LinkedIn advertising is the most precise way for B2B brands to reach decision-makers by job title, company and seniority, and it works best when the ads carry a human voice. With Thought Leader Ads, LinkedIn lets brands sponsor posts from employees, industry experts, customers or content creators, so the ad comes from a person rather than a logo. Heading into 2027, the strongest LinkedIn campaigns combine that personal voice with LinkedIn’s targeting and a clear media budget.

This article covers the paid side of LinkedIn. For the broader strategy of working with trusted voices in business marketing, see our guide to B2B influencer marketing.

Who do you reach with LinkedIn ads in Sweden?

Mainly working professionals. According to Internetstiftelsen’s Svenskarna och internet, 29 percent of Swedish internet users used LinkedIn in the past year and 6 percent use it daily. Among the employed, 43 percent used it in the past year, and among white-collar workers the figure is 60 percent, with 13 percent using it daily. Globally, LinkedIn says more than one billion professionals are on the platform.

Just as interesting is how few people post. Only 2 percent of Swedes post regularly on LinkedIn, rising to 6 percent among white-collar workers. That means most people read rather than write – and the people who do post, such as executives, experts and creators, get a lot of attention. That is exactly the content Thought Leader Ads let brands put money behind.

Which LinkedIn ad formats are there?

• Sponsored Content: ads in the feed, as single image, video, carousel, document, event, or article and newsletter ads.

• Thought Leader Ads: sponsored posts from people, such as executives, employees or creators.

• Sponsored Messaging: Conversation Ads with up to five calls to action, and Message Ads with a single call to action in the inbox.

• Lead Gen Forms: pre-filled forms that capture leads without the person leaving LinkedIn.

What are Thought Leader Ads, and how do they work?

Thought Leader Ads turn a person’s organic post into an ad. According to LinkedIn, brands can boost posts from company employees, industry experts, customers or content creators. The brand selects the post in Campaign Manager and requests permission, and the author can approve or deny the request. Supported objectives are brand awareness, engagement and video views.

The format has deliberate limits. You cannot add a headline or introductory text, there are no call-to-action buttons, and only the original author can edit the post. Posts with multiple images, polls or documents cannot be promoted. Plan the post together with the person, and agree the message, the sponsorship period and the fee in writing before anything is boosted.

What is BrandLink?

BrandLink is LinkedIn’s programme for in-stream, pre-roll video ads shown before content from selected publishers and creators. According to LinkedIn, it is currently in beta and bought through a LinkedIn sales representative, with the brand uploading a video ad of 3 to 30 seconds in Campaign Manager. LinkedIn’s own figures say members are up to 18 percent more likely to become a lead after exposure to a BrandLink campaign before seeing a Lead Gen Form. These are platform figures, so test them against your own results.

Why use creators and executives as the face of LinkedIn ads?

Because B2B buyers are people. A post from a recognised expert or a founder reads like an opinion, not an advertisement, and invites comments and conversation. Creators bring an audience and a format that already works on the platform; executives bring authority and a direct line to the company’s point of view.

Organic posts from strong names can travel far on their own. But organic reach is unpredictable, and paid media is what takes the best posts further and deeper into the target group – the right roles, industries and companies, several times. The effective model is to publish organically, see which posts resonate, and then sponsor the winners.

How does LinkedIn targeting work?

LinkedIn’s targeting is built on what members state about their professional lives. Location and profile language are required, and on top of that you can target by company (name, industry, size, revenue, growth rate and followers), job experience (job title, function, seniority, skills and years of experience), education, demographics, and interests and traits. Matched Audiences let you retarget website visitors and upload lists of contacts or companies. According to LinkedIn, the minimum audience size to run an ad set is 300 member accounts.

What does LinkedIn advertising cost?

There is no fixed price. LinkedIn ads are bought in an auction: you place a bid and compete with other advertisers targeting the same audience, and the cost depends on your bid and how attractive the audience is. LinkedIn uses objective-based pricing, so you are charged when the billable event for your objective happens – for a website visit objective, when someone clicks the link. When many advertisers want the same narrow audience, the price goes up, so set a realistic budget and measure cost against business value, not clicks alone.

With creators or external experts, the budget has three parts: the person’s fee for the post, the rights and sponsorship period, and the media budget.

How should LinkedIn campaigns with creators be measured?

• Reach and frequency within the target companies and roles, not just total impressions.

• Engagement and comments on sponsored posts, which show whether the message starts a conversation.

• Leads and cost per lead from Lead Gen Forms and conversion objectives, followed through to meetings and deals in your CRM.

What rules apply to LinkedIn advertising?

ICC’s marketing code applies to all marketing communication, including communication aimed at businesses, so B2B posts must also be recognisable as advertising. Konsumentverket stresses that the company has the main responsibility for marketing published on its behalf, also when another person publishes it. Sponsored posts must clearly show the commercial relationship, and that consent is required before a person’s name or image is used in advertising.

How does Collabri work with LinkedIn advertising?

We plan LinkedIn as part of the whole media mix, alongside Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Facebook. We help brands choose the right faces – creators, experts or well-known personalities – agree rights and sponsorship periods, produce content that sounds like the person, and plan the paid media from day one.

Key takeaways

• LinkedIn reaches professionals: 60 percent of Swedish white-collar workers used it in the past year.

• Thought Leader Ads let brands sponsor posts from employees, experts, customers and creators – with the author’s approval.

• Targeting by job title, seniority, company and skills makes LinkedIn precise, with an auction-based cost.

• Organic posts from strong names can travel far; paid media takes the best posts deeper into the target group.

• Budget for fee, rights and media, measure leads through to deals, and label commercial content clearly.

Frequently asked questions

Can we sponsor posts from people outside the company?

Yes. According to LinkedIn, Thought Leader Ads can boost posts from industry experts, customers and content creators as well as employees, provided the author approves the request.

Can a Thought Leader Ad include a link or button?

You cannot add a call-to-action button or a URL to the ad, but a link the author included in the original post stays clickable when it is sponsored.

Is LinkedIn advertising expensive?

It depends on the audience and the competition, since prices are set in an auction. The more advertisers compete for an audience, the more it costs, so measure against the value of a lead or a deal.

How do we get started with LinkedIn advertising?

Define the target companies and roles, choose the people who should be the face of the campaign, and plan content, rights and media together.

Want to advertise on LinkedIn with the right creators and experts? Contact Collabri at info@collabri.se. You can also browse our talents and client projects.

Read also

• Social Media Advertising in Sweden: Platforms, Targeting and Creator Content Heading Into 2027

• TikTok Advertising in Sweden: Spark Ads, Ad Formats and Creator Content in 2027

• B2B Influencer Marketing: How Business Brands Use Trusted Voices in 2027

• What Is Influencer Marketing? A Complete Guide for 2027

Sources

• Internetstiftelsen – Svenskarna och internet 2025: Sociala medier (2025): https://svenskarnaochinternet.se/rapporter/svenskarna-och-internet-2025/sociala-medier/

• LinkedIn Marketing Solutions – LinkedIn Ads: https://business.linkedin.com/advertise/ads

• LinkedIn Marketing Solutions – Ads guide: https://business.linkedin.com/advertise/ads/ads-guide

• LinkedIn Marketing Solutions – Thought Leader Ads: https://business.linkedin.com/advertise/ads/sponsored-content/thought-leader-ads

• LinkedIn Marketing Solutions – Thought Leader Ads specs: https://business.linkedin.com/advertise/ads/sponsored-content/thought-leader-ads/specs

• LinkedIn Marketing Solutions – BrandLink: https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/native-advertising/brandlink

• LinkedIn Help – Targeting options for ad campaigns: https://www.linkedin.com/help/lms/answer/a424655

• LinkedIn Marketing Solutions – LinkedIn ads pricing: https://business.linkedin.com/advertise/ads/pricing

• ICC Sverige – ICC:s regler för reklam och marknadskommunikation (2024): https://iccwbo.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/ICC_2024_MarketingCode_Swedish.pdf

• Konsumentverket – Influencers reklaminlägg – regler för företag: https://www.konsumentverket.se/marknadsratt-foretag/influencers-reklaminlagg-regler-for-foretag/

This article was written with the help of AI and reviewed by Collabri.