How to Become a Leading LinkedIn Influencer

Not until recently did LinkedIn use to be a platform where job seekers and companies update their profiles for business opportunities. In addition, LinkedIn users post content to attract people to their page and get engagement. The profiles that get the most engagements become LinkedIn influencers. 

Before LinkedIn changed its policy, it had a list of people it considered worthy of the LinkedIn influencer title. The likes of Belinda Gates, Jeff Weiner, and Daymond John, with millions of followers, were among the people on the influencer’s list. But that doesn’t go well with the public.

Now, you can only become a LinkedIn influencer if you can influence by posting engaging content. The original LinkedIn influencer list is no longer recognized. So many people and businesses worldwide try to share engaging LinkedIn content that people will like and follow in their thousands.

Through their work, online presence, accomplishments, and celebrity status, individuals become LinkedIn influencers. At the same time, companies position themselves as industry experts to become LinkedIn influencers.

You’re not far from becoming an influencer on LinkedIn if you can make people see you as a trusted source of industry-related news and guidance. They’ll engage your content in thousands, translating to more leads and brand recognition.

In this article, I’ll show you how to become a leading LinkedIn influencer and position yourself as an authority in your industry.

1. Start by Creating Engaging Content 

The first step on your journey to becoming a LinkedIn influencer is to learn how to create engaging content. People want information, so inform them and make it interesting. Once you can keep them engaged with your content, they’ll always come back for more.

Create content that your target audience will like to see. The more people like it and comment on it, the more engagement you get. More people will be able to see your content, and the number of views and connections will grow.

Influencing is all about educating, entertaining and keeping your target audience engaged as much as possible. Try posting unique content in your niche. Some examples of content you can create include articles, surveys, polls, videos, inspirational content, and industry updates.

2. Bring Value to Your Audience

Bringing value to people is one of the best strategies for becoming an influencer. Don’t just post because you want to get likes and clicks. Instead, provide content that will help solve your target audience’s problems. That’s what will make you a thought leader in your industry. 

Share content that’ll provide valuable insights, teach something, show innovation, or share your experience. You can also post tips and tools to help people in their career growth or business needs.

3. Engage With Your Audience

No one has a monopoly on knowledge. You can’t know it all. Don’t think you won’t engage with other people’s content because you have many followers. On the contrary, it is crucial to maintain a good relationship with them by engaging with their content.

You don’t expect people to follow you and engage your content without returning the favour. Make an effort to engage your followers’ content by liking or commenting on their posts. Let them feel the human presence behind your brand. Discuss with them in private and in LinkedIn groups.

Below are some of the ways you can keep your audience engaged:

• Respond to genuine direct messages
• Take part in LinkedIn group discussions related to your industry.
• Like, comment, and reply to posts to keep the conversation going.
• Reach out to your connections and potential collaborators.

4. Build Trust for Your Brand

LinkedIn is a platform for professionals. It is not a platform where they celebrate mediocrity. To become a LinkedIn influencer, you must have a track record and proven yourself as a thought leader. 

People only want to follow someone who understands and has experience in their industry—someone who can give them valuable insights and share reliable information. 

Once people trust your brand, your following will grow exponentially. Here’s how you can build trust for your brand on LinkedIn.

• Provide reliable information about people in your industry
• Send personalized connection requests
• Get as many endorsements and recommendations as possible
• Share up-to-date information about the industry
• Share your success story with previous clients
• Give your personal views and opinions on trending issues.

5. Do Giveaways

People love to get things for free. It won’t be a bad idea to do a giveaway occasionally. The prize doesn’t necessarily have to be money. It can be anything of good benefits such as intellectual materials, access to a premium service, digital marketing tools, etc.

You can do it with the condition that people need to tag someone in the comment section to win. And then pick a few people as winners. Your followers would be glad to see more than one person winning something of excellent value from you. 

They would always look forward to such a gesture as a giveaway. This will keep people glued to your page while you generate lots of engagement. Of course, you can’t do a giveaway with every post. But it would be best if you host a giveaway monthly or quarterly.

What Are The Benefits of Becoming a LinkedIn Influencer?

I. Connection with Key Decision-makers in the Industry

As an influencer, you gain the following of top management staff, CEOs, and team leaders who are key decision-makers in the industry. These people pay attention to what you have to say. They believe you can influence people’s decisions with thousands of followers under your rank.

Connecting with high-profile individuals is difficult if you’re not an influencer. They won’t even see your posts; talk less of engaging with them. Being an influencer allows you to connect and become an industry leader. And it is an easy way to increase your brand awareness.

II. It Provides Opportunities to Expand Your Network

Networking is one of the main goals of LinkedIn. As an influencer, you have the opportunity to grow your own community. You can expand your network much quicker than any regular LinkedIn user. You’ll be able to connect with the right leads and grow your brand quickly.

III. Your Opinion Carry Weight

When you become a LinkedIn influencer, people trust your judgment. Your opinion carries weight. You can recommend products and services and put your weight behind a brand. 

Influencing is all about promoting brands, whether it’s yours or not.

It’s not easy to become a LinkedIn influencer. It requires hard work, dedication, and consistency. To establish your brand as an authority in the industry, you need to employ the right strategies. The techniques discussed above will make your journey to becoming an influencer easier and faster.