“New era of storytelling”… or just another social feed?
POV by Gellena Lukats, Executive Director Paid Social
What’s Happening?
LinkedIn’s BrandLink program is scaling fast. Built around creator-led shows and partnerships, its revenues are already up 200% QoQ and creator payouts are tripling. Big names like IBM and SAP are in, but the gamble to establish LinkedIn as a trusted content player depends on micro-creators who can bring authenticity. Is this where America’s job board should be heading… or is it chasing the wrong crowd?
What’s It Mean
More than half of U.S. B2B marketers say social is the most effective form of influencer marketing. As content shifts toward authenticity and platform-native formats, creator-led shows are booming. LinkedIn is joining the likes of Meta and TikTok in this space, only with more professional targeting. Still, there’s a risk that chasing engagement could dilute LinkedIn’s core identity and erode what makes it distinct. Which could paradoxically limit its value to advertisers.
How Will This Affect Advertisers?
LinkedIn’s using creator-led video to shake up B2B marketing. Real voices cut through in a sea of AI, and even in B2B, people want authenticity not ads. But here’s the catch: chasing trends could blur the platform’s primary mission as a destination for professional networking. Advertisers don’t just want to be where the crowds are, they want lots of individual user data they can use to calibrate their targeting. What does it profit a social platform to gain viewers if it loses the conversation?
What’s The Bigger Picture?
Authentic, influencer-driven content is winning. 69% of consumers now trust
influencers as much as friends or family, and much more than they trust traditional brand marketing. Even if LinkedIn is late to the party, it’s clear that influencer marketing is no longer optional. Still, we’d rather LinkedIn stay true to its own game rather than play everyone else’s. Institutional advertisers can have an outsized influence on platform content, and we’re not sure this is the best way to play in this particular sandbox.
What’s Our Read?
7 out of 10
LinkedIn is moving away from traditional ad. It remains a strong last-touch conversion channel with premium targeting, but for lower costs and scale, Meta and TikTok are better options. While influencer-style content has worked for TikTok, LinkedIn isn’t TikTok—audiences here are wary of self-promotion and perceive paid partnerships as less authentic. We believe the real opportunity lies in authenticity and storytelling, not an influencer play.
