Why Marketers Should Be Running Thought Leader Ads On LinkedIn

LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads are transforming how brands build credibility and engagement on the world’s largest professional network.

If your B2B marketing strategy still relies only on corporate posts or traditional Sponsored Content, you’re missing one of LinkedIn’s most powerful advertising tools.

In this post, we’ll explore why Thought Leader Ads on LinkedIn are so effective, how they work, and why you should integrate them into your LinkedIn advertising strategy.

What Are LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads?

LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads allow you to promote organic posts from employees, executives, or industry voices, rather than your company page.

These can include:

• Leadership articles and insights
• Event announcements
• Short videos and thought pieces
• LinkedIn posts that have already proven engaging

The result? Authentic, human-centered content amplified at scale. Instead of a polished corporate ad, your audience sees real voices they can trust.

Why Thought Leader Ads Are So Effective

Marketers are seeing strong results because these ads combine the reach of LinkedIn advertising with the credibility of employee advocacy.

Trust first: 94% of B2B marketers say trust is essential in purchase decisions. Promoting posts from leaders and employees builds that trust faster than branded posts.

Higher engagement: LinkedIn reports that Thought Leader Ads deliver up to 1.6× higher engagement rates compared to standard single-image promotions (source).

Authentic reach: Audiences respond more positively to posts from people they follow or respect, even if they’re not yet customers.

Brand visibility: Each ad not only drives engagement but also increases profile views, followers, and connection growth for your leaders.

How Thought Leader Ads Work

Running a Thought Leader Ad is straightforward:

Choose the post - Select an existing post from an employee or your 1st/2nd-degree network.
 

Format options - Single image, video, and event ads are eligible (LinkedIn help guide).
 

Add CTAs - Event ads allow call-to-action buttons; for others, include URLs in the intro text.
 

Permissions required - Only Page Admins can sponsor posts (you don’t need access to the employee’s account).
 

Campaign Manager tracking - Monitor clicks, impressions, engagement, and conversions directly in Campaign Manager.

Pro Tips for Marketers

To maximise results with Thought Leader Ads:

Identify your strongest voices - CEOs, subject-matter experts, and employees with active networks.

Blend with employee advocacy - Use platforms like Vulse to help employees create share-ready content, then amplify the best performers.

Prioritise engagement campaigns - Thought Leader Ads excel in brand awareness, thought leadership, and top-funnel strategies.

Test content types - Video ads often spark more engagement, while event ads are ideal for registrations.

Why You Should Invest In Thought Leader Ads
 

LinkedIn advertising is more competitive than ever, and audiences are increasingly resistant to generic branded posts.

Thought Leader Ads cut through the noise by spotlighting authentic employee and executive voices.
 

For B2B marketers, they represent a unique opportunity to:
 

• Build trust and authority faster than competitors
   
• Humanise your brand and strengthen employee advocacy
   
• Achieve higher ROI from your LinkedIn ad spend
   
• Simply put: if you’re not using Thought Leader Ads yet, your competitors probably are.

LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads aren’t just another ad format, they’re a shift in how B2B brands communicate trust and authority.

By promoting authentic voices over polished corporate messaging, marketers can expand reach, boost engagement, and drive measurable impact.

Ready to explore how Thought Leader Ads can fit into your employee advocacy LinkedIn strategy?
 

Platforms like Vulse make it easy to empower employees to create content worth amplifying.