A comprehensive analysis by The Influencer Marketing Factory reveals LinkedIn’s transformation from a resume repository to a dynamic hub for B2B influencer marketing, with distinct characteristics distinguishing it from other social platforms.
Platform Demographics and Engagement Patterns
LinkedIn now hosts more than 1.2 billion members globally, according to data cited in the report. Research shows that 59% of tech buyers are already using LinkedIn to consume B2B influencer content, while 75% of B2B businesses report using LinkedIn influencers in their marketing strategies.
The study, which analyzed over 9,500 LinkedIn accounts, identified Business and Entrepreneurship as the dominant content category, representing 15.6% of creator content. Other significant niches include Tech and Innovation (6.2%) and Sales and Marketing (4.1%).
Among LinkedIn’s top 100 B2B creators, images remain the preferred content format (43.7%), followed by videos (27.7%) and text posts (20.3%). Articles and carousels account for just 8.3% of content from top creators.
Image source: The Influencer Marketing Factory
The research indicates that 58% of LinkedIn creators (from a 64,000 sample) have under 5,000 followers, suggesting that micro-influencers dominate the platform. Additionally, 71.36% of LinkedIn influencers maintain an average engagement rate of 0-1%, according to data from Favikon cited in the study.
Key Factors Driving LinkedIn Influencer Marketing
B2B influencer marketing plays a key role during the awareness and consideration stages of the purchasing journey. The report notes that 65% of B2B buyers interact with influencer content during the consideration and research phase, while 53% engage with such content during awareness and discovery.
LinkedIn’s Thought Leader Ads, which feature Top Voices and LinkedIn influencers, demonstrate significant performance improvements over traditional ads: a 62% decrease in cost-per-click, a 252% increase in click-through rate, a 23% reduction in cost-per-lead, and a 48% rise in lead form completions.
The platform’s algorithm appears to favor certain content types. Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, notes in the report that LinkedIn rewards posts containing knowledge and advice, written from unique perspectives, that build upon areas of expertise and drive meaningful comments.
Content Strategy Insights
Analysis of 195 influencer marketing posts across various niches reveals that text-based promotional posts (15% of the total sample) generated the highest average engagement metrics: 369 likes, 59 comments, and 30 reshares.
In terms of sentiment, 73.2% of comments on LinkedIn influencer marketing content were categorized as “very positive,” with just 2.4% classified as negative, indicating generally favorable audience reception to brand-creator partnerships on the platform.
The report indicates that approximately 4.52% of an influencer’s LinkedIn posts are sponsored, based on analysis of 74 influencers and 195 promoted posts. This relatively low percentage suggests that most LinkedIn creator content remains organic.
Several LinkedIn experts featured in the report emphasize the importance of authenticity and value-driven content. Dani Markovits, Creator and Community Manager at LinkedIn, notes that “94% of audiences trust content on LinkedIn more than other platforms,” and “40% of LinkedIn members are seeking advice and opinions from leaders and experts.”
Case Studies of Successful Campaigns
The report features multiple case studies of effective LinkedIn influencer marketing campaigns:
HockeyStack’s Odin campaign, which involved hiring a magician with 2 million followers and sending “magic kits” to creators to promote their new product
Hootsuite’s Social Media Trends Campaign, which generated $1 million in pipeline in seven business days by coordinating multiple influencers to post on the same day
Adobe Express collaborations with creators, which focused on sharing how real users incorporate the tool into their workflows
Notion’s “Notion Faces” campaign, which engaged over 60 LinkedIn creators to promote their avatar generator, reaching approximately 2.5 million LinkedIn users
Best Practices for Brands and Creators
The LinkedIn experts featured in the report consistently emphasize several key practices:
Focus on relationship-building over follower counts, with Nikolett Jaksa, LinkedIn Expert, recommending commenting on other people’s posts for 15-30 minutes daily
Maintain a consistent posting schedule, with recommendations ranging from 2-3 times per week to 3-5 times per week
Create niche-specific content that addresses audience pain points rather than pursuing virality
Share behind-the-scenes moments and personal stories that humanize professional expertise
Engage authentically on the platform rather than simply broadcasting content
Employee-Generated Content Trend
The report highlights an emerging trend of employee-generated content (EGC) on LinkedIn. Creator economy expert Lia Haberman points to Lockton’s “Lockstars” program, which turns employees into brand influencers, noting that “social media algorithms favor individuals over businesses.”
This approach creates a “flywheel” effect, in which employees see tangible rewards for posting and become increasingly motivated to participate in company branding efforts.
Platform Outlook
The report suggests LinkedIn will become “more and more important for ALL professionals regardless of tenure and industry,” with growth opportunities in video content, which currently receives 36% more engagement than text posts.
With over 115 million people subscribing to newsletters on LinkedIn and the platform’s emphasis on thought leadership, the report notes that LinkedIn appears positioned to remain a key channel for B2B influencer marketing as brands seek more authentic ways to connect with professional audiences.
Dragomir is a Serbian freelance blog writer and translator. He is passionate about covering insightful stories and exploring topics such as influencer marketing, the creator economy, technology, business, and cyber fraud.
A comprehensive analysis by The Influencer Marketing Factory reveals LinkedIn’s transformation from a resume repository to a dynamic hub for B2B influencer marketing, with distinct characteristics distinguishing it from other social platforms.
Platform Demographics and Engagement Patterns
LinkedIn now hosts more than 1.2 billion members globally, according to data cited in the report. Research shows that 59% of tech buyers are already using LinkedIn to consume B2B influencer content, while 75% of B2B businesses report using LinkedIn influencers in their marketing strategies.
The study, which analyzed over 9,500 LinkedIn accounts, identified Business and Entrepreneurship as the dominant content category, representing 15.6% of creator content. Other significant niches include Tech and Innovation (6.2%) and Sales and Marketing (4.1%).
Among LinkedIn’s top 100 B2B creators, images remain the preferred content format (43.7%), followed by videos (27.7%) and text posts (20.3%). Articles and carousels account for just 8.3% of content from top creators.
Image source: The Influencer Marketing Factory
The research indicates that 58% of LinkedIn creators (from a 64,000 sample) have under 5,000 followers, suggesting that micro-influencers dominate the platform. Additionally, 71.36% of LinkedIn influencers maintain an average engagement rate of 0-1%, according to data from Favikon cited in the study.
Key Factors Driving LinkedIn Influencer Marketing
B2B influencer marketing plays a key role during the awareness and consideration stages of the purchasing journey. The report notes that 65% of B2B buyers interact with influencer content during the consideration and research phase, while 53% engage with such content during awareness and discovery.
LinkedIn’s Thought Leader Ads, which feature Top Voices and LinkedIn influencers, demonstrate significant performance improvements over traditional ads: a 62% decrease in cost-per-click, a 252% increase in click-through rate, a 23% reduction in cost-per-lead, and a 48% rise in lead form completions.
The platform’s algorithm appears to favor certain content types. Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, notes in the report that LinkedIn rewards posts containing knowledge and advice, written from unique perspectives, that build upon areas of expertise and drive meaningful comments.
Content Strategy Insights
Analysis of 195 influencer marketing posts across various niches reveals that text-based promotional posts (15% of the total sample) generated the highest average engagement metrics: 369 likes, 59 comments, and 30 reshares.
In terms of sentiment, 73.2% of comments on LinkedIn influencer marketing content were categorized as “very positive,” with just 2.4% classified as negative, indicating generally favorable audience reception to brand-creator partnerships on the platform.
The report indicates that approximately 4.52% of an influencer’s LinkedIn posts are sponsored, based on analysis of 74 influencers and 195 promoted posts. This relatively low percentage suggests that most LinkedIn creator content remains organic.
Several LinkedIn experts featured in the report emphasize the importance of authenticity and value-driven content. Dani Markovits, Creator and Community Manager at LinkedIn, notes that “94% of audiences trust content on LinkedIn more than other platforms,” and “40% of LinkedIn members are seeking advice and opinions from leaders and experts.”
Case Studies of Successful Campaigns
The report features multiple case studies of effective LinkedIn influencer marketing campaigns:
Best Practices for Brands and Creators
The LinkedIn experts featured in the report consistently emphasize several key practices:
Employee-Generated Content Trend
The report highlights an emerging trend of employee-generated content (EGC) on LinkedIn. Creator economy expert Lia Haberman points to Lockton’s “Lockstars” program, which turns employees into brand influencers, noting that “social media algorithms favor individuals over businesses.”
This approach creates a “flywheel” effect, in which employees see tangible rewards for posting and become increasingly motivated to participate in company branding efforts.
Platform Outlook
The report suggests LinkedIn will become “more and more important for ALL professionals regardless of tenure and industry,” with growth opportunities in video content, which currently receives 36% more engagement than text posts.
With over 115 million people subscribing to newsletters on LinkedIn and the platform’s emphasis on thought leadership, the report notes that LinkedIn appears positioned to remain a key channel for B2B influencer marketing as brands seek more authentic ways to connect with professional audiences.
The full report is available here.