LinkedIn is opening its Wire Program to more advertisers. The company is Beta testing the program, giving brands another way to place their ads alongside editorial video content. 

The platform first launched the Wire Program in June 2024 with a limited set of media partners, including Bloomberg, Reuters, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. Now, LinkedIn is making the program more widely available, allowing advertisers to run 3- to 15-second pre-roll ads within trusted publisher content that appears in targeted members’ feeds.

According to the company, the Wire Program will enable advertisers to reach LinkedIn’s professional audience by placing short pre-roll ads before editorial video content publishers. LinkedIn claims this format enables brands to engage audiences in a non-disruptive way, integrating their messaging into a high-quality content experience.

How advertisers can participate in LinkedIn’s Wire Program 

Advertisers participating in the program have two options: they can connect directly with publishers or select from a curated list provided by LinkedIn.

Having selected a publisher, they can then create their campaigns. Advertisers can upload short video ads between 3 and 15 seconds into LinkedIn’s Campaign Manager. Once this is done, they must secure publisher permissions to ensure their ads are integrated into the content. 

Next, advertisers can launch their campaigns using LinkedIn’s first-party data to target the right audience. LinkedIn will also offer performance tracking tools so brands can measure how well their ads are performing.

What advertisers need to know about LinkedIn’s revenue model

A question advertisers and publishers have about the Wire Program is its revenue structure. Digiday reported that during the program’s alpha phase, LinkedIn and publishers operated on a 50-50 revenue split, with a fixed CPM of $50.

Early test results suggest that the program has been financially beneficial for publishers, Digiday said. Executives from Bloomberg, Reuters, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal confirmed that they had successfully sold ads through the Wire Program, with some signing on three to 35 advertisers.

However, for advertisers, the success of this program depends on whether they see a return on investment (ROI) that justifies LinkedIn’s pricing model. At a $50 CPM, brands will need to ensure that they are reaching the right audience and achieving their campaign goals.

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