To further enhance its advertising offerings, LinkedIn has expanded the BrandLink programme, which launched last year under the name Wire Program. This expanded initiative allows brands to put video ads alongside trusted publisher content and, now, also includes video placements with big creators across the US and UK.
This new phase of BrandLink allows brands to sponsor original videos from well-known industry voices, such as Steven Bartlett, Rebecca Minkoff, Gary Vaynerchuk, Guy Raz, Bernard Marr, Allie K. Miller, Candace Nelson, and Shelley Zalis. These creators are industry leaders who bring a wealth of expertise and influence to LinkedIn’s professional audience.
With the expanded BrandLink programme, brands can now run video ads before video content produced by these creators, allowing them to engage with LinkedIn’s more than 1 billion users in a way that feels relevant. Brands can choose to sponsor a selection of video shows that focus on themes critical to LinkedIn’s community, such as female entrepreneurship, AI and innovation, the CEO playbook, and small business success stories.
Matthew Derella, Vice President of LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, emphasized the importance of this expansion, stating, “With the expansion of BrandLink, we want to deliver relevant and credible content on topics that our members care about, and make it easier for brands to reach audiences that matter most to them, adjacent to content that our members trust.”
According to recent LinkedIn research, 91% of B2B marketers agree that video helps accelerate advertising ROI. In fact, video creation on LinkedIn is growing twice as fast as other original post formats, reinforcing the platform’s commitment to video as a key driver of engagement.
Key highlights of the BrandLink expansion:
New Creator Partnerships
Top industry voices have joined the programme, offering brands an opportunity to align their ads with highly influential content.
Exclusive Shows by LinkedIn
The programme will include a series of original video shows covering topics such as AI & innovation, female entrepreneurship, and business scaling, all tailored to LinkedIn's professional audience.
Improved Ad Performance
Early adopters of the BrandLink programme have reported impressive results, with video ads running in conjunction with creator content seeing a 130% higher video completion rate and a 23% higher view rate compared to traditional video ads.
Expanded Publisher Network
Alongside creator content, the expanded BrandLink programme includes more global publishers, such as ADWEEK, Condé Nast, Fast Company, The Washington Post, and USA TODAY. Brands can now reach a broader, more diverse audience with multilingual content options and regional targeting.
Advertisers can also tailor their campaigns to target specific locations and languages based on member profiles.
“We are entering one of the most interesting evolutions of influencer marketing—the extreme rise of the B2B influencer. The organic social dialogue on LinkedIn has been nothing short of revolutionary. With the rise of video on LinkedIn, I’m excited to be included in BrandLink,” said Gary Vaynerchuk, Creator, Chairman of VaynerX and CEO of VaynerMedia.
What does it mean for influencer marketers?
For LinkedIn, the expansion of BrandLink is a clear step toward making video advertising more impactful, engaging, and relevant for brands and their audiences. As video continues to be a key medium for B2B marketers, this new initiative offers a unique way to leverage the power of creator and publisher content to drive better outcomes.
As Derella said, “The expanded BrandLink offering will include exclusive Shows by LinkedIn, alongside select creators, to help both brands and creators grow their businesses.”
