LinkedIn influencers are thought leaders and subject matter experts who have large followings on the platform. They create and share high-quality content that educates and inspires their audiences. But what exactly makes someone an influencer on LinkedIn? Here we’ll explore the key factors that define LinkedIn influencers.
Follower Count
One of the clearest indicators of influence on LinkedIn is follower count. While there aren’t strict thresholds, here are some general guidelines on follower ranges for different tiers of influencers:
- Nano influencers: 500 – 5,000 followers
- Micro influencers: 5,000 – 50,000 followers
- Mid-tier influencers: 50,000 – 500,000 followers
- Macro influencers: 500,000+ followers
The more followers someone has, the wider their reach and amplification potential. But high follower counts alone don’t make someone an influencer. The quality and engagement of their audience matters too.
Engagement
Engagement rate reflects how well an influencer connects with and activates their audience. Do they spark discussion and shareability with their content? Here are some key engagement metrics to evaluate:
- Likes, comments, and shares on posts
- Click-through rate on links they share
- Mentions and tags from others
- Comments and discussions generated
Higher engagement demonstrates an influencer’s ability to publish content their audience finds value in. It also shows they’ve built relationships and community around their brand.
Content Quality
At the core of influence on LinkedIn is consistently creating stellar content. Some hallmarks of quality content from influencers include:
- Educates and informs readers
- Provides unique insights and perspective
- Sparks interesting ideas and conversations
- Highly shareable and engaging
- Aligned to their field of expertise
Content is the fuel that boosts LinkedIn influencers’ visibility and credibility. Without great content, it’s hard to attract and retain an audience.
Industry Expertise
LinkedIn influencers are recognized as trusted subject matter experts in their fields. This authority and knowledge stem from:
- Education and credentials
- Hands-on experience
- Research and publications
- Thought leadership profile
By actively positioning themselves as knowledgeable resources for a topic, influencers build clout and an audience hungry for their domain insights.
Network
Who you know matters on LinkedIn, including for influencers. Some signs influencers have a strong professional network include:
- Large 1st-degree connection base
- Engaged followers and connections
- Membership in LinkedIn Groups and active participation
- Featured and recommended on other profiles
- Tagged in posts and invited to publish by brands/organizations
A well-connected network boosts an influencer’s visibility and facilitates collaborations. But the quality of relationships supersedes quantity.
Brand Authority
Influencers on LinkedIn establish personal brand authority by:
- Curating a stand-out profile
- Speaking at industry events
- Hosting or guesting on podcasts and webcasts
- Publishing books and articles
- Providing expert commentary in the media
- Securing endorsements/recommendations
The more they present themselves professionally as a thought leader, the more LinkedIn’s algorithm ranks them as an authority, amplifying their content.
Consistency
Posting and engaging consistently over time is key for building an influencer presence. Some indicators of consistency include:
- Regular publishing schedule (e.g. once a week)
- Frequently active in commenting and discussions
- Steady or increasing post engagement
- Ongoing community relationship management
By maintaining a constant pulse of activity versus going dormant for long periods, influencers retain and expand their audience.
Company Size
Influencers may be independent thought leaders but often have the amplification of major companies behind them. Some signs they have organizational support:
- List major company as their employer
- User handle tied to company brand (e.g. @Microsoft)
- Company handles and tags them in content
- Company promotes and syndicates their posts
- Operate with explicit endorsement of their company
Leveraging a known brand lends influencers built-in authority and reach.
Vanity Metrics
There are many vanity metrics that don’t inherently make someone an influencer, such as:
- Profile views
- Search appearance rate
- Connections inviting to connect
- Being added to reading lists
- Number of published articles
While these may indicate activity on the platform, they don’t guarantee engagement or thought leadership. They’re also easily inflated.
Why become a LinkedIn influencer?
There are many potential benefits to becoming a LinkedIn influencer, such as:
- Become recognized as an industry thought leader
- Build your personal/professional brand
- Increase your reach and network
- Attract new business and career opportunities
- Educate and add value for your audience
- Influence minds and decision-making
For companies, having influencer employees is a powerful way to organically grow brand awareness, affinity and authority.
How to become a LinkedIn influencer
Here are some best practices for cultivating your influencer presence on LinkedIn:
- Establish your niche/expertise
- Create a professional, memorable profile
- Publish engaging, valuable content consistently
- Build relationships and engage with your network
- Monitor and respond to comments and mentions
- Partner with other creators and brands
- Utilize hashtags and keywords strategically
- Analyze your performance and iterate
Being an influencer requires commitment over time but offers outstanding ROI for personal branding and company visibility.
Types of LinkedIn influencers
LinkedIn influencers span many personas and professions, including:
- Thought leaders: Renowned authors, speakers, academics, consultants etc. in their field
- Industry practitioners: Senior professionals with extensive hands-on experience
- Company figureheads: Founders, executives, investors, brand ambassadors
- Community builders: Evangelists, group owners, event organizers, networkers
- Content creators: Bloggers, journalists, videographers, podcasters and more creating content
- Sales leaders: Top salespeople, recruiters, and marketers leveraging social selling
Many influencer types overlap and combine different elements of thought leadership, professional expertise, content creation and network building.
Examples of LinkedIn influencers
Here are some standout examples of LinkedIn influencers from different segments:
Influencer | Followers | Description |
---|---|---|
Richard Branson | 19+ million | Founder of Virgin Group, promotes his books and business insights. |
Bill Gates | 16+ million | Microsoft founder and philanthropist, posts about tech, innovation and world issues. |
Sallie Krawcheck | 998K | Financial industry thought leader, shares finance tips especially for professional women. |
Guy Kawasaki | 4+ million | Silicon Valley author/speaker, offers entrepreneurship and leadership advice. |
Angela Ahrendts | 495K | Senior Apple executive, gives an inside look at leadership and tech. |
Louise Pentland | 238K | Social media influencer shares lifestyle tips with professional women. |
This table shows a sample of top influencers on LinkedIn, demonstrating the diversity in professional expertise, brand representation and content focus. But they share commonalities like high-quality content and strong engagement.
Benefits of partnering with LinkedIn influencers
Here are some of the top reasons brands pursue influencer marketing partnerships on LinkedIn:
- Targeted reach to niche professional audiences
- Increased awareness and favorable associations from partnering with thought leaders
- Engaging storytelling through an industry expert’s perspective
- User-generated authenticity and credibility
- Amplification and distribution through the influencer’s owned channels
- Expanded organic reach and shareability of brand content
- Lead generation via gated offers and calls-to-action
The right influencer partnerships align with a brand’s positioning and provide access to new audiences. Tracking ROI and engagement is key.
Influencer marketing challenges
Harnessing LinkedIn influencers isn’t without potential hurdles, including:
- Fake influencers with inflated followings and engagement
- Costly talent fees for top nano and micro influencers
- Performance uncertainties and inconsistent ROI
- Lack of control over messaging and compliance issues
- Complex contracts, rights management and relationship coordination
Thorough vetting, clear expectations setting and performance tracking helps mitigate risks and maximize results.
Conclusion
Becoming a LinkedIn influencer requires strategic relationship and content marketing. But for those who achieve influencer status, the payoff can be immense in terms of brand visibility, professional opportunities and audience engagement. For companies, partnering thoughtfully with LinkedIn influencers unlocks unique awareness and thought leadership benefits. Tracking performance and optimizing partnerships is key to maximize value.