Matthew Durella, VP of LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, explains how Gen Z is reshaping B2B buying. The platform added 21.1 million Gen Z users in a year, and these younger buyers skip white papers, shorten sales cycles, and narrow choices to three companies. Brands need creator partnerships to stay visible to them.
The B2B buying landscape is changing fast and B2B influencers are more critical than ever. Why? After the New Fronts, I spoke with Matthew Durella, VP of LinkedIn Marketing Solutions. We chatted about how the traditional marketing funnel was breaking down. Gen Zs and millennials who are making these big decisions, they are doing more research and there's much less sales cycle. So they're not responding to the same old download this white paper. This shift is massive. Gen Z is LinkedIn's fastest growing audience with 21.1 million US users joining last year, up 13.6% year over year. On average, 3 companies will make that final consideration list, and if you're not on there, you're cooked. So how do brands stay in the mix? Matt's answer: creators. Like, you want to start actually talking to younger generation of buyers. These are the people that are doing it every day for a living. Marketers are catching on. For 2025, the message is clear: to stay relevant, work with the voices this generation already trusts. Miss that and you're invisible.
