LinkedIn Research Study: People Don’t Trust What You Say — They Trust What Others Say About You

LOS ANGELES- According to LinkedIn’s 2025 B2B Marketing Benchmark, video is now the #1 driver of trust — outperforming every other content format for credibility and conversion. The study shows that brands using video and creator-led storytelling build trust up to 2.5x faster and generate 2–3x higher engagement than those relying on static content.

That finding is powerful for any industry — but in Cannabis, it’s transformational. Because this is an industry built on skepticism, compliance, and perception. It’s not enough to have a great product or team. People don’t buy when you tell them you’re great. They buy when they see other people saying it.

Trust Is the New KPI

LinkedIn’s report reframes how success is measured in B2B. The old KPIs — clicks, impressions, and reach — still matter, but they no longer prove credibility. In 2025, trust is the true measure of brand strength.

In B2B, buyers make decisions based on confidence, familiarity, and proof. They look for credible signals that reduce risk — and those signals are found in content: video interviews, thought-leadership posts, expert features, and visible conversations.

The brands that earn consistent trust don’t just attract attention — they shorten sales cycles, improve investor engagement, and increase conversion rates across the board.

Why Video Is the Engine of Trust

The report makes a clear point: video and creator-led storytelling have become the trust accelerators of modern marketing. Unlike text alone, video communicates tone, intent, and authenticity. It lets audiences see who you are — not just what you sell.

In Cannabis, this is critical. Regulation and advertising restrictions make it difficult to communicate at scale. But a video of a founder, CFO, or cultivation leader speaking candidly about their mission, values, or process cuts through every barrier. It’s the difference between a claim and proof.

Video builds connection. Consistent visibility builds familiarity. Over time, that familiarity becomes trust — and trust is what drives real business growth.

The Trust Flywheel

The LinkedIn benchmark introduces the concept of the Trust Flywheel, replacing the traditional linear funnel. Instead of Awareness → Consideration → Conversion, the new model is continuous:

1. Attract with authentic, human content.

2. Engage through transparency and expertise.

3. Validate with measurable results and real stories.

4. Amplify by getting others — customers, partners, investors — to share and advocate for you.

Each cycle builds momentum. Every post, video, or article compounds credibility. Eventually, your brand becomes known not just for what it sells, but for the trust it commands.

Why This Matters More in Cannabis

The Cannabis sector is one of the least trusted — not because of the people in it, but because of how misunderstood it still is. Years of stigma, regulation, and misinformation have created a credibility gap that every legitimate operator has to cross.

In this environment, trust is not a marketing strategy — it’s a survival strategy. Every investor meeting, every licensing conversation, every retail partnership begins with one silent question: Can I trust you?

And the answer is never in your pitch deck. It’s in what people see, hear, and share about you online.

When someone checks your LinkedIn profile or Googles your company, what do they find?
Are you part of the public conversation?
Are others referencing your brand, tagging your team, or reposting your ideas?
Are there videos, articles, or thought-leadership pieces that demonstrate you’re the real thing?

If the answer is no — you’re invisible. And invisibility in this market is death.

Turning Credibility Into Visibility with HCN

At Highly Capitalized Network (HCN), we help Cannabis companies close that gap between perception and proof. Our approach is built entirely around the same principles LinkedIn highlights in its benchmark — video, creator influence, and trust-driven consistency.

Each HCN campaign delivers 30 pieces of content that make you and your brand impossible to ignore:

• CNBC-style video interviews and podcasts that humanize your leadership and make your story visible in a format that earns trust.
• Ghostwritten LinkedIn posts that position you as a thought leader and keep your presence active week after week.
• Expert articles, eBooks, and white papers that demonstrate depth, operational understanding, and industry insight.

This structure builds a complete trust ecosystem. Video connects emotionally. Written content reinforces authority. Consistent posting keeps your name top of mind. Over time, that combination becomes your proof engine — the evidence investors, partners, and customers look for before they act.

What a 30-Piece Campaign Looks Like

Imagine a 90-day cycle of visibility: four high-impact video interviews or podcasts featuring your leadership in credible industry conversations; ten ghostwritten LinkedIn posts crafted to engage investors, operators, and professionals; six in-depth articles that showcase expertise; four eBooks or white papers that capture your insights; and six short-form clips or infographics for daily distribution.

Each asset drives the next. Each interaction strengthens the Trust Flywheel. Each appearance adds to your reputation as an industry authority.

From Visibility to Credibility to Growth

The LinkedIn report makes one key point: visibility without trust is just noise. The brands that win are those that turn visibility into credibility — and credibility into growth.

That’s the model HCN executes every day. We don’t chase vanity metrics. We build authority. We make your leadership visible in ways that align with LinkedIn’s data-backed insights: video first to accelerate trust, creator amplification to add third-party validation, and consistent output to compound brand equity.

The result: increased engagement from decision-makers and investors, stronger social proof as others share and reference your brand, and easier conversations because your credibility is already visible before you speak.

Your Next Step: Start Building the Proof

Audit your digital presence. When someone searches your name, what do they see — silence or substance?
Map your trust gap. Are you visible but not credible, or credible but not amplified?
Plan for consistency. Thirty pieces of content per quarter is a practical benchmark to sustain visibility.
Lead with video. As the report proves, video is the fastest trust-builder in B2B.
Collaborate with credible voices. Appear in conversations hosted by others — media, partners, or creators.
Measure what matters. Track reposts, mentions, sentiment, and leadership visibility — not just clicks.

The Bottom Line

The 2025 LinkedIn B2B Marketing Benchmark confirmed what HCN has believed since day one: trust is the ultimate growth metric.

In Cannabis, it’s the difference between being seen and being believed, between getting a meeting and getting a deal.

At Highly Capitalized Network, we help you build that proof through video, thought leadership, and consistent visibility across LinkedIn and our network of over 70,000 industry professionals.

People don’t buy when you say you’re great. They buy when others say you are.