LinkedIn has rolled out new tools and features to support B2B marketers in leveraging video and influencer content. These updates follow LinkedIn’s ‘The Business of Influence’ research, which surveyed over 1,700 B2B tech buyers in the US, UK, and India. The findings highlight a shift in B2B buyer preferences, with video emerging as a key content format influencing purchasing decisions.
The report reveals that 66% of B2B buyers in India consider short-form social videos influential in making decisions. Among those who consume video content, 83% trust video-focused influencer material. LinkedIn’s data indicates a 34% year-over-year increase in video uploads, reflecting its rising prominence on the platform.
“The B2B buying journey is growing more complex with multiple stakeholders now in the mix. In this landscape, buyers tend to favour brands they already know and trust. This makes it critical for B2B brands to remain top-of-mind, engaging buyers across touchpoints – even when they’re not ready to make a purchase. Building strong memory recall is key to influencing future buying decisions, and nothing does that better than humanised storytelling. Authentic, expert-led videos that connect emotionally with buyer groups can capture attention, cultivate trust, and create the human connection that sets brands apart in a crowded market,” Sachin Sharma, director, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, India, said.
The study also found that 72% of Indian B2B buyers believe influencer content fosters brand trust, while 70% say it raises awareness about products and solutions. Over half of all surveyed buyers expect their reliance on subject-matter experts to grow in the next three years. Among Gen Z buyers in India, 93% interact monthly with B2B influencer content, a 14% higher engagement rate than other buyer groups.
To address these trends, LinkedIn introduced new tools and updates. Enhancements to Live Event Ads allow marketers to promote posts about Live Events using Thought Leader Ads that link directly to the event page. This feature aims to boost event registrations, with a 30-second preview video option to attract attendees. Regional targeting for event promotion is also being added for a more personalized experience.
LinkedIn’s Accelerate tool, an AI-powered campaign creation feature, is now globally available in beta. The tool supports video and document ads, in addition to single-image ads, enabling marketers to tailor their campaigns. New objectives such as brand awareness, video views, and website conversions will be gradually introduced.
Sponsored Newsletters are now available, allowing brands to promote their newsletters or partner with others on the platform. These boosted articles, published as Thought Leader Ads, aim to increase engagement and establish thought leadership.
LinkedIn has also reported a 23% rise in posts from chief executives and a 14.4% increase in Live Video Events over the past year. The platform now hosts over 220,000 newsletters, highlighting its focus on creating spaces for credible content and expert voices to engage with buyers. These updates are part of LinkedIn’s efforts to help B2B marketers capture the attention of buyers, particularly the 95% who are out-of-market but remain influential in shaping future decisions.
“LinkedIn Accelerate has proven to be a valuable tool for piloting our campaigns. We have experienced 30% reduction in end-to-end campaign setup and launch time. Its user-friendly interface and scalability makes it an ideal solution for streamlining our campaign launches,”Soumyajit Dey, Global Head of Digital Experience Optimisation, Thoughtworks, said.