• by Colin Kirkland , Yesterday

With LinkedIn continuing to transform its platform with video-first features for creators, AI-powered tools for brands, and further integration with connected TV, the Microsoft-owned business-to-business social media company has been projected to see ad revenue surges over the next few years through 2027, according to estimates from the World Advertising Research Center (WARC). 

LinkedIn ad revenue is forecast to reach $8.2 billion in 2025  -- a YoY increase of 18.3%. According to WARC’s new report, the company will continue to increase ad revenue over the next two years as well, with estimates showing it will rise to $9.7 billion in 2026 and $11.3 billion in 2027.

“LinkedIn accounts for a small part of Microsoft’s overall revenue,” Celeste Huang, media insights analyst at WARC Media and author of the report, says. “However, its ad business is outpacing other mid-size platforms like Snapchat and Pinterest.”

Notably, WARC has forecast that Snapchat will reach $6 billion in ad revenue for the year, with Pinterest estimated at $4.2 billion and Reddit projected to hit $2.2 billion.

Huang adds that LinkedIn’s “premium subscriptions continue to rise, and efforts in growing B2B creators, video formats and CTV campaigns are delivering returns.” 

The report also shows which industries are spending the most on LinkedIn ads. Business and industrial categories are the platform’s leading ad spenders, followed by technology and electronics, government and non-profit, and finally retail, which accounts for just 2% of LinkedIn’s total ad revenue. 

Furthermore, across the globe, generative AI companies currently allocate 12% of their total digital ad budgets to LinkedIn. This compares to an average of just 3% across all other categories, according to Sensor Tower findings.

Over the past few years, LinkedIn has also invested in becoming a hub for professional-focused creators.

In 2024, the company launched AI-powered video ads and livestream events. Shortly after, video uploads increased by 36% year-over-year on the platform, with video creation growing 100%, prompting LinkedIn to double down on video features. 

Earning MRC accreditation for video ad metrics in April, the company released a vertical video feed similar to TikTok’s and partnered with Adobe to focus on helping B2B marketers and business influencers tap into the video creation process.

While LinkedIn boasts over a billion registered users, the platform’s ads reach about 350 million active users per month.