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LinkedIn solidifies its dominance in the B2B marketing landscape as ad revenue surges to $8.2bn fuelled by B2B creators, Gen AI brands and CTV capabilities

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9 months ago

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LinkedIn
  • LinkedIn ad revenue is forecast to reach $9.7bn (+18.5%) in 2026 and $11.3bn (+16.2%) in 2027
  • LinkedIn ads reach 350 million active users per month but its professional reach approaches saturation in key markets
  • LinkedIn ads in the US outperform with high ad equity
  • An increased use of video on LinkedIn signals a new trend

WARC Media’s Platform Insights: LinkedIn

21 October 2025 – LinkedIn is best known as a leader in business-to-business marketing offering unique professional targeting capabilities. Ad investment in the Microsoft-owned platform has steadily increased, with WARC forecasting it to reach $8.2bn in 2025 (+18.3%), fuelled by gains from the emerging Gen AI category, B2B creators, and by extending B2B campaigns into connected TV.

This latest Platform Insights by WARC Media, provides comprehensive data-driven intelligence on LinkedIn’s advertising landscape, examining the platform’s latest trends through the lens of investment, user engagement and performance.

Celeste Huang, Media Insights Analyst, WARC Media, and author of the report, said: “LinkedIn accounts for a small part of Microsoft’s overall revenue. However, its ad business is outpacing other mid-size platforms like Snapchat and Pinterest. Its premium subscriptions continue to rise, and efforts in growing B2B creators, video formats and CTV campaigns is delivering returns.”

Investment: LinkedIn ad revenue forecast at $8.2bn this year, $9.7bn in 2026 and reach $11.3bn in 2027

WARC Media’s analysis of LinkedIn’s advertising business suggests strong momentum. Ad revenue is forecast to reach $8.2bn (+18.3%) this year, increase to $9.7bn (+18.5%) in 2026 and further expand to $11.3bn in 2027.

Its ad business is bigger than other mid-size social platforms, including Snapchat ($6bn), Pinterest ($4.2bn) and Reddit ($2.2bn) according to WARC Media’s latest global ad spend forecasts for 2025.

Category-wise, business and industrial leads with the most ad spend on LinkedIn, followed by technology & electronics, and government & non-profit. Retail accounts for just 2% of total LinkedIn ad revenue.

However, LinkedIn’s ad business commands a relatively small part of the digital ad spend across key markets. Its greatest share is in the US (3.2%), followed by the UK (2.4%), Brazil (1.9%), France (1.8%), Canada (1.8%) and Germany (1.1%) according to Sensor Tower data.

LinkedIn has benefitted from rising digital ad spend among companies building generative AI products. Globally, Gen AI companies allocate 12% of their total digital ad budgets to LinkedIn, compared to an average of 3% across all categories, per Sensor Tower.

Consumption: LinkedIn ads reach 350 million users per month but its vast professional reach approaches saturation in key markets

LinkedIn ads reach around 350 million active users per month, according to We Are Social – some way short of its 1.2 billion total registered users.

However, LinkedIn’s Audience Network extends advertiser reach beyond the platform to third-party publishers and sites, with over 1.8 million feed updates viewed per minute.

According to GWI, the global online audience is most likely to use LinkedIn to look for jobs (9.4%) and to follow a company page (7.3%). A full 4.3% of internet users have researched or purchased after seeing ads on LinkedIn, a percentage that rises to 6.4% for those employed full-time.

Available in 200 markets, Asia Pacific currently provides LinkedIn with its largest audience base (277 million), followed by Europe (257 million) and North America (233 million). The US and India account for a third of LinkedIn’s total audience, but the platform itself is approaching saturation in key markets. Its continued ability to reach out-of-market buyers is crucial.

B2B creator activity has seen notable growth in recent years, albeit at a slower rate than B2C. More than one in ten creators (12%) regularly post content on LinkedIn, per CreatorIQ, though growth trails behind short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels.

LinkedIn’s audience is the fastest-growing group of social media users to adopt AI tools, ahead of X, TikTok and Instagram users. Currently, 41% of the platform’s users say they use ChatGPT, up from 15% in Q1 2024, per Sensor Tower.

High net worth individuals (HNWIs) are a key presence on LinkedIn given their ability to influence business decisions and corporate purchasers, of which 38% are Millennials, 33% Gen-X, 16% Gen-Z and 13% Boomers, according to Ipsos Global Influentials data. LinkedIn data claims its audience has twice the buying power of the average web audience, with 10 million C-level execs active on the platforms.

Performance: LinkedIn ads in the US outperform with high ad equity

Kantar’s Media Reactions survey in the US – LinkedIn’s biggest market – shows consumers’ positive attitudes regarding LinkedIn ad qualities.

To B2B advertisers, LinkedIn’s emphasis on trust means buyers will engage more and move through the funnel smoothly.

Short-form video is seeing 12% year-on-year growth on the platform. Emotionally resonant videos and short-form content have higher completion rates among LinkedIn users.

LinkedIn’s premium TV advertising offering is gaining momentum through partnerships with Connected TV platforms including NBCUniversal, Roku, and Samsung, deemed as a potential game-changer for B2B mass reach. Kantar data suggests that LinkedIn’s CTV solution reaches 105 million connected devices per month in the US.

With credibility and relevance being top criteria for creators in B2B environments, LinkedIn launched its own Creator Accelerator Program and offers partnerships with certified creator agencies via its Marketing Partners tool.

LinkedIn Ads appear more expensive when using consumer campaign ad metrics like CPC and impressions. Account-based metrics, such as ‘cost per company influenced’, reveal LinkedIn is the most effective, according to Dreamdata research.

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YouTube is worth $40bn to advertisers but revenue growth is decelerating

Published

4 days ago

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July 16, 2026

By

YouTube
  • YouTube reaches 2.6 billion users, driven by its Shorts video format. Gen Z is YouTube’s most valuable and commercially active audience 
  • TV is becoming YouTube’s fastest-growing screen. Connected TV accounts for 45% of total YouTube watch time in the U.S 
  • TikTok and Netflix emerge as key competitors 
  • Marketers rank YouTube as most trusted advertising platform 

 

WARC Media’s Platform Insights: YouTube – a new report spanning investment, consumption and performance
15 July 2026 – YouTube has become one of the world’s most powerful advertising ecosystems, now competing directly with linear TV for living-room attention. It has around 2.6 billion monthly users and annual revenue exceeding $60bn in 2025, of which more than $40bn is attributed to advertising, according to WARC Media.

However, the platform’s ad business growth is slowing, and it finds itself under pressure from rivals such as Netflix and TikTok.

WARC Media’s Iatest Platform Insights report examines YouTube’s ad revenue trajectory and competitive position, how and where audiences are consuming content, and what the data says about campaign performance.

Alex Brownsell, Head of Content, WARC Media, and lead editorof the report, says: “Rising consumption of video content on YouTube, and in particular on TV screens, has not yet translated into the kind of year-on-year ad revenue growth we see elsewhere in the digital ad market. YouTube has been less successful than rivals such as TikTok in its attempts to persuade marketers of its role in driving lower-funnel outcomes, hence its growing focus on winning a greater share of TV budgets.”

Investment: YouTube advertising revenue reached $40.4bn in 2025, but growth slows

YouTube’s global ad revenue grew 11.7% year-on-year to $40.4bn in 2025, while total platform revenue, including YouTube Premium subscriptions, exceeded $60.0bn for the first time.

However, YouTube’s year-on-year ad revenue growth decelerated from 14.7% in 2024 to 11.7% in 2025 and is forecast to drop to 7.0% this year ($43.2bn) and 7.9% by 2027 ($46.6bn).

 
In part, this reflects a maturing platform, but YouTube faces growing competition for performance ad dollars as marketers favour platforms like TikTok for social commerce. At current growth rates, TikTok’s ad revenue could overtake YouTube’s by 2028.
Netflix has also emerged as a key competitor. Its ad tier success positions it for long-term advantage in securing subscriber and advertiser investment and is expected to pull ahead of YouTube over the next 18 months.

 

Research from DoubleVerify’s 2026 Global Insights, Kantar’s Media Resources 2025, and WARC’s Voice of the Marketer carried out last year, all found that marketers globally intend to increase ad investment with YouTube this year, suggesting it remains a core component in media plans.

Consumption: 2.6 billion monthly users and still growing. TV is YouTube’s fastest-growing screen

YouTube is used by nearly 2.6 billion people every month, who spend an average of 58 minutes daily on the platform in 2025, up from 48 minutes in 2024 – reflecting deepening engagement rather than audience expansion.

India leads with 500 million users, followed by the US at 254 million, with Indonesia and Brazil close behind at 151 million and 150 million respectively.

Based on Similarweb App Intelligence data, YouTube generates the highest total time spent on any social or video platform globally.

The 25-34 age group is the largest demographic segment at 21.7%, the 35-44 group accounts for 18.5% and the over-65s represent the smallest segment at 9.5%.

YouTube viewing is shifting from mobile to larger screens. Connected TV accounts for 45% of total YouTube watch time in the US, with average session lengths exceeding 45 minutes and completion rates of 95% or higher.
YouTube Shorts, the platform’s vertical video format is reshaping consumption, and now averages more than 200 billion daily views globally.

 

Monetisation is steadily rising in response. In several major markets, including the U.S., revenue-per-watch-hour for Shorts has overtaken that of traditional in-stream formats. Further ad revenue growth will require advertisers to get on board with the creative requirements for the format.

YouTube’s content mix is broader than any other platform, spanning music, entertainment, gaming, news, education, children’s content, and an increasingly significant podcast offering.

According to Affinco data, music videos remain the most-watched content globally. MrBeast leads by subscribers at 503 million; Indian music label T-Series leads for views at 322 billion.

YouTube’s strength lies in local, interest-led, and creator-driven content, while traditional broadcast and SVOD platforms are better positioned to create global cultural moments.

Performance: YouTube is the most trusted advertising environment among marketers

For a third consecutive year, YouTube ranked as the most preferred and most trusted media brand among marketers globally, according to Kantar, and ranks second in brand safety, behind Netflix.

Ad format selection is driving variations in ad performance. In-feed ads have been found by Store Growers to deliver the strongest click-through performance, with CTRs ranging from 1% to 3%, above the all platform average of 0.65%. Non-skippable in-stream ads generate less than 0.3% click-through rates, making them better suited to awareness objectives than to direct response.

Gen Z is YouTube’s most valuable and commercially active audience. Half (51%) of Gen Z males and 43% of Gen Z females made a purchase after watching an ad on YouTube Shorts, making YouTube a direct commerce driver for younger cohorts.

YouTube has overtaken Spotify for podcast viewing. Viewers watched more than 700 million hours of podcasts on YouTube via TV screens in a month, up 70% year-on-year.

YouTube has eclipsed Reddit as the leading social platform source for large language models (LLMs), creating a new visibility layer for brands with a strong YouTube presence.

 

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African SaaS Leader Becomes Seamless Technologies, Unveils Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Financial Solutions

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4 days ago

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July 16, 2026

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SaaS

The move reflects the company’s long-term commitment to building technology infrastructure that supports productivity, access, and enables prosperity for working Africans

LAGOS, Nigeria, July 15, 2026/APO Group/ –SeamlessHR (www.SeamlessHR.com), a leading African HR technology company, today announced its evolution into Seamless Technologies, a strategic transition driven by the company’s expansion into AI and financial services and its ambition to build a broader technology platform serving businesses and workers across Africa.

 

Having established itself as a market leader in HR technology, Seamless Technologies is extending its capabilities beyond workforce management to address one of the continent’s most significant challenges: access to financial services. Working with partners, the company is enabling businesses and their employees to access financial solutions directly within the flow of work, creating new opportunities for financial inclusion, operational efficiency, and business growth.

Under the new corporate structure, Seamless Technologies operates through three core verticals: SeamlessHR, its flagship workforce management platform; Breeze, an embedded financial service that gives businesses and workers access to Employee Self-Service, financial solutions including payroll financing, earned wage access, and lifestyle services; and SeamlessProcure, a procurement solution designed to streamline enterprise purchasing and vendor management.

As part of this evolution, Seamless Technologies is expanding its workforce technology portfolio with the launch of BWOP (Blue Collar Operations Platform), a solution built for organisations managing frontline and shift-based workforces. Together with SeamlessHR’s existing platform for office-based teams, BWOP enables the company to support the full spectrum of workforce operations, helping businesses digitise attendance, payroll, workforce records, communication, and employee self-service regardless of where work happens.

This evolution reflects a much bigger opportunity than HR technology alone

Supporting these products is Samira, the company’s artificial intelligence layer, designed to help organisations and employees automate tasks, access insights, and interact more intelligently with technology across the Seamless ecosystem.

Commenting on the transition, Dr Emmanuel Okeleji, CEO and Co-Founder of Seamless Technologies, said, “This evolution reflects a much bigger opportunity than HR technology alone. As we looked at the challenges facing businesses and workers across Africa, it became clear that access to finance sits at the centre of economic participation and productivity. Our expansion into financial services is a natural extension of our mission, and Seamless Technologies gives us the platform to solve these challenges at a much larger scale.”

Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder Deji Lana added, “The future belongs to platforms that connect people, work, and financial services in a seamless way. Through financial solutions, artificial intelligence, and our growing suite of products, we are building infrastructure that helps businesses operate more efficiently and enables workers to access more opportunities.”

Irfan Keshavjee, Chairman of the Advisory Board, said, “The transition to Seamless Technologies reflects the company’s maturity and ambition. Having built a leading position in HR technology, the business is now entering a much larger addressable market with the capabilities to create long-term value across multiple sectors.”

The transition provides a unified corporate identity designed to support product expansion and international market entry, while enabling individual product brands to maintain clear positioning and operational focus.

The move reflects the company’s long-term commitment to building technology infrastructure that supports productivity, access, and enables prosperity for working Africans.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of SeamlessHR.

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Tech

Now is Your Moment: Huawei Unlocks New Possibilities for Every Moment Through All-Scenario Innovation

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4 days ago

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July 16, 2026

By

Huawei

HUAWEI Pura 90s Series Headlines a Line-up Designed for Expression, Style and Creativity
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 15 July 2026 – On July 14, 2026, Huawei held its Flagship Product Global Launch Event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where it officially unveiled the HUAWEI Pura 90s Series, HUAWEI FreeClip 2 S and HUAWEI MatePad Air. Led by the HUAWEI Pura 90s Series and its upgraded imaging technologies, these new devices seamlessly extend users’ all-scenario experiences, empowering them to capture, express, and create more effortlessly in everyday life.

Advanced Imaging, Designed for Expression, Capturing Every Meaningful Moment

As a key highlight of the launch, the HUAWEI Pura 90s Series delivers flagship imaging, empowering expression. Guided by the Rhythm of Colour design philosophy, the series combines clean design lines with a layered colour palette to create a distinctive and cohesive visual identity, while the Dual-Tone Gradient Mid-Frame[1] further enhances its aesthetic. The HUAWEI Pura 90s Series also introduces comprehensive imaging upgrades. Equipped with 200MP Ultra Large Sensor Telephoto Camera[2], True-to-Colour Camera 2.0 and a range of industry-leading imaging technologies, it delivers clear, stable, and consistent results across long-range, macro, and challenging lighting scenarios. Enhanced by AI-powered composition and image optimisation, users can move efficiently from capture to refinement, resulting in more expressive and refined visual outcomes.

Luminous Aesthetics, Designed for Style, Balancing Fashion and Comfort

Designed for personal style and everyday wear, the HUAWEI FreeClip 2 S introduces Huawei’s Luminous Aesthetics design philosophy, combining metallic lustre with organic tones in two new colourways – Deepsea Blue and Space Silver – to support individual style expression. The all-new Luminous Charging Case, crafted through over 100 precision manufacturing steps, features a refined rounded silhouette while expanding usable interior space by 20%[3], providing room for both earbuds and small accessories. Complementing the design, the upgraded Airy C-bridge blends skin-friendly liquid silicone with a luminous texture-spraying process to create a distinctive metallic finish. Refined through 22 paint-mixing and spraying processes, it balances visual elegance with a soft and comfortable fit, delivering both style and all-day wearability. Combined with Huawei’s open-ear listening experience, the HUAWEI FreeClip 2 S delivers clear listening and calling performance for everyday use.

Lightweight Design, Designed for Inspiration and Productivity

Designed for inspiration and productivity, the HUAWEI MatePad Air features a slim 5.3 mm[4] profile while delivering flagship-level performance. Equipped with the Ultra-clear OLED PaperMatte Display, it delivers vibrant visuals and exceptional clarity, empowering users to create with greater ease.

Maintaining its sleek and lightweight design, the device offers accurate colour reproduction and exceptional clarity, delivering an immersive viewing experience across work, learning, content creation and entertainment scenarios.

With powerful PC-level productivity and an integrated suite of AI tools, the HUAWEI MatePad Air helps users work more efficiently, transform ideas into content, and present complete solutions with ease. Together, these capabilities enable a seamless creative workflow and bring PC-level productivity into a lightweight form factor.

Together, the HUAWEI Pura 90s Series, HUAWEI FreeClip 2 S, and HUAWEI MatePad Air showcase Huawei’s all-scenario ecosystem. From capturing meaningful moments and expressing personal style to supporting creativity, they deliver a more connected and cohesive user experience across everyday scenarios.

Looking ahead, Huawei will continue to evolve its ecosystem to support diverse user needs, delivering a smarter and more efficient connected experience.

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