# LinkedIn ad design: B2B creatives that look considered

[Canonical HTML page](https://gradiently.design/guide/linkedin-ad-design)

LinkedIn readers are at work, sceptical and short of time. An ad earns a look by being specific and well made, and by looking like a company that has its act together.

## The short version

- LinkedIn single image ads work at 1200×627 landscape, 1200×1200 square or 1080×1350 portrait, and square or portrait take more space on phones.
- A LinkedIn ad has four layers of words: the line in the image, the introductory text above it, the headline below it and the button.
- B2B ads tend to read as credible when they make one specific claim instead of a broad slogan.
- Carousel ads let a brand tell a short story across square cards, with one point per card.
- A consistent, calm visual system makes a company look established, which matters when the buyer is putting their own reputation on the line.

Good **LinkedIn ad design** pairs a calm, recognisable image with one specific claim. Use 1200×1200 square or 1080×1350 portrait for the most space on phones, or 1200×627 for a classic landscape link ad. Put a short line in the image, the context in the introductory text, the outcome in the headline, and let a single button finish the job. B2B buyers are reading at work and weighing risk, so the ad should look considered rather than loud.

## LinkedIn ad formats and sizes

| Format | Size | Best for |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Single image, landscape | 1200×627 px | Link ads to articles, pages and offers; desktop heavy audiences |
| Single image, square | 1200×1200 px | The safe all round choice, more height on phones |
| Single image, portrait | 1080×1350 px | Mobile feeds, where height wins attention |
| Carousel cards | 1080×1080 px each | A short sequence: steps, features, proof |
| Document ads | Pages of a PDF | Guides and reports people can preview in the feed |

The image sizes match [LinkedIn post image size](https://gradiently.design/guide/linkedin-post-image-size), so organic posts and ads can share templates. Ad specs change, so confirm them in Campaign Manager before you launch.

- Landscape 1200×627: 1200 × 627
- Square 1200×1200: 1200 × 1200
- Portrait 1080×1350: 1080 × 1350

Three single image shapes. Landscape is the traditional link ad; square and portrait claim more of a phone screen.

## The copy hierarchy of a LinkedIn ad

A LinkedIn ad is read in layers, and each layer has a different job. Design them together so they relay rather than repeat. The image line is seen first; the introductory text above it is often cut off after its opening, behind a see more link; the headline beneath the image is what people read just before deciding to click.

| Layer | Job | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Image line | Stop the scroll with one specific claim | Close the books in 3 days, not 10 |
| Introductory text | Who it is for and why now, front loaded | For finance teams who dread month end. |
| Headline | The offer or outcome, plainly | See the month end checklist |
| Button | The action | Download |

Write all four together. If two layers say the same thing, one of them is wasted.

A square LinkedIn ad showing 3 days, not 10 in large type with Month end, reworked above it

A specific claim set large, with a quiet supporting line. The introductory text and headline do the rest.

Notice that the claim is a comparison with a number the buyer recognises from their own work. Only use numbers you can stand behind, ideally your own product's real results. [Visual hierarchy](https://gradiently.design/guide/visual-hierarchy) explains how to rank the line, eyebrow and detail so the eye reads them in order.

## What makes B2B creatives look considered

### Avoid

- Broad slogans: The future of work
- Stock photos of handshakes and laptops
- A different style for every campaign
- Screenshots too small to read on a phone
- Five features crammed into one image

### Do

- One specific claim the buyer can test
- Your product, your people or a strong typographic idea
- One visual system across every ad
- One zoomed in detail of the product, readable
- One point per image; more points become a carousel

Considered does not mean grey. It means deliberate: a restrained palette, generous margins, one typeface used well and a background that belongs to you. That visual calm signals a company that will still be around next year, which is a real concern for anyone signing a contract. [SaaS branding](https://gradiently.design/guide/saas-startup-branding) covers building that system from scratch.

- Ink navy: #0b1220
- Harbour: #1e3a5f
- Signal blue: #3b82f6
- Mint accent: #a7f3d0
- Paper: #f8fafc

A B2B palette that avoids the default corporate blue by grounding it in deep navy and adding one fresh accent for numbers and buttons.

## Designing LinkedIn carousel ads

Carousel ads are swipeable square cards, each with its own image and link. They suit content that has a natural order. Treat them like an organic carousel, which [LinkedIn carousel](https://gradiently.design/guide/linkedin-thought-leader-content) covers, with a little more discipline about the first card.

1. **Card 1: the claim** The same specific promise you would put on a single image ad, with a hint that there is more to swipe.
2. **Cards 2 to 4: the proof** One step, feature or result per card, each with a short line and, if useful, a readable product detail.
3. **Last card: the offer** What the buyer gets by clicking: the guide, the demo, the trial. One action only.
4. **Keep the frame fixed** Same background, type and positions on every card, so the carousel reads as one argument.

Document ads work on the same principle. The first page is the cover, seen in the feed before anyone opens the document, so design it like a single image ad: one claim, the title of the guide, your background. Inside, keep pages in the same frame with one idea each, because people page through them on phones. A report that looks like a slide deck exported in a hurry undoes the credibility the cover earned.

## Keeping a team's ads consistent

B2B ads are often made by several people: marketing, sales, a founder, an agency. Consistency breaks when each starts from a blank canvas. Agree the background, fonts, palette and logo position once and make them the starting point for everyone. [Brand consistency](https://gradiently.design/guide/brand-consistency) has a checklist.

In Gradiently that system lives in the brand kit and a Mark: a living background that renders at every ad size and, once claimed, only your company can export with. Pro workspaces let marketing, sales and an agency design together with owner, admin, editor and viewer roles and leave comments on drafts, and the Designer writes in the kit's voice. Variations for testing follow the method in [ad creative testing](https://gradiently.design/guide/ad-creative-testing).

## FAQ

### What size should a LinkedIn ad image be?

Use 1200×627 for landscape, 1200×1200 for square or 1080×1350 for portrait. Square and portrait take more space on phones.

### What size are LinkedIn carousel ad cards?

Design each card as a 1080×1080 square, with one point per card and the same frame throughout.

### How much text should a LinkedIn ad image have?

One short, specific line and at most one supporting detail. The introductory text and headline carry the rest.

### How should I design a LinkedIn document ad?

Design the first page like a single image ad, with one claim and the guide's title, then keep every inside page in the same frame with one idea each.

### How do I make LinkedIn ads look more professional?

Use one restrained palette, one typeface, generous margins and a consistent background on every ad, and make one specific claim instead of a slogan.