LinkedIn is one of the most popular professional social media platforms with over 690 million users worldwide. For businesses and marketers, LinkedIn ads present a major opportunity to reach a targeted B2B audience. Two of the main LinkedIn ad formats are image ads and video ads. But which performs better? Here is an in-depth comparison of LinkedIn video ads vs image ads.
LinkedIn Ad Overview
LinkedIn offers several different ad formats for businesses to choose from:
- Sponsored Content ads (image or video)
- Sponsored InMail
- Text ads
- Dynamic ads
- Conversation ads
The two most popular LinkedIn ad formats are Sponsored Content image ads and Sponsored Content video ads. These appear in the LinkedIn feed and allow businesses to showcase visual content to catch the user’s attention.
With Sponsored Content ads, businesses can target their ads using parameters like job title, company, industry, skills, age, location and more. This allows for highly targeted marketing to the relevant audience.
Benefits of LinkedIn Video Ads
Here are some of the main benefits and advantages of using LinkedIn video ads:
Higher engagement rates
Video ads on LinkedIn generally have higher engagement rates, like clicks and shares, compared to static image ads. Videos are more eye-catching in the feed and compel the viewer to watch. One study found 4x higher CTR for video ads over images.
Better storytelling ability
Videos allow brands to tell a story or convey information in a more engaging manner compared to images. Complex concepts, products or services can be explained better through videos.
Higher brand recall
Viewers are more likely to remember a brand after watching a video. Short video ads also have higher view-through rates on LinkedIn compared to images.
Emotional appeal
Videos are able to make a greater emotional connection with the viewer through music, story, etc. This can positively influence perception about a brand.
More shareable
LinkedIn users share video content 2x more than image content. Videos tend to go more viral through user sharing.
Trust building
Video ads with company employees, customer testimonials or behind-the-scenes footage can help build trust and credibility for a brand.
Lead generation
Videos drive more inbound leads and clicks to the company website. CTAs and links can be added to drive leads from LinkedIn video ads.
Benefits of LinkedIn Image Ads
Here are some benefits of using image ads on LinkedIn:
Lower cost
Image ads are generally cheaper to create than video ads. Static images and graphics can be designed at a lower production cost.
Faster creation
Simple image ads can be created and deployed much quicker compared to videos. Images allow for rapid testing of different messages or designs.
Allows more text
Image ads allow for overlaying more text on the creative compared to video format. Key messages can be communicated through image text.
Images tell stories too
Well designed infographics, photo collages, posters, etc. can also tell compelling brand stories through images.
Consistent look
Image ads allow brand visual identity and design elements to be displayed consistently across different campaigns.
Flexibility in images
Different types of images like photos, illustrations, logos, branding etc. can be tested for optimum results.
Metrics focused
With static image ads, results like impressions, clicks and CTR can be measured and optimized more efficiently.
LinkedIn Video Ad Best Practices
Here are some best practices for creating effective LinkedIn video ads:
Keep videos short
The ideal length is less than 30 seconds. Shorter 15-20 second videos have the highest engagement on LinkedIn.
Highlight key messaging
Communicate the core brand messaging and value proposition within the first 5 seconds. This hooks the viewer immediately.
Ensure high quality
Invest in professional video production and editing. High quality video content will perform better.
Optimize thumbnail
The thumbnail image is crucial. Use text overlays and choose a compelling image for the thumbnail.
Use minimal text
Avoid cluttering the video with too much text. Use clean, simple fonts and animations for text.
Add captions
Captioning the video enables sound-off viewing and accessibility. Include a transcript too.
Call-to-action
Add buttons, links or strong CTAs that allow users to engage further with the brand.
Mobile optimization
Ensure the video is shot and produced in vertical dimensions for mobile viewing.
Choose targeted objectives
Use video views, CTR or other objectives to focus the video ad results. Continually optimize.
LinkedIn Image Ad Best Practices
Here are some best practices for creating high-performance LinkedIn image ads:
High-quality image
Invest in professional photography and image creation. Visually compelling images perform better.
Relevant imagery
Use images that are relevant to the target audience like office settings, professionals etc. for LinkedIn.
Effective text overlay
Use minimal but high-impact text overlays on the image. Include a strong headline and CTA.
Creative testing
Test different versions of the image, layouts, colors, text etc. and analyze performance.
300×250 dimensions
This is the recommended image size for LinkedIn feed ads. Keep images uncompressed below 150 KB.
Balance text and image
Do not clutter the image with too much text. Maintain visual balance.
Branding and logo
Showcase brand elements prominently but blended with the image nicely.
Repurpose top-performing updates
Convert your best-performing LinkedIn posts into Sponsored Content ads.
Mobile optimization
Ensure the image is designed for optimal viewing experience on mobile devices.
When to Use Video Ads vs Image Ads?
Here is guidance on when to use video ads compared to image ads:
Use video ads when:
- Demonstrating a complex product
- Conveying a rich brand story
- Boosting brand awareness is key goal
- Promoting a new product launch
- Budget allows for video production costs
Use image ads when:
- Focused on conversion optimization
- Want to test different visuals
- Need a simple static call-to-action
- Have extensive text/copy to display
- Low budget marketing
Of course, the best approach is to test both image and video ad formats and gauge what resonates best with your target audience on LinkedIn. Optimization can then be done based on results.
Video Ad vs Image Ad Metrics Compared
Here is a data comparison of key LinkedIn ad metrics for video ads versus image ads:
Metric | Video Ad | Image Ad |
---|---|---|
Clickthrough rate (CTR) | 0.45% | 0.11% |
Conversion rate (CVR) | 25% | 14% |
Engagement rate | 6% | 2% |
Cost Per Thousand Impressions (CPM) | $12 | $8 |
Cost Per Click (CPC) | $9 | $5 |
Video completion rate | 75% | N/A |
Key points:
- Video ads achieve 3-4x higher clickthrough rates compared to images.
- Conversion rates are also almost double for video ads.
- Engagement metrics like likes, comments, shares are 3x higher for videos.
- Videos cost more on a CPM and CPC basis due to higher engagement.
- But videos also deliver results proportional to the higher costs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while both LinkedIn video ads and image ads have their unique advantages, video ads seem to deliver significantly higher engagement and response metrics overall.
Videos compel viewers to pay more attention while also telling richer stories for brands. However, image ads work well for focused objectives like lead gen and conversion optimization.
For top LinkedIn ad results, the best approach is to test both static image ads and video ads. Optimize based on performance data. Videos may cost more to produce but often provide a much higher return on investment in terms of engagement and conversions.
Use the image ad format for targeted direct response and conversion campaigns. Use the video ad format when wanting to build awareness, influence perception and tell an impactful brand story to the LinkedIn audience.