LinkedIn Tests Creator Discovery — Filter B2B Creators by Job Function, Industry and Audience

LinkedIn is testing LinkedIn Creator Discovery, a new way for B2B marketers to find relevant creators for campaigns. According to LinkedIn, 63% of B2B buyers now rely on creators for research and insights early in the buying process, which makes creator selection a meaningful lever in B2B outreach.

What the Creator Discovery beta adds

Creator Discovery sits inside LinkedIn’s Creator Marketplace, with general availability anticipated in early 2027. LinkedIn says it “introduces new search filters, including content type, creator industry and job function, audience demographics, and Top Voices to make it faster and easier for teams to source and vet creators for upcoming campaigns.”

New search filters

• Content type
• Creator industry and job function
• Audience demographics
• Top Voices status

New performance data on B2B formats

Thought Leader Ads

Thought Leader Ads, which promote posts from individual members, drive a 252% higher click-through rate than conventional single-image ads targeted at B2B buyers. Advertisers running Thought Leader Ads saw 45% higher CTR at the awareness stage and 48% higher at the conversion stage compared with those that didn’t during the same period.

BrandLink

BrandLink, which runs pre-roll ads on approved creator and publisher content, sees a 130% higher video completion rate on average than in-feed ads. LinkedIn also said its Top Voices 360° offering, connecting brands with exclusive LinkedIn Shows, is performing strongly.

Why creators matter in B2B

“Trust has become a critical driver of B2B buying decisions,” LinkedIn said. “Buyers don’t just want product pitches, they want validation from credible subject matter experts and practitioners with real experience.” The shift toward buyers shortlisting vendors before ever speaking to sales is covered in LinkedIn’s B2B Marketing Campaign Checklist.

How to apply it

• Prioritize role fit over follower count: in B2B, practitioners who share the buyer’s job function and industry carry more credibility, which is exactly what the new filters target.
• Start with your own experts: before sourcing external creators, promote posts from executives and subject matter experts as Thought Leader Ads. It’s the fastest test.
• Plan for long-term relationships: putting creators at the center of campaigns is already standard in B2C, as shown in Creators Are Now the Center of the Campaign.