INSIGHTS FROM EXPERTS ON LINKEDIN
Kelly Hopping, CMO of 6sense, argues that even the best-targeted outreach can fall flat if buyers have never heard of your company. Drawing on research from nearly 900 BDRs, she found that teams who feel supported consistently perform better, and that brand plays a much bigger role in that support than many marketers realize. As more of the buying journey happens before a sales conversation ever starts, companies that invest in both brand building and demand generation are more likely to earn a place on the buyer’s shortlist.
Toms Papirtis argues that there is no single best content format on LinkedIn. He explains that banners work well for short, straightforward messages, videos are best for storytelling and emotional content, and text posts are ideal for sparking discussion. Strong content matters more than format, and marketers should always ask themselves whether they would genuinely engage with the content they’re creating.
Garrett Mehrguth explains that claiming to be “better” than competitors rarely creates a competitive advantage because everyone makes the same claim. Instead, he argues that businesses should focus on being genuinely different through their approach, expertise, or point of view. True differentiation reduces price pressure and gives companies stronger positioning in the market.
Filip Saračević shared the results of a LinkedIn Ads experiment comparing video views and engagement objectives using the same audience, ads, budget, and timing. Surprisingly, the engagement campaign outperformed the video views campaign across nearly every video metric, including views, watch time, completions, and clicks. Don’t assume an objective will perform best just because of its name; test different options and let the data decide.
Anthony Pierri questions the common marketing practice of selling business outcomes like revenue growth or customer acquisition when those results depend on many factors beyond a single product or service. He argues that companies should focus on the specific outcomes they can actually influence and guarantee, rather than taking credit for results shaped by an entire business ecosystem. He believes being clear about what you can actually deliver is more valuable than making ambitious business promises.
Myra Ahmed compares two LinkedIn ad headlines and explains why clarity usually wins over cleverness. While catchy headlines can grab attention, she points out that they often leave people unsure about what is actually being offered. Her view is that the strongest ads combine both clarity and creativity, but if forced to choose, clarity should come first.
Nick Turner reflects on a conversation with a recent marketing graduate who felt unprepared for the technical demands of modern B2B marketing. While universities focus on strategy and marketing theory, many entry-level roles require people to manage tools, workflows, data systems, and AI platforms from day one. He encourages young marketers to embrace the operational side of the job now, while using their strategic foundation as a long-term advantage.
Liam Moroney argues that many B2B marketers talk about building trust when the bigger challenge is often reducing perceived risk. Buyers may believe a product works but still hesitate because choosing the wrong vendor could have consequences for their career or business. Rather than trying to look bigger or safer than they are, smaller companies can succeed by finding customers who are more comfortable taking calculated risks.
Asger Holst Jensen shares how his team transformed LinkedIn followers from a vanity metric into a practical sales signal. By matching followers with target accounts, enriching the data, and connecting it to HubSpot and Slack, sales teams can instantly see when potential buyers engage with the brand. The approach helps teams identify warmer opportunities and enter new markets with valuable insight into who is already paying attention.
WHAT'S NEW IN THE INDUSTRY
LinkedIn has launched its new Creator Marketplace, helping brands connect directly with trusted B2B creators for partnerships, speaking opportunities, and sponsored content. Unlike platforms such as TikTok or Instagram, LinkedIn is keeping things simple by focusing on creator discovery rather than handling contracts or payments. The big question is whether brands will manage these relationships themselves or continue relying on agencies to do the heavy lifting.
LinkedIn is rolling out a new analytics metric that shows whether post views are coming from people already in a creator’s network or from entirely new audiences. The update helps creators and marketers understand if their content is simply resonating with existing followers or actually reaching new professionals through recommendations, search, and reshares. It’s a small change, but one that gives much clearer insight into how content is growing an audience on the platform.
Google’s new AI Brief feature lets advertisers guide campaigns using natural language prompts instead of traditional keyword lists. The update reflects how search behavior is changing, with users increasingly asking longer, conversational questions through AI-powered search experiences. While keywords are not disappearing overnight, AI Brief signals a future where marketers focus more on goals and intent, while AI handles the targeting.
OpenAI is expanding ChatGPT advertising to five new markets, including the UK, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, and Mexico. The company is also testing ad placements that show multiple advertisers in a single sponsored result, creating more opportunities for brands to reach users during research and buying journeys. New campaign management tools are also rolling out, bringing ChatGPT’s advertising platform closer to established digital ad ecosystems.
Google is rolling out new asset experiments in Performance Max, giving advertisers a safer way to test creative changes before scaling them across campaigns. Marketers can compare asset groups, evaluate seasonal versus evergreen content, and even test AI-generated assets while measuring results across multiple KPIs. The update gives advertisers more visibility into what creative elements actually drive performance.
Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin shared new details on AI Search, confirming that advertisers do not need AI Max enabled to appear in AI-powered search experiences, as broad match campaigns remain eligible. She also revealed that AI-specific reporting is not yet available and reinforced Google’s growing focus on first-party data and upcoming tools like AI Brief. The discussion highlighted Google’s effort to balance increased automation with advertiser control.
Google has pushed back the automatic migration of Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) to AI Max by five months, moving the deadline from September 2026 to February 2027. Advertisers will also regain the ability to create new DSA campaigns, giving them more time to test AI-powered alternatives and manage the transition at their own pace. The delay comes after advertiser feedback and helps avoid disruption during critical planning periods.
Google Analytics is introducing Source Group reporting and new hostname filtering controls to simplify attribution analysis and improve data quality. The update groups traffic from platforms like Facebook, TikTok, ChatGPT, and Perplexity into standardized categories, making cross-channel performance easier to measure. New hostname filters also help keep reporting cleaner by excluding traffic from unapproved domains.
Google is broadening its Limited Ad Serving policy, allowing it to reduce ad visibility for advertisers that generate negative user feedback or fail to clearly identify their brand. The change puts greater emphasis on trust, transparency, and brand recognition rather than just policy compliance. Advertisers with vague messaging or unclear branding may see reduced reach on certain search queries as the rollout continues through 2028.
That’s the scoop for this week! If you found this valuable and any useful insights caught your eye, feel free to share them with your network.
Until next week!
