LinkedIn’s evolution: from feed to creator platform

LinkedIn has evolved from a networking platform and job board into an evolving creator ecosystem. Since launching Creator Mode in 2021, the platform has introduced creator analytics, LinkedIn verified, an LLM-powered feed and, in 2026, a Creator Marketplace. Businesses can now use employees and external creators to build credibility, reach new audiences and support B2B marketing, while individuals are increasingly influential in AI-powered discovery.  

Absolutely not. 

According to LinkedIn themselves, creator-led content influences 82% of B2B purchase decisions, so, if you still think LinkedIn is just job posts and corporate updates, you’re already behind.

Often, when people hear the name ‘LinkedIn’, they think of job advertisements, corporate jargon, carefully worded business updates, and heavily branded assets. Although this may have once defined the platform to some extent, it has now evolved into so much more.

Today, when scrolling through LinkedIn, you’ll find a much more diverse range of content. Posts are personality-driven and opinion-led, and creative formats go far beyond traditional business updates.

This is an evolution that not enough people are discussing.

In its most simple sense, a creator platform is where creators can distribute content, spark engagement, build highly engaged audiences, and, in some cases, commercialise their content through paid collaborations and partnerships. 

When people think of ‘creator platforms’, they often think of TikTok, Instagram, and platforms that are typically B2C, but LinkedIn now provides one of the biggest opportunities for brands to be seen – and ticks all of the above boxes. 

Though creators on LinkedIn don’t necessarily look the same as on other platforms, they share many recognisable traits. They’re personable, maintain a consistent voice, regularly share insightful content and build audiences that genuinely trust what they’re saying. 

Often, LinkedIn creators are collectively known as ‘thought leaders’. However, beyond this, they are founders who are building their businesses, consultants who share tips and industry insights, employees who document their day-to-day working life and subject matter experts sharing their knowledge. 

What makes LinkedIn unique as a creator platform is the context. Audiences scroll in a professional mindset, which makes credible industry voices particularly influential. 

Creators on LinkedIn typically possess authority and credibility, built through their lived experiences and employment history. This credibility is further enhanced by consistently sharing content related to their industry topics.

This is where personal branding and B2B influencer marketing begin to intertwine.

The early days of LinkedIn

LinkedIn’s shift from CV and job site to a creator and thought leader platform began in 2021, when it officially launched Creator Mode. 

• Profiles were reframed from traditional employee online CVs to personal brand pages. 
• Alongside connections, followers were introduced, mirroring the approach of platforms like Instagram. 
• LinkedIn removed the limit on how many people you could be connected with, enabling users to grow audiences beyond their immediate network.
• Content became more prioritised across the platform, becoming more prominent than traditional profile elements such as education and work experiences. This positioned LinkedIn as a platform for personal branding and thought leadership.

How did LinkedIn develop its creator features?

Between 2021 and 2023, Creator Mode became widely available and further features were introduced:

• Creator analytics, which gave users the ability to measure content performance with post-specific impressions and engagement metrics, making it easier for creators to optimise content.
• The ‘subscribe to notifications’ feature allowed a creator’s followers to be notified every time they posted, a similar approach to YouTube, Instagram, and other B2C social media channels.
• LinkedIn increasingly prioritised content reach and followers, encouraging more consistent posting.

2024 marked another significant shift. 

Creator Mode was retired and its features became native to the platform. 

Now, everyone with a LinkedIn profile is a potential creator, with access to post analytics and LinkedIn Live and the ability to have followers, without needing to formally activate a Creator Mode. 

What does LinkedIn look like today?

Today, LinkedIn is structured around the idea that everyone has the potential to become a creator or thought leader. 

The algorithm now takes into account profile information, such as industry, experience and skills, alongside how members engage with content to determine which posts are relevant to them.

As of March 2026, LinkedIn has taken this further with its new Feed recommendation system, powered by Generative Recommenders and LLMs. The system is designed to better understand what a post is about and how a member’s professional interests evolve over time, helping surface relevant content beyond an individual’s immediate network. 

How is LinkedIn tackling AI generated content?

Good news for LinkedIn creators that spend hours curating content. 

Now, LinkedIn has increased its focus on authenticity, taking steps to reduce low-quality AI-generated content that may appear polished but lacks unique perspective or substance.

As of summer 2026, users can hit the ‘seems like AI slop’ reporting button, allowing users to flag posts they feel are low-quality and AI generated. 

This is a great step in eliminating the platform from becoming overly saturated, and highlights the importance of real perspectives and expertise when posting on LinkedIn.

As is the case with traditional influencer marketing, becoming a leading creator on LinkedIn requires authenticity, trust and credibility. 

Many trust signals relating to this are built into the platform itself. For example, users’ profiles showcase their education, industry experience and career highlights, allowing for faster authority building with the right optimisation. 

In 2025, LinkedIn launched LinkedIn Verified to help to improve trust and authenticity on the platform. Users with this feature have verified their identity, workplace or educational institution, giving other users more confidence to connect and engage with content.

However, credibility also comes from the content itself. Personal experiences, original perspectives and evidence of genuine expertise can all help creators build trust with their audiences.

People relate to people and shared experiences. 

A creator strategy on LinkedIn can effectively support wider B2B marketing strategies by increasing reach and supporting brand trust and positioning. 

Employees and founders become creators who often influence audiences while they are already in a business-focused mindset, therefore meaning content lands with more intent and influence.

As platforms become more saturated, people become more interested in the faces behind businesses, meaning faceless businesses are often trusted less than those that showcase their employees.

According to Hootsuite’s 2025 Social Trends Report, employee‑led content on LinkedIn receives 3 to 5 times more engagement than posts published directly from brand pages. 

This shift allows businesses to build trust earlier in the sales journey, while also supporting brand positioning, and sometimes even lead generation and talent attraction.

Businesses are increasingly looking beyond internal employees and exploring paid collaborations with B2B creators, allowing brands to align with influential industry voices and reach highly targeted audiences.

A key benefit of working with LinkedIn creators is their professional expertise. They not only have established credibility, but understand the challenges and interests of their peers, helping branded content feel more relevant and authentic.

Hootsuite’s 2025 Social Report is a good example. The brand partnered with a selection of marketing thought leaders to promote the report through different creative formats.  

For about a week, my entire feed was filled with posts about the report through different creative formats. Seeing the campaign repeatedly across LinkedIn created familiarity and intrigue, demonstrating the impact of combining multiple trusted voices to amplify a campaign. 

I’m yet to see any concrete results from this campaign, but it certainly filled my feed and made me want to read the report! 

Working with multiple creators across multiple formats also gives brands the opportunity to compare performance and understand which voices and approaches resonate most strongly with their target audience.

Good news. In June 2026, LinkedIn launched Creator Marketplace, bringing creator discovery and partnership tools into Campaign Manager, meaning brands can: 

• Find creators by topic and content expertise
• Assess audience, performance and fit
• Connect directly with relevant creators 
• Identify creator content featuring their brand 
• Amplify creator content through Thought Leader Ads

Another clear sign of how far LinkedIn’s creator ecosystem has evolved. 

LinkedIn is no longer simply giving professionals the tools to create content. It’s building an ecosystem where creators can build audiences, demonstrate expertise, connect with brands and commercialise their influence.

How does creator content positively impact brand discovery? 

You may be wondering if the juice is worth the squeeze when it comes to LinkedIn creators. But LinkedIn’s influence now extends far beyond the platform itself. 

In a recent study from Meltwater, researchers analysed 9.5million AI citations across six major AI models and found LinkedIn was the second most cited source behind YouTube. In B2B queries, it’s now the first. 

Notably, 75% of these LinkedIn citations came from individual profiles rather than company pages highlighting the growing role of individual voices for brand discovery. 

For brands, this makes clear, useful and well-structured creator content increasingly valuable, not only for human audiences but for the AI systems shaping how people discover information.

That’s not to say brand pages are redundant. They’re still imperative. But it does mean that amplifying individual voices can be key to unlocking AI discovery.

Rather than relying solely on company pages, we’re increasingly encouraging our organic social clients to put the people behind their businesses front and centre, using their expertise and networks to extend reach and build credibility. 

The results haven’t been surprising. Using employee voices to amplify brand expertise and messaging has consistently driven increased engagement.

LinkedIn has evolved far beyond an online CV and networking platform. From Creator Mode in 2021 to Creator Marketplace in 2026, the platform has progressively shifted towards people, expertise and influence. 

For businesses, the opportunity is no longer just to build a strong Company Page. It’s to empower the people behind the brand to build audiences, create credibility and build stronger, more meaningful relationships with those audiences.

After all, fundamentally, marketing is all about building relationships that stand the test of time. 

Ready to discover how a comprehensive LinkedIn strategy could positively impact your bottom line? Let’s chat.