LinkedIn’s top 5 B2B advertising big ideas in 2026

As B2B marketing continues to evolve, these key trends are set to define LinkedIn advertising in 2026. From shifting the focus to expertise and precision targeting, to embracing AI and building credibility, these trends reflect how brands must adapt to meet changing buyer expectations and drive meaningful growth.

1. From reach to authority: Expertise is the new trust currency in B2B

Trust has become the most valuable outcome in B2B – and the clearest path to ROI. But brand trust in 2026 will be earned through relevance, credibility, and human connection. In the year ahead, the smartest brands won’t chase one-off creator posts; they’ll invest in long-term collaborations with the right third-party voices. 

LinkedIn research corroborates this—80% of B2B marketers say they’re increasing investment in community-driven content—tapping creators, employees, and subject matter experts to build trust.

The focus is clearly shifting from follower counts and reach to subject-matter expertise, sustained thought leadership, and building brand authority.

Brendan Gahan, CEO and co-founder of Creator Authority, writes in a LinkedIn post that “Companies are not buying impressions. They're investing in credibility that converts. Brands that invest in creators today will win now AND lead tomorrow.” 

2. Precision or perish—why ad waste will kill B2B growth

In 2026, ad waste will become the enemy of efficient B2B marketing. The old “throw it at the wall and see what sticks” mindset won’t just underperform; it will cost marketers real growth and credibility as every misplaced impression becomes harder to justify.

Even the best creative and the clearest ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) won’t deliver outcomes if the message never reaches the right people. 

As budgets tighten and ROI expectations rise, marketers will be pushed to eliminate wasted spend and prioritise precision.

Targeting audiences based on industry, company, role and more will become essential for reaching real buyers and buyer groups and avoiding the costly trap of misdirected advertising. 

In 2026, the marketers who win will be the ones who stop wasting money on the wrong audience and focus every marketing dollar on reaching the people who actually matter – buyer groups.

3. Buyability is your ticket to being included on the B2B shortlist

Think you know the B2B buyer? Think again. The standard B2B customer journey is now nearly seven months long, and the B2B buyer is getting younger, with Millennials and Gen Z making up more than 71% of B2B buyers today.

The rules of influence and trust are rapidly changing with technological and generational shifts – and younger buyers today are consistently influenced by what experts, peers, and “people like them” endorse and rely on. 

In this new landscape, ‘buyability’ is the future of marketing success. For a brand to be ‘buyable’, they must be on the shortlist from day one — they must be known, and they must be trusted by all the stakeholders involved in the decision-making process.

The content that influences buyers has therefore evolved, and they’re making the brand more credibility-centric by leaning into video and creator partnership to build human, relatable, and authentic signals of validation and decision security. 

In 2026, the brands that fail to neutralise “Fear of Messing Up” (FOMU) will see deals stall – even great products will lose to “safe bets”.

Winning won’t be about features – it will be about proving buyers will be able to defend their decision to choose you.

4. AI is powering the engine, but humans are steering the story

In 2026, the most effective marketing teams won't be choosing between AI and human creativity – they'll be mastering a blend of both. As AI tools reshape everything from audience research to campaign execution, the winning formula in B2B is emerging: let AI handle the heavy lifting while humans focus on creative strategy, audience insight, and tone. 

Savvy B2B marketers who win won’t just automate everything; they’ll redirect their teams' energy toward the work only humans can do: storytelling, building relationships, and making judgement calls that require intuition and experience.

B2B buyers today don’t just want information—they are yearning for inspiration, humour, emotion, and real content from real people.

LinkedIn’s own research shows that ads injecting humour, emotion or human storytelling outperform dry, feature‑heavy ads and drive up brand favourability, intent and purchase consideration.

Marketing leaders who prioritise human skills today will build enduring brands of tomorrow – where ads don’t just perform, they truly connect.

5. In 2026, credibility is the new media plan

In the year ahead, brands need to grapple with a major shift in how brands will be discovered by potential buyers – through AI-driven brand discovery.

Over the past year, B2B buyers have increasingly used LLMs to research and evaluate purchasing decisions; 6sense research finds that 94% of B2B buyers used LLMs during their buying journey in 2025. 

This means that if your brand isn’t visible in AI-generated answers, you’re losing your pipeline before you can measure it. Buyers are forming consideration sets during LLM-assisted research — and if you're not cited, you're not considered.

But getting your brand mentioned in AI answers isn’t a numbers game. Sophisticated LLMs are prioritising brands that are clear, human, consistent, and credible. 

Well-organised content (clear headings, FAQs, direct answers) and consistent messaging across channels make it easier for AI to find and recommend you. Brands that focus on a steady stream of mentions from voices that LLMs trust — earned media, influencers, and other online advocates — will have a higher chance of being trusted and therefore cited.

The credible content by experts that LLMs surface mirrors the way human decisions are shaped — by word of mouth and by being influenced by people we trust in our networks.

The age of AI discoverability will democratise B2B marketing and shift the B2B marketer's strategy from building awareness through budget and keywords to building a credibility-driven reputation across the public internet.

(Davang Shah is VP of Marketing at LinkedIn, a senior marketing leader with extensive experience at LinkedIn, Google, P&G, and Ford. He leads global teams and is dedicated to driving growth through customer-focused strategies and a culture of ownership and collaboration.)