LinkedIn Marketing for B2B: Strategy That Actually Works

LinkedIn is the B2B marketing channel that actually works.

But most businesses use it badly. Company pages with no engagement. Sporadic personal posts. Ads that get ignored.

The platform has changed dramatically in the past year. If you’re still following 2023 advice, you’re wasting effort.

Here’s what works on LinkedIn for B2B marketing in 2026.

The Algorithm Has Changed: 360Brew

In late 2025, LinkedIn replaced its fragmented ranking systems with a single AI model called 360Brew.

What changed:

What this means practically:

1. Create save-worthy content. Posts that people want to reference later — frameworks, data, templates, lessons learned — outperform hot takes.

2. Build topical authority. Post consistently about 2–3 topics. The algorithm rewards specialists, not generalists.

3. Stop chasing viral. A post that resonates with your target audience for weeks matters more than one that spikes and dies.

4. Use keywords, not just hashtags. Write with your target terms naturally in the content.

Personal vs. Company: The Data

The implication: For B2B marketing, personal profiles outperform company pages dramatically.

The recommended mix:

• 70% personal profiles — Founder, executives, employees
• 30% company page — News, updates, job posts

Most B2B companies have this backwards. They invest heavily in company pages nobody follows and ignore the personal profiles people actually engage with.

Content That Works

The Types That Perform

The Types That Fail

Content Rhythm

Recommended posting frequency:

• 3–5 posts per week for personal profiles
• 2–3 posts per week for company pages

Consistency beats frequency. 3 good posts weekly for 12 months beats 10 posts weekly for 2 months.

Post Structure

The Hook (Critical)

You have 2 seconds. The first line must stop the scroll.

Hook formulas that work:

• Bold statement: “Most marketing advice is wrong.”
• Specific number: “I analysed 147 LinkedIn posts. Here’s what I found.”
• Counter-intuitive: “Stop posting on LinkedIn every day.”
• Personal stake: “I almost quit last month.”
• Question: “Why do 90% of B2B content fail?”

The Body

• Short paragraphs (1–3 sentences)
• Line breaks between ideas
• Bullet points for lists
• Concrete examples, not abstractions
• One idea per post

The Ending

• Question CTA: “What’s your experience?” (drives comments)
• Save prompt: “Bookmark this for later.”
• Tag invitation: “Tag someone who needs to hear this.”

Structure Example

[Hook - 1 line]

[Context - 2-3 lines]

[Main insight/framework - bullets or numbered]

[Proof or example - 2-3 lines]

[Takeaway - 1 line]

[Question CTA]

LinkedIn Ads for B2B

When to Use Ads

• Targeting specific job titles or companies
• Retargeting website visitors
• Promoting high-value content (whitepapers, webinars)
• Account-based marketing

When Not to Use Ads

• Budget under £1,000/month (too small for meaningful results)
• No valuable content to promote
• Broad targeting (expensive for low-quality leads)

Ad Formats That Work

2026 Update: Thought Leader Ads

LinkedIn now lets you sponsor any employee’s post — not just executives.

Why this matters: You can amplify your best-performing organic content with ad spend. Authentic posts with real engagement, boosted to a wider audience.

Best practice:

1. Post organically
2. If it performs well (above-average engagement), boost it
3. Target your ideal customer profile
4. Link to lead gen forms for capture

Building Your LinkedIn Strategy

For Founders/Executives

Goal: Personal authority that builds company credibility

Weekly rhythm:

• 3–4 posts per week
• 30 minutes daily engaging with target audience’s content
• 1 long-form article monthly (optional)

Content pillars:

• Industry insights and trends
• Lessons from building the business
• Perspectives on common challenges

For Marketing Teams

Goal: Support company awareness and generate leads

Weekly rhythm:

• 2–3 company page posts
• Encourage employees to post and reshare
• Monitor and engage with comments
• Run targeted ads on best content

Content pillars:

• Case studies and client success
• Team and culture content
• Industry news with perspective

For Sales Teams (Social Selling)

Goal: Warm up prospects, build relationships

Weekly rhythm:

• 2–3 posts per week (can be reshares with commentary)
• Daily engagement with prospect content
• Connection requests with personalised notes

Content pillars:

• Problem/solution content relevant to prospects
• Resharing company content with personal insight
• Industry observations

Measurement

Vanity Metrics (Ignore)

• Follower count
• Impressions
• Likes

Metrics That Matter

Tracking Links

Use UTM parameters on all links to track LinkedIn traffic in Google Analytics:

?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=post_topic

Common Mistakes

1. Treating LinkedIn Like Other Social Platforms

LinkedIn is professional. Content that works on Instagram or Twitter often fails here.

Fix: Focus on value, learning, and professional insight.

2. Selling Too Much

Every post promotes your product. Nobody engages. Nobody trusts.

Fix: 80% value, 20% promotion. Even promotional content should lead with value.

3. Inconsistency

Post heavily for a month, then disappear for three months.

Fix: Sustainable rhythm. 3 posts per week for a year beats 10 posts per week for a month.

4. Ignoring Comments

Someone takes time to comment. You don’t reply. Trust broken.

Fix: Reply to every comment within 24 hours. This also boosts the algorithm.

5. Generic Company Content

Content that could be from any company in your industry. No perspective. No personality.

Fix: Have a point of view. Say something only you would say.

FAQ

How long before LinkedIn marketing shows results?

Early engagement: 2–4 weeks of consistent posting. Meaningful business results: 3–6 months. Compounding effect: 12+ months.

Should our company page or personal profiles be primary?

Personal profiles for engagement and reach. Company page for official news and job posts. Most B2B influence happens through people, not logos.

What about LinkedIn newsletters?

Worth testing. Subscribers get email notifications for new issues — guaranteed reach. Better than relying on algorithm for company updates.

How much should we spend on LinkedIn Ads?

Minimum £1,000/month for meaningful testing. £3,000–£5,000/month for consistent lead generation. LinkedIn is expensive but well-targeted.

Should we use hashtags?

Less important than they used to be. Use 2–3 relevant hashtags if you want, but keywords in your content matter more now.

Related: Digital Marketing for Small Business: The No-BS UK Guide | Content Marketing for Small Business (Without a Big Team)