LinkedIn Conversation Ads

LinkedIn Conversation Ads are sponsored messages delivered to a member’s LinkedIn inbox. Each message has several response buttons, and each button leads to a different follow-up message or link. Prospects pick the path that fits them, which makes the ad self-qualifying.

How it works

Conversation Ads pair LinkedIn targeting (job title, company size, industry, seniority) with a short, chat-style exchange. The message comes from a named person at your company and offers a few choices such as “Show me a demo”, “Send the case study”, or “Not right now”. Each choice opens a different branch. Prospects get the content they asked for, and you learn what they care about from the button they press.

How to do it

List two or three distinct needs your audience has, for example “see a demo”, “read a case study”, and “understand pricing”. Each becomes a branch.
Choose a sender: a real team member whose role fits the message, such as a sales lead or subject expert.
Write the opening message in a plain, personal tone. Keep it short and give one clear reason for reaching out.
Add two or three buttons per message, each leading to a clearly different next step.
End every branch with a measurable action: a demo booking page, a case study download, a pricing page, or a Lead Gen Form.
Set up conversion tracking for each destination and review button clicks and conversions in Campaign Manager.

What to measure

Open rate: opens divided by sends, from Campaign Manager.
Click-through rate by button: clicks on each button divided by opens. This shows which topic interests your audience most.
Cost per lead by branch: spend divided by leads generated from each branch.

Best practices

Send from a real person with a profile photo, not a company page.
Keep each message short and conversational. It should read like a chat, not a newsletter.
Test different structures: “choose your interest”, “answer a question”, and “pick a resource”.
Target narrowly by job title, company size, and industry.

Common pitfalls

Writing the message like a formal marketing email.
Building too many levels of branches, which feels like a phone menu.
Targeting too broadly, which raises cost without improving lead quality.