While You're Creating TikToks, Your Competitors are Closing Deals on LinkedIn

Still not sure about having a LinkedIn profile? Here's the potential revenue you could be missing out on.

Talking to hundreds of creators every year, the same frustration comes up repeatedly: "I want more brand partnership deals, but most inquiries are either too low-paying or just gifting opportunities." The few that do pay creators their asking rates? They're often few and far between.

For creators without a talent manager (or even those who have one), here's my advice: stop waiting to be discovered, picked, or chosen. Start building relationships with brands proactively.

If you can't get out and network IRL. The platform I recommend online? LinkedIn. Some of your peers are already on here sealing brand partnership deals and new opportunities, and so should you.

This is where your future partners are already having conversations. Instagram and TikTok are for your audience, but LinkedIn is where you build relationships with industry peers, showcase your business skills, and create additional revenue streams that go far beyond typical brand partnerships.

In this week substack lets talk strategy and lets leverage LinkedIn to close more deals.

Where Brand Decision-Makers Actually Live

Think of it this way: while you're perfecting your content for Instagram and TikTok, marketing directors are on LinkedIn announcing new campaigns, social media managers are sharing campaign results, and brand executives are discussing their 2025 marketing strategies.

If Instagram is you on stage then LinkedIn is essentially the backstage area of the creator economy. It's where:

• Marketing teams discuss upcoming campaigns

• Brand managers share what they're looking for in partnerships.

• Industry leaders announce new roles and opportunities

• Companies share behind-the-scenes insights into their marketing strategies

When you're active on LinkedIn, you're positioning yourself in these conversations before opportunities or campaigns appear on your Instagram or TikTok feed.

Strategic Ways to Leverage LinkedIn for Revenue Growth

1. Brand Relationship Building: The Long Game That Pays Off

Many brands regularly post about campaigns they're developing on LinkedIn, often weeks before they reach out through traditional influencer marketing channels. This gives you a massive advantage.

The opportunity: Introduce yourself not just as a creator, but as a strategic partner who can add genuine value. When you see a campaign that doesn't quite fit your niche, recommend a peer who would be perfect. This positions you as a connector and industry insider, not just another person seeking partnerships.

Even if you cannot do the above, you should comment thoughtfully on company announcements and campaign results. Ask insightful questions about their strategy or congratulate them on creative executions. These authentic interactions build relationships that often lead to direct messages about upcoming opportunities.

The beauty of LinkedIn relationship building? Many industry professionals move between companies, taking their network of trusted creators with them. Today's social media manager could be tomorrow's marketing director at your dream brand, so start building those relationships today.

2. Speaking Opportunities: Position Yourself as the Expert

Brands frequently share their event line-ups and panel discussions on LinkedIn. This presents a goldmine of speaking opportunities that most creators never see.

When you spot relevant events, reach out offering your expertise for panels, workshops, or keynote presentations. Initially, you might not command your full speaking fee but so what, think of it as relationship building and authority establishment which will eventually reap the benefits of larger speaking fees.

Speaking at one brand's event puts you in front of multiple potential partners. Conference audiences often include marketing teams from various companies, all seeing you demonstrate your expertise in real-time. This could be a golden opportunity for your black book of new contacts and relationship building,

3. Monetize Your Behind-the-Scenes Skills

Your audience on Instagram might not care about your video editing process, creative direction, scripts etc. but marketing teams absolutely do. LinkedIn is where you showcase the strategic thinking and technical skills that make you valuable beyond just your follower count. Talk about the following in story format via posts or short form videos or whatever format you feel suits:

• Case studies of successful campaigns you've run

• Process videos showing how you create content

• Strategy breakdowns of trending content formats

• Tool recommendations and tutorials you can use to execute successful campaigns

• Industry insights from your creator perspective

LinkedIn's evolution toward more social features means you can now share video content showcasing your methodology, creative process, and the strategic thinking behind your content creation.

4. Showcase Your ROI and Performance Data

Here's something your Instagram audience doesn't want to see but LinkedIn absolutely loves: A detailed campaign performance metrics. Graphs showing engagement rates, conversion data, and ROI analyses get significant traction on LinkedIn because they speak the language of marketing professionals.

What To Share:

• Detailed case studies of successful brand partnerships with data

• Before and after metrics from campaigns you've run

• Industry trend analyses with supporting data

• Insights about audience behaviour and engagement patterns

• Conversion rates and attribution data

This type of content gets shared among marketing teams and positions you as a data-driven creator who understands business objectives, not just content creation. Depending on how you position this content, you can also get more opportunities.

5. Build Your Consultation and Strategy Revenue Streams

As a content creator you have developed an array of skills that extend far beyond what we see you post and your final reel on the feed. The aesthetic direction, script writing, video editing, social media strategy, trend forecasting are all skills behind the scenes that are valued. LinkedIn is where you can monetize these valuable skills. .

Opportunity areas:

• Brand strategy consulting for companies entering creator marketing

• Content strategy development for emerging brands

• Workshop facilitation for marketing teams

• Trend analysis and reporting for agencies

• Creator vetting and recommendations for brand partnerships

Why now? Why LinkedIn.

Social media is a crowded marketplace. It feels like everyone is now a content creator so you have to make sure you are building key relationships with key stakeholders in order to continue to drive partnership deals for your brand.

"LinkedIn creators command 2-5x higher rates per sponsored post than Instagram equivalents" (Source: Vulse Creator Economy Report)

"B2B creator partnerships average $1,500+ minimum rates" (Source: Market Inspector B2B Influencer Marketing Statistics 2025)

Maria Chen built $420,000 in annual revenue directly attributed to LinkedIn presence (Source: OmniCreator 2025 LinkedIn Creator Economy Report)

Getting Started: Your LinkedIn Action Plan

Week 1: Profile Optimization

• Craft a headline that positions you as both creator and business strategist

• Write a summary that emphasizes your value to brands beyond follower count

• Add relevant skills and request recommendations from past brand partners

Week 2: Content Strategy Development

• Plan a mix of industry insights, case studies, and professional achievements

• Identify key marketing professionals and brands to follow and engage with

• Create a content calendar focusing on business value over personal branding

Week 3: Network Building

• Connect with marketing professionals from brands you'd like to work with

• Join LinkedIn groups focused on influencer marketing and brand partnerships

• Begin commenting thoughtfully on industry posts and brand announcements

Week 4: Relationship Activation

• Start sharing your own professional insights and campaign results

• Reach out to connections with valuable introductions or recommendations

• Look for speaking and collaboration opportunities in your feed

Don’t Sleep On This Opportunity

LinkedIn isn't just another platform to manage; it is a strategic business tool that can significantly impact your revenue streams. While your competitors are focused solely on growing their Instagram and TikTok followings, you can be building relationships with the people who actually have budget authority for brand partnerships.

The creator economy is evolving rapidly, and the most successful creators are those who understand that sustainable revenue comes from relationships, not just reach will earn a premium. With LinkedIn's creator base growing to 17 million members and the platform investing $25 million in creator accelerator programs, there's never been a better time to establish your professional presence.

The bottom line is Instagram is where brands find talent. LinkedIn is where they find partners.

Have you started using LinkedIn for brand relationship building and showcasing your professional skills? What results have you seen?

Best,
Christina x

P.S This is not a LinkedIn AD :) just my personal thoughts, opinions and research so you can close more brand deals.