LinkedIn debuts CTV Ads for B2B Marketers, Now Targeting US and Canada

LinkedIn this week announced it is rolling out new ad solutions: LinkedIn CTV Ads (including LinkedIn Premiere with NBCUniversal). LinkedIn CTV Ads empower marketers to reach decision-makers across Connected TV for maximum impact.

Expanding Reach with LinkedIn CTV Ads

Recognizing the surge in Connected TV (CTV) adoption and its potential for reaching B2B buyers, LinkedIn CTV is here. Building on successful In-Stream Video Ads, this new offering puts your creative in front of the LinkedIn audience across premium streaming content.

Within Campaign Manager, advertisers can now effortlessly launch and scale CTV campaign across LinkedIn's publisher network (Paramount, Roku, Samsung Ads, and more). LinkedIn says advertisers can rest assured knowing their campaigns aligns with brand-safe publishers within the LinkedIn Audience Network.

For added support with audience targeting, LinkedIn Premiere offers a managed solution for accessing decision-makers across NBCUniversal's content on CTV.

Key Takeaways for PPC Specialists:

• Precision Targeting: Hone in on decision-makers using LinkedIn's rich demographic data (company, seniority, interests).
• Brand Safety: Confidence in placing your ads alongside premium content within LinkedIn's network.
• Flexibility: Choose between launching your own campaign on the wider network or utilizing the targeted, managed solution of LinkedIn Premiere.

LinkedIn partners with iSpot and Kantar

LinkedIn partnered with iSpot and Kantar to provide:

• Advanced Audience Measurement (iSpot): Track cross-platform reach (linear vs. CTV) of your B2B campaigns.
• Brand Lift Studies (Kantar): Gain actionable insights on how your campaign boosts brand awareness and affinity among your target audience.

LinkedIn CTV ads enables advertisers to leverage LinkedIn's first-party data

LinkedIn CTV ads allow you to leverage LinkedIn's robust first-party data on its billion-strong professional network to reach your ideal audience while they're engaged with content on the big screen. Here's an overview:

Placement: Your video ads appear within long-form and episodic streaming content across LinkedIn's network of CTV publishers, devices, and smart TVs. Ads can be delivered pre-roll, mid-roll, or within the final 15-30 seconds of content.

Important Considerations and Limitations

• Still in Testing: CTV ads on LinkedIn are currently in the testing phase, with potential for changes to functionality and limitations compared to standard LinkedIn ad formats.
• US and Canada Only: Currently, targeting is restricted to audiences in the United States and Canada.

Best Practices

• Optimize Video Length: Use 15 or 30-second CTV assets for the best experience and optimize campaign delivery.
• Broaden Audience Criteria: Employ larger audience criteria for greater efficiency.
• Utilize Brand Safety Tools: Leverage blocklists, allowlists, and other LinkedIn Audience Network brand safety features.
• Monitor Campaigns Closely: Keep an eye on delivery and demographic reporting after campaign launch for necessary adjustments.

Brand Safety

LinkedIn prioritizes a brand safe environment across its network, including CTV inventory. They employ:

• High-Quality Publishers: LinkedIn vets its CTV publisher partners for brand safety and suitability.
• Detection and Filtration: First-party tools and collaborations with partners like DoubleVerify help identify and remove unsuitable or fraudulent content.
• Advertiser Controls: Access existing LinkedIn Audience Network brand safety controls (allowlists, blocklists, etc.) and post-bid reporting for your CTV campaigns.

Key Takeaway: LinkedIn CTV ads offer a unique way to reach engaged B2B decision-makers on large screens. While still in testing, they show promise for advertisers seeking targeted, professional audiences within a brand-safe context.

• Targeting: Tap into LinkedIn's extensive demographic data to target decision-makers in the US and Canada by criteria like company, seniority, and interests. English is currently the only supported language for audiences.
• Campaign Setup:
  • Use Campaign Manager: Creating CTV campaigns is done exclusively within LinkedIn Campaign Manager.
  • Select Brand Awareness Objective: Choose the "Brand Awareness" campaign objective and enable the "Connected TV only campaign" toggle.
  • Ad Specifications: Ensure your video adheres to LinkedIn's CTV ad requirements.
• Bidding: Currently, only auto-bidding is supported for CTV campaigns.
• Brand Lift Studies: LinkedIn's Brand Lift test functionality can also measure the effectiveness of CTV campaigns along with other ad campaigns in your account.