Creator-Hosted Webinars and Masterclasses as a B2B Sponsored Content Format

The short answer

A sponsored webinar or masterclass is a B2B format where a brand pays to co-host or sponsor a creator's own live event — not a single post, a boosted video, or a UGC clip. It's structurally different from LinkedIn's Thought Leader Ads, which boost an already-existing post, because the whole event — agenda, angle and host — is built around the creator's authority, not around one piece of content that already exists. The format fits brands with a long, complex B2B decision process, where subject-matter credibility outweighs reach alone — see does influencer marketing work for B2B? for the broader context this format sits inside.

What separates this from a sponsored post or a Thought Leader Ad?

A standard sponsored post or a boosted video is one piece of content, published once. A Thought Leader Ad takes an already-existing post and puts a media budget behind it — but the post is still written and published by the creator independently of the brand, and can't be edited or extended. A sponsored webinar or masterclass is a third thing entirely: a full event, typically 30-90 minutes, live or livestreamed, where the brand either sponsors a creator's existing, recurring series, or builds a one-off event with the creator from scratch. There's no existing post to boost — the content is created for the occasion, with the creator as host or co-host, and the brand typically has influence over the agenda and format in a way it never does with a Thought Leader Ad.

Two ways to use the format

Model 1 — sponsor an existing series. Some creators and industry experts already run their own recurring webinar or podcast-style live series. Here the brand buys in as a sponsor of one or more episodes — typically a short brand mention, a mid-session product demo, or the right to submit an audience question. The creator keeps ownership and editorial control of the series itself.

Model 2 — build a one-off event together. The brand and one or more named subject-matter experts build a new, standalone masterclass from scratch, with the brand as producer and the expert(s) as host or participant. That gives the brand far more influence over format and content, but also requires a larger production effort and typically a higher fee, because there's no existing, recurring framework to attach to.

Two documented examples

Sprinklr and the agency TopRank Marketing launched "Across the Socialverse" in 2023, a documentary-style masterclass hosted by four named industry voices (Jay Baer, Ann Handley, Mari Smith and Paul Roetzer), supplemented by Sprinklr's own employees and customers. Per TopRank Marketing's own case-study page, the event drove roughly 5,000 registrations and a combined organic-plus-paid reach of 23.4 million, and the campaign won a 2024 Content Marketing Award for Best Use of Influencer Marketing. Earlier, B2B platform Folloze, per its own 2021 press release, ran a recurring "Account Based Experience Masterclass" series featuring named marketing leaders from companies including Autodesk, Demandbase and 6sense as guests. Both examples are the brands' and agencies' own reported figures for their own campaigns — not independently audited — and are used here as evidence that the format genuinely exists and gets used, not as a benchmark for what a comparable event typically delivers. No Danish example of the format was found in this research.

What the brief needs to settle

• Format and length. A 30-minute webinar needs a very different level of preparation than a 90-minute, multi-speaker masterclass.
• Agenda and product role. Should the product be demoed live, mentioned in passing, or not appear directly at all — just the expert?
• Recording rights. Can the brand reuse the recording as on-demand content afterward, in ads, or only for organic display on its own site? See what to put in an influencer contract for how usage rights should generally be written in, regardless of format.
• Ownership of registration data. For a B2B webinar, the attendee list itself (name, company, title) is often as valuable as the content. Agree in writing whether the brand gets full registration data, an anonymized version, or no access at all.
• Disclosure. See the section below.

Disclosing a sponsored webinar in Denmark

The general principle from influencer marketing disclosure rules in Denmark and the EU applies regardless of format: disclosure has to come before the audience actually engages, and has to cover the whole piece of content, not just part of it. Forbrugerombudsmanden's published guidance doesn't specifically name a live webinar as a format, but the principle translates directly: disclosure should be stated out loud and shown visibly at the start of the session — not just written in a registration email no attendee reopens on the day. That's Make Influence's own recommendation, derived from the general rule, not a specific ruling on the webinar format from Forbrugerombudsmanden itself.

Decision framework

IF you already have a subject-matter expert with an established, recurring series → sponsor one or more episodes (Model 1) rather than building a new format from scratch.

IF you want full control over the agenda and a unique, branded event → build a one-off masterclass together with one or more named experts (Model 2), and budget for a larger production effort.

IF your sales cycle is short and the decision is typically made by one person → the format is probably too heavy; a single sponsored post or a Thought Leader Ad solves the job more cheaply.

IF you can't agree on ownership of registration data upfront → settle it before the contract is signed — it's one of the most common sources of disagreement afterward.

Worked example (hypothetical)

The figures below are hypothetical and for illustration only. This is not a real Make Influence customer case, and none of the figures are benchmarks.

A B2B software company wants to compare two formats with the same expert. A single sponsored LinkedIn post from the person costs a hypothetical DKK 8,000. Building a 60-minute masterclass with the person as co-host instead costs a hypothetical DKK 15,000 in fee to the person, plus DKK 10,000 in the brand's own production time (invitations, technical setup, editing the recording afterward) — DKK 25,000 total, more than three times the price of the single post. In return, the company gets a reusable recording, a list of registrants with company name and title, and a session that can be promoted in the weeks before it runs — three things the single post doesn't provide. Whether the extra cost is worth it depends on whether the extended visibility and the lead list are genuinely worth more for that specific sales cycle than the lower price of one post.

Common mistakes

• Assuming a webinar collaboration is the same as a Thought Leader Ad. They solve different problems and cost differently.
• Forgetting to agree registration-data ownership in writing. It typically surfaces only once the event is over, when it's too late to negotiate.
• Skipping verbal disclosure at the start of the session, on the assumption that a written mention in the registration email is enough.
• Underestimating production time by comparing the price directly to a single sponsored post without counting the extra internal time.

Make Influence's operational perspective

Make Influence's core model is built for direct-to-consumer ecommerce with tracked links and discount codes leading to a Danish webshop — a B2B format like a sponsored webinar or masterclass sits outside what we offer or track ourselves, for the same reason described in does influencer marketing work for B2B?. What we can say with confidence from our experience briefing other formats is the general principle: the further a format moves from a simple, finished post, the more important it becomes to agree recording rights, data ownership and disclosure in writing before the recording happens — not afterward.

FAQ

Is a sponsored webinar the same as a Thought Leader Ad?

No. A Thought Leader Ad boosts an already-existing post and can't be edited. A sponsored webinar or masterclass is a whole event, built for the occasion, where the brand typically has influence over the agenda. See LinkedIn Creator Marketplace and Thought Leader Ads, explained for the full breakdown of that other format.

Does the format need to be disclosed as an ad, even if it's educational content?

Yes. The general principle that any content carrying a commercial benefit must be disclosed applies regardless of whether the content is entertainment or educational. See influencer marketing disclosure rules in Denmark and the EU for the full rule.

Who should own the webinar's registration data?

That's a negotiation point, not something legally settled by default — agree it in writing in the brief or contract before the event runs. See what to put in an influencer contract for where that kind of term normally belongs.

Is the format relevant for B2C brands?

Rarely in practice. The format is built for the long, committee-based B2B decision process — see does influencer marketing work for B2B? for why B2C purchases typically don't need the same trust-building.

Are there any Danish examples of the format?

None were found in this research. The two documented examples in this article (Sprinklr/TopRank and Folloze) are both American.