In a world flooded with AI-written posts and brand-speak fluff, LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads have emerged as the most trusted and engaging ad format on the platform. They’re authentic, organic-feeling posts from real people—amplified by paid reach. And they work.
With click-through rates up to 3x higher than company ads and cost-per-lead often 40% lower, this format has quickly become the go-to for modern B2B marketers focused on trust, relevance, and real influence.
What Are LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads?
LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads allow you to promote personal posts from employees or founders, using your company ad account. These posts look and feel like organic content—because they are—but benefit from targeting, budget, and scale.
They sit in the feed like regular content but are shown to precisely defined audiences, allowing brands to showcase insights, culture, results, or offers through the voices of their experts.
7 High-Performing LinkedIn Thought Leader Ad Examples
Compelling Narrative Posts: Start with a relatable pain point or journey (“If I were starting from scratch…”) and end with a CTA.
Behind-the-Scenes Content: Share internal strategies, campaign results, or visuals that prove your method works.
Comment-for-Access Offers: Gated resources combined with engagement triggers dramatically improve post reach and lead gen.
Results-Focused Screenshots: Show real ad accounts or dashboards to build immediate trust.
Client-Aligned Messaging: Speak in your prospect’s language—industry terms, cultural references, or job-specific struggles.
Free Resource Teasers: Share the first page of a checklist or framework and offer full access via CTA.
Human-first Content: Personal stories, lessons learned, and humor go further than polished pitch decks.
Why These Ads Work So Well in 2025
Authenticity: Real people sharing real insights outperforms polished company content.
Funnel Fit: Top-of-funnel audiences engage because the content is helpful, not salesy.
Relevance: You can match each post to specific roles, industries, or account lists.
Trust Transfer: When the post is from your founder, subject matter expert, or VP of product, the audience trusts the message.
“The buyer journey often starts before the first call. Thought leadership is how you get invited to the table.” – Justin Rowe, CEO at Impactable
Thought Leader Ads Alone Aren’t Enough. You Need the Content Machine
The key to success with Thought Leader Ads isn’t just running one or two clever posts—it’s creating a consistent stream of expert-level content that builds credibility, trust, and demand over time.
That’s where Impactable’s Thought Leadership Content Offer comes in.
🎥 Impactable’s Content Creation Offer – Starting at $999/mo
We’ve helped over 1,000 B2B companies improve their brand and demand gen on LinkedIn. Our new content offering is built specifically to support thought leader advertising at scale.
What’s Included:
Monthly Interview Sessions with your team or founders
12–30 content assets per month, fully edited
Video content, LinkedIn posts, YouTube Shorts, even full podcast episodes
Strategic guidance on what topics to cover and how to align them with your funnel
All distribution optimized for organic, paid, and multi-channel use
🎯 Perfect for: Founders, VPs of Marketing, subject matter experts, or sales leaders looking to build pipeline through education—not sales pressure.
We Create Content in your voice, organized into evergreen and timely assets
You Approve or tweak anything before publishing
We Help Distribute across paid LinkedIn ads and your organic feed
You Build Authority, trust, and a steady stream of warm inbound demand
Pro Tip: Combine With Retargeting
Once your Thought Leader Ads build engagement, use LinkedIn or DemandSense to retarget viewers with case studies, demos, or lead gen forms. This is where full-funnel strategy meets creative content.
Also quick hack on how to edit the thought-leader ads to make the more effective
Ready to Launch Your Thought Leadership Engine
LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads aren’t a fad—they’re the future of B2B demand gen. If you’ve been meaning to start, but haven’t had the time or team, we’ll build the system for you.
Location: San Antonio, TX (Hybrid – 3 in office / 2 remote)
Compensation: $40,000–$60,000 + Bonus Plan + Benefits designed to keep you happy
About Impactable:
We’re Impactable—an investor-backed, LinkedIn-centric B2B marketing agency that’s moving fast, growing faster, and not looking back. Think startup hustle meets agency precision. We’ve doubled in size twice and are on track to do it again, thanks to a fierce blend of smart marketing, sharp strategy, and ambitious acquisitions.
Our squad? A globally-savvy team of marketers, data nerds, and creative thinkers who know their way around a funnel and a Figma file. If you love juggling fast-paced marketing projects, geeking out over timelines and client KPIs, and have the kind of follow-up game that would make a CRM blush—this might just be your moment.
The Role:
You’re the glue. The go-to. The one who keeps client projects on-track, timelines tight, and quality flawless. As Marketing Project Manager, you’ll quarterback campaigns across teams and functions—think sales, creative, ops, and analytics—and ensure our clients feel heard, cared for, and wowed by the results. You’ll own the details, master the process, and make magic happen behind the scenes (and sometimes on Zoom).
This isn’t just about keeping things organized—it’s about driving real results for clients through killer project execution and confident relationship management. Your superpowers: proactive communication, creative problem-solving, and never letting a ball drop.
What You’ll Be Rocking:
Running the show on assigned accounts—timeline wrangling, deliverable tracking, cross-functional coordination.
Acting as the client’s day-to-day contact: responsive, resourceful, and always one step ahead.
Translating strategy into action by turning client goals into killer project plans.
Partnering with sales, strategy, and creative teams to launch B2B marketing campaigns (LinkedIn, email, programmatic, etc.)
Surfacing KPIs and reporting with clarity and confidence—visibility is key.
Keeping quality sky-high and launching projects on time (because chaos is cute until it’s not).
Mentoring junior team members and helping level-up the department.
Managing multiple projects like a boss, because multitasking is your default setting.
You’ll Thrive Here If You:
Have 2+ years of marketing/advertising experience (agency = major bonus points).
Know your way around project management tools (ClickUp, Monday.com, Asana, etc.).
Are fluent in marketing-speak—think funnels, KPIs, and media channels.
Can speak confidently to B2B strategies and campaign types (LinkedIn is our bread and butter).
Have client-facing experience and know how to keep clients smiling, informed, and impressed.
Are cool under pressure, thrive in fast-paced environments, and don’t need micromanaging.
Can manage 10 plates in the air without dropping a single one (and look good doing it).
Are tech-savvy, process-obsessed, and weirdly excited about a flawless file naming convention.
Bonus Points If You Have:
A degree in marketing, comms, business, or a related field
Experience with LinkedIn Ads, Meta, or programmatic platforms
Experience using Google Analytics or Tag Manager
A sense of humor and the ability to make chaos look coordinated
What You Get (Besides Bragging Rights):
Competitive salary + performance bonus
PTO, health, dental, vision, life insurance
A flexible hybrid work model
A growth-minded team that takes development seriously (but not themselves)
Ready to Work Hard, Laugh Often, and Launch Campaigns Like a Pro?
We’re not looking for someone to just “coordinate.” We want someone who drives—projects, relationships, and real results. If that’s you, let’s build something powerful together.
