A Guide to LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads

LinkedIn’s Thought Leader Ads (TLAs) are transforming how brands engage with audiences. By amplifying authentic voices within a company, TLAs allow brands to leverage personal insights and experiences from employees or executives to build credibility and foster trust. 

In an era where authenticity drives engagement, TLAs are a game-changer for marketers looking to connect with their audience in a meaningful way. In this post, we’ll look at how (and why) to effectively use Thought Leader Ads to drive growth and strengthen brand presence.

Why Thought Leader Ads Matter

Traditional corporate ads can feel impersonal, whereas content shared by individuals often feels more genuine and relatable. Thought Leader Ads take advantage of this by promoting posts from trusted individuals within a company, making the content more engaging.

This aligns with a recent statistic showing 87% of B2B audiences would prefer to hear from trusted influencers. In 2025, this highlights a clear trend: audiences want insights from industry experts that feel authentic and not like a sales pitch.

At Jordan Digital Marketing, we’ve consistently seen that thought leader content from personal accounts outperforms similar messaging from corporate pages. This is because personal posts are viewed as authentic and trustworthy, encouraging deeper engagement. TLAs give brands the ability to balance authentic storytelling with strategic marketing goals.

Crafting Effective Thought Leader Ads

Align the Message with the Brand
While the content comes from a person, it should still reflect positively on the business. A simple way to bridge this gap is to naturally connect the individual’s role to the company. For example:

"As [Job Title] at [Company], I’ve had the opportunity to work on [specific initiative], and here’s what we’ve learned..."

Share Success Stories and Overcoming Challenges
Thought Leader Ads are perfect for showcasing real experiences. Sharing how the company solved a challenge or achieved a milestone makes the story relatable and highlights the company’s strengths. For example:

"Our team faced [challenge], and here’s how we approached it. The results exceeded expectations and taught us valuable lessons."

Use Visuals to Subtly Highlight the Brand
Visual elements such as reports, infographics, or product videos can subtly feature your brand. This keeps the content authentic while still showcasing the business. Just make sure visuals align with the thought leader’s personal style.

Who Should Be Featured in Thought Leader Ads?

Senior executives often have the most impact because of their authority and industry experience. However, the most effective spokesperson is someone who can speak authentically and insightfully on a specific topic. Depending on the subject, a product manager, creative lead, or technical expert might be the best fit to share meaningful insights that resonate with the target audience.

Tone and Content That Work Best

The most effective Thought Leader Ads are personable, conversational, and insightful. Audiences want to feel like they’re hearing from a real person, not reading a polished corporate statement. Sharing lessons learned, personal experiences, and industry insights works well.

Avoid overly formal or scripted content. If the thought leader naturally uses emojis or casual language, keep those elements. If not, forcing them can come across as inauthentic. Authenticity is the key to making these ads successful.

KPIs to Measure Success

Thought Leader Ads are best for top-of-funnel goals, focusing on engagement and awareness rather than immediate conversions. The most relevant KPIs include:

• Click Traffic – How many users are visiting your website.
• Click-Through Rate (CTR) / Engagement – A measure of how engaging the ad is.
• Cost Per Click (CPC) – Evaluates the cost-efficiency of driving traffic.

These metrics help gauge how well the ad is engaging the target audience and building brand awareness.

Tips for Maximizing TLA Performance

• Include a Clear Call to Action (CTA): Encourage users to take the next step, like visiting a landing page or downloading a resource. Use UTM parameters to track performance.
• Engage with Comments: Encourage the thought leader to respond to comments to foster conversation. This interaction builds trust and can improve ad performance. A recent study from Reddit highlights that 81% of people appreciate when brands engage in discussions – and if that’s true of engagement from a corporate account, engagement from a real person stands to matter even more.
• Test and Optimize: A/B test different messaging styles and tones to learn what resonates best.

LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads offer brands a unique opportunity to humanize their marketing and engage audiences through authentic, relatable content. By amplifying the voices of company leaders, brands can build trust, drive engagement, and ultimately foster stronger relationships with their audience.

Ready to make Thought Leader Ads a part of your marketing strategy? Contact us for a free audit, and let’s start building authentic connections that drive results.