TL;DR: A LinkedIn-ready ad film in the UK costs £5,000–£40,000. A single 60-second B2B thought-leadership video runs £8,000–£18,000; a full campaign pack with a 90-second hero plus 4 cut-downs lands at £22,000–£40,000. LinkedIn video ads consistently deliver higher cost-per-lead than Google Display but lower CPL than most search terms in B2B verticals. The channel rewards credibility and clarity over entertainment. Make It Real produces LinkedIn ad films that speak to decision-makers, not scroll-scrollers.
LinkedIn Video Ad Specs: Ratio, Duration, and Format Rules
LinkedIn's technical ad specifications are stricter than most marketers realise, and the platform's algorithm favours native video uploads over external links. Getting specs and format right is the baseline for competitive delivery.
- Aspect ratios accepted: 9:16 (vertical, 1080×1920), 1:1 (square, 1080×1080), and 16:9 (landscape, 1920×1080). Vertical (9:16) now outperforms landscape on mobile — where 57% of LinkedIn traffic originates — by 20–30% on completion rate. Square (1:1) remains a safe all-placement choice.
- Duration: 3 seconds to 30 minutes. In practice, LinkedIn's own performance data shows 30–120 seconds as the optimal range for awareness campaigns. For lead-gen objective campaigns, 30–60 seconds delivers the best CPL benchmarks. Under 30 seconds can work for retargeting or simple product announcements.
- File format: MP4. H.264 video codec. AAC audio codec. Maximum file size 200MB for Sponsored Content video ads.
- Frame rate: 10–60fps. 25fps is standard for UK-produced content.
- Audio: Stereo AAC, 16-bit minimum. LinkedIn does not publish a target LUFS level but normalises at delivery. Mix to –16 LUFS integrated for optimal results without platform-level compression distortion.
- Captions: LinkedIn Ads Manager supports SRT files for all video ad formats. Adding captions increases average view duration by approximately 12–18% according to LinkedIn's own publisher studies, and is essential given that the majority of auto-play ad views in feed are sound-off.
- Native vs boosted: Native video — uploaded directly to LinkedIn and then used in an ad — consistently outperforms boosted external video links. Native uploads benefit from LinkedIn's video algorithm weighting, which surfaces video to 20–40% more users per £1 of spend compared to outbound link formats.
LinkedIn Ad Film Production Cost by Format
| Format | Duration | Production Cost Range | Typical Shoot Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talking-Head / Interview | 30–90s | £5,000–£12,000 | 0.5 |
| Branded B2B Spot | 30–120s | £10,000–£22,000 | 1 |
| Thought Leadership Film | 60–180s | £14,000–£30,000 | 1–2 |
| Campaign Pack (hero + cuts) | 90s hero + 4× 30–60s | £22,000–£40,000 | 2–3 |
LinkedIn ad films are priced lower than TV or high-end YouTube production because the visual language is different — authenticity and professionalism matter more than cinematic spectacle. A well-lit, well-sound-recorded interview with a credible spokesperson consistently outperforms an overproduced case study video in LinkedIn A/B tests.
Production Flow for a LinkedIn Ad Campaign
- Audience and objective brief (2–3 days): LinkedIn's targeting granularity — by job title, seniority, company size, industry, and skills — means the creative brief must specify exactly who is watching. A video for a CFO at a 500-person professional services firm requires a fundamentally different script than one for a Head of Marketing at an e-commerce brand.
- Script and message architecture (3–5 days): B2B LinkedIn scripts follow a Problem–Credibility–Solution–Proof–CTA structure. The problem statement must appear in the first 3–5 seconds of the video to stop the scroll. Credentials (speaker title, company, outcome data) build trust in seconds 5–15. Resolution and CTA close the loop in the final 10–20 seconds.
- Pre-production (3–7 days): Spokesperson preparation, location or studio booking, teleprompter setup for longer formats. B2B productions almost always involve the client's own executives — coaching for camera confidence is included in Make It Real's pre-production phase.
- Principal photography (0.5–2 days): Clean, professional aesthetic. 3-point lighting, lapel or boom audio, neutral or lightly branded set design. Multiple angles to enable varied cut-downs.
- Post-production (5–8 days): Edit, grade, lower-thirds (name, title, company), end card, captions, audio mix. LinkedIn lower-thirds must remain within safe zones and be legible at mobile scale — minimum 32px equivalent type at 1080p.
- LinkedIn Ads Manager upload and targeting QC: Native upload, audience segment validation, bid strategy confirmed (CPM for awareness; Max Delivery for lead gen).
LinkedIn Platform Policies for Video Ads
LinkedIn's advertising policies are enforced through both automated review (typically 24 hours) and manual review for sensitive categories. Key rules for B2B video advertisers:
- Professional tone requirement: LinkedIn explicitly states in its Community Policies that ads should reflect a professional standard. Misleading job titles, fabricated testimonials, and claims about income or career outcomes without substantiation are rejected.
- Prohibited content: Counterfeit goods, multi-level marketing (certain formats), predatory financial products, surveillance software, and content that discriminates on protected characteristics.
- Financial and insurance ads: Require LinkedIn's financial services advertiser authorisation for UK-targeted campaigns. The application takes 2–5 business days.
- Lead Gen Forms: Video ads using LinkedIn Lead Gen Form (LGF) integrations — where a form appears after the video completes — must disclose data use in the form. GDPR consent language must appear on the form itself, not just in the privacy policy link.
- Native video vs boosted posts: LinkedIn distinguishes between "Sponsored Content" (native ads managed in Campaign Manager) and "Boosted Posts" (organic posts amplified from a Company Page). Both use the same creative specs but have different billing, reporting, and policy application. Native Sponsored Content campaigns offer more granular targeting and A/B testing.
Usage Rights for LinkedIn Ad Films
LinkedIn ad film usage rights follow digital licensing conventions. The key considerations for B2B productions:
- Internal spokespeople: When a company's own employees appear on camera, internal releases are still required — particularly if the individual later leaves the organisation. Standard employment contracts do not automatically cover commercial advertising use. Make It Real provides talent release documentation for all shoots.
- External talent: Annual digital/social buyout per external performer: £800–£3,500 for B2B contexts at standard LinkedIn media spend levels.
- Music: LinkedIn ad placements require a commercial music licence covering digital advertising. Artlist, Musicbed, and Epidemic Sound all include LinkedIn ad use in their commercial plans from £200–£600 per year. Bespoke original music from £1,500 with IP transfer.
- Stock footage: B-roll licensed from Shutterstock, Getty, or Artgrid requires a commercial licence covering advertising use. Verify the licence tier before inclusion — "standard" licences from some providers explicitly exclude advertising.
Make It Real LinkedIn Ad Film Packages
| Package | Deliverables | Best For | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Profile | 1× 60s interview, 1:1 + 9:16 formats, captions | Thought leadership, personal brand | From £7,000 |
| B2B Brand Spot | 1× 90s hero + 2× 30s cuts, 16:9 + 1:1, captions, LGF graphics | Lead generation, product launch | From £16,000 |
| Campaign Pack | 1× 90s hero + 4× 30–60s cuts, all ratios, captions, motion graphics | Multi-month B2B campaign | From £28,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does vertical video (9:16) work on LinkedIn?
Yes — and increasingly well. LinkedIn rolled out native vertical video feed placement in 2024 and completion rates on 9:16 content are 20–35% higher than 16:9 on mobile placements. Make It Real recommends producing every LinkedIn campaign in 1:1 or 9:16 as the primary format, with 16:9 as a secondary cut for desktop and presentation contexts.
What duration performs best for LinkedIn lead generation?
For lead generation objective campaigns, 30–60 seconds consistently delivers the best CPL in B2B verticals. Awareness campaigns can run to 90–120 seconds if the content genuinely justifies the duration — but padding a 45-second message to 90 seconds increases drop-off and costs more per qualified view. Respect the decision-maker's time.
Should I use subtitles on my LinkedIn video ad?
Yes, always. LinkedIn auto-plays videos silently in feed. An ad without subtitles is inaudible to the majority of viewers who do not actively enable sound. SRT caption files are uploaded directly in LinkedIn Ads Manager and are displayed as on-screen subtitles without any additional file conversion required.
Can I boost an organic LinkedIn video post as an ad?
Yes, via LinkedIn's "Boost" function from a Company Page. However, boosted posts have more limited targeting options and less granular reporting than native Sponsored Content campaigns managed in Campaign Manager. For serious B2B advertising, native campaigns consistently outperform boosts in CPL and lead quality, particularly when using LinkedIn's Lead Gen Forms and matched audience targeting.
What is a LinkedIn Lead Gen Form and how does the video interact with it?
A Lead Gen Form (LGF) is a native form that appears after a user clicks on an ad or watches a video to completion. LinkedIn pre-fills the form with the user's profile data (name, email, job title, company). Completion rates are typically 3–5× higher than external landing page forms because there is no page load. The video ad serves as the qualification layer — only users who watched the video and found it relevant proceed to the form.
How does LinkedIn targeting affect creative decisions?
LinkedIn's targeting precision means you can tailor creative to specific audience segments. A video targeting Series A founders requires different language, pacing, and social proof than one targeting procurement directors at FTSE 500 companies. Make It Real recommends producing 2–3 spokesperson or audience-specific variants per campaign where budget allows — each adding approximately 20–30% to the base production cost but typically reducing CPL by 15–35%.
Can I use the same LinkedIn video for sales presentations and internal communications?
If the creative brief and usage rights include internal communications and sales collateral, yes. Make It Real can licence content for internal use, investor decks, conference presentations, and website embedding in addition to paid LinkedIn placements — this is a usage rights conversation, not a production conversation. Discuss scope at brief stage to avoid separate licensing fees later.
What is a realistic CPL on LinkedIn video ads?
LinkedIn CPL varies widely by industry and offer. Typical B2B benchmarks: SaaS lead (content download) £50–£120; financial services lead £100–£300; executive education or high-value consultancy £150–£500+. CPL drops significantly with well-produced, audience-specific creative versus generic brand videos.