LinkedIn, the Microsoft-owned professional network, has established a new marketing services unit called BrandWorks as it seeks to strengthen its appeal to business advertisers. A source familiar with the matter told Reuters the company expects BrandWorks to generate an annualized run rate of $100 million in the next fiscal year.
BrandWorks was unveiled publicly on Wednesday after an internal launch in March. The unit is positioned to help brands produce more effective campaigns and counts customers ranging from software giant SAP to privately held website-hosting platform Webflow.
Alex Josephson, vice president of BrandWorks and a former leader of a similar initiative known as Twitter Next, described the effort as "developing services that are designed to meet the marketer where they are." Josephson said younger audiences and changing content formats are informing the strategy.
The BrandWorks team has expanded quickly in recent months, increasing its headcount by roughly 60% while recruiting talent from competitors and other social platforms including TikTok, Meta and X, according to the source. That hiring surge supports programs intended to connect advertisers more directly with creators and publishers.
One such program run by the team, called Top Voices 360, pairs advertisers with creators for sponsored content. The source said Top Voices 360 generated more than $20 million in revenue from May 2025 to May 2026, with clients including SAP, IBM and ServiceNow.
Alongside BrandWorks, LinkedIn is pushing publishers and creators to produce more video for the platform. Advertisers can run campaigns alongside that video through a program named BrandLink. The company said it expects BrandLink revenue to nearly triple in the current fiscal year but did not disclose a specific dollar amount.
Industry observers cited in the report noted that most B2B budgets flow to search and social channels. Luke Stillman, a managing director at Madison and Wall, said his team estimates "80% of B2B budgets go into search and social media, with Google and LinkedIn the primary beneficiaries of those B2B dollars."
LinkedIn also emphasized the demographic trends that support greater investment in video. Josephson said Gen Z is the platform's fastest-growing demographic and the group is driving rapid growth in engagement with content. The company noted video posts from chief executives have risen by 68% on LinkedIn over the past two years, signaling increased executive willingness to communicate directly with audiences.
LinkedIn has positioned itself as a specialized destination for business-to-business advertising, targeting marketers seeking enterprise clients. The platform remains smaller than large ad-focused firms such as Meta Platforms, a distinction the company faces while expanding services and product offerings for advertisers.
Methodology note: This article is based on information provided by a source familiar with the matter and statements attributed to LinkedIn representatives cited in the same reporting. Financial projections and revenue expectations cited in this piece were reported by the source and by LinkedIn; BrandLink's specific revenue dollar amount was not disclosed by the company.