over time):**

| Level | Role |
|-------|------|
| **Campaign group** | Groups related programs; shared **status and budgets** (optional). |
| **Campaign** | **Marketing objective**; budget/scheduling as configured. |
| **Ad set** | **Accelerate** or **Classic**; **audience, placements, format, budget, schedule, bid**; conversion/URL params. [Compare types](https://www.linkedin.com/help/lms/answer/a1642380) |
| **Ads** | Creative; multiple ads per ad set for A/B. |

**Billing model**: [Objective-based pricing](https://www.linkedin.com/help/lms/answer/a427513) — **billed on the action tied to the objective** (e.g. clicks for traffic-oriented objectives). [Pricing overview](https://business.linkedin.com/advertise/ads/pricing)

**Budget pacing**: Auction-based; on **daily** budgets, spend on a day may **exceed the daily number by a margin**; **pacing** smooths so **7-day** spend does not exceed about **7× daily** (per LinkedIn’s public budget article—**always** confirm the latest text). [Budgets and pacing](https://www.linkedin.com/help/lms/answer/a422101)

**Minimum spend**: There is **no one global fixed** minimum across all cases; very low daily/lifetime budgets are often **rejected in UI**. A common **practical** floor cited in the industry is on the order of **~$10 USD/day per ad set** (not a platform guarantee). Use Campaign Manager as source of truth.

## Marketing objectives (funnel, abbreviated)

| Funnel | Example objectives (names evolve—pick in UI) | Typical use |
|--------|-----------------------------------------------|------------|
| Awareness | Brand awareness | Broad reach |
| Consideration | Website visits, Engagement, Video views | Traffic, company/page engagement, video |
| Conversion | Lead generation, Website conversions | Leads, **Lead Gen Forms**, on-site events |
| Talent | Job applicants, Talent leads (where eligible) | Hiring |

Full list: [Marketing objectives](https://www.linkedin.com/help/lms/answer/a424570)

## Ad formats and placements (high level)

[Ads Guide (authoritative for specs)](https://business.linkedin.com/advertise/ads/ads-guide)

### Sponsored Content (feed and related)

Aligns with **organic** shapes in **linkedin-posts** (image, video, document, etc.) as **paid** delivery:

- **Single image, video, carousel** (carousel ad cards often **2–10** in guide) · **Document** (PDF/DOC/PPT-style; large page/file limits in guide)
- **Event** ads (promote a LinkedIn Event) · **Job** ads (boost an existing job post)
- **Thought Leader** ads: amplify **qualified** members’ posts (eligibility rules in Ads Guide)
- **Article and Newsletter** ads: promote in-platform long-form/series
- **CTV (Connected TV)**: in-stream **reach**-oriented video with LinkedIn **targeting**; not a feed click campaign by default
- Placements can include **LinkedIn Audience Network (LAN)**—third-party app/site inventory. Toggle/availability is in the ad set. [LAN (help)](https://www.linkedin.com/help/lms/answer/a423409)

### Lead Gen Forms

- Native forms on ads; **profile pre-fill**; typically **~12 fields and ~3 custom questions** at most (verify current product)
- Minimize fields for higher completion; sync to CRM/Marketing automation

### Sponsored Messaging (inbox)

| Type | Notes |
|------|--------|
| **Message Ads** | One focused **message** + CTA; body often **~1,500 characters** in product docs (check Ads Guide) |
| **Conversation Ads** | **Branching** buttons; long body allowance (often **~8,000 characters** in docs); **up to ~5 CTA** buttons (check guide) |

### Text and Dynamic Ads

- **Text ads**: **Desktop**-oriented; small image + text; often CPC/CPM. [Placements (help)](https://www.linkedin.com/help/lms/answer/a417880)
- **Dynamic / Follower / Spotlight** variants: personalized right-rail; see Ads Guide

**Tracking**

- **Insight Tag** for site retargeting and conversion lift · [Conversion tracking hub](https://www.linkedin.com/help/lms/answer/a420536)
- **UTM/URL parameters**: [URL tracking parameters](https://www.linkedin.com/help/lms/answer/a5968064)