LinkedIn has unveiled an innovative expansion to the capabilities of its Thought Leader Ads, allowing companies to sponsor content made by non-employees.
This new feature enables advertisers to have access to authentic content from customers, industry experts and other users with at least a second-degree connection to the brand.
Originally, Thought Leader Ads only allowed a company to promote content from its employees and executives.
The Reason Behind the Expanded Ad Format
According to its press release, the rationale behind the expansion lies in findings from the 2024 Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Study:
"Nearly 73% of decision-makers say that an organization's thought-leadership content is a more trustworthy basis for assessing its capabilities and competencies than its marketing materials and product sheets."
This underscores the growing importance of more diverse and authentic voices, as exemplified in customer testimonials and expert insights, in effectively reaching a brand's target audience.
Thought Leader Ads should, therefore, not be limited to content from people within the company.
How the New Format Will Work
Under the new format of Thought Leader Ads, brands can search for the name of a LinkedIn member or input the URL of the post that they wish to sponsor.
Upon selecting a post for promotion, the content creator will receive a request for approval, ensuring consent and preventing misuse of original content.
Brands can also choose between single-image or video ad formats, enabling them to tailor their Thought Leader Ads to their specific campaign needs and audience preferences.
The expanded format is expected to have a global rollout by the end of March.
