LinkedIn’s primary function is to connect people from diverse professional backgrounds all over the world. Many people use it to find jobs, internships, expand their networks and drive sales and generate leads. But it’s also a great tool to stay connected with important data, top trends and changing strategies.
With 250 million total active monthly users, it’s no surprise that influencers abound on the platform. These individuals help drive the global business conversation by sharing their insights, information and trends on the platform. They post content that helps inform users and spark thoughtful conversation.
Here’s a quick list of some of the LinkedIn influencers you should be following.
1. Neil Patel
Neil Patel is a New York Times bestselling author and one of the top professional influencers on the web. He’s built brands, written expert content on marketing, SEO and more, and has been recognized by President Obama as one of the Top 100 Entrepreneurs under 30 years old.
His top-notch marketing skills have made global companies such as Google, Microsoft, General Motors, Airbnb, and Amazon grow exponentially. His blog alone generates over 3 million visitors each month, and his marketing podcast has over 1 million listeners per month.
On LinkedIn, Neil often posts marketing tips, tricks and insight into how a business professional can grow their network and increase their sales through comprehensive, thought-out marketing.
2. Joanna Wiebe
Joanna is the creator of Copyhackers, a website dedicated to teaching marketers (and business owners) how to write copy that drives conversions. For 15 years, major brands have trusted her to transform their messaging and she’s been invited to speak at many different marketing conferences.
On LinkedIn, Joanna addresses concerns many marketers have regarding their copy and how to make it better. Her posts include tips on cold emailing, setting up CTAs (calls to action), the importance of content marketing and more!
3. Nozomi Morgan
As an intercultural training partner, Nozomi is able to help bridge the gap between U.S.-based CEOs and Japanese companies to help them better understand Japanese business culture. She strives to clear misunderstandings and establish better communication in international companies, and helps businesses of all sizes establish a cohesive multicultural workforce.
With over 20,000 followers, Nozomi is constantly updating her LinkedIn to discuss her speaking engagements, share traditional Japanese culture and insights to life, showcase tips for employee management of both large and small businesses and more! She’s a great resource to follow for any business owner looking to bring balance and clarity to managing their employees.
4. Ryan Holmes
Ryan Holmes started his first business in high school. He’s opened and owned pizza restaurants, marketing agencies and is currently the chairman and co-founder of Hootsuite. With over 1.7 million connections on LinkedIn, he’s definitely an active and avid investor that you want to follow.
One of Ryan’s main draws is that he’s a hacker at heart, always searching for easier, better and more efficient ways to solve business problems. His latest updates have centered around helping businesses get through the pandemic and come out on top, with tips on how to increase employee retention, insight to the future of office relationships, showcasing new features of LinkedIn and more. He also loves to post polls, so if you’re an active voter, he’s a great influencer to have on your Feed!
5. Gretchen Rubin
Gretchen is the author of many bestselling books, but is most known for The Happiness Project, which weaves wisdom with current scientific research into how to lead a happier life through little, everyday changes.
She also hosts a weekly podcast called Happier, where she and her sister discuss happiness more in-depth.
You can imagine that her LinkedIn posts are uplifting and often inspirational. In truth, Gretchen is a great LinkedIn follow because she addresses mental health in a way that removes stigma and embraces compassion. Her updates include everything from discussing the benefits of group therapy, to everyday examples of happiness in the news (something we all need right now).
6. Deborah Thorne
Deborah founded the Leverage Conference in 2019 to help support and motivate women to transition from being employees to entrepreneurs. She is a firm believer in networking as a way to create a strategy for success and constantly stresses that collaboration is the key to seeing women succeed.
In her spare time, she’s a teacher and an anti-bullying expert with comprehensive conflict resolution training. Her posts on LinkedIn often feature her interviewing other entrepreneurs about their stories.
7. Mickey Mikitani
As the founder and CEO of Rakuten, a Japanese commerce and online retail company based in Tokyo, Mickey strives to create value through innovation and entrepreneurship. He’s received many awards, manages a handful of sports teams and has branched Rakuten out into the medical field.
His current ventures include a full-scale commercial launch into the mobile industry, and his LinkedIn posts offer insight to how he grows each of his enterprises. If you’re looking for a humble influencer to be inspired by, Mickey is a great follow for your Feed!
In conclusion, following a couple of LinkedIn influencers isn’t a bad idea if you’re constantly looking for new growth initiatives or seeking inspiration to strive for something bigger and better.
Which celebrities have LinkedIn?
Various celebrities have LinkedIn profiles, such as Bill Gates, Richard Branson, and Oprah Winfrey, among others, where they share insights and updates about their ventures.