LinkedIn CTV Advertising: The New Frontier of B2B Marketing

Ruggero Milletarì Apr 1, 2025 12:36:35 PM

In the coming years, traditional media such as TV, radio, and print will increasingly integrate with digital advertising technologies, which offer precise targeting and performance measurement. Within this context, CTV advertising also comes into play.
This evolution will naturally occur over the next few years to maximize advertising results, taking advantage of digital tools that provide accurate targeting and performance tracking.

By CTV (Connected TV), we mean any television connected to the internet, from smart TVs to TVs equipped with external devices that enable online connectivity. In the advertising sphere, CTV Advertising has emerged for these devices, allowing companies to deliver targeted video ads that combine the visual impact of traditional TV with the targeting and measurement capabilities typical of digital.

One of the latest developments in this field is LinkedIn’s new solution for advertising on smart TVs, leveraging its first-party B2B targeting, one of the platform’s key strengths. Thanks to this integration, businesses can go beyond the usual confines of the platform and reach their audience during leisure time—namely, while viewers are streaming content.

Let’s find out how this new advertising solution works, what benefits it offers, and how it fits into a digital marketing strategy.

How LinkedIn CTV Advertising Works

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Unlike classic LinkedIn ads, which target users in a work context, CTV ads are designed to reach professionals during their leisure time, fostering more spontaneous engagement.

The setup of CTV campaigns takes place through LinkedIn Campaign Manager and follows the same approach as traditional campaigns: defining objectives, budget, and target audience, and then creating the ads. These ads are videos that must adhere to specific requirements (such as format, size, duration, and audio) and are strategically placed at two different moments within streaming content:

Pre-roll: before the content begins
Mid-roll: during natural breaks

The delivery of this content is similar to what happens with YouTube ads.

These campaigns are intended primarily for awareness and consideration phases, but they can also serve as a first step toward conversion, thanks to the possibility of retargeting audiences reached by CTV in subsequent campaigns.

Where Are LinkedIn CTV Ads Displayed?

LinkedIn has partnered with major publishers, making its CTV Advertising particularly appealing. Through this solution, advertisers can place their ads on platforms and channels such as Disney Plus, Rakuten, Hulu, Roku, ESPN, CBS, Fox Sports, BBC America, and many others. It is also possible to manage the publisher list, enabling only those placements that are consistent with the brand.

Following the same logic as programmatic advertising, this solution covers a broad and diverse range of placements without requiring individual ad space purchases on each platform, thereby simplifying ad distribution and optimizing the budget.

Targeting Options for LinkedIn CTV Advertising

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Image by storyset on Freepik

As previously mentioned, the key advantage of this solution is its ability to combine the reach of TV with LinkedIn’s advanced targeting system, which is arguably the most comprehensive in the B2B sector. In addition to demographic and geographic factors, advertisers can refine their audience based on professional attributes such as job title, industry, company size, and seniority.

It is also possible to implement retargeting campaigns, allowing businesses to reconnect with users who have previously interacted with their brand or LinkedIn ads.

However, at this time, advertising availability is limited to the U.S. and Canadian markets, excluding campaigns targeted at the Italian or European audience.

Who Can Benefit from LinkedIn CTV Advertising?

This solution is designed not only for B2B companies looking to promote products or services to a specific professional audience but also for B2C businesses—such as those in the luxury sector—that aim to reach high-spending consumers by targeting managerial roles or senior professionals.

However, this approach is not ideal for businesses with limited advertising budgets, as the average cost to achieve significant visibility can be high, and the recommended minimum investment may be substantial.

Benefits of LinkedIn CTV Advertising

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Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik

1. Precision Targeting

Thanks to LinkedIn’s data, ads can be directed toward specific professional profiles, reaching the most influential decision-makers.

2. Higher Engagement and Memorability

CTV ad viewers tend to be more attentive compared to those browsing on mobile or desktop, leading to higher engagement rates. Additionally, the TV format enhances ad visibility, making campaigns more impactful and memorable.

3. Detailed Analytics

One of the key advantages of digital advertising is the ability to accurately measure campaign effectiveness. With CTV Advertising, advertisers gain deeper insights into performance compared to traditional TV advertising.

4. Cross-Platform Integration

CTV ads seamlessly integrate with LinkedIn campaigns and other digital advertising platforms, maximizing touchpoints to effectively engage the audience.

Conclusion

LinkedIn CTV Advertising represents a new and powerful opportunity for B2B marketing, combining digital technology with the reach of TV audiences. Thanks to its integration with the LinkedIn ecosystem, it can become a key element of a comprehensive advertising strategy. This is a clear example of how traditional advertising and online advertising are increasingly converging.

However, this tool is not currently recommended for businesses seeking immediate conversions or for those with limited advertising budgets, as it requires an investment of tens of thousands of euros to effectively sustain a 4 to 6-week campaign. Additionally, its current availability is limited to the U.S. and Canada, which significantly restricts access for advertisers in other regions.

If you want to be among the first to take advantage of this new advertising channel, now is the time to explore LinkedIn CTV Advertising.

Source:

Digital Strategy and Marketing Technology and Innovation