The History of LinkedIn in Figures (Infographic)

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To mark its 20th anniversary, LinkedIn wanted to look back on its journey by highlighting some key milestones in its history that have had an impact on the broader evolution of B2B marketing. Let's discover them together in this article!

What have been the major milestones for LinkedIn since its inception?
The beginnings
Let's start at the beginning, in 2003, indonesia mobile database was launched , becoming one of the first online social networks for professionals.

And it wasn't until 2 years later, in 2005, that the first advertisement appeared on the platform, allowing marketers to realize the potential of reaching professionals in an online context.

The 2010s as the launch of the platform's success
In 2011, LinkedIn reached 100 million members , a figure that echoed the company's mission to "connect all the world's professionals to make them more productive and successful."

In 2012 , the LinkedIn Ads blog was launched to help marketers get the most out of the platform. Sponsored Content followed in 2013, giving brands the ability to showcase relevant, context-specific messages.

2016: LinkedIn was acquired by Microsoft , becoming a platform specializing in advanced audience segmentation and precise targeting.

"I certainly think the value of the two companies combined is greater than either of them alone."

Bill Gates on Microsoft's 2016 acquisition of LinkedIn
The world's first professional social network
And since then, innovations have been increasing on the platform...

In 2017, LinkedIn reached 500 million members and launched lead generation forms to make it easier to collect and leverage quality data.

In 2018, video ads were introduced , adding an extra dimension to feeds and offering new ways to build and engage audiences.

In 2019, the B2B Institute was created to help B2B marketers improve their practice through data and insights.

In 2020, LinkedIn launched LinkedIn Live to allow users to connect virtually in real time. That same year, Product Pages were introduced to make it easier to find specific products and services on the platform.

In 2021, LinkedIn launched its first Marketing Job Outlook Report and reached $10 billion in revenue.

In 2022, LinkedIn acquired Oribi and opened its first office in Israel to enhance its marketing analytics tools. That same year, LinkedIn launched a weekly newsletter, “This Week in Marketing,” and introduced several new features, including:

Business Manager
B2B Edge
Products on Profile
The “Make B2B Everything It Can Be” campaign
In July 2022, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions surpassed $5 billion in revenue , while LinkedIn Collective was launched to provide a content hub dedicated to B2B marketing thought leadership.

In August 2022, Commitments for Company Pages was introduced to allow companies to share more information about their culture and priorities .

By June 2023, LinkedIn is expected to reach 900 million members , reflecting its growing importance in the professional world.