Sep 05, 2025
Persona
In higher education marketing, it’s all about meeting prospective students where they are and guiding them every step of the way toward enrollment. That’s the heart of full-funnel marketing. It’s not just a buzzword; it’s a strategic way to nurture prospects from first touchpoint to final decision.
LinkedIn has become a powerful platform for doing just that. With a range of ad formats tailored for driving awareness, capturing leads, and generating applications, it’s uniquely positioned to support colleges and universities looking to connect with professional learners, graduate prospects, and executive education candidates. While some ad formats can support multiple stages of the funnel, we’re sharing our top recommendations based on each format’s strengths—and what’s delivered the strongest results for our higher ed partners.
Why You Need Full-Funnel Coverage on LinkedIn
Successful higher ed marketing doesn’t hinge on a single campaign. A full-funnel approach allows you to engage users at different points in their decision-making journey, raising awareness, capturing interest, and encouraging conversion.
Running digital campaigns across all funnel stages also means you can better control the user experience and stay top of mind as prospects move closer to a decision. We recommend running at least one campaign in each stage.
LinkedIn recently conducted a study with a large online university to evaluate how different ad formats influence enrollment outcomes. By matching two years of the school’s CRM data with their LinkedIn Campaign Manager data, the platform analyzed how ad exposure impacted conversion.
The findings were clear:
- No LinkedIn ad exposure: 1.33% conversion rate
- Single-format exposure: 1.68%–3.45% conversion rate
- Multi-format exposure: 8.11% conversion rate
In short, exposure to multiple LinkedIn ad formats more than doubled conversion rates compared to any single format—and drove enrollment rates over 6x higher than no LinkedIn exposure at all.
Whether you’re building awareness, driving inquiries, or generating applications, layering different ad types works. That’s a full-funnel marketing strategy in action.
Top Ad Formats for Awareness
Early-stage prospects may not be actively searching for a program, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t open to learning more. These ad formats are designed to introduce your institution’s brand, programs, or value prop in a way that builds familiarity and interest.
Recommended Ad Formats:
- Connected TV (CTV) Ads: High-impact video on LinkedIn’s streaming network. These are great for building brand awareness and reaching audiences who may not be active scrollers but are still watching. For one of Carnegie’s clients, running CTV alongside other LinkedIn formats led to strong performance lifts: Conversation Ad lead form completions increased by 24%, Sponsored Content lead form completions doubled (101% lift), and CTR on Sponsored Content rose by 11% after users were exposed to CTV. This demonstrates the value of a multi-format strategy in driving engagement and conversions.
- Thought Leader Ads: Highlighting voices from your faculty, alumni, or leadership team is a great way to add credibility and authenticity to your message.
- Boosted Posts: Take organic posts that are already performing well and extend their reach to new, targeted audiences.
- Follower Ads: These simple but effective ads help grow your institution’s follower base making future organic and paid campaigns more effective.
Top Ad Formats for Inquiries & Leads
Once you’ve sparked interest, it’s time to encourage action. Whether it’s downloading a brochure, joining a webinar, or simply learning more, these ad types are built to drive student engagement and lead generation.
Recommended Ad Formats:
- Conversation Ads & Message Ads: These allow you to start a one-on-one conversation right in a user’s inbox perfect for offering a program guide or inviting them to an upcoming info session.
- Video Ads (Sponsored Content): Video content builds trust and gives prospects a deeper look at your campus, student outcomes, or faculty insights.
- Single-Image Ads: A staple of lead gen campaigns. These are straightforward and effective when paired with a strong offer and clear CTA (for example, “Learn More”).
Top Ad Formats for Retargeting & Applications
This is where your most engaged prospects live. They’ve clicked your ads, maybe visited your site, and now it’s time to convert them. These ad formats are best used for retargeting efforts or reaching those already familiar with your brand.
Recommended Ad Formats:
- Spotlight Ads: Personalized to the viewer, these appear on the sidebar on desktop devices only and are ideal for drawing attention to applications or deadlines. Since they have a desktop placement, the application experience will be more accessible for users than if they were to apply via mobile.
- Conversation Ads and Message Ads: Send personalized ads to users’ LinkedIn inboxes and encourage them to take the next step.
- Video Ads and Single-Image Ads: A repeat player here for retargeting, these can effectively remind users about an application deadline, upcoming event, or rolling admissions availability. Users who have clicked on ads, visited your institution’s website, or become a lead are more likely to watch a longer video driving home the value of your institution, program, or offering.
Final Thoughts: Use LinkedIn to Support Every Stage
LinkedIn’s strength lies in its versatility. Whether you’re looking to build brand awareness for an Executive Education program, generate inquiries for a graduate degree, or boost application volume for a niche online offering, the platform offers tools to do it all.
When used strategically, these formats work together to move prospective students from interest to action. By layering campaigns across the funnel and mixing ad types based on your goals, you’ll see stronger performance, better engagement, and a more intentional user journey.
Ready to put full-funnel higher ed advertising into action for your institution? Start a conversation with Carnegie today.