What Is a good CTR for LinkedIn Ads?

The average CTR for LinkedIn Sponsored Content is 0.44–0.65%. Anything above 0.55% is considered good, and above 0.70% is strong. LinkedIn's auction actually rewards content with higher CTRs with lower CPCs. If you are getting a clickthrough rate below 0.35%, usually that means your creative or targeting needs work.

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But CTR on LinkedIn Ads varies widely based on format. Thought Leader Ads routinely hit 2–5% CTR because they look like organic posts from a real person, not a brand. Moreover, the inventory is less crowded than standard LinkedIn Ads, because not every company has a founder or executive who is willing to use their LinkedIn posts for advertising. In our B2B LinkedIn Ads accounts, well-managed Thought Leader Ad campaigns consistently run at 2–3x the CTR of standard Sponsored Content at roughly half the cost per click.

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When evaluating ad performance, therefore, it's important to segment your analysis rather than look at the blended number. A good CTR for a standard ad unit would be a bad CTR for a Thought Leader Ad.

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One caveat though: a higher CTR doesn't necessarily mean better results.

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Although CTR is correlated with CPC and thus ad campaign efficiency, ZenABM's 2026 benchmark study of 211 companies found no positive correlation between CTR and pipeline. This is because most LinkedIn Ads accounts are mismanaged. Broadly targeted campaigns and engaging content formats using memes and excessive personal disclosure tend to attract clicks from people who will never buy. Moreover, more junior employees have much higher CTRs, but usually can't influence purchase decisions.

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Therefore, a 0.35% CTR on a tightly targeted account list with proper screening based on job seniority often outproduces a 0.80% CTR on a broad audience, because the clicks are coming from the right people.

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