We’ve talked a lot about how LinkedIn has evolved into a powerful platform for building personal brands, driving thought leadership, and running effective LinkedIn influencer campaigns. Now, it’s stepping things up even further with a bold new move that’s set to change the game for B2B marketers.

LinkedIn is currently beta testing BrandLink, a new program that allows brands to place video ads alongside content from top creators and trusted publishers. Think of it as influencer marketing for B2B, with a much more professional twist.

Rather than shouting your message into the void, BrandLink lets you attach your content to respected voices that your audience already follows, values, and trusts. It’s a move toward more contextual, credible, and high-impact advertising, and it could mark a major shift in how B2B marketers reach decision-makers on the platform.

In today’s article, we’ll explore what BrandLink is, why it’s a potential game-changer for LinkedIn influencer campaigns, and how B2B marketers can use it to deliver more credible, high-impact advertising. We’ll break down how to get started, how to measure success using LinkedIn analytics, and why this shift signals a major evolution in how brands can connect with decision-makers in a more authentic, trusted, and professional environment.

What is BrandLink?

BrandLink is LinkedIn’s latest move in the creator economy and a significant leap forward for both LinkedIn influencer campaigns and LinkedIn advertising as a whole. This new program allows brands to run in-stream, pre-roll video ads that appear just before high-quality, contextually relevant content from top creators and trusted publishers, directly within users’ LinkedIn feeds.

Rather than interrupting the user experience, BrandLink integrates your message into it—placing your brand alongside the content your target audience is already consuming. It’s a smarter, more strategic form of LinkedIn advertising that builds credibility through association with respected influencers and thought leaders in your industry.

Why BrandLink Is a Game-Changer for LinkedIn Influencer Campaigns

BrandLink isn’t just another ad placement tool—it’s a shift in how brands can authentically connect with professional audiences on LinkedIn. By embedding your message within creator-led content, you help meet your audience where their attention already is.

Here’s what makes it stand out:

Attach to authority.

In B2B marketing, trust is everything. By aligning your brand with a respected LinkedIn influencer or premium content publisher, you immediately benefit from their credibility and thought leadership. Their endorsement, whether explicit or implied through association, can significantly elevate your brand’s perception. It’s the digital equivalent of a trusted peer recommending your solution, and that’s a far more powerful message than any standalone ad can deliver.

Reach the right people in the right context.

Attention is a scarce resource, especially in the professional world. BrandLink allows you to engage your audience by placing your ads alongside content they actually want to watch, whether that’s expert insights, industry trends, or actionable advice. The context in which your ad appears can dramatically influence how it’s received. Instead of interrupting the feed with unrelated messaging, BrandLink makes sure your brand shows up in environments that align with your values and your audience’s interests.

Unlock precision targeting with LinkedIn’s first-party data.

LinkedIn has access to some of the most reliable professional data in the digital space. With BrandLink, you can use that data to surgically target decision-makers by job title, industry, company size, seniority, location, and more. This isn’t just about getting your message seen. No, it’s about getting it seen by the people who are most likely to care. For LinkedIn influencer campaigns, that level of targeting ensures your brand isn’t just visible. It’s relevant.

Advertise with a native feel.

Unlike traditional video ads that can feel disruptive or out of place, BrandLink’s pre-roll format is seamlessly woven into the LinkedIn experience. Because the ad plays just before a piece of creator content, it benefits from the anticipation and attention already directed toward the video. It doesn’t feel like an interruption—it feels like a natural introduction. This subtlety helps improve watch time, reduce skip rates, and increase the likelihood that your message will land.

How LinkedIn Influencers Can Get Started with BrandLink

If you’re ready to explore how BrandLink can take your LinkedIn influencer campaign to the next level, here’s how to get started

1. Partner Up with the Right Creators

Begin by identifying the LinkedIn influencers or thought leaders whose content aligns with your brand values and target audience. You can choose to work 1:1 with a specific creator or publisher or take a broader approach by partnering with multiple voices across a topic category. This allows your brand to tap into existing communities and benefit from the built-in trust these creators have earned. Your LinkedIn sales representative can provide access to curated content packages, publisher lists, and creator topic specialisations to help you find the right fit for your campaign.

Whether you’re promoting a product, building brand awareness, or looking to position your company as an industry authority, collaborating with credible creators adds authenticity to your message and increases the likelihood of meaningful engagement.

2. Create Your Campaign for Impact

Once you’ve chosen your partner(s), it’s time to craft your ad. Upload a 3–30 second video ad to Campaign Manager using the Video Ads format. Make sure it’s relevant, high-quality, and compelling enough to hold attention during the pre-roll slot. Before your campaign can go live, your selected LinkedIn influencer or publisher will need to approve it to make sure their brand values and audience expectations are maintained.

Once approved, your video will run directly before the creator’s content in your audience’s LinkedIn feed, blending seamlessly with the platform’s professional tone and context. Unlike traditional interruptive ads, this approach positions your brand within conversations that your audience already cares about—improving relevance, trust, and recall.

3. Measure Performance with LinkedIn Analytics

The final step is to track how your campaign is performing. LinkedIn provides robust metrics and analytics tools that let you evaluate every single aspect of your ad’s performance. From impressions, video view rates, and completion rates to click-throughs and demographic engagement, you’ll get a detailed picture of what’s working and where there’s room to optimise.

You can also use first- and third-party brand lift studies to assess how your campaign influences brand awareness, perception, and recall among your target audience. Combined with insights into professional demographics—like job title, industry, company size, and seniority—these LinkedIn analytics give you the data you need to make informed decisions and refine your influencer strategy for future campaigns.

Why All Of This Matters

BrandLink isn’t just an interesting new ad format. It’s a reflection of where digital marketing is heading, especially in the B2B space. In an environment where buyers are increasingly sceptical of traditional sales tactics and banner ads, contextual relevance and trusted delivery are more important than ever. And early data suggests BrandLink is delivering on both fronts.

Here’s what LinkedIn is seeing so far:

Higher average completion rates.

BrandLink campaigns are consistently outperforming standard in-feed video ads when it comes to keeping viewers engaged all the way through. Why? Because people are already tuned in and paying attention when they watch content from a respected LinkedIn influencer or thought leader. Your brand benefits from that existing engagement, increasing the odds your message lands.

Stronger ad recall among C-suite audiences.

When your video appears alongside premium content from publishers and creators, it doesn’t just get watched—it gets remembered. In particular, C-level professionals, who are often flooded with generic messaging, are more likely to recall and trust ads that are contextually aligned with content they’ve chosen to view. That’s a huge win for B2B marketers aiming to influence decision-makers with high purchasing power.

Higher view rates overall.

Simply put, BrandLink ads get more eyes. Whether it’s because they appear before valuable content or because they benefit from being part of a curated feed experience, these ads are being seen and engaged with at a much higher rate. That kind of visibility is essential in crowded markets where differentiation is key.

All of this signals a major shift in how professional audiences want to experience advertising. Instead of being interrupted, they want ads that feel like a natural part of their feed—informative, relevant, and credible.

BrandLink taps into this mindset by offering brands a chance to share space with the voices their audience already follows and respects.

It’s also worth noting that LinkedIn users are in a business-focused mindset. They come to the platform to learn, connect, and grow. That makes them more open to content that adds value, especially when it comes from a LinkedIn influencer or thought leader they trust. BrandLink lets your message ride that wave of trust, increasing impact while avoiding the friction of more traditional ad formats.

For brands looking to deepen their presence on LinkedIn, drive results from LinkedIn influencer campaigns, and tap into high-performing LinkedIn advertising strategies, BrandLink is emerging as a smart, effective option that’s well worth exploring.

The Bottom Line

As LinkedIn leans harder into creator-led content, BrandLink offers B2B marketers a fresh, more authentic way to cut through the noise and connect with decision-makers. It’s early days, but we think this is one of the most exciting developments in LinkedIn advertising in years, and we’re definitely keeping a close eye on it at StraightIn.

At StraightIn, we specialise in all things LinkedIn marketing. From our lead generation services to content marketing, and, of course, LinkedIn advertising and LinkedIn influencer campaigns—we help brands build credibility, drive engagement, and generate real business results on the world’s largest professional platform. Whether you’re looking to launch your first campaign or take your strategy to the next level, our team is here to guide you every step of the way.

Ready to unlock the full potential of one of LinkedIn’s most powerful tools? We’re here to help you get started and see real results. Click here, give us a call on 0161 518 4740, or drop us a line at grow@straight-in.co.uk—let’s discuss how we can expand your presence on LinkedIn.

Want more insights from Tom on all things LinkedIn advertising? Click here.

You might find these articles interesting:

Curious about the best months for lead generation? Check out this comprehensive report Tom put together—it’s packed with valuable data.