The news: LinkedIn users are boosting spend on creator and video ads, highlighting brands’ opportunities to reach audiences past traditional B2B marketing.

Q1 FY 2027 by the numbers:

• Spending on creator-led ads: Up 63% YoY
• Spending on paid video ads: Up 25%
• Time spent in feeds: Up 15%
• Posts from established creators: Up 13%
• Paid subscriptions to Premium Company Pages: Up 121%

The bigger picture: Rising creator advertising activity shows brands are coming to the platform to reach audiences through trusted voices and partnerships rather than relying on traditional advertising and direct-response. Meanwhile, more feed engagement adds brand discovery value and touchpoints to reach users through sponsored content or thought leadership.

However, LinkedIn needs to maintain trust as AI slop, deepfake profiles, and fully AI-written posts risk diluting platform quality and alienating users. Recent efforts to address this include:

• Safeguards to limit how far AI content that “lacks any real unique perspective or substance” can spread, per a LinkedIn Pressroom post.
• An AI slop reporting tool that gives users more control over the content they see and a say in the content moderation process.
• The option for users to verify one another, which will help flag fake AI profiles.

Recommendations for marketers: LinkedIn’s emphasis on industry expertise and authoritative voices offers opportunities to build awareness—consumer-facing brands in sectors like financial services, education, travel, and wellness can use professional interests and career-related conversations to connect with new audiences.

Capture younger users’ attention with vertical video while partnering with subject-matter experts to earn industry leaders’ trust. However, as AI slop proliferates on the platform, be careful to highlight human voices, write original content, and elevate real customer voices to promote legitimacy.

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