LinkedIn ad formats: which ones advertisers actually fund.
LinkedIn sells about a dozen ad formats across the feed, the inbox and the right rail. Across 951 advertisers spending $1,000 or more in a year, 81% put at least 5% of their budget into single image ads and 46% into thought leader ads. The median account funds two formats, and single image is still the biggest line for half of them.
By Phil Ilic · Published 26 Oct 2026 · From Kiin Labs, LinkedIn Ads Benchmarks 2026
Every LinkedIn ad format
| Format | Where it shows | What it is | Advertisers funding it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single image | Feed | One image with copy and a link; can carry a lead gen form | 81% |
| Thought leader ads | Feed | A person's own post (image, text or video) promoted from your account | 46% |
| Video | Feed | Video post with a link or form | 43% |
| Document | Feed | A PDF readers page through in the feed, optionally gated by a form | 27% |
| Conversation ads | Inbox | Message with choose-your-path buttons | 15% |
| Message ads | Inbox | Single message with one call to action | 12% |
| Carousel | Feed | Two to ten swipeable cards | 6% |
| Event | Feed | Promotes a LinkedIn Event | 3% |
| Spotlight | Right rail | Personalised ad with the member's photo | 2% |
| Follower | Right rail | Personalised "follow this page" ad | 2% |
| Text | Right rail and top banner | Small headline, line of text and logo | under 2% |
| Connected TV | TV apps (off LinkedIn) | Video on streaming TV, targeted with LinkedIn data | under 2% |
Share of 951 accounts putting 5% or more of their LinkedIn budget into the format, 1 Oct 2025 to 30 Sep 2026. Lead gen forms are not a format: they attach to single image, video, document, carousel and message ads.
How much of the budget each format gets
| Format | Accounts using it (5%+ of spend) | Median share of budget among users | Biggest line for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single image | 81% | 54% | 51% of accounts |
| Thought leader ads (static and video) | 46% | 44% | 25% |
| Video | 43% | 23% | 10% |
| Document | 27% | 18% | 5% |
| Conversation ads | 15% | 19% | 4% |
| Message ads | 12% | 21% | 4% |
| Carousel | 6% | 13% | · |
Median advertiser account among accounts using the format. Spotlight, event, follower and text ads each sit under 5% of accounts.
Kiin Labs (2026). 81% of LinkedIn advertisers put 5% or more of their budget into single image ads and 46% into thought leader ads; the median account runs two formats (951 accounts, 1 Oct 2025 to 30 Sep 2026). https://kiin.co/research/linkedin-ads-budget-by-format
Embed this chart
Most accounts run two formats. The objective mix is just as lopsided.
Objectives
By objective, 60% of accounts put 5%+ of spend into engagement campaigns (median 44% of budget among them), 54% into lead generation (51%), 53% into website visits (30%), 29% into brand awareness (26%), 17% into video views and 14% into website conversions.
How to read it
This is what advertisers do, not what works. For what each format costs per real visit and per lead, see cost by format and Report No. 5.
What we recommend
For B2B pipeline, a working account usually needs three jobs funded: thought leader ads to warm the buying committee, single image or document ads to the same accounts, and a demand capture route such as message ads or lead gen forms. Half the panel funds only one or two of them.
Where the number comes from
Kiin Labs panel, 1,000+ advertiser accounts and $65M+ of LinkedIn spend; this cut covers the twelve months to 30 September 2026, accounts with $1,000 or more of spend outside Audience Network campaigns.
Questions about this number.
How should I split my LinkedIn ads budget by format?
In the Kiin Labs panel, accounts that fund thought leader ads put a median 44% of budget into them, and single image users a median 54%. For B2B pipeline, fund three jobs: thought leader ads, ads to the same target accounts, and a demand capture route.
What share of LinkedIn advertisers use thought leader ads?
46% of 951 advertisers put 5% or more of their budget into thought leader ads in the twelve months to 30 September 2026.
What is the most used LinkedIn ad format?
Single image. 81% of advertisers fund it and it is the biggest budget line for 51% of accounts.
How many LinkedIn ad formats should I run?
The median account runs two formats with 5% or more of spend. Running fewer than two usually means one job, warming or capturing demand, goes unfunded.
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