LinkedIn: B2B marketers say growth hinges on winning over Gen Z and Millennial decision makers

The majority of Australian B2B marketers (88% or nine in ten) believe their company's future growth depends on their ability to influence younger decision makers, including Gen Z and Millennials.

New research from LinkedIn shows 48% of Australian leadership roles are now held by Millennials and Gen Z, up from 35% in 2016.

Almost half of Australian marketers (43%) say content from expert voices, including employees, creators or industry experts, is the most effective way to engage this buyer group.

The data reflects a shift beyond standard brand messaging toward content built on credibility, including experts sharing knowledge, creators offering advice, or business leaders engaging directly with customers.

For example, Australian B2B marketers say Gen Z is most likely to engage with short-form and immersive video (49%) and content from trusted voices (44%).

“Gen Z are paying attention, but they’ve also raised the bar for what earns their trust,” Andrea Rule, Director, Linkedin Marketing Solutions, said.

“Today’s buyers look to their community of peers and experts to help them make decisions, and that’s why focusing on just visibility without credibility in your marketing strategies falls short. Right now, there is no more valuable currency in the world than trust. The brands that win will show up creatively, through the people and channels their audiences trust most.

“This approach has gained strong momentum, with LinkedIn Thought Leader Ad adoption growing nearly 40% year over year and the format delivering up to two times higher click-through rates than comparable single-image ads,” Rule added.

Lindsay Bennett, Communications and Content Lead, Ideally, said: “We’re moving into an era where the people around a brand can be just as influential as the brand itself.

“Younger buyers are looking for expertise, perspective and proof, which means executives, employees, customers and creators are becoming an increasingly important part of the marketing mix. The brands that do this well will embrace a diversity of voices and perspectives, rather than simply asking people to amplify the company line.”

Linkedin figures on Australia's younger leadership crowd

LinkedIn data found the share of Australian leadership roles held by Millennials and Gen Z rose from 35% in 2016 to 48% in 2026.

In Australia's biggest enterprises, Millennials and Gen Z hold 50.2% of leadership roles, up 14.2 percentage points since 2016.

Younger leaders hold 48.7% of leadership roles in non-tech industries, ahead of tech at 44.2%, according to the data.

READ MORE: This is the best Australian company to work at for career growth according to LinkedIn

Taking expert content along the consideration journey

Expert voices are helping buyers evaluate their options and decisions at every stage of the journey. The LinkedIn data found 74% of B2B marketers working with expert voices say their content is more effective than traditional campaigns at turning awareness into consideration.

Meanwhile, 33% say campaigns using expert voices have the greatest impact at the consideration stage, compared to 17% who see the biggest impact at awareness

LinkedIn data also noted that 84% of marketers believe Gen Z buyers are more likely to consider a brand validated by someone in their professional network, rising to 88% in Australia.

Credibility rules as AI shapes discovery

The research noted that 75% of marketers agree brand credibility is becoming more important than visibility, and 76% say brands must show up in trusted professional networks to build it.

Over the next 12 months, 46% of CMOs expect increased investment in AI search optimisation, and 45% expect increased investment in expert-voice content to build credibility and influence AI-driven discovery.

Top image, left to right: Andrea Rule and Lindsay Bennett