Want to win Gen Z? Get your experts talking

Nearly nine in 10 B2B marketers in Singapore believe future growth hinges on influencing younger decision-makers, but reaching Gen Z may require brands to rethink where they put their marketing muscle.

According to new research commissioned by LinkedIn, 88.2% of B2B marketers in Singapore said their company's future growth depends on influencing younger B2B decision-makers such as Gen Z and Millennials. At the same time, 79.6% said Gen Z buyers are more likely to consider a brand when it has been recommended or validated by someone in their professional network.

The research was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of LinkedIn between 21 July and 6 August 2026, surveying 6,196 B2B marketers across 12 markets. In Singapore, the study surveyed 500 B2B marketers at junior manager level and above.

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The findings point to trust and credibility becoming increasingly important currencies for brands trying to reach younger professional audiences. Around three-quarters (74.4%) of marketers agreed that brand credibility is becoming more important than brand visibility, while 77.4% said brands need to show up in trusted professional networks to prove their credibility.

Another 79.2% said brands with active professional communities have an advantage in how buyers discover and evaluate them, while 75.6% said active professional networks have become more important than audience size or reach.

The shift could have implications for how brands balance paid media, thought leadership and community-building, particularly when targeting younger B2B buyers.

When asked what makes brands credible to Gen Z professional audiences, 45.8% of respondents pointed to customer success stories and testimonials, followed by employee voices and subject matter experts at 41.4%. Executives sharing their expertise and perspectives came in at 38%.

By comparison, just 13.8% cited strong brand awareness and reach as effective for building credibility with Gen Z professional audiences. Appearing prominently in AI-powered search results was cited by 7.8%, while having a large social media following came in at just 4%.

Credibility is the new currency

Expert voices are also playing a bigger role as buyers move through the marketing funnel. Half (50.8%) of respondents said content from expert voices is more effective than traditional campaigns at moving buyers from awareness to consideration, while 43.8% said expert voices have the greatest impact during the consideration stage.

Meanwhile, 40% identified content from expert voices as one of the most effective formats for engaging Gen Z buyers, with 37.6% saying such content is among the most effective ways to influence Gen Z buyers evaluating a brand.

The emphasis on human expertise comes as marketers increasingly navigate AI-generated content and AI-powered discovery. More than seven in 10 (71.6%) respondents said buyers trust human expertise more than AI-generated content.

Professional networks are also becoming a source of information about AI itself. Some 58.2% of marketers said they rely on their professional networks more today than they did two years ago to understand AI-related changes affecting their work, while 68.8% tap their professional networks at least weekly for such information.

For Singapore's growing pool of entrepreneurs and small businesses, the findings suggest expertise and credibility could provide another route to growth beyond simply increasing marketing spend.

Some 38.4% of marketers said sharing expertise and thought leadership from founders and employees is the most effective way for a small business to win new customers. In comparison, only 13.8% pointed to paid advertising and brand awareness campaigns.

Professional networks could also play a role in helping smaller businesses scale, with 37.2% saying they help build trust and credibility and 28% saying they can connect small businesses with potential partners.

Looking ahead, however, marketers are not abandoning technology-led discovery. Nearly half (47.4%) expect their organisations to increase investment in AI search optimisation over the next 12 months.

Another 40% expect investment in content from expert voices such as employees, creators and thought leaders to increase, followed by community engagement and participation in industry conversations at 37.2%. SEO and traditional search optimisation came in at 36.4%, while 33.4% expect greater investment in customer advocacy and reference programmes.

"It's not that Gen Z isn't paying attention, they've raised the bar for what earns their trust. 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." said Davang Shah, VP of marketing at LinkedIn.

He added, "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."

The findings come as other recent research points to Gen Z placing greater value on autonomy and authenticity in their digital experiences. A study commissioned by Pinterest found that 86% of Gen Z in Singapore want space to explore their own tastes free from outside influence, while 81% want platforms to help them discover their personal tastes rather than simply show them what is popular.

Conducted among 1,009 Singapore residents aged 18 to 29, the study also found that 73% said it is becoming harder to distinguish what they genuinely like from what a feed tells them they should like. While 84% said their online experiences already reflect their interests, the findings suggested that relevance alone may not be enough, particularly as brands and platforms increasingly use data and AI to shape what consumers see.

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