LinkedIn video ads are the most sought-after and, of course, expensive too.
So, here I am, having conducted extensive research and identified the best successful LinkedIn video ads examples that you can learn from for your own ABM campaigns.
Also, I have discussed:
- Ad copywriting tips from experts,
- How ZenABM can support your LinkedIn ads ABM strategy
Let’s go!
LinkedIn Video Ads for ABM: Quick Summary
In case you are in a hurry, here’s a summary:
1. Why video ads matter: LinkedIn is the B2B watering hole. Video ads cut through static posts and drive the highest CTR (avg. ~0.6%).
2. Formats & specs: MP4, 3s–30min, captions mandatory for mute autoplay. Keep intros under 150 chars, front-load the hook.
3. Creative best practices:
- Hook in the first 1–2 seconds.
- Keep it short (10–15s works best).
- Optimize for sound-off with text overlays.
- Front-load value, close with a CTA.
- Brand early and match tone to audience.
- Use stories, testimonials, or social proof.
- Personalize for ABM segments (verticals, personas).
4. Copywriting fundamentals (Harry Dry):
- Can I visualize it?
- Can I falsify it?
- Can nobody else say this?
5. Quick test: if the hook doesn’t land in 2 seconds, it won’t land at all.
6. ZenABM’s edge: Tracks company-level engagement, intent signals, and revenue attribution per ad campaign. Pushes clean data back into your CRM.
7. Case studies prove it: KLM, Microsoft, Cisco, and Kashable all drove awareness, pipeline, and ROI by combining sharp creative with LinkedIn’s targeting and attribution.
8. Mistakes to avoid: Spray-and-pray targeting, ignoring sound-off playback, over-selling too early, and skipping attribution setup.
Why LinkedIn Video Ads Matter for B2B ABM
The answer is simple:
- LinkedIn is a professional network designed for B2B: 80% of B2B buyers utilise LinkedIn in their decision-making process.
- Its advanced targeting (by company, industry, role, etc.) and credible user data make it ideal for Account-Based Marketing.
- For example, LinkedIn’s ad targeting lets you layer job function, seniority, company size or even match known account lists (a boon for ABM).
- And why specifically video ads? Video ads capture attention in a busy feed. Marketing LTB’s research, for instance, found that LinkedIn video ads CTR is the highest and sits at 0.6%:
Source: Marketing LTB
Ad Formats, Specs, and Targeting
Some must-know technical stuff:
- LinkedIn offers native Sponsored Content video ads (in-feed) and message ads with video (InMail).
- Videos must be MP4 format, 75KB–500MB, and run 3 seconds to 30 minutes.
- Aspect ratios can be square or vertical: LinkedIn supports 1:1, 4:5 (0.8), 9:16 (vertical), and 16:9.
- By default, LinkedIn videos auto-play muted, so plan for sound-off viewing by including bold captions or on-screen text.
- All text must be concise. Headlines are ~70 characters (max 200) and intro copy ~150 chars (max 600).
- The ad only displays ~70 chars of intro text on most feeds, so front-load key points.
Creative Strategy & Best Practices
Some timeless creative strategies and best practices for LinkedIn video ads:
Hook Immediately
Grab attention in 1–2 seconds using a strong hook, since users scroll fast.
And a strong hook can be a surprising fact, a question, or a problem statement.
For example, Figma’s ad starts by telling viewers exactly who it’s for (“if you have been holding off on learning Figma…”) and Canva’s video opens with “3 handy tricks for presentations,” immediately promising value.
Also, use on-screen text or motion graphics so the hook is clear even without sound.
Keep It Short
Keep the ads short (brevity is key – LinkedIn reports its most successful ads are only 10–15 seconds long).
Only consider longer formats (30–60s) for full-funnel storytelling.
And don’t hesitate to slice long content into a series of clips if needed..
Optimize for Silent Viewing
LinkedIn video ads, by default, remain muted in the user’s feed. until the user taps on the speaker icon.
So, make sure your video works without sound.
For that, use bold captions, kinetic typography or simple illustrations.
For e.g., FullStory’s LinkedIn video ad uses large overlay text so the message reads even without sound.
Also, always upload an accurate caption file.
Front-Load Value, End with CTA:
In the description text and early video scenes, state the key benefit or problem you solve because audience’s first thought is “What’s in it for me?”
For example, Slack’s ad opens with the tagline “A problem shared is a problem halved,” then quickly shows how collaboration solves that problem.
End your video (and post text) with a clear call-to-action, preferably as a button (e.g. “Learn More,” “Register Now”) and mention it in your copy (e.g. “Watch now” or “Get the guide”).
Branding and Tone
Be on-brand from frame one and include your logo or colors early.
Also, keep in mind your target audience.
Microsoft’s Copilot video ad, for instance, blends polished corporate visuals with product shots and leadership footage, matching their formal brand.
In contrast, Hootsuite (a social listening SaaS) uses a trendy TikTok-style multi-character format to suit its audience. Yes, where the same influencer plays different characters.
Tell a Story or Share Social Proof:
LinkedIn audiences value expertise.
Consider formats like mini-interviews or testimonials.
Bloomreach, for example, used a clip of its conference speaker and then drove viewers to watch the full on-demand session, utilizing event authority as social proof.
Personalize Messaging to Audience Segments
If using ABM, customize creative per vertical or persona.
One company might run two versions of a video: same script but different intro (“For finance teams…” vs. “For marketing teams…”).
Always speak directly to the targeted role’s challenges.
By the way, if you are running different LinkedIn ads for different qualitative intents (different features for different personas, different offers, etc.), ZenABM can help you know each ad creative’s company-level performance individually.
You’ll just have to tag each ad campaign with its intent, and ZenABM will group companies showing similar intent together:
This will help you reverse engineer which types of personas at the account were engaging with your posts, and you’ll also know what the account is exactly interested in.
This is a superpower for your sales outreach.
Also, to make it more convenient, ZenABM pushes company-level engagement data and intent as company properties to your CRM:
Use Animations and On-Screen Graphics
Especially for technical products, animated explainer styles work well on LinkedIn.
For instance, a LinkedIn video ad by AWS used UI snippets and on-ground customer interviews in a story-telling style to showcase AI product features.
A/B Test Creatives
Never assume one video will be the best.
Run small tests before scaling on LinkedIn.
And again, ZenABM can help you here.
It gives impressions, clicks, ad spend, engagement rate, and even revenue attribution for each specific LinkedIn ad campaign:
Notable LinkedIn Video Ads Case Studies
Case studies always help.
So, here are 3 successful ones published by LinkedIn itself:
KLM (Travel)
KLM ran a festive video ad featuring cabin crew in holiday sweaters, and LinkedIn targeting helped KLM reach a premium audience of business travelers.
The campaign achieved a 33.85% video view rate and just $0.06 cost-per-view.
Respectively, that’s 26% higher and 62% lower than benchmarks.
The airline’s marketer noted, “Video gave us a unique opportunity… to build awareness,” and doubled down on LinkedIn video.
Microsoft Canada (Software)
To drive awareness of Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft Canada ran short (15s) video ads personalized by business function.
They tested multiple creatives and found 15-second spots worked best.
LinkedIn reports these video campaigns delivered ~28% view rate and just $0.16 cost-per-view.
Microsoft credits rigorous A/B testing and segmentation for this outcome.
Cisco (Technology)
Andrew Harder (Cisco Webex Marketing) shared a LinkedIn video case: by shifting 20% of the budget to educational video content,
Cisco saw 60–63% drops in cost-per-lead and a 60% increase in sales pipeline despite 70% less spend.
These unbranded, soft-touch videos focused on value (not direct demos) and were repurposed from virtual event footage.
Harder stresses repurposing event or webinar videos on LinkedIn (with paid promotion) for maximum ROI.
Kashable (Fintech)
Kashable used LinkedIn In-Feed Video Ads with LinkedIn’s Conversions API.
Over 9 months, LinkedIn attributed >$2M in sales to the video campaigns (an 8× ROI).
The LinkedIn report notes that 95% more conversions were captured with the API enabled.
Kashable’s team says: “Video helped us tell a story and Conversions API helped us prove its value.”
This underscores both creative impact and the need for server-side tracking with video.
Common Mistakes to Avoid While Using LinkedIn Video Ads for ABM
Avoid these pitfalls:
- “Spray and Pray” Targeting: LinkedIn’s precision means irrelevant targeting wastes money. Don’t simply target broad demographics. Instead, start with your ICP, and use LinkedIn’s Matched Audiences or Segment Audiences to reach your key companies and roles.
- Ignoring Sound-Off Viewing: Remember that LinkedIn video ads are on mute by default until the user clicks on the speaker icon. So, ads without captions or context will lose 80%+ of viewers. If viewers can’t understand without sound, your message fails. Always design for mute play.
- Over-Selling in Top-Funnel Ads: LinkedIn users may resent a hard demo request in a first-view video. Cisco’s case study shows a better approach: they ran educational video ads (not pushy CTA) to warm accounts and saw a 60% drop in CPL. In practice, think of the first video as awareness or mid-funnel: entertain, inform, build trust and then retarget warmed leads with a demo offer.
- Skipping Attribution Setup: Do not skip attribution setup. Install LinkedIn’s pixel and even CAPI, I’d say. Also, try ZenABM. Its-purpose built for LinkedIn ads ABM attribution.
Bonus: Harry Dry’s Copywriting Fundamentals for Your LinkedIn Video Ads
As we discussed, LinkedIn video ads are not exactly long stories.
The best ones hardly exceed 15 seconds.
So, to cut through banner-blindness and actually make your LinkedIn video ads land, you can borrow Harry Dry’s copywriting rules and apply them directly to your LinkedIn video ads’ copy.
1. Can I Visualize It?
Abstract language is poison in ads and more so in video ads.
“Seamless transition” or “better way” vanish as soon as they’re heard.
“Musly Irishman” or “pitbull”?
You see them instantly.
Your audience won’t remember your abstract slogan, but they will remember an image they can picture.
Practical tip: Run your ad script aloud. If your viewer can’t close their eyes and see what you’re saying, rewrite until they can.
2. Can I Falsify It?
Empty claims like “change an industry” dissolve the moment they’re challenged.
A falsifiable line (something true or false) forces you to put your head on the block.
A footwear company, for instance, nailed it with: “Worn by supermodels in London and dads in Ohio.”
That can be proven.
It’s concrete, and it resonates.
Practical tip: For LinkedIn ads, show receipts. Cite a stat, show a client name, or point to a cultural truth your audience can check. If it can’t be proven or disproven, it probably isn’t worth running.
3. Can Nobody Else Say This?
If your competitor could slap their logo on your copy and run it, your ad ain’t up to the mark.
Volvo once advertised: “Your car has five numbers on the speedometer. Ours has six.”
That’s differentiation one can’t fake.
Practical tip: For B2B video ads, dig into what only your product or service can claim. It could be a quirky feature, a customer proof point, or a unique painkiller you solve. If your line could be swapped with a rival’s, back to the whiteboard.
Quick Test: “One Mississippi, Two Mississippi”
A LinkedIn scroller has about two seconds before they swipe past.
If your ad’s punchline doesn’t land by the time you count one Mississippi, two Mississippi, it’s too slow.
Rewrite shorter, sharper, and visual until the hook is instant.
By the way, here’s Harry’s full masterclass on effective copywriting.
I watched and can say it was worth it!
Conclusion
LinkedIn video ads aren’t cheap, but they’re unmatched when executed well.
The trick isn’t just “making a video.”
It’s scripting it like Harry Dry, designing for sound-off, and treating every second as precious.
Combine smart ad creatives with ZenABM’s ability to track company-level engagement and intent, and you don’t just get vanity metrics.
You get a direct line to the pipeline.
Try ZenABM now for free or book a demo.
