LinkedIn introduces video ads in the newsfeed

Phil Spitzer, Product Manager at LinkedIn, announced last week the introduction of video ads in the LinkedIn´s newsfeed. “Native video ads represent the next evolution of LinkedIn Sponsored Content that lets advertisers engage with business decision-makers throughout the buyer’s journey on Linkedin. Unlike pre- or post-roll video ads, Video for Sponsored Content lives directly in the news feed as a standalone post,” wrote Phil Spitzer.

LinkedIn was testing video ads since October. Over 700 advertisers tested video ads, including GE, Philips, and Audi Canada. On average, LinkedIn members spend almost 3x more time watching video ads compared to time spent with static Sponsored Content.

Advertisers can also do conversion tracking, enabling the measurement of the number of leads, sign-ups, website visits, and other valuable actions. According to LinkedIn, on video ad is possible to have a “call to action” button or integrate the Lead Gen Form.

How video ads on LinkedIn look like

Metrics for LinkedIn video ads

• Clicks: The number of clicks on links;
• Impressions: The number of times people saw the ad.
• Click-through rate (CTR): The number of clicks divided by impressions.
• Conversions: The number of times someone took an action after clicking on or seeing your ad. This metric applies to campaigns using LinkedIn conversion tracking.
• Conversion rate: How often your ads result in conversions on your website.
• Cost per conversion: Ad spend divided by conversions.
• Leads: the number of leads you get from your ads. This metric applies to campaigns using LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms.
• Cost per lead (CPL): Ad spend divided by leads.