LinkedIn—once viewed as the most professional and perhaps uncool corner of the internet—is now emerging as a hot spot for influencer marketing.
The shift to influencer marketing
Brendan Gahan, former Mekanism partner and chief innovation officer, explains that this shift aligns with LinkedIn’s growing appeal for influencer marketing. He notes that public content shared on LinkedIn increased by 24% from 2022 to 2023. Now, LinkedIn boasts over 139,000 newsletters with 472 million subscribers and reached 1 billion members in November.
One standout influencer, Corporate Natalie, known for her humorous work-from-home videos, has embraced LinkedIn, amassing nearly 53,000 followers. This contrasts with her 835,000 followers on Instagram and 653,000 on TikTok. “My LinkedIn community is getting more comfortable with short-form video content. Monetizing and promoting B2B brands that I care about seems like the next logical step,” she told Ad Age.
Before LinkedIn introduced its creator mode in 2021, influencer-paid content on the platform was rare. But since then, the demand for LinkedIn influencer marketing has surged, as have creator earnings. Influencers with large followings on other platforms now charge an additional 10% to 25% to include LinkedIn in their campaigns.
The Impact of LinkedIn’s Features and Initiatives
“Combining creators with LinkedIn’s features is an obvious choice. It’s a safe space for brands, with an engaged and affluent audience,” Gahan said. “With options ranging from text and video to live streaming and audio events, LinkedIn is perfect for telling real consumer stories.”
Take Tipalti, for example. This fintech company leverages LinkedIn for influencer marketing. Evan Heby, Tipalti’s marketing director, highlighted LinkedIn’s importance for reaching their target audience. “Influencer marketing is at the top of our marketing funnel. It helps us expand our market reach, but it needs to be combined with other sales and marketing strategies to show a significant return on investment,” Heby explained.
LinkedIn’s algorithm updates have also boosted its popularity among creators. By prioritizing posts with “knowledge and advice” relevant to users, LinkedIn has minimized less impactful content like work anniversaries and elevated high-value content from creators.
Jayde Powell, a content marketer who shifted her focus to LinkedIn in early 2022, has seen significant engagement with her LinkedIn audio series “#CreatorTeaTalk.” “LinkedIn is now my preferred platform, which I never expected,” Powell said. “The reach and engagement here are surprisingly high.”
To attract more creators, LinkedIn has launched initiatives like the Creator Accelerator Program and introduced “brand partnership” labels for sponsored posts. These steps are part of LinkedIn’s broader strategy to build an ecosystem of paid, organic, and influencer marketing.
Increasing B2B engagement
B2B marketers are increasingly turning to LinkedIn for influencer marketing. A recent Ogilvy report found that 75% of B2B executives use influencer marketing, with 93% planning to increase their investment. Targeted B2B influencer marketing is seen as an effective way to boost brand consideration and customer acquisition.
In summary, LinkedIn is evolving into a crucial platform for influencer marketing, offering unique opportunities for brands to connect with engaged and affluent audiences. Business owners, marketers, and bloggers should keep an eye on this trend as LinkedIn continues to grow and expand its influence in the marketing world.
