B2B Marketing on LinkedIn: What Works and What Doesn’t

Everyone’s heard the same LinkedIn advice: “Post thought leadership”, “Run ads”, “Be consistent”. But here’s the truth: most of that is too generic to move the needle in B2B.

LinkedIn has evolved. What worked even two years ago barely works today. Through working with startups and growing companies, we’ve learned that the biggest wins come from doing things a little differently.

Here’s a breakdown of what works right now and the common myths you can ignore.

✅ What Works on LinkedIn

1. Content That Builds Demand, Not Just Leads

Most companies focus on lead gen posts, “Book a call!”, but LinkedIn isn’t a short-term sales tool, it’s a demand-generation platform.

• Use content to educate your future buyers months before they’re ready to buy.

• Share frameworks, internal processes, or even industry “secrets.”

• Think of LinkedIn as your free webinar channel, not just a feed.

Example: A SaaS brand we worked with grew inbound leads by focusing on “problem-awareness” content, not “buy now” posts.

2. Unpolished is better than Polished

On LinkedIn, raw posts outperform perfect ones. Screenshots, quick videos, and even “notes-style” posts feel more authentic than corporate designs.

A founder recording a 1-minute video on their phone explaining a common mistake in the industry has a higher chance of performing better than a glossy 3-minute brand ad nobody finishes watching.

3. Account-Based Visibility

Instead of trying to reach everyone, focus on a tiny list of dream accounts.

• Engage with their posts.

• Comment with real insights.

• Tag them when sharing relevant industry updates.

This warms them up long before outreach. It’s slow, but it’s how relationships turn into contracts.

4. The Power of Employee Advocacy

Company pages don’t drive reach. Employees do.

• Encourage team members to share content in their voice.

• Highlight their expertise, not just company wins.

• Buyers trust people, not logos.

One client saw 4x more impressions from a single employee post than their company page got in a month.

5. Micro-Narratives > Broad Insights

Generic “Top 5 trends in B2B marketing” posts don’t work anymore. What does? Hyper-specific stories like, “We tested 3 types of LinkedIn CTAs for SaaS ads, here’s what failed, here’s what crushed.”

❌ What Doesn’t Work

1. InMail Campaigns

They’re expensive, intrusive, and have laughably low conversion rates compared to warm content-driven leads.

2. Over-Reliance on Vanity Metrics

10,000 impressions mean nothing if your target buyers aren’t engaging. Track pipeline impact, not likes.

3. Copy-Paste Thought Leadership

Posts written by AI with no personal touch are flooding LinkedIn. Readers can smell them a mile away. Unique POV is better than generic content every time.

4. “Always Be Selling”

If every post is about your service, you’ll be ignored. LinkedIn punishes low engagement by throttling your reach. Balance insights with subtle CTAs.

Key Takeaways

• LinkedIn isn’t just for short-term leads; it’s for building trust over time.

• Unpolished, human content performs better than glossy corporate assets.

• Focus on specific accounts and specific stories, not mass reach.

• Employee advocacy is a goldmine most companies ignore.

Final Thoughts

B2B marketing on LinkedIn is shifting. The brands that win aren’t the ones shouting the loudest, they’re the ones showing up consistently, being human, and sharing stories buyers care about.

At Thin Media, we help brands cut through the noise with LinkedIn strategies that create both demand and pipeline. not just vanity likes.

Contact us now for rapid LinkedIn growth!