Understanding LinkedIn click-through rate benchmarks helps you evaluate campaign performance accurately. What looks like a low CTR compared to other platforms might actually be excellent for LinkedIn's professional audience context.
This guide breaks down 2026 CTR benchmarks by ad format, industry, and audience type so you know exactly where your campaigns stand.
LinkedIn's average CTR runs lower than platforms like Facebook or Google—but this reflects the platform's professional context, not poor performance. Users are more deliberate about clicks when browsing work-related content.
According to LinkedIn benchmark data, here's what to expect:
| Performance Level | CTR Range |
|---|---|
| Below Average | Under 0.40% |
| Average | 0.44% - 0.65% |
| Good | 0.55% - 0.80% |
| Excellent | 0.80% - 1.30%+ |
The platform's overall average CTR sits at 0.44% with a conversion rate of 2.74% for B2B campaigns—numbers that consistently outperform other digital channels for professional audience targeting.
Ad format significantly impacts expected CTR. Some formats drive higher click rates by design, while others optimize for different engagement metrics.
Standard sponsored content (single image, carousel, video) in the feed averages 0.44-0.65% CTR. According to 2026 performance data:
| Format | Average CTR | Top Performer CTR |
|---|---|---|
| Single Image Ads | 0.44% - 0.65% | 0.80%+ |
| Document Ads | 0.50% - 0.75% | 1.0%+ |
| Carousel Ads | 0.40% - 0.60% | 0.75%+ |
World-class performance on Document and Sponsored content reaches 1.3%+ CTR.
Video ads operate differently—view completion often matters more than clicks. Current benchmarks from ABM campaign analysis:
| Metric | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|
| CTR | 0.37% | 0.24% |
| View-through Rate | 37.92% | 39.48% |
| Average Watch Time | 6.54s | 5.86s |
High-performing video ads with AI subtitles achieve 0.82-1.6% CTR with 80%+ completion rates.
Thought Leader Ads—boosted posts from personal profiles—show dramatically different CTR patterns. According to 2026 benchmark research:
| Metric | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Overall CTR | 3.40% | 2.68% |
| CTR to Landing Page | 0.43% | 0.29% |
| Dwell Time | 7.06s | 6.60s |
The high overall CTR reflects engagement with the post itself, while the landing page CTR shows actual website traffic. Top-performing TLAs drive 8.32% click rate and 1.18% CTR to landing pages.
Message Ads don't use traditional CTR—they measure open rate and click-through from the message:
| Metric | Benchmark |
|---|---|
| Open Rate | 40% - 55% |
| Click-Through | 3% - 7% |
These remain among the highest open rates in paid advertising.
Your target audience significantly impacts expected CTR. Cold audiences click less than warm ones.
According to LinkedIn internal data:
| Audience Type | CTR Range |
|---|---|
| Cold Prospecting | 0.35% - 0.55% |
| Warm/Known Visitors | 0.60% - 0.85% |
| Retargeting | 0.90% - 1.40% |
Retargeting CTRs run 2-3x higher than cold-audience CTRs—even a tiny retargeting audience can dramatically improve efficiency.
Account-based marketing campaigns targeting specific companies show unique patterns. 2026 ABM benchmark data reveals:
| Performance Level | CTR |
|---|---|
| Typical Company | 0.69% |
| Top Performers (by pipeline) | 0.21% |
Interestingly, top performers by pipeline generated show lower CTR—they prioritize lead quality over click volume.
LinkedIn's lower CTR compared to Facebook or display advertising isn't a weakness—it reflects platform dynamics:
Professional Context: Users browse LinkedIn for work-related purposes. They're more selective about what earns their click.
Higher Intent Clicks: Each click represents genuine interest from a professional decision-maker, not casual browsing.
Quality Over Quantity: A 0.5% CTR from verified VPs of Marketing is worth more than a 2% CTR from a general consumer audience.
Strong creative drives CTR improvements of 2-3x according to industry analysis:
Different formats optimize for different CTR profiles:
| Objective | Best Format | Expected CTR |
|---|---|---|
| Brand Awareness | Video Ads | 0.25-0.40% (focus on views) |
| Lead Generation | Document Ads | 0.50-0.75% |
| Website Traffic | Single Image | 0.50-0.80% |
| Engagement | Thought Leader Ads | 2.5-3.5% |
Narrow targeting often improves CTR by reaching more relevant audiences:
Over-exposure tanks CTR. LinkedIn's 2026 guidance recommends:
Exceeding these limits causes relevance scores to drop and CPCs to rise 40-80% within 48 hours.
CTR is just one performance indicator. For B2B campaigns, these metrics often matter more:
Cost Per Qualified Lead (CPQL): A higher CTR is meaningless if clicks don't convert to qualified leads.
MQL-to-SQL Rate: LinkedIn typically delivers 20-30% MQL-to-SQL rates versus 8-15% on other platforms.
Pipeline Influenced: The ultimate measure—how much revenue did your LinkedIn campaigns influence?
According to B2B marketing experts, LinkedIn is a quality traffic channel, not a cheap one. Use it for persuasion, not click-chasing.
A good CTR for LinkedIn sponsored content is 0.55-0.80%. Average sits around 0.44-0.65%. Excellent campaigns reach 0.80-1.30%+. Retargeting campaigns should aim for 0.90-1.40%. These benchmarks vary by ad format—Thought Leader Ads average 2.68-3.40% overall CTR.
LinkedIn CTRs are naturally lower than other platforms due to the professional context. If you're below 0.40%, check creative quality, targeting precision, and ad relevance. Frequency capping issues can also tank CTR—ensure users aren't seeing your ads too often.
LinkedIn CTR (0.44% average) is lower than Facebook's typical B2B rates (0.90-1.5%). However, LinkedIn delivers higher-quality B2B leads with 20-30% MQL-to-SQL conversion versus 8-15% on Facebook. The lower CTR reflects more deliberate, higher-intent clicks from professional decision-makers.
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