Why the inbox, not the feed
Senior buyers often do not scroll the feed, but they still check messages. Sponsored Messaging lands in the inbox with a personal, interactive message, and conversation ads let the recipient pick a path, each leading to a reply, a link, or a targeted lead form. It costs more per send, and the point is reaching the right person, not cheap volume.
Constraints to know
In the EEA and Switzerland, Sponsored Messaging only reaches members who opted in to receive it (LinkedIn asked them in August 2024), so the deliverable audience there is much smaller than in other markets. Deliverability depends on LinkedIn's own frequency caps, and relevance matters: a generic blast to the inbox is easy to ignore. It is a precision tool for a well-defined ICP, not a broad-reach play.
Common questions
What is the difference between message ads and conversation ads?
Message ads send a single sponsored message to the inbox. Conversation ads add clickable reply options, so the recipient chooses a path, letting you run a branching script.
Can conversation ads target EU audiences?
Yes, but only members in the EEA and Switzerland who agreed to receive Sponsored Messaging in their inbox, so expect a much smaller deliverable audience than elsewhere.