LinkedIn Event Ads Setup: Promote Events with Paid Ads

TL;DR: LinkedIn Event Ads promote LinkedIn Events directly in the feed with a "Register" button. Create via Campaign Manager by selecting "Event attendance" objective and linking your LinkedIn Event. Users register without leaving LinkedIn. Best for webinars, conferences, workshops, and virtual events targeting B2B professionals.

Prerequisites

Before creating LinkedIn Event Ads, you need:

• LinkedIn Campaign Manager account

• Published LinkedIn Event (created via LinkedIn Events)

• Event must be public (not private/invite-only)

• Campaign Manager admin or advertiser role

• Minimum daily budget: $10

• Event registration open (not closed or past event date)

What Are LinkedIn Event Ads?

LinkedIn Event Ads are sponsored posts that promote LinkedIn Events directly in the feed. They feature:

Key elements:

• Event image/banner

• Event title and date/time

• "Register" button (native registration)

• Attendee count (social proof)

• Event details preview

How they differ from standard ads:

• One-click registration (no landing page needed)

• Automatic event reminders sent by LinkedIn

• Attendees added to LinkedIn Event page

• Post-event engagement tracked

Registration flow:

1. User sees Event Ad in feed

2. Clicks "Register" button

3. Confirms registration (1 click, pre-filled info)

4. Receives LinkedIn notification confirmation

5. Gets event reminders from LinkedIn

Best for:

• Webinars

• Virtual conferences

• In-person networking events

• Product launches

• Training sessions

• Panel discussions

How LinkedIn Event Ads Work

The Event Ad Ecosystem

Step 1: Create LinkedIn Event

First, create event outside Campaign Manager:

• LinkedIn.com > Events > Create Event

• Fill in event details (title, date, description, image)

• Publish event

Step 2: Create Event Ad Campaign

In Campaign Manager:

• Select "Event attendance" objective

• Link to your published event

• Create ad creative

• Set targeting and budget

Step 3: Users See and Register

• Event Ad appears in feed

• Users click "Register"

• Added to attendee list automatically

Step 4: Event Happens

• LinkedIn sends reminders

• Attendees receive join link (for virtual events)

• Event analytics tracked

Step 5: Post-Event Engagement

• Follow up with attendees

• Retarget non-attendees

• Share recording or recap

Step 1: Create Your LinkedIn Event

Before advertising, create the event itself:

Create Event Page

1. Go to LinkedIn.com (not Campaign Manager)

2. Click Events (left sidebar or top search)

3. Click Create Event button

4. Fill in event details:

Event name:

"2026 B2B Marketing Summit: AI & Automation"

Event type:

• ☑ Online (for webinars, virtual events)

• ☐ In-person (for physical location events)

Date and time:

• Start: February 15, 2026, 2:00 PM EST

• End: February 15, 2026, 3:00 PM EST

• Timezone: Automatic (based on organizer location)

Event image:

• Recommended: 1200x627px

• Event branded graphic

• Include date/time if not obvious

Description:

Write compelling copy (2-3 paragraphs):

• What attendees will learn

• Who should attend

• Speakers/agenda highlights

• Registration instructions

External event link (optional):

If hosting on Zoom/Webex, add join link here (sent to registrants)

Event details:

• Public or private: Choose Public (required for Event Ads)

• Allow guests: ☑ Yes (helps reach)

1. Click Publish

Your event now has a LinkedIn Event page URL.

Step 2: Create Event Ad Campaign

Now promote your event via ads:

Set Up Campaign

1. Log into Campaign Manager

2. Click Create campaign

3. Choose campaign group or create new

4. Select objective: Event attendance

5. Name campaign: "Webinar_Feb2026_Promotion"

6. Click Next

Link Your Event

1. In campaign setup, scroll to Event section

2. Click Select event

3. Choose your published event from dropdown

4. Event details auto-populate in preview

If event doesn't appear:

• Event must be published (not draft)

• Event must be public

• You must be event organizer or have edit access

• Wait 5 minutes after publishing event

Step 3: Set Targeting

Target your ideal event attendees:

Audience Targeting

Job titles:

• Marketing Director

• VP Marketing

• CMO

• Growth Manager

Seniority:

• Manager

• Director

• VP

• CXO

Company size:

• 51-200 employees

• 201-500

• 501-1000

Industry:

• Marketing & Advertising

• Computer Software

• Technology

Location:

• United States (for timezone-appropriate events)

• Or worldwide for on-demand webinars

Audience Exclusions

Exclude people who already registered:

How:

LinkedIn automatically excludes confirmed attendees from seeing Event Ads (built-in feature).

Manual exclusion (optional):

1. Download attendee list from Event page

2. Upload as Matched Audience

3. Add as exclusion in campaign

Step 4: Create Event Ad Creative

Two creative options for Event Ads:

Option 1: Auto-Generated Event Ad (Recommended for Beginners)

LinkedIn auto-creates ad from your Event page:

1. In ad creation, select Event ad

2. Event details pre-fill:

- Event image (from Event page)

- Event title

- Date/time

- Description (first 100 chars)

- "Register" CTA button

1. Write Introductory text (150 characters):

Example:

"The future of B2B marketing is here. Join 500+ marketers learning how AI is transforming growth strategies. Register free."

1. Click Save

Pros:

• Fast (1 minute setup)

• Consistent branding

• "Register" button automatic

Cons:

• Limited customization

• Can't change event image per ad

Option 2: Custom Single Image Ad

Create custom ad pointing to Event:

1. Select Single image ad format

2. Upload custom creative (1200x627px)

3. Write custom headline and description

4. Set destination URL to Event page URL

5. CTA button: "Register" or "Sign up"

Pros:

• More creative control

• A/B test different images

• Custom messaging

Cons:

• Doesn't show "X people registered" count

• Users land on Event page first (extra click)

Recommendation: Use auto-generated Event Ad for simplicity. Test custom ads if auto-generated underperforms.

Step 5: Set Budget and Schedule

Budget Strategy

Event promotion timeline: 4 weeks before:

• Budget: $20-30/day

• Goal: Early awareness

2 weeks before:

• Budget: $40-60/day

• Goal: Drive bulk of registrations

1 week before:

• Budget: $80-100/day

• Goal: Last-minute registrations

Total budget example:

• 4 weeks out: $30/day × 7 days = $210

• 2 weeks out: $50/day × 7 days = $350

• 1 week out: $80/day × 7 days = $560

• Total: $1,120 for 3-week promotion

Bidding Strategy

Recommended: Maximum delivery (automated bidding)

• LinkedIn optimizes for registrations

• Adjusts bids in real-time

• Simplest for event campaigns

Manual CPC alternative:

• Start bid: $8-12 CPC

• Adjust based on registration rates

• Use if experienced with LinkedIn bidding

Campaign Schedule

Set start and end dates:

• Start: 4 weeks before event

• End: Day before event (give time to prepare)

Don't run ads day-of: Last-minute registrants may not attend.

Step 6: Launch and Monitor

After launching campaign:

Week 1: Check Fundamentals

Metrics to watch:

• Impressions: Are ads serving? (Should see 1,000+ per day)

• CTR: 0.5-1.5% is normal

• Cost per registration: $15-50 depending on audience

Red flags:

• Zero impressions: Check targeting isn't too narrow

• CTR under 0.3%: Creative or messaging issue

• Cost per registration over $75: Audience too expensive or not interested

Week 2-3: Optimize

What to optimize: If CTR is low:

• Test new introductory text

• Update event image to more eye-catching design

• Add speaker photos or logos

If registrations are low:

• Expand targeting (lower seniority, broader job titles)

• Increase budget (may need more reach)

• Adjust event time (timezone issues?)

If cost per registration is high:

• Narrow targeting to most relevant titles

• Lower bids if using manual CPC

• Improve event value proposition in description

Day Before Event

1. Pause all ads (no last-minute registrations)

2. Review total registrations

3. Download attendee list from Event page

4. Prepare event materials

Step 7: Follow Up Post-Event

Immediate Follow-Up (Within 24 Hours)

Attendees:

1. Download attendee list from Event page

2. Send LinkedIn message or email: "Thanks for attending! Here's the recording..."

3. Offer next step (book demo, download resource)

Registrants who didn't attend:

1. Create Matched Audience of no-shows

2. Run retargeting campaign: "Missed the webinar? Watch recording here"

3. Promote related content or next event

Retargeting Campaign

Create follow-up campaign:

1. Campaign Manager > Create campaign

2. Objective: Website visits or Lead generation

3. Targeting: Matched Audience > Event registrants

4. Ad creative: Recording offer, related content, or next event

5. Budget: $10-20/day for 2 weeks

Conversion rate: Registered attendees convert 5-10x better than cold audiences.

Advanced Event Ad Strategies

Strategy 1: Speaker Promotion Sequence

Feature different speakers across ad variants:

Ad 1: "Hear from Salesforce VP of Marketing..." Ad 2: "HubSpot's Head of Growth shares..." Ad 3: "LinkedIn's Senior Director discusses..."

Test which speakers drive most registrations.

Strategy 2: Countdown Campaigns

Change messaging as event approaches:

Week 4: "Join 500+ marketers at our February webinar" Week 2: "Only 200 spots left—register now" Week 1: "Last chance to register for tomorrow's webinar"

Creates urgency as event nears.

Strategy 3: Referral Incentive

Encourage registrants to invite colleagues:

Post-registration email:

"Share this event with your team! Everyone who registers via your link gets [incentive]."

Track referrals via LinkedIn Event invite feature.

Strategy 4: Multi-Event Series

Promote event series, not just one-off:

Ad messaging: "Join our 3-part webinar series: Part 1 starts Feb 15"

Higher perceived value (commit to series vs single event).

Strategy 5: VIP Upgrade Offer

Basic free event + paid VIP tier:

Ad: "Free webinar: February 15. Upgrade to VIP for exclusive Q&A + workbook." Implementation:

• Free LinkedIn Event registration

• CTA in event description for VIP upgrade

• Paid landing page for VIP tier

Common Mistakes with Event Ads

Mistake 1: Starting Promotion Too Late

Wrong: Starting ads 1 week before event Right: Start 4-6 weeks out for larger events, 2-3 weeks for webinars

People plan their calendars in advance. Last-minute promotion limits registrations.

Mistake 2: Not Excluding Registrants

Wrong: Continuing to show ads to people who already registered Right: LinkedIn auto-excludes, but verify it's working

Wastes budget and annoys attendees.

Mistake 3: Weak Event Value Proposition

Wrong: "Join our webinar on marketing" Right: "Learn the exact framework we used to generate $10M pipeline"

Generic event descriptions don't drive registrations. Specific outcomes do.

Mistake 4: Wrong Event Time for Audience

Wrong: 3 AM PST webinar targeting US audience Right: 11 AM - 2 PM local time (optimal webinar attendance times)

Check timezone before setting event time.

Mistake 5: No Follow-Up Plan

Wrong: Event ends, no further contact Right: Recording sent within 24 hours, retargeting campaign launched

The event is just the start of the relationship.

Troubleshooting Event Ads

Issue 1: Event Doesn't Appear in Campaign Manager

Causes:

• Event is in draft mode (not published)

• Event is set to private

• You're not the event organizer

• Event date has passed

Fixes:

1. Verify event is published: LinkedIn.com > Events > Your event > Status should show "Public"

2. Check event privacy: Edit event > Make sure "Public" is selected

3. Add yourself as event organizer if someone else created it

4. Create new event if date has passed

Issue 2: Low Registration Rate (High CTR but Few Conversions)

Causes:

• Registration process confusing

• Event value proposition unclear

• Timing doesn't work for audience

• LinkedIn Event page lacks details

Fixes:

1. Improve Event page description (add agenda, speakers, outcomes)

2. Add speaker bios and photos

3. Include "What you'll learn" bullet points

4. Test different event times (morning vs afternoon)

Issue 3: Ads Not Spending Full Budget

Causes:

• Audience too narrow (under 20,000 members)

• Bid too low

• Event date too far in future

• Ad fatigue (same ad running weeks)

Fixes:

1. Expand targeting (add related job titles, broader seniority)

2. Increase bid by 20%

3. Create new ad variants (refresh creative)

4. Use "Maximum delivery" bidding instead of manual

Issue 4: High Cost Per Registration

Causes:

• Audience not interested in topic

• Weak event value proposition

• Wrong targeting (reaching non-decision-makers)

• General LinkedIn ads expensive in your industry

Fixes:

1. Narrow to most qualified audience (director+ only)

2. Test different event topics via organic posts first

3. Consider if event format fits LinkedIn (professional development works better than sales pitches)

4. Benchmark against industry averages ($20-50 for B2B)

Event Ad Performance Benchmarks

Note: Benchmarks vary by:

• Industry (tech vs manufacturing)

• Seniority (C-suite more expensive)

• Event type (certification training converts better than generic webinar)

• Event length (1-hour vs full-day)

LinkedIn Event Ads vs Standard Webinar Promotion

Recommendation: Use Event Ads for reach. Use landing pages for detailed lead qualification.

Glossary

Verification Checklist

Before launching Event Ads:

• [ ] LinkedIn Event created and published (public, not private)

• [ ] Event details complete (description, speakers, agenda)

• [ ] Event image uploaded (1200x627px recommended)

• [ ] Event date/time confirmed (correct timezone)

• [ ] External event link added (Zoom/Webex join URL)

• [ ] Campaign created with "Event attendance" objective

• [ ] Event linked to campaign correctly

• [ ] Target audience set (job titles, seniority, location)

• [ ] Budget allocated across promotion period

• [ ] Introductory text written (compelling, benefit-focused)

• [ ] Campaign schedule set (starts 3-4 weeks before event)

• [ ] Follow-up plan documented (attendee thank you, no-show retargeting)

• [ ] Recording/materials prepared for post-event delivery