Why B2B Creators Are Now Central to Building Trust with Buyers

Why B2B Creators Are Now Central to Building Trust with Buyers

B2B marketing has often lagged behind the fast-moving trends of consumer branding. But that’s changing. And nowhere is that shift more evident than in the rise of creator content on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn’s latest research into the behaviour of over 1,700 B2B decision-makers confirms something we’ve been seeing in the field for years: buyers now prefer insight over advertising. They trust peers, experts, and business leaders – people like you – over polished brand content.

And for MDs, commercial leaders and marketers across construction, logistics, manufacturing, tech and engineering, this presents a golden opportunity.

 

1. Buyers trust people more than brands

The headline finding?
82% of B2B buyers say that creator content influences their decisions.

These aren’t casual clicks. They’re purposeful interactions across every stage of the buying journey:

• Awareness: 59% discover new brands via creator content
• Consideration: 53% use it to assess potential solutions
• Decision-making: 38% connect with a salesperson as a result of engaging with it
• Justification and expansion: 44% refer to it to justify pricing post-sale

In other words, the voices of trusted professionals have replaced traditional advertising as the key source of B2B confidence. And LinkedIn has become the platform of choice for this new form of influence.

 

 

2. LinkedIn is the new home of B2B creator content

LinkedIn dominates the B2B creator space, with 59% of buyers consuming creator content through the platform.

Why?
Because it’s credible, trusted and contextually relevant. When buyers scroll through LinkedIn, they’re in a work-focused mindset. They’re looking for content that educates, informs, or challenges them. Not sales fluff.

It’s no surprise then that 63% say video is the most influential format. Short-form videos, expert takes, and behind-the-scenes content are on the rise, with uploads up 34% year-on-year.

This is a massive opportunity for B2B brands to show – not just tell – how they create value.

 

3. Your team are your most valuable creators

One of the most exciting insights from the report is who buyers trust:

• Industry experts (55%)
• Analysts (43%)
• Business leaders (43%)
• Customers (33%)
• Employees (29%)

That means you don’t need to chase celebrity influencers. You already have the best creators: your leadership team, your subject matter experts, your customers, and your sales team.

What’s required is structure, support, and a strategy to help those voices show up consistently – and credibly.

 

4. Creator content drives performance that traditional ads can’t match

According to LinkedIn’s data, Thought Leader Ads – where a brand boosts a creator’s content to a targeted audience – outperform standard image ads by a mile:

• 252% higher click-through rate
• 62% lower cost-per-click
• 48% more completed lead forms

This isn’t just brand building. It’s measurable lead generation. When real people with real insight talk about your business, people respond.

 

 

5. What this means for your marketing strategy

At Attract & Engage, we work with B2B firms where technical expertise is your differentiator – but it’s often hidden away in slide decks, emails or the heads of your team.

This report confirms that now is the time to bring those stories to life.

Our approach involves:

• Identifying internal experts who already have respect in your industry
• Coaching them to share insight, commentary, and real-world examples
• Building a content engine around short-form video, carousels and thought leadership posts
• Using smart paid strategy to amplify your best content to your buyers

We’re not trying to make you “go viral.” We’re trying to get you seen by the right 100 decision-makers. The ones already in-market and looking for what you do.

 

6. Final thought: Trust is now earned through visibility

For too long, B2B marketing has played it safe. But the buyers we’re speaking to today are better informed, more sceptical, and more time-poor than ever.

They don’t want sales decks – they want perspective. They want to learn from people who’ve walked the walk. That’s where B2B creator content comes in.

And with LinkedIn leading the charge, the window of opportunity is wide open – but it won’t stay that way forever.

If you’re curious about what a B2B creator strategy could look like for your business, we’d love to chat.

 

 

Want to explore how to activate your team’s expertise on LinkedIn? Let’s have a conversation.