On August 25, 2023, The Digital Services Act (DSA), a new European Union regulation that aims to create a safer and more transparent online environment, entered a new phase. The DSA requires large social media giants to provide more transparency about the ads that are being run on their platforms, to protect users from misleading and deceptive ads, as well as to address the spread of disinformation and hate speech.
LinkedIn has more than 45 million monthly active users in the EU and is part of the elite group of VLOPs – Very Large Online Platforms, together with YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, etc., that have already reacted by launching new transparency tools, such as ad libraries, brand partnership databases, etc. These tools allow users to see more information about the ads they are seeing, such as who is running the ad, what the ad is targeting, and how much the advertiser is spending.
Why LinkedIn’s Ad Library Is Good News
The ad library allows users to search for ads by advertiser name, keyword, country, and date range. It also provides information about the ad’s targeting, impressions, and budget for ads created on or after June 1, 2023. Now every internet user (since access to the platform is not restricted and a LinkedIn profile is not a prerequisite to view the data) can see detailed information about the active campaigns for all advertisers on LinkedIn.
“We’ve been hard at work for over a year to get ready. As the world’s largest professional network, we’ve always strived to maintain a safe, trusted, and professional platform and welcome laws like the DSA that codify the types of online safety best practices that we’ve always supported”, wrote Patrick Corrigan, LinkedIn’s Vice-President of Legal – Digital Safety.
Among the benefits of the LinkedIn Ad Library are:
- Transparency: The Ad Library gives users more transparency about the ads they are seeing on LinkedIn. This can help them to make informed decisions about which ads to click on and to avoid being misled by misleading or deceptive ads.
- Accountability: The Ad Library can help to hold advertisers accountable for the ads they run. If an advertiser is running misleading or deceptive ads, users can report them to LinkedIn. LinkedIn can then investigate the ads and take action if necessary.
- Learning: The Ad Library can be a valuable resource for learning about marketing and advertising. Users can see what types of ads are being run by different businesses, and how these ads are targeting users. This information can be used to improve their own marketing and advertising campaigns.
As an avid LinkedIn user, you’re probably reading this text to learn more about the ways you can use the Ad Library to your advantage. So here are a few
Use Cases for LinkedIn’s Ad Library
- Researching competitors: The Ad Library can be used to research your competitors’ marketing campaigns. You can see what types of ads they are running, who they are targeting, and how much they are spending. This information can help you to develop your own marketing campaigns and to stay ahead of the competition.
- Keeping up with industry trends: The Ad Library can be used to keep up with the latest industry trends. You can see what types of ads are being run by businesses in your industry, and how these ads are targeting users. This information can help you to stay ahead of the curve and to make sure that your marketing campaigns are effective.
- Protecting yourself from scams: The Ad Library can be used to protect yourself from scams. You can see if an advertiser is running a misleading or deceptive ad, and you can report the ad to LinkedIn if necessary.
- Understanding how your ads are performing: Advertisers can use the Ad Library as an alternative method to track the performance of their ads and see how they are being seen by users. This information can be used to improve the targeting and effectiveness of their ads. But let’s face it, the best way to do this is through Campaign Manager.
According to LinkedIn’s Help Center information, Ads will typically appear in the Ad Library within 24-48 hours from the time the ad gets its first impression and will remain in the database for one year after their last impression on LinkedIn.
Ethical AI Disclaimer: Parts of this article were created with the help of a Gen AI tool.
