LinkedIn Message Ads vs Conversation Ads

Portrait of Christine Askew on a teal circle background. by Christine Askew   |   Oct 21, 2024   |   Clock Icon 2 min read
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LinkedIn Message Ads, officially rolled out in 2020, aimed to create a more engaging and personalized interaction between businesses and potential clients on the platform. These ads leverage direct messaging features, allowing businesses to send customized messages to a user's LinkedIn inbox. This format provides a more conversational approach, mirroring one-to-one communication, often leading to higher engagement. Message ads can be displayed on both mobile and desktop devices.

Screenshot of a message ad sent via LinkedIn.
Example of a LinkedIn Message Ad.

LinkedIn Conversation Ads, officially rolled out in 2020 as well, were designed to take engagement a step further by offering a more interactive and personalized experience. Unlike Message Ads, which deliver a single message, Conversation Ads allow businesses to create a multi-path conversation with clickable options that guide users through a series of responses. These ads encourage a deeper interaction by mimicking a conversational flow, driving user engagement and more targeted actions.

Screenshot of a conversation ad sent via LinkedIn.
Example of a LinkedIn Conversation Ad.


Message Ads and Conversation Ads can oftentimes be confused due to their similar use of LinkedIn's messaging platform. However, it's important to note that they serve distinct purposes and offer different levels of interaction. Understanding these key differences is important to optimize ad strategies on LinkedIn. The infographic below highlights the main distinctions between Message Ads and Conversation Ads, helping marketers make more informed decisions based on their campaign goals.

Infographic comparing LinkedIn Message Ads versus Conversation Ads

If you're looking for more information on LinkedIn ad types or need help determining which format will work best for your business objectives, feel free to reach out to our team! Whether you're targeting direct engagement or aiming to build a more interactive experience, we can guide you through selecting the right ad strategy customized to your target audience, campaign goals, and budget.

Portrait of Christine Askew

Christine Askew

Christine has worked in the digital marketing industry since 2016 and in 2022 began managing a small team. She has experience with both B2B and B2C clients, with particular expertise in the financial services and real estate industries. Christine has extensive knowledge of building paid media strategies across multiple platforms including Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, Meta, and LinkedIn.

Christine holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Marketing and Communications from James Madison University, which she earned in 2016.

Her expertise has been recognized through various awards and accomplishments, including:

  • Winner of the 2016 Outstanding JMU Digital Marketing Student Scholarship issued by Workshop Digital
  • Winner of the 2016 Google Online Marketing Challenge (GOMC) social impact category, securing a $15,000 donation for her non-profit client
  • Winner of the 2022 Search Engine Land Awards "Best B2B Search Marketing Initiative - PPC" for her work showcasing her ability to drive strong performance through custom CRM feedback loops for her client

In November 2022, Christine sat on the "Ask the Winners PPC" panel during SMX Next, where she shared insights about CRM feedback loops for B2B clients and discussed future paid strategies. She is also an active contributor to Search Engine Land as part of the Subject Matter Expert (SME) program, which she joined in 2023 and maintains in 2024. Her articles cover topics related to PPC and management.

When she's not working, Christine is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys hiking, camping, and backpacking. She's an avid reader, gardener, and traveler, who tries to take an annual trip with her husband. At home, she experiments with sourdough baking and dotes on her (crazy) red golden retriever, Maya.

Connect with Christine on LinkedIn.