LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 740 million members worldwide. It’s a platform used by professionals to connect, build their personal brand, and grow their careers. On LinkedIn, some members stand out as more active and influential than others. These are known as power users.
Who is a LinkedIn power user?
A LinkedIn power user is someone who fully utilizes the platform to build an authoritative and respected presence. They are highly engaged on LinkedIn, have large networks, publish high-quality content regularly, and demonstrate thought leadership in their industry.
Some key characteristics of a LinkedIn power user include:
- Having over 10,000 1st-degree connections
- Posting long-form, value-adding content frequently
- Engaging consistently with their network by liking, commenting, and sharing
- Being an active member of relevant LinkedIn groups and discussions
- Having a complete, optimized profile that establishes their expertise
- Ranking highly on LinkedIn search for relevant keywords
- Receiving endorsements and recommendations from connections
Essentially, power users dedicate time to build an authoritative brand and share knowledge on LinkedIn. They provide value to their community while organically boosting their own visibility and influence.
Why become a LinkedIn power user?
There are several benefits to becoming a LinkedIn power user:
Enhanced professional brand
Power users build a recognizable personal brand that showcases their knowledge, personality, and unique value proposition. Their content and visibility attract new opportunities.
Expanded network and reach
With over 10,000 connections, power users can easily distribute messages and content to a large targeted audience.
Thought leadership
Consistent publishing helps power users establish authority on topics and trends in their industry.
Improved discoverability
Power users appear at the top of LinkedIn search results, getting found more easily by their target audience.
Business development
An authoritative LinkedIn presence generates inbound leads and partnership opportunities.
Career advancement
Power users get noticed and contacted by recruiters for job openings in their field.
Overall, the increased personal brand, relationships, and visibility obtained as a power user can be a significant boost for one’s career or business goals.
How to become a LinkedIn power user
Here are some best practices for becoming a LinkedIn power user:
Optimize your profile
Fill out all sections, use relevant keywords, customize your profile URL, and include rich media like photos and videos. Profiles with at least 50% completion get 21 times more views.
Expand your network
Connect with those you know and engage properly when reaching out to new contacts. Aim to get around 500 new connections monthly.
Engage regularly
Like, comment on, and share posts from your connections. Be an active member of Groups relevant to your industry.
Post valuable insights
Share advice, experiences, trends, and news. Post at least 1-2 times per week. Include images, videos, presentations, and links.
Use LinkedIn tools
Utilize features like LinkedIn articles, long-form posts, podcasts, newsletters, and live video streaming. Display badges on your profile.
Be personal
Open up, share stories, and showcase your personality. LinkedIn is about professional relationships, not self-promotion.
Go above and beyond
Provide people with personalized help and advice. Make connections and introductions. Recommend others’ content.
Measure your impact
Use LinkedIn Analytics to track post reach, engagement, profile visits, and other metrics to refine your approach.
It takes time, consistency, and quality content to become an influential power user. But the long-term dividends for your brand and career are immense.
Examples of LinkedIn power users
Here are some standout examples of prominent LinkedIn power users across different industries:
Richard Branson
The billionaire entrepreneur and Virgin Group founder has over 15 million followers. He frequently posts inspiring business advice.
Bill Gates
Microsoft’s co-founder shares ideas on technology, innovation, and philanthropy with his nearly 70 million followers.
Bernard Marr
One of LinkedIn’s Top Voices, he writes about technology trends for his 1 million+ followers.
Martha Stewart
America’s lifestyle guru connects her professional brand to home, food, and crafts. She has over 2 million followers.
Gary Vaynerchuk
As a social media influencer, he leverages his large following and personal brand to promote his digital agency.
Guy Kawasaki
A former Apple evangelist, he provides Silicon Valley insider perspectives to his over 1 million followers.
Sallie Krawcheck
The CEO of Ellevest often posts career advice tailored specifically towards women.
Nick Morgan
A communications coach, he shares public speaking and leadership insights with his network.
Pete Cashmore
As CEO of Mashable, this digital media expert comments on the latest tech and digital culture news.
Jeff Bullas
His focus on digital marketing and personal branding attracts over 2 million followers.
The common thread is these power users publish engaging, valuable content while letting their personality shine through. They post consistently, interact, and build relationships at scale.
Tips for becoming a LinkedIn power user
Here are some additional tips to accelerate your path to becoming a LinkedIn power user:
Choose a niche
Establish expertise around specific topics like HR, project management, data science instead of posting general career advice.
Leverage live video
Broadcast discussions, Q&As, and events to engage your audience in real-time.
Team up
Collaborate with another power user to generate content and cross-promote.
Curate content
Share and comment on industry articles, amplifying other expert voices.
Watch your metrics
See which posts resonate best with your audience, then create more of that content.
Interact consistently
Set aside dedicated time each day to like, comment, share, and engage with your network.
Join LinkedIn Groups
Have discussions and get noticed in niche LinkedIn Groups aligned to your field.
Follow influencers
Stay on top of trends by following thought leaders and monitoring their activity.
Ask for feedback
Solicit suggestions from your network on how to improve your LinkedIn presence.
Promote your LinkedIn activity
Share your LinkedIn content and profile across other social channels.
Keep experimenting to see what content and activities resonate most. Consistency and gradual optimization are key to success.
Mistakes to avoid as a LinkedIn power user
While becoming a LinkedIn power user can significantly boost your personal brand and opportunities, there are some common mistakes to avoid:
Aggressive self-promotion
Don’t make every post a sales pitch. Over-promotion damages your credibility.
Purchasing fake connections
Focus on quality relationships, not vanity metrics. LinkedIn penalizes fake connections.
Automating all activity
Software bots lack the personal touch. Manual engagement builds stronger relationships.
Ignoring your network
Two-way interaction is key. Don’t just broadcast content without listening and responding.
Badmouthing companies
Avoid negativity. You never know who may be connected to a company you criticize.
Self-centered content
While personality is good, avoid excessive self-focus. Provide unique value to your community.
Skipping profile optimization
Your profile needs keywords, rich media, and customization to stand out and get discovered.
Not diversifying content
Post different formats like articles, videos, polls, long posts, Q&As, and live video.
Spamming connection requests
Personalized invitations drive higher acceptance rates. Mass connection blasts backfire.
A strategic, helpful approach is best rather than aggressive self-promotion and automation. Provide value, not noise.
Conclusion
Becoming a LinkedIn power user requires dedication, high-quality content, and consistent engagement over time. But the rewards can be transformational for your career and business.
Power users build an authoritative personal brand, expand their reach tremendously, establish thought leadership, get discovered more easily, generate inbound opportunities, and boost their professional advancement.
Focus on optimizing your profile, expanding your network strategically, engaging regularly, posting valuable insights consistently, utilizing LinkedIn’s tools, being personal, going above and beyond to help others, and tracking your performance. Keep providing value, not promotion. Avoid common mistakes like automation and aggressiveness.
With the right strategic approach, you can leverage LinkedIn’s immense professional community to take your career or business to new heights as an influential power user.
| Common Characteristics of LinkedIn Power Users |
|---|
| Have over 10,000 1st degree connections |
| Post high-value, long-form content frequently |
| Actively engage with their network by liking, commenting and sharing posts |
| Participate in relevant LinkedIn Groups and discussions |
| Have an optimized, completed profile showcasing their expertise |
| Rank highly in LinkedIn search for relevant keywords and topics |
| Receive endorsements and recommendations from connections |
| Benefits of Being a LinkedIn Power User |
|---|
| Enhanced professional brand and visibility |
| Expanded network and audience reach |
| Established thought leadership and authority |
| Improved discoverability in searches and recommendations |
| Inbound business development leads and opportunities |
| Career advancement through recruiter contacts |
| Best Practices for Becoming a Power User |
|---|
| Optimize your profile completely with rich media |
| Expand your network consistently each month |
| Engage regularly with your connections |
| Post long-form, valuable content frequently |
| Utilize LinkedIn tools like articles, newsletters, and video |
| Showcase your personality and share stories |
| Go above and beyond to help others in your network |
| Measure your impact and optimize based on data |
| Common Mistakes to Avoid |
|---|
| Aggressive self-promotion and sales pitches |
| Purchasing fake connections and followers |
| Automating all activity rather than personal engagement |
| Ignoring your network by just broadcasting |
| Badmouthing companies and being negative |
| Too much self-focus instead of providing value |
| Not optimizing and enhancing your profile |
| Lack of content variety like video and live chat |
| Spamming connection requests |
