How to Become a LinkedIn Influencer

**Updated Article on 2/22/2024

"How did you grow from 500 connections to 80k+ followers?!" I was recently approached on LinkedIn to share my insights on how to grow a following on LinkedIn. The questions were unique and I thought my answers could benefit you, too!

Let me first express that I do NOT consider myself an "influencer" - in fact, I absolutely loathe that term. My initial goal of sharing content on LinkedIn was to help the world understand the hidden battles of the disabled, chronically ill, and caregiver communities in the workforce.

I remember how excited I was to reach 2,410 followers just a couple of years ago. Why would anyone want to follow a bubbly stranger from a town nobody has ever heard of in the middle of nowhere, USA?

Since launching LinkedIn Local Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago in collaboration with other LinkedIn Creators, I have helped other professionals establish large followings as well, leveraging just a few simple concepts and a whole lot of time and dedication to quality.

How to Become a LinkedIn Influencer

(Ew, I already hate that title, but SEO wants me to use that term more, so here I go!)

1.?Who qualifies as a LinkedIn influencer?

Is there a difference in this definition across other social media platforms, or are they pretty much the same?

In my opinion, there is a difference between successful professionals who have already established a colossal digital reputation (i.e. Gary Vaynerchuk, Arianna Huffington, Richard Branson, etc.) vs a LinkedIn Influencer. LinkedIn Influencers have spent countless hours mastering the art of personal branding and content strategy whereas the other already established professionals outsource 95% of their content and engagement strategy. In my opinion, based on personal experience, qualifiers of a LinkedIn Influencers include:

?? Dedicate time to supporting other creators on the platform

?? Become an active community member in digital and in-person events

?? Share knowledge on the LinkedIn platform to help others achieve similar results

The biggest difference between LinkedIn and other social media platforms is that LinkedIn really requires a level of quality and professionalism mixed with a dedication to build real connections with your audience. Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and other social platforms are really reliant on the quality of content, not on the community-dedication of the influencer.

Other social media influencers use their established audience to land brand deals and promote products and services on their account for income. Although this is not yet a common practice on LinkedIn, I certainly have a feeling it will soon come.

2.?What role can an influencer have on LinkedIn?

I believe there are three ways to establish influence on LinkedIn as you will see by the big names and viral content.

• ?? The Inspirer: The successful businessperson that shares their lessons for success balanced with humility and kindness to inspire other professionals across the globe. The Inspirer may share their own content or already-viral inspirational stories to motivate and encourage their community.
• ???? The Educator: The active user that constantly researches new information in their field of interest to share with other like-minded professionals. This information is usually filled with tips, tricks, and other growth hacks as well as practical strategies to level up. This form of content requires the most amount of work behind the scenes researching and designing.
• ?? The Viral Ghost: Have you ever seen their face on video or are they simply a profile pushing out already viral videos, memes, and gifs? These profiles perform extremely well because of the already viral content they share. This type of influencer usually requires the least amount of work on the backend because of zero need to design their own content.

The results of each type of influencer will vary based on the goals they set in place. For example, The Educator usually is there to build thought influence and generate leads via the LinkedIn platform whereas The Ghost is there to build success based on vanity metrics (likes, comments, follows). The Inspirer falls somewhere in between, receiving awards and bookings for a workshop, consulting, or motivational speaking engagements.

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3.? If an influencer on Instagram is there to help promote products and branding - what does a LinkedIn influencer do/influence/create?

Just like building a corporate business online, you have to begin with brand awareness marketing and completing a rock-solid digital reputation and personal brand. Your personal brand on LinkedIn may differ slightly from your presence on Instagram due to the different platform dynamics regarding professionalism and career growth. Here is a typical strategy I suggest other influencers follow to grow their influence on LinkedIn from alternative platforms:

1)????Polish Your Personal Brand

2)????Complete Your Professional Profile

3)????Understand the LinkedIn Algorithm

4)????Tweak Your Content for the LinkedIn Feed

5)????Have Fun!

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4.?What tips would you like to share to help someone find and establish a relationship with an influencer?

Influencers are regular people who have just shared a lot of information online. How would you normally start up a conversation with a stranger? Thankfully, Influencers have lots of content available for you to review and learn more about them. Try one of the following ways to contact them directly via a direct connection request or message:

• Flattery Goes a Long Way! Compliment them on a recent piece of content and ask a question regarding that piece of content. Or compliment them on their personal brand and digital influence and ask if they had one tip to share to build a similar following, what should people do?
• Be Grateful & Kind: Thank them for sharing a recent piece of content that you resonated with and why you resonated with it. Ask them if they would like to connect or have a virtual coffee to connect further.
• Remember They Are Just Like You: Imposter syndrome is like quicksand... you can get stuck really quickly and not even know that it may be preventing you from opportunities. I used to be extremely intimidated by wealthy people as a very debt-stricken individual, coming from a very modest background. I thought the wealthy and celebrities alike wouldn't have the time of day for me... but in reality, that thought is all too common! I can't tell you how many people have contacted me and were blown away that I responded and took the time to learn more about them. Take the plunge and reach out, don't let fears of rejection or an impending case of imposter syndrome hold you back.

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5.?Use Bots, Pods & AI to Your Advantage with Caution

Bots and pods work, but only minimally. Bots are usually used to auto-comment and engage with posts as well as respond to incoming messages. These tools work but only minimally because you cannot create authentic conversations on autopilot. It’s the authenticity that makes personal brands truly shine.

Pods are engagement groups designed to share and promote content. This is a very common feature on Instagram and TikTok to boost a piece of content’s reach in the algorithm. It works but the auto-commenting features are obvious and obnoxious. Proceed with caution. Manual engagement groups or paid management groups are more effective, although pretty obvious and can hurt you in the long run.

AI isn't the future any longer... it's the NOW. AI can help you with an incredible amount of content creation, like:

Video Editing: Did you know that you can upload a video and it will be automatically edited for you? I have not yet found a free program, but definitely give this a gander if you are looking to save time in your content strategy.

AI Images: I am all for ease of use. It costs a lot to book a time with a local photographer for a personal branding session. Play with the miscellaneous, affordable AI image generators. It usually takes a week or so for the tool to learn your unique features. Some folks frown upon AI usage, but do what works best for YOU. It is YOUR personal brand after all!

AI-Driven Content: ChatGPT and other copywriting generators are extremely helpful and save many hours each week! Just make sure when you generate your prompt to get some copy, take time to train the engine by uploading a dozen of your previous posts so the AI tool can learn your voice, style, and mannarisms.

6. Get Verified on LinkedIn

According to LinkedIn, verified profiles get: 60% more profile views, 50% more comments and reactions, and 30% more messages. Why? Because it helps to..

• Build Trust
• Prevent Impersonation
• Build Credibility/Authority
• Priority in Search Results
• Prevent Copyright/Infringement

...and even get access to new features ahead of unverified users.

7. Final Words of Wisdom

A final piece to be aware of when investigating whether or not to use a bot or pod is that LinkedIn has a very restrictive policy regarding illegitimate behavior. According to the guidelines you approve when creating an account, you agree not to leverage a third party via LinkedIn. A way around this is to organize “group chats” as pods within the platform and to set auto-replies on your LinkedIn account. If you get locked down or put into “LinkedIn Jail” it takes time to get out—if you are lucky enough to not have your account permanently deleted!

Need a boost getting started? Send me a message!

I usually respond within 48 hours and look forward to making strong, lasting connections with authentic rockstars. I can't wait to meet you!

About Chantel Soumis

Chantel Soumis, Marketing Executive and LinkedIn Creator is one of the world’s most sought-after personal brand experts, fueled by marketing magic and inspiration. She has worked with many Fortune 500 executive teams and celebrities to build strong foundations of public relations techniques. These strategies allow you to be liked, memorable, and trustworthy while increasing brand recognition and accessibility. You’ll be enchanted by her enthusiasm and inspired by her story of overcoming adversity from being “unemployable” to one of the most recognized voices in personal branding today.