LinkedIn Top Voices 2019: Marketing & Social Media

Today we’re unveiling our 5th annual Top Voices list, highlighting professionals in a variety of industries and regions who are building communities and starting thoughtful conversations on LinkedIn through their articles, posts, videos and comments. These are the people you should be following to get inspired and stay informed. 

To find standout voices, we used a combination of quantitative and qualitative signals, starting with a custom algorithm from our LinkedIn Data Science team and then curated by our LinkedIn Editors. You can learn more about how we compiled the list at the bottom of this article and can check out Top Voices around the world and across industries — from finance to education — here. 

I dug into the data to find standout voices in marketing and social media. The individuals below are helping their followers navigate a field that is rapidly changing due to new technologies and ongoing debates about data privacy. They also want to help up-and-coming marketers navigate their own careers and build their personal brands.

Here are this year’s 10 #LinkedInTopVoices in marketing and social media.

What he talks about: Patel says he has a passion for helping people grow their businesses through digital marketing. His posts and videos cover a range of topics from content marketing and SEO to social media marketing and entrepreneurship. He hit on those topics and more when he invited his followers to ask him anything, which yielded more than 140 comments.

The best career advice he’s received: “Learning that failing is okay,” Patel says. “When you're young, you believe failing is bad. It is the best thing that can happen to you as you are able to learn from those mistakes and grow as a person and an entrepreneur.”

Follow Neil Patel

What she talks about: Hyder draws inspiration directly from her clients. “Every piece of content stems from a case study,” she says. “My goal is to help others succeed in the digital age.” She shares tales from the trenches, whether it’s advice on how to launch a career in marketing, insights from conferences like Advertising Week NYC or what she’s learned from running a small business.

Her advice to up-and-coming LinkedIn creators: “It's easy to be self-indulgent or post linkbait,” she says. “Don't. Focus on creating true value and stay consistent.”

Follow Shama Hyder

What he talks about: Fishburne uses hand-drawn cartoons to make a plethora of observations about the world of marketing. His “Marketing Predictions for 2019”, for example, parodies the industry’s obsession with what Fishburne describes as “the shiny new thing,” or latest buzzwords. “I loved seeing the conversation emerge in the comments section with how this showed up tangibly in people’s jobs around the world,” he says.

News story he’s watching: How companies manage data privacy: “At marketing conferences, I frequently see someone share the futuristic mall scene from the movie Minority Report as a utopian vision of the potential of technology mapped to personal data,” Fishburne says. “Yet in the world at large, that same film scene is frequently referenced as a dystopian nightmare.”

Follow Tom Fishburne

What she talks about: Hong Kong-based Dudarenok is a go-to source on marketing in China, with a particular focus on technology. She’s posted about Shanghai’s efforts to promote recycling initiatives and why Facebook will struggle to become the next WeChat. But she draws hundreds of comments when she posts about how willingly Chinese consumers embrace innovation, like facial recognition technology in airports and even schools.

News story she found most interesting in 2019: The impact of Greta Thunberg’s climate activism: “We can see it across the board,” Dudarenok said. “Coca-Cola plans to recycle 100% of their bottles in China within a few years and the world’s biggest shopping festival, Alibaba’s 11.11, this year [has been] the greenest yet.”

Follow Ashley Galina Dudarenok

What he talks about: Bough, now the founder of a growth accelerator for startups and the host of CNBC’s Cleveland Hustles, draws on the experience he gained working at some of the largest consumer brands, including PepsiCo, Mondelez and Kraft Foods. His videos explain how creative people can find a voice in large organizations and provide dispatches from the industry’s largest conferences.

Top conversation starter this year: A post about Ashton Kutcher sharing his mobile number on social media and the importance of connecting with consumers. Forty comments rolled in, running the gamut from those who loved the idea to those who wondered how they would ever get their nights and weekends back.

Follow Bonin Bough

What she talks about: Dietz shares news and tips that help marketing professionals navigate their careers, often drawing from Adweek series such as Innovators, Women Trailblazers, GenZEOs and of course, CMO Moves, which she posts after every episode. She also posts about AdWeek initiatives around mentorship and diversity and inclusion.

Her best professional hack: “Don’t obsess on being perfect,” Dietz says. “Everyone makes mistakes and often your best work comes from iterating while moving forward versus focusing on getting one thing perfectly ‘right.’” She also counts “Get out of your own way” from Denise Karkos, CMO of SiriusXM, as some of the best career advice she’s heard.

Follow Nadine Dietz

What he talks about: Lindstrom writes about branding, behavioral psychology, culture and innovation, often drawing inspiration from big brands. One of his most engaging posts asked readers whether Kit Kat could overcome its reputation as a cheap drugstore candy to offer a bespoke premium option.

The book that most inspired him this year: Tiffany Shlain’s “24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week,” a book that admonishes readers to step away from their screens. The message resonated with Lindstrom who is going on two years without a smartphone (something he says has “literally changed my life.”)

Follow Martin Lindstrom

What she talks about: “My channel is a geek out,” Nguyen said, who posts about marketing, tech trends and building your personal brand. Her posts include LinkedIn Live sessions and video interviews with entrepreneurs like Gary Vaynerchuk.

A movie that inspired her this year: The 2011 documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi,” which she discovered as part of her birthday tradition of watching food-based shows and movies. “His passion and dedication to being a sushi artisan were awe-inspiring,” she says. “It’s a reminder to keep crafting my skills in storytelling-marketing.”

Follow String Nguyen

What she talks about: Perez draws on the work of Nike and the Jordan brand, with a particular focus on connecting with and inspiring women, like sharing a project her team did with designer Melody Ehsani. An advisor to women- and minority-led startups, Perez also tackles topics such as “innovative thinking, breakthrough marketing or solid leadership advice that may be useful for the young women I have the privilege to mentor.” 

Her best career advice: “Never look at the next job,” Perez says. “Look at what skills you need on the next job to take you to the job after. This has been invaluable advice from my first boss, former Nike executive and professional water polo player Henry Rabello.”

Follow Andrea Perez

What she talks about: Stainthorpe posts with small and medium businesses in mind, encouraging them to use their brand to build an emotional connection. She often posts about the “purpose, value and intangibles” that give brands a personality. For example, when British travel group Thomas Cook declared bankruptcy, she used it as a cautionary tale of brands that fail to evolve. 

One thing not on her LinkedIn profile: Having a son with autism has inspired Stainthrope’s interest in brands that are committed to a mission that goes beyond profits. “This has made me aware of the importance of the 'we' in society — and the need for tolerance,” she says.

Follow Lynne Stainthrope

You’ve read about the Top Voices in marketing & social media this year. Now, check out the #LinkedInTopVoices in job search & careers, technology, finance and more.

How we compiled the Top Voices list

First, our editors partnered with the LinkedIn Data Science team to measure the actions a member is able to generate when they engage on the platform. Specifically, we looked at the volume of responses a person’s contributions sparked and the secondary spread of those responses. These signals are proxies for conversation and community development. That said, engagement metrics aren’t enough. Our next filter was qualitative. Editors refined the list by looking at the member’s body of work: Are the contributions insightful, conversational and timely? Do they seek to give and get help vs being self-promotional? Finally, does this list reflect the world we work in today? 

All sharing activity measured took place over a 12-month period, from September 2018 to September 2019. As with all LinkedIn Lists, we exclude LinkedIn and Microsoft employees from consideration.