LinkedIn isn’t just the place to list your resume and update when you change jobs. It’s actually becoming more of a place for thought leadership, and is an excellent resource for the newest and best ideas in marketing and branding.
LinkedIn Influencers are global leaders in their fields and they share their expertise with everyone on LinkedIn. They have many followers, not just connections, and create meaningful articles and posts on the most relevant topics of the present and future.
For marketers, brand strategists and creatives, there are several LinkedIn Influencers who may not be household names or written the most books, but they are dramatically reshaping the way people are interacting with brands and purchasing.
Here are 24 LinkedIn influencers you should be following and reading for the latest thought leadership on branding and marketing:
Ryan Holmes
CEO at Hootsuite
Linkedin Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rholmes/
Why You Should Follow: As the CEO of one the leading social media management tools, Ryan has indispensable advice about social media, marketing and creating teams that get stuff done.
LinkedIn Influencer Article to check out: “The Vital Company Metric No One Is Tracking”
Dharmesh Shah
Founder and CTO at HubSpot
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dharmesh/
Why You Should Follow: Dharmesh Shah knows how to market. Not just for his own business but for yours as well. His company HubSpot develops marketing and sales software and in his posts, he offers different thoughts and strategies for you to consider for your own business.
LinkedIn Influencer Article to check out: “Marketing Doesn’t Have To Be Evil”
Meg Whitman
CEO at Hewlett Packard Enterprise
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megwhitman/
Why You Should Follow: Whitman is an expert at taking a lesson for everyday objects or events. Her cleverly written posts will give you a perspective on business from the C-suite that you can’t get anywhere else.
LinkedIn Influencer Article to check out: “What Designing A Shampoo Bottle Taught Me About Business”
Beth Comstock
Vice Chair at GE
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethjcomstock/
Why You Should Follow: Creativity is key in marketing a brand. Beth Comstock understands this and shares her insights on how new and imaginative ideas can boost even the most well established companies.
LinkedIn Influencer Article to Check Out: “Good Different: How Majoring in Biology Prepared Me For Marketing”
Shane Snow
CCO at Contently
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanedsnow/
Why You Should Follow: In a world where content is king, Shane Snow is the king’s most trusted advisor. He offers great data based insight on why content is so important and how you can make yours stand out from the rest.
LinkedIn Influencer Article to check out: “State of Content Marketing: Why Brands Must Publish to Stay Relevant”
Jeff Weiner
CEO at LinkedIn
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffweiner08/
Why You Should Follow: If you’re going to follow anyone on LinkedIn, it might as well be the CEO. Weiner’s posts cover a large range of topics, drawing not only on his experience working for LinkedIn but also other companies like Yahoo! And Warner Bros.
LinkedIn Influencer Article to check out: “What Makes a Truly Great Product Great”
David Edelman
Chief Marketing Officer at Aetna
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveedelman/
Why You Should Follow: Edelman approaches marketing from the perspective of health care. While most of us don’t work in that field, the lessons he’s teaching are invaluable across all sectors and we could all do with being a bit more healthy anyway.
LinkedIn Influencer Article to check out: “3 ways to bring the “&” back to marketing & sales”
Clara Shih
CEO of Hearsay
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarashih/
Why You Should Follow: Marketing is about connecting with customers. Clara Shih is here to tell you that the best way to do that is digitally. Her posts are designed to help you build the strongest possible online connections with consumers.
LinkedIn Influencer Article to check out: “The Future of Brands? Individuals.”
Andreas von der Heydt
Kindle Director at Amazon
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avonderheydt/
Why You Should Follow: Currently based in Germany and having previously worked in France, Poland, Australia, and New Zealand, Heydt offers an international perspective on branding that few others can match. He even posts multiples version of his articles in different languages!
LinkedIn Influencer Article to check out: “What The Best Brands Will Do In 2017”
Tomasz Tunguz
Venture Capitalist at Redpoint
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomasztunguz/
Why You Should Follow: Tunguz gives you cold hard numbers. It’s up to you to turn them into cash but he’ll definitely point you in the right direction with his expertise in big data, product management, and tech startups.
LinkedIn Influencer Article to check out: “Marketing Your Product With Novel Framing To Maximize Sales Success”
Charlene Li
Principal Analyst at Altimeter
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleneli/
Why You Should Follow: Charlene Li has been an analyst since 1999, she’s seen the business world change drastically multiple times over that period. Luckily, she’s a specialist at noticing change before anyone else and making it work for her. Her posts will help you do the same.
LinkedIn Influencer Article to check out: “Where Digital Brands Succeed (And Surprisingly Fail) at Brand Relevance”
B
lake Mycoskie
Chief Giver at TOMS
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blakemycoskie/
Why You Should Follow: Mycoskie’s whole business philosophy is based on giving. That might seem a bit counterintuitive a first, but he’s used it to make TOMS a huge international success. Maybe your company could benefit by following his lead.
LinkedIn Influencer Article to check out: “The Importance of Engaging Your Community”
Betty Liu
Founder/CEO at Radiate, Inc.
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bettywliu/
Why You Should Follow: As the Founder and CEO of Radiate, a media education company, Betty knows a thing or two about business. Not only that but she also regularly interviews world leaders in business and media, so by following her you’ll be receiving their insight as well as hers.
LinkedIn Influencer Article to check out: “The Single Biggest Misconception About Building Your Own Brand”
Andrew Chen
Growth at Uber
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewchen/
Why You Should Follow: Everyone wants their business to grow right? Andrew Chen is an expert at making that happen. His posts are full of brilliant case studies showing why some products succeed, others fail, and how to take a company to the next level.
LinkedIn Influencer Article to check out: “Growth is a system, not a bag of tricks”
Caterina Fake
Founder & CEO, Findery; Cofounder, Flickr & Hunch
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cefake/
Why You Should Follow: Everything Caterina Fake touches seems to turn to gold, from Flickr to Etsy to Findery. Her posts cover a wide variety of subjects, but each of them is well thought out and contains some key thoughts that could help you business find success.
LinkedIn Influencer Article to check out: “The Age of the Cockroach”
Anil Dash
CEO of Fog Creek Software
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anildash/
Why You Should Follow: If you work in tech, you need to be following Anil Dash. He understands the industry like few others and his posts combine that with a sincere desire to make said industry work better for everyone. Jump on the train now, before you get left behind.
LinkedIn Influencer Article to check out: “There is no ‘technology industry'”
Tara Hunt
Digital Marketing Executive at Truly Social
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/missrogue/
Why You Should Follow: Is your business using social media to its full potential? You might think so now, but you certainly won’t after reading a few of Hunt’s articles. Her up to date posts on content, audiences, and community are sure to give you some new ideas for how to boost your company’s following.
LinkedIn Influencer Article to check out: “How are Brands Still Failing at PR After SO Many Examples?!”
Sramana Mitra
Founder at One Million by One Million
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sramana/
Why You Should Follow: Mitra is a prolific poster, with over 900 articles on LinkedIn, and she’s worked with almost as many companies. If she doesn’t have a post that fits your needs, I don’t think anyone does.
LinkedIn Influencer Article to check out: “Building a Niche Online – Offline Brand”
Karen Austin
SVP, CIO at PG&E
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenaustincio/
Why You Should Follow: Austin has worked for some of the biggest companies in America, including Kmart, Sears, and PG&E. She brings her experience to bear in posts of how to get the most out of any situation, from recruiting to innovation.
LinkedIn Influencer Article to check out: “We’re All in This Together: How to Break Down Barriers for Mutual Gain”
Guy Kawasaki
Chief Evangelist at Canva
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guykawasaki/
Why You Should Follow: Kawasaki’s relentless optimism is contagious. Oh, and he’s a marketing genius. His posts cover every aspect of the tech industry, from “The Art Of Finding A Co-Founder” to “How organizations structure their social media teams”. So no matter what sector you’re involved in he has something for you.
LinkedIn Influencer Article to check out: “How To Establish Your Brand Message”
Sally Krawcheck
CEO and Co-Founder of Ellevest
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salliekrawcheck/
Why You Should Follow: Feminism is not only a social issue, it’s also very much a business issue and it’s the perspective Sally Krawcheck approaches business from. Her posts are full of wisdom about how businesses can do better by treating women more fairly.
LinkedIn Influencer Article to check out: “What All CEOs Should Know About Design”
Jacki Zehner
Chief Engagement Officer at Women Moving Millions
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacki-zehner-41557a8/
Why You Should Follow: Wall Street veteran Jacki Zehner’s articles explore how social change is vital for businesses that want to survive and thrive in the modern marketplace. Following her on LinkedIn is one easy way to say ahead of the curve.
LinkedIn Influencer Article to check out: “#LikeAGirl – Brilliant Branded Content”
Mary Barra
Chairman and CEO at General Motors
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-barra-29469712/
Why You Should Follow: Mary Barra’s posts are all about different ways of building a customer base. Whether you’re looking to expand your existing base or strengthen your connection with existing customers, there’s plenty you can learn from Barra.
LinkedIn Influencer Article to check out: “My Metric for Success: Earn Customers For Life”
Frank Eliason
Partner at Brain+Trust Partners
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankeliason/
Why You Should Follow: Customer service should be a priority for every company and so every company should be following Frank Eliason. Having worked for Comcast, Citi, Zeno, and more, Eliason has more than his share of experience and he shares it all in his posts.
LinkedIn Influencer Article to check out: “The Fundamental Starting Point for Customer Experience & Technology”
Conclusion
As you can see, LinkedIn is overflowing with influencers who have a lot of knowledge to share. There have to be at least a handful of them whose ideas can help you and your business grow and succeed. So what are you waiting for? Click through to some of their posts! Get reading! Find that concept that will help you take your marketing from good to great and your products from so-so to stupendous!
