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B2B buyers research earlier, more digitally and increasingly with AI support. New LinkedIn data therefore underlines how important brand presence has become long before direct sales contact: purchasing decisions are not made only in the sales call.
The discovery phase begins before the salesperson contact
In its current B2B research, LinkedIn points out that buyers already check information and providers independently at an early stage. For marketing teams, this means content must not only collect leads but also provide orientation, evidence and trust during the research phase.
LinkedIn's "Trust Advantage" research, carried out with Ipsos on a survey of more than 900 B2B buyers in seven markets, also shows the growing role of AI. According to LinkedIn, 94 percent of respondents use AI in all phases of their buying process. According to the study, human input becomes especially valuable in the middle of the journey: 88 percent rate salesperson input as important there, compared with 57 percent in early phases.
The figures come from LinkedIn's own research and describe the surveyed markets; they are not a universal benchmark for every German B2B segment.
What this means for LinkedIn marketing
For B2B marketers, this argues against a strategy that optimises only for short-term lead forms. Expert posts, credible expert voices, case studies and clear product information can already have an effect before an account becomes visible as a concrete lead.
This fits other LinkedIn signals. A recent study showed that B2B marketers rely particularly on experts and short video when reaching younger decision-maker groups. At the same time, the new Companies Hub bundles organic, paid and CRM signals for account-based marketing.
Trust becomes a measurement task
When AI takes over a larger share of preliminary research, reach alone is an even weaker success signal. Marketing teams should observe which content is repeatedly used by target accounts, which topics come up in later conversations, and which assets actually help during evaluation and internal alignment.
LinkedIn is also changing the user interface in parallel: the test of a separate network feed and a more controlled writing assistant aims more strongly at relevant contacts and less generic AI content. For brands, this increases the pressure to publish content with genuine expertise instead of interchangeable mass.
Sources: LinkedIn Sales Solutions / Ipsos, "The Trust Advantage"; Social Media Today, 24. September 2026.