LinkedIn Sponsored Messaging Ads: Message Ads and Conversation Ads Guide

LinkedIn Sponsored Messaging allows advertisers to place targeted messages directly inside the LinkedIn Messaging experience. It combines LinkedIn’s professional audience targeting with a message-led advertising format designed for lead generation, event promotion, account-based marketing and other B2B campaigns.

The format was previously known as Sponsored InMail. However, LinkedIn now uses Sponsored Messaging as the broader product name, with two main formats:

• Message Ads, which contain a focused message and a primary call to action.

• Conversation Ads, which let recipients follow different predefined paths using multiple call-to-action buttons.

Although Sponsored Messaging resembles email, it should not be treated as conventional email marketing. Advertisers are not uploading a list and sending emails to everyone on it. LinkedIn determines which eligible members receive the advert based on the campaign’s targeting, auction, budget, member activity, consent settings and delivery controls.

This distinction matters. Sponsored Messaging can provide unusually direct access to professional audiences, but appearing in somebody’s LinkedIn inbox does not automatically make the message relevant, credible or commercially effective.

What Is LinkedIn Sponsored Messaging?

LinkedIn Sponsored Messaging is a paid advertising format that delivers native adverts through LinkedIn Messaging on desktop and mobile devices.

The advertiser creates an audience using the same types of professional attributes available elsewhere within LinkedIn Ads. These can include:

• Location

• Job title

• Job function

• Seniority

• Industry

• Company name

• Company size

• Skills

• Education

• Professional interests

• Contact or company lists

• Website and engagement retargeting audiences

Our wider guide to LinkedIn Ads targeting explains how these attributes can be combined without making an audience unnecessarily restrictive.

An advert appears as a sponsored message rather than a normal personal message. It is clearly labelled as sponsored and includes a visible sender. Depending on the format and objective, it can direct the recipient to a website, open a LinkedIn Lead Gen Form or present several response options.

LinkedIn currently delivers Sponsored Messaging adverts when members are active on the platform. This can improve the likelihood of the message being noticed, but it does not mean that every targeted member will receive or open it.

Delivery still depends on audience eligibility, competition, budget, member activity, language settings, regional consent requirements and LinkedIn’s own frequency controls.

Sponsored InMail, Sponsored Messaging and Message Ads

These terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but they do not all mean exactly the same thing.

Sponsored InMail is the former name that many advertisers still recognise. Sponsored Messaging is the current umbrella term. Message Ads and Conversation Ads are the advertising formats within it.

The old name remains useful when explaining the format or capturing searches from people familiar with Sponsored InMail. Within a current campaign, however, advertisers should use LinkedIn’s Sponsored Messaging terminology.

Message Ads Versus Conversation Ads

Both formats appear within LinkedIn Messaging, but they support different user experiences.

Message Ads

A Message Ad presents a relatively traditional direct-response message. It contains a sender, subject line, body copy, links and a main call-to-action button.

LinkedIn also automatically includes a Not Interested option. This allows the recipient to dismiss or archive the advert and provides a clear indication that the message is sponsored advertising.

Message Ads are generally better when:

• There is one clear proposition.

• The audience already understands the problem.

• The advertiser wants one principal action.

• The offer can be explained concisely.

• Additional pathways would create unnecessary friction.

Examples include booking a consultation, downloading a relevant report, registering for a webinar or requesting a demonstration.

Conversation Ads

Conversation Ads allow advertisers to create a branching sequence using multiple call-to-action buttons.

A recipient might be able to choose between:

• View the service

• Read a case study

• Register for an event

• Download a guide

• Speak to an adviser

• Tell us more

• Not interested

Some buttons can lead to a landing page or LinkedIn Lead Gen Form. Others can reveal another part of the conversation, creating a predefined decision tree.

Conversation Ads can work well when audience members have different levels of awareness or when a single offer needs to be approached from several angles. However, adding more choices is not automatically an improvement. A complicated conversation can distract recipients and reduce the number reaching the commercially important action.

The decision should therefore be based on the offer and buying journey:

LinkedIn recommends testing both formats, but advertisers should not assume that the more interactive option will always perform better. Simplicity frequently wins when the target audience already understands the problem and offer.

Sponsored Messaging Versus Regular InMail

Regular InMail and Sponsored Messaging serve different purposes.

Personal InMail is a one-to-one sales, recruitment or networking communication. It is manually sent from an individual account and governed by the sender’s LinkedIn subscription and available InMail credits.

Sponsored Messaging is paid advertising. It uses Campaign Manager targeting to reach a wider eligible audience and is charged through the advertising account.

Personal InMail should usually be more individual and research-led. Sponsored Messaging is more scalable, but the personalisation is necessarily limited because one advert may be delivered to many people sharing similar characteristics.

Using a first-name macro does not turn a bulk advertising message into genuine one-to-one outreach.

Sponsored Messaging Versus Sales Navigator

Sales Navigator is primarily a sales prospecting and account intelligence platform. It helps salespeople identify companies and contacts, save leads, monitor activity and conduct direct outreach.

Sponsored Messaging is an advertising format.

The two can support the same account-based marketing strategy, but they operate differently:

• Sales Navigator helps salespeople research and approach particular prospects.

• Sponsored Messaging helps marketing teams reach audience segments through paid media.

• Sales Navigator activity is carried out by individual salespeople.

• Sponsored Messaging is managed and reported through Campaign Manager.

• Sales Navigator is better suited to highly personalised outreach.

• Sponsored Messaging is better suited to controlled, scalable campaigns.

A coordinated strategy might use LinkedIn Ads to build recognition across a target account list before salespeople begin more personalised outreach. This is generally stronger than expecting one sponsored message or one cold InMail to create a sales opportunity independently.

How Sponsored Messaging Targeting Works

Sponsored Messaging can use LinkedIn’s professional targeting attributes, but targeting accuracy still depends heavily on the quality and freshness of member profile data.

A job title may be specific but inconsistent. A job function can improve scale but include people with different responsibilities. Seniority can help reach decision-makers but may exclude influential practitioners involved in the buying process.

The strongest audiences usually reflect a genuine ideal customer profile rather than a long collection of loosely related targeting options.

For example, an account-based campaign could combine:

• A matched company list

• Relevant job functions

• Appropriate seniority levels

• Selected locations

• Exclusions for existing customers or employees

LinkedIn’s company targeting and Matched Audiences can be particularly valuable for account-based marketing. However, adding too many audience layers can reduce scale and make delivery expensive or inconsistent.

Audience expansion should also be reviewed carefully. It may increase delivery, but it can move the campaign beyond the tightly defined people or accounts the message was written for.

Language and Regional Consent Considerations

Sponsored Messaging language targeting behaves differently from some LinkedIn feed advertising.

When English is selected, LinkedIn states that Sponsored Messaging is shown to members whose profile language is set to English. An English-language campaign may therefore fail to reach eligible professionals who use LinkedIn with another profile language, even if they can read English.

International advertisers should consider separate campaigns and translated messages for important local-language audiences.

There are also specific restrictions affecting the European Economic Area and Switzerland. Only members in these regions who have opted to receive Sponsored Messaging adverts in their LinkedIn inbox are eligible to receive them.

This may reduce the available reach of European campaigns. Forecasts should therefore be reviewed within Campaign Manager rather than estimated from LinkedIn’s total member numbers or a broader audience report.

How LinkedIn Sponsored Messaging Is Priced

Sponsored Messaging ad sets are generally charged on a cost-per-send basis.

There is no universal price such as 20p per message. The cost depends on factors including:

• Audience demand

• Targeting criteria

• Geography

• Competition

• Budget

• Bidding strategy

• Campaign objective

• Available inventory

• Estimated likelihood of achieving the desired result

The relevant forecast and bid guidance should be checked inside Campaign Manager when the ad set is created.

Cost per send is useful for understanding delivery efficiency, but it is not a business outcome. An inexpensive send is poor value if the audience does not engage or the leads do not progress.

The more commercially useful calculation is:

Cost per qualified lead = advertising spend ÷ qualified leads

For businesses with sufficient sales data, this can be extended to:

Customer acquisition cost = advertising spend ÷ new customers

And:

Return on ad spend = attributed revenue ÷ advertising spend

This is why Sponsored Messaging should not be assessed purely against email delivery costs. LinkedIn is charging for access to professionally targeted members, not simply for transmitting a message.

When Sponsored Messaging Can Work Well

Sponsored Messaging is best suited to propositions that justify the interruption of appearing inside a professional inbox.

Common applications include:

• Invitations to relevant webinars or in-person events

• Demonstration or consultation offers

• Industry research and specialist reports

• Account-based marketing campaigns

• High-value B2B services

• Product launches aimed at a defined professional audience

• Offers for previous website visitors or engaged audiences

• Content designed for a particular job function or sector

The offer must be specific enough to justify a direct message. “Learn more about our business” is rarely compelling. “See how multi-site care providers can reduce onboarding administration” gives the recipient a clearer reason to engage.

Sponsored Messaging tends to be less suitable when:

• The product has a very low customer value.

• The audience is broad or poorly defined.

• The message relies on artificial personalisation.

• The offer requires extensive explanation.

• There is no meaningful reason to act.

• The landing page or follow-up process is weak.

• The campaign cannot generate enough data for responsible evaluation.

A direct inbox placement can amplify relevance, but it also amplifies weak positioning. An irrelevant feed advert can be ignored in a second. An irrelevant sponsored message can feel more intrusive.

Choosing the Right Sender

The sender is an important part of the advert. LinkedIn allows Sponsored Messaging to appear from an approved LinkedIn member or, in some cases, a company identity depending on the format and account availability.

When an individual is used, permission must be approved. Sender permission requests can only be sent to first-degree connections associated with the advertiser.

The sender should make sense in relation to the message. Suitable examples might include:

• A commercial director inviting senior buyers to a private briefing

• A technical consultant promoting a technical assessment

• A subject specialist offering an industry report

• An account director approaching a defined set of target companies

• A company leader inviting peers to an executive event

The most senior person is not automatically the best sender. Relevance, credibility and consistency with the offer are more important than status alone.

The sender’s LinkedIn profile should also be complete and credible. Recipients can investigate who appears to be contacting them. An incomplete profile, mismatched role or overtly promotional biography can weaken trust.

How to Write an Effective Message Ad

A strong Message Ad should feel concise and relevant without pretending to be a private personal message.

A practical structure is:

1. Establish Relevance

Start with the reason the message applies to the audience.

For example:

“Many UK professional-services firms struggle to connect LinkedIn leads with qualified opportunities and revenue.”

This is more credible than claiming to have personally reviewed every recipient’s company.

2. Explain the Commercial Problem

Describe the problem in the audience’s language. Avoid a long introduction about the advertiser.

The recipient primarily wants to know:

• Why is this relevant?

• What problem does it address?

• What is being offered?

• Why should I trust it?

• What happens after I click?

3. Present the Offer

The offer should be clear and proportionate to the recipient’s level of awareness.

Cold audiences may respond better to a useful report, comparison or event. Warm retargeting audiences may be ready for a demonstration, audit or consultation.

4. Provide Evidence

Relevant proof can include:

• A concise customer result

• Recognised expertise

• A specific implementation outcome

• An industry benchmark

• A clear explanation of the methodology

Avoid vague statements such as “industry-leading solutions” or “helping businesses unlock growth”.

5. Use One Clear Primary Action

Even where additional links are available, the message should have one obvious next step.

The call to action should accurately describe what follows:

• Book Consultation

• Get the Report

• Register Now

• View Case Study

• Request a Demo

• Check Availability

Avoid manufacturing urgency unless the limitation or deadline is genuine.

How to Build an Effective Conversation Ad

A Conversation Ad should help recipients choose a relevant route without becoming an automated maze.

A simple opening might provide three options:

• Show me the service

• See a customer example

• Get the guide

Each route should have a distinct purpose. If every button eventually leads to the same generic page, the apparent choice adds little value.

A useful conversation structure normally contains:

1. A concise opening message

2. Two or three meaningful choices

3. Short follow-up messages

4. A clear conversion action

5. A route for recipients who are not ready to enquire

The flow should be tested on both desktop and mobile. Every button, landing page and Lead Gen Form should be checked before launch.

LinkedIn provides a flowchart report showing how recipients interact with the different buttons. This can reveal which routes attract attention and where the conversation loses momentum.

Using LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms

Lead Gen Forms allow recipients to submit information without leaving LinkedIn. Profile information can be pre-populated, reducing the effort required to respond.

For lead-generation Sponsored Messaging, the form must be attached according to LinkedIn’s objective and format requirements. With Conversation Ads, at least one relevant call-to-action path can be configured to open the form.

Lead Gen Forms can improve completion rates, but lower friction can also increase the number of weak or accidental enquiries. More leads do not necessarily mean more sales.

Use only the fields genuinely needed for the next step. Where lead quality is a concern, carefully chosen qualifying questions can help distinguish genuine prospects from low-intent submissions.

Our guide to LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms explains the wider role of native forms within a LinkedIn lead-generation strategy.

Landing Page or Lead Gen Form?

The right destination depends on the offer and sales process.

A Lead Gen Form may be preferable when:

• Mobile convenience is important.

• The offer is easy to understand.

• The audience already has sufficient context.

• Speed and completion rate are priorities.

• The CRM follow-up process is reliable.

A landing page may be preferable when:

• The service needs more explanation.

• Case studies or supporting evidence are important.

• Prospects need to compare options.

• Website behaviour contributes to qualification.

• The enquiry requires more detailed information.

The decision should be based on qualified-lead and sales performance, not form completion rate alone. Test both approaches where the audience and budget are sufficient.

Measuring Sponsored Messaging Performance

LinkedIn provides Sponsored Messaging-specific metrics, including:

• Sends

• Opens

• Open rate

• Sponsored Messaging clicks

• Button clicks

• Link clicks

• Click-to-open rate

• Cost per send

• Cost per open

• Leads

• Cost per lead

• Conversions

• Cost per conversion

Current reporting separates Sponsored Messaging sends and opens from conventional impression and click reporting. Advertisers should use the dedicated Sponsored Messaging reporting view rather than treating the format like a feed advert.

Open rate is useful as a diagnostic metric, but it should not be the principal definition of success. A message can generate a high open rate because of the subject line while producing few meaningful actions.

A better measurement sequence is:

1. Sends

2. Opens

3. Relevant button or link clicks

4. Form submissions

5. Contactable leads

6. Qualified leads

7. Sales opportunities

8. Customers

9. Pipeline and revenue

This separates advertising engagement from commercial performance.

If the open rate is weak, investigate the audience, sender and subject line. If opens are strong but clicks are weak, investigate the proposition and copy. If clicks are strong but conversions are weak, investigate the landing page or form. If lead volume is acceptable but sales quality is poor, investigate targeting, qualification and CRM feedback.

CRM Integration and Offline Conversion Tracking

A LinkedIn form submission or website enquiry is only the beginning of a B2B sales process.

LinkedIn Ads should ideally be connected with the CRM so the advertiser can determine which leads became:

• Marketing-qualified leads

• Sales-qualified leads

• Meetings

• Opportunities

• Customers

• Revenue

A LinkedIn Ads CRM integration can also reduce the delay between a form submission and sales follow-up. This is especially important for direct-response messages, where the prospect may expect prompt contact.

Where technically and commercially appropriate, qualified-lead, opportunity and customer events can be returned through LinkedIn offline conversion tracking. This allows performance to be judged using downstream outcomes rather than treating every form submission as equally valuable.

Advertisers should also implement suitable LinkedIn conversion tracking for website actions.

No attribution system is perfect. LinkedIn-reported conversions should be reconciled with CRM records, actual sales outcomes and an agreed attribution model. The objective is not to make one platform claim all the credit, but to understand whether the advertising is contributing to profitable growth.

Testing and Optimising Sponsored Messaging

Testing should begin with commercially meaningful variables rather than minor cosmetic changes.

Useful tests include:

• Message Ad versus Conversation Ad

• Different audience segments

• Individual sender versus another relevant sender

• Direct consultation versus content offer

• Lead Gen Form versus landing page

• Problem-led versus outcome-led copy

• Different proof points

• Short versus moderately detailed messages

• Different conversation pathways

Change one major variable at a time where possible. If the audience, sender, offer and copy all change together, the results will not explain what caused the performance difference.

Sponsored Messaging audiences can also take time to reach because LinkedIn controls delivery and limits how frequently members receive these adverts. Avoid making conclusions from a small number of sends or a handful of leads.

Testing should ultimately optimise for qualified leads, pipeline and customers—not merely opens.

Benefits of LinkedIn Sponsored Messaging

The format offers several genuine advantages.

• It reaches people within a professional messaging environment.

• Targeting can use LinkedIn’s detailed company and professional attributes.

• Messages can be personalised with supported profile macros.

• Advertisers can use company lists and other matched audiences.

• It supports both simple and interactive message formats.

• Lead Gen Forms can reduce conversion friction.

• Sender identity can strengthen relevance and credibility.

• Delivery and engagement can be measured in Campaign Manager.

• CRM integration can connect advertising with pipeline and revenue.

• It can complement wider account-based marketing and sales activity.

These benefits are most valuable when the audience is tightly aligned with the offer.

Limitations and Drawbacks

Sponsored Messaging also has important limitations.

• Recipients can immediately see that the message is sponsored.

• Cost-per-send pricing means spend is incurred before the recipient opens or acts.

• Highly competitive professional audiences can be expensive.

• Delivery is governed partly by LinkedIn rather than entirely by the advertiser.

• Regional consent requirements may reduce available reach.

• Profile-language settings can restrict delivery.

• A message can feel intrusive when the targeting or proposition is weak.

• Personalisation macros cannot replace genuine audience understanding.

• Open rate can create a misleading impression of success.

• Narrow audiences may produce insufficient conversion data.

• Lead Gen Forms can generate low-intent enquiries if qualification is weak.

• LinkedIn attribution should not be accepted without comparison against CRM outcomes.

Sponsored Messaging is therefore not inherently better than Sponsored Content, Sales Navigator outreach or email marketing. Each channel plays a different role.

Should Sponsored Messaging Be Used Alone?

Usually not.

A stronger B2B strategy can combine:

• Sponsored Content to build familiarity

• Video or document ads to educate the market

• Website and engagement retargeting

• Sponsored Messaging for a relevant direct offer

• Sales Navigator for research-led personal outreach

• Email nurturing for opted-in contacts

• CRM workflows for lead management

• Offline conversion tracking for qualified leads and revenue

A recipient who has already seen useful content, visited the website or engaged with the brand is more likely to recognise the company when a sponsored message appears.

Sponsored Messaging should therefore be treated as one part of a coordinated LinkedIn funnel rather than a shortcut around trust-building.

Is LinkedIn Sponsored Messaging Worth Testing?

Sponsored Messaging can be valuable for B2B advertisers with a clearly defined audience, relevant sender, strong proposition and sufficiently valuable customer outcome.

It is particularly suited to:

• High-value services

• Complex B2B products

• Account-based marketing

• Events and webinars

• Specialist reports

• Demonstrations

• Consultations

• Warm-audience re-engagement

It is less convincing when used to send generic sales copy to a broad audience.

The correct question is not whether Sponsored Messaging produces impressive open rates. It is whether the campaign can generate qualified opportunities and revenue at a commercially sustainable cost.

Start with a focused audience and one credible offer. Measure the complete journey from send to sale. Compare the results with LinkedIn’s other advertising formats and your existing sales channels. Then increase investment only when the downstream evidence supports it.

For more guidance, explore the One PPC LinkedIn Ads blog or learn about our LinkedIn Ads management service.

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