Content Writer at SocialBee
You’ve probably seen those swipeable LinkedIn ads with multiple images or slides. They’re more interactive than their single-image counterpart and help businesses tell a story, showcase products, or share insights in a more engaging way.
However, many businesses struggle to make their carousel ads stand out, leading to low engagement and missed opportunities.
The good news? Creating a high-performing LinkedIn carousel ad doesn’t have to be complicated. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to set up a carousel ad, along with tips and LinkedIn carousel examples to help you get the best results.
Streamline your marketing with an efficient social media strategy template.
Short Summary
- A LinkedIn carousel ad is an interactive ad format that lets you showcase multiple images or cards in a single post, that viewers can swipe through. Each card can have a different image, text, and link, making it useful for storytelling, product showcases, or step-by-step guides.
- You can still share carousel-style content on LinkedIn, even though the organic carousel post feature was removed in December 2023. All you have to do is upload a LinkedIn document post or a PDF with multiple slides. LinkedIn will display it as a swipeable document post, and people can click through it just like a regular carousel.
- Your LinkedIn carousel ad images should be square (1:1 ratio), at least 1080×1080 pixels, and under 10 MB each. Keep headlines under 45 characters, your intro text under 150 characters, and use different website links for each slide.
- When creating your ad, LinkedIn asks you to select a campaign goal, like brand awareness, website visits, engagement, lead generation, or conversions. Your choice affects how LinkedIn delivers your carousel and who sees it.
- LinkedIn ads run on a bidding system, meaning you’re competing with others for visibility. If you’re new, LinkedIn suggests the best option for your goal. Start with at least $30/day and adjust as needed.
- Upload 2–10 slides with eye-catching images and short, clear headlines. Since LinkedIn resizes images, preview your ad before posting to check that the text and visuals aren’t cut off.
- LinkedIn’s targeting lets you reach people based on their job title, industry, company size, location, skills, and interests. If you already have a good audience, you can create a Lookalike Audience to find more people like them.
- Once your ad is live, track performance using Engagement Rate, Click-Through Rate (CTR), and Conversion Rate. If it’s not performing well, tweak the number of slides, order of images, headlines, and audience targeting options.
What’s a LinkedIn carousel ad?
A LinkedIn carousel ad is an interactive ad format that lets you showcase multiple images or cards in a single post which viewers can swipe through. Each card can have its own image, text, and link.
These ads appear in LinkedIn’s feed, just like regular posts, but they stand out because users can engage with them, unlike other ad formats.
As a business, you can use them to highlight different features of a product, break down complex ideas, or share multiple customer success stories in one ad.
Can you still share organic carousels on LinkedIn?
Yes, you can still share carousel-format content on LinkedIn, even though the official carousel post feature was removed in December 2023. Instead, you can upload a PDF document with multiple slides. LinkedIn will display your new post as a slideshow-style post, so people can click through it just like with standard carousel ads.
This works for both personal and company posts, making it a great way to share multi-slide content.
LinkedIn carousel specs for ads
LinkedIn carousel ad design requirements:
- File types: JPG, PNG, or GIF (non-animated)
- Aspect ratio: 1:1 (square)
- Recommended LinkedIn carousel image ad resolution: Min 1080 × 1080 pixels, max 4320 × 4320 pixels (LinkedIn scales all images to 312 × 312 pixels)
LinkedIn carousel ad text limits:
- Ad name (optional): Up to 255 characters
- Headline per slide: Up to 45 characters
- Intro text: Max 255 characters, but 150 characters are recommended to avoid text being cut off on smaller screens
- Headline display: Max 2 lines per slide before being truncated
LinkedIn carousel posts slides & file size:
- Number of slides: Minimum 2, maximum 10
- File size limit: 10 MB per image
LinkedIn carousel ad URLs & links:
- Landing page URL: Required
- URL format: Must start with http:// or https://
- Max URL length: 2,000 characters
- Linking rules: Each slide can have a different destination URL, except when using a lead gen form, which applies the same CTA to all carousel slides.
Remember, before you get started with carousel ads, you must have permission to post direct sponsored content, and your LinkedIn page admin must have access to the Campaign Manager tool and permissions higher than Viewer.
NOTE: Once you publish LinkedIn carousel ads, you can’t edit them. Also, to prevent your ads from getting rejected, follow LinkedIn’s advertising guidelines.
How to create LinkedIn carousel ads:
- Choose your campaign objective
- Set your budget and bidding strategy
- Create your carousel ad campaign
- Target the right audience
- Publish, test, and refine
1. Choose your campaign objective
Before designing your ad, decide what you want to achieve with it. LinkedIn requires you to pick a campaign objective, which helps the platform optimize your ad delivery.
To get started, log in to LinkedIn Campaign Manager, link your company page, and click Create Campaign.
From there, select Advanced Mode and give your campaign a name. Now, you’ll need to choose one of the following objectives:
- Brand awareness: Increase visibility and get your brand in front of more people.
- Website visits: Drive traffic to a landing page, blog, or product page.
- Engagement: Boost likes, shares, and comments.
- Lead generation: Collect customer information using LinkedIn’s pre-filled forms.
- Website conversions: Push users toward specific actions, like signing up for a demo or making a purchase.
Each campaign goal works differently. If you choose engagement, LinkedIn will show your ad to people who are more likely to like, comment, or share. If you pick lead generation, it will target users who are more likely to fill out a form.
Think about what you want to achieve before selecting your goal, as it affects who sees your ad and how LinkedIn delivers it.
2. Set your budget and bidding strategy
LinkedIn ads work on a bidding system, meaning you’re competing with other advertisers for visibility. How much you spend depends on your goal and target audience.
If you want more website visits, LinkedIn recommends cost per 1,000 impressions (CPM), where you pay depending on how often your ad is shown. If your goal is lead generation, cost per click (CPC) might be better since you only pay when someone clicks on your ad.
If you’re new to LinkedIn ads, don’t stress about the bidding process, as LinkedIn automatically recommends the best option based on your campaign goal. You can also turn on Budget Optimization to help spend your money wisely.
Set your daily or total budget and decide how long your campaign will run. If you’re new to LinkedIn ads, start with the minimum threshold ($30 per day) and adjust as you go.
3. Create your carousel ad campaign
Here’s how to design your LinkedIn carousel ad:
- Select Carousel Image Ad as your ad format.
- Upload 2 to 10 images in JPG, PNG, or non-animated GIF format.
- Add a headline for each slide (up to 45 characters).
- Include a destination URL, which can be different for each slide.
- Arrange your slides in a way that tells a story or highlights different products.
- Click ALT to add alt text for better accessibility.
The first two slides of your LinkedIn post are the most important because they determine whether people keep swiping. Make sure the first image grabs attention, and the second one keeps them interested.
Before posting, preview your ad to check how it looks on desktop and mobile. Since LinkedIn resizes images, double-check that text and visuals aren’t getting cut off.
4. Target the right audience
Unlike other platforms, LinkedIn lets you reach users based on professional attributes, which makes it great for B2B marketing and lead generation.
When setting up your audience, you can target people based on:
- Job title, industry, or company size: ideal for reaching decision-makers
- Location, age, or gender: helps refine targeting based on demographics
- Skills and interests: useful for niche products and services
- Company name or specific accounts: Great for account-based marketing (ABM)
PRO TIP:
Not sure who’s actually engaging with your content? SocialBee’s got you covered! With SocialBee’s Analytics, you can see exactly who your audience is, not just how your posts perform. Get insights on:
- Where your audience is from (region & country breakdown)
- What industries they work in and their seniority level in the company
- Which roles engage the most with your content
Plus, you can track post reach, likes, comments, and shares to spot trends and see what’s working.
Monitor your LinkedIn metrics using SocialBee. Effortlessly create PDF reports in moments to capture your real-time progress.
If you already have a good audience, you can use Lookalike Audiences to find more people with similar interests and characteristics.
Getting your targeting right is key to a successful carousel ad. If your audience is too broad, you might spend money on people who aren’t interested. If it’s too narrow, you might not reach enough people.
Once you’re happy with your audience, click Save Audience, and you’re good to go.
5. Publish, test, and refine
Once your campaign looks good, activate it in Campaign Manager, and it will start running. However, to get the best results, keep an eye on how your ad is performing.
Here are the standard advertising metrics to measure for your LinkedIn campaigns :
- Engagement rate: Are people swiping through your slides, clicking, or interacting?
- Click-through rate (CTR): How many people actually click on your ad?
- Conversion rate: This helps you see if people take the action you want, like signing up or purchasing your product or service.
If your results aren’t what you expected, try different approaches to improve your performance over time.
Some ways to optimize your LinkedIn carousel ads include:
- Adjust the number of slides: Shorter carousels work for quick messages, while longer ones allow for storytelling.
- Change the slide order: Switching the first and second carousel cards might boost engagement.
- Refine your audience: If engagement is low, try adjusting demographics or industries.
- Test different headlines and text: Tweaks in wording can make a big difference.
NOTE: You can track everything in LinkedIn’s Analytics Dashboard, which gives you insights into how your audience interacts with your ad. Keep testing
5 ways to make LinkedIn carousel ads stand out:
- Educate your audience
- Showcase your business culture and values
- Share a tutorial
- Launch a new product
- Share research
1. Educate your audience
A LinkedIn carousel ad lets you share useful information in a way that people actually want to read.
Use the first slide to make your message feel relevant. Each slide should then build on the last one, but keep things easy to follow. Instead of packing too much text, use quick bullet points, charts, or visuals to highlight core ideas.
This YouGov carousel ad does this well. It starts with a question that gets people thinking and uses clear, data-backed insights on each slide. Plus, the straightforward design keeps the focus on the message without being distracting:
The ad wraps up with a clear call to action, inviting viewers to watch a free webinar for more insights. It’s a great way to generate leads and keep the conversation going even after people finished swiping.
2. Showcase your business culture and values
Carousel ads are a great opportunity to showcase your mission, values, and impact. However, instead of just saying you support a cause, highlight actual projects, partnerships, or initiatives, using real examples to show how your company puts its values into action.
A great example of this is Huawei Digital Power’s LinkedIn carousel ad. The question in the first slide makes the post feel interactive and encourages people to think about the topic:
Branding is present but doesn’t take over, allowing the story to shine. Incorporate your company’s colors, fonts, and logo, but keep the focus on your message.
3. Share a tutorial
Use your ads to share bite-sized slides that are easy to follow and more engaging. Keep your slides short and to the point, so people know right away if the information is relevant to them. Then, organize your slides logically, so viewers can easily follow. Each slide should focus on one key action to keep things simple.
For instance, this LinkedIn for Marketing carousel ad is a great example of how to structure educational posts. Each slide covers a specific idea, making it easy for viewers to click on the ones they’re most interested in.
Plus, the visuals are clean and professional, making the information easy to scan without distractions.
4. Launch a new product
Is your business launching a new product on LinkedIn? Carousel ads can help you introduce it step by step instead of cramming everything into one long post. Begin with a bold statement or a clear benefit to make people stop scrolling. Then, use the next slides to highlight any outstanding features and real-world applications.
A great way to structure your ad is to tell a story. Show the problem your product solves, how it works, and what makes it different. If you can, include examples or comparisons that make the benefits clear.
The Setec Group ad does a great job of launching a new product in a sleek way, without overwhelming viewers:
Notice how the text includes technical details while still keeping the value clear, making it useful for both industry experts and decision-makers:
5. Share research
If research is your strong suit, break it down into bite-sized pieces, one idea per slide. Use as few words as possible; think captions, not paragraphs.
If you’re the one conducting the research, you can also sneak in your source (like “Source: My article on [topic]”) at the bottom of a slide.
And don’t forget the pictures. Relevant illustrations make your carousel more engaging. This post is a great example of how to do things right. The pictures are spot-on, namely a group of people for “life satisfaction” and windmills for “sustainability.” Makes sense, right?
They’re giving you quick, easy-to-understand news with nice visuals, which is perfect for scrolling through LinkedIn. It’s like the Cliff’s Notes version of the news, but unlike other LinkedIn ad formats, they’re way more engaging. Plus, you get to educate your audience and determine them to click to learn more.
Frequently asked questions
Make the most of LinkedIn carousels for your business!
Carousel ads allow you to brand awareness, generate leads, or share valuable insights.
The key is to keep it visually appealing and easy to follow. Make your first slide stand out, guide your audience through a structured flow, and always end with a strong call to action. And don’t forget to test and refine: small tweaks in your slides, headlines, or targeting can make a big difference.
However, while ads are effective, they are not sustainable long term. For this reason, you also need an organic content strategy. If you need a hand, start your 14-day free SocialBee trial to create, schedule, post, and analyze your LinkedIn content all in one spot, so you’re always on top of your social strategy!
