LinkedIn is expanding its BrandLink video ads program with new publishers and creators, and says payouts to them have more than tripled year over year
Jaspreet Singh / Reuters :
Context & Ripple Effects
LinkedIn’s expansion follows its earlier effort to court publishers through a mobile news product and a video-ad initiative that was projected to generate meaningful publisher revenue, as reported in its 2024 publisher-video push.
The program extends a longer shift from LinkedIn’s initial video-ad tests toward revenue-sharing arrangements: LinkedIn and Pinterest had already been testing ways for publishers to sell ads around their content in exchange for a share of proceeds.
First-order effects
- Newly admitted publishers and creators gain access to BrandLink revenue, while existing participants see evidence that LinkedIn’s payouts have scaled substantially year over year.
- LinkedIn broadens the inventory and content supply available for its video-ad program, strengthening its direct relationship with media partners and creators.
Second-order effects
- Publishers may have greater incentive to prioritize video formats and audience development on LinkedIn where BrandLink offers a monetization path, rather than treating the platform solely as a distribution channel.
- Other platforms pursuing publisher revenue-sharing models face added pressure to show that their video monetization programs can provide comparable partner economics and reach.
Third-order effects
- If payouts remain durable as participation expands, professional-audience video could become a more established publisher and creator business line, with platforms competing not only for advertiser budgets but also for premium content supply.
- The pattern points to social platforms taking a more active role in funding content partners; its durability will depend on whether ad demand supports payouts as the eligible pool grows.
The trend: BrandLink is one instance of platforms using revenue sharing to secure the video publishers and creators needed to build differentiated ad inventory.