Photos in paradisiacal places, events, video games, fashion, Instagram or TikTok are the concepts that probably come to mind when we hear the word Influencer. Influencer marketing is the order of the day and it is a sector that does not stop growing, but… are there influencers on LinkedIn?
If we are categorical, the definition that the RAE makes, in its observatory of words, of the term influencer is that of “a person with the capacity to influence others, mainly through social networks.” Each social network has a different nature and a different function, but that does not mean that being an influencer is limited to specific social networks. So… influencers on LinkedIn? Indeed, they also exist in this social network.
The platform itself has already been in charge of recognizing the importance of these profiles. In 2013 he created a program called “LinkedIn Influencers”, where some very relevant (world-renowned) profiles could write longer posts. To be part of this program, the social network itself had to invite you.
Today, all users can make long posts, but this “club” continues to exist where LinkedIn recognizes you as an influencer on its platform. However, it is not necessary to have that title to be able to consider yourself an influential person in this social network, as we said before, you just have to have the ability to influence other people.
Going back to academic terminology, the influencer has the ability to influence others. Your opinion and point of view are decisive in the purchase decision of those users who follow you, because they trust your criteria. In the case of LinkedIn, we start from the assumption that this social network is a network for professionals and more than a third of its users are managerial profiles. Much of its essence is that professionals (experts in their sectors) share thoughts, articles of interest and interact with other users. That is, the content that is created and shared is made by professionals and for professionals.
If you are a LinkedIn user, surely you have already come up with the odd name of professionals that you like because of their point of view or the content they share. Those are the LinkedIn influencers!
Now let’s think again about the more “traditional” influencer. Brands want to collaborate with them because their communities take their opinion into account. In the case of LinkedIn, the same thing happens. As a brand, it is important to know the profiles of our sector, as they are great allies with whom we can collaborate. Even more so if our products/services are B2B, as there is no better place to reach other companies than in a professional social network.
How do i collaborate with a linkedin influencer?
As in any collaboration or campaign with an influencer, we must study the profiles and see which one best suits our objectives.
First of all, we have to find different profiles that interest us. For example, we can search for keywords in the LinkedIn search engine. It will show us the first and second connections that we have in our profile related to that term. Another option is to use LinkedIn groups to find featured members. Finally, we can use influencer search tools, which will allow us to do more exhaustive searches and use specific filters of what we are looking for.
Once we have selected several profiles that are interesting to us, it will be time to choose which are the most suitable for the action we want to carry out. To help us with the decision, these are some of the criteria that we can apply:
- Authority: we have to define very well what area we want to address and make sure that the profile is relevant in that sector: quality of content, knowledge, trajectory, etc.
- Followers: we must analyze if the people who follow the profile are the potential customers we want to reach.
- Activity: the profile must be active on the platform and post regularly. Also, you have to keep making new connections and interacting with other members.
- Another indicator that we can take into account is the SSI (Social Selling Index), a metric that LinkedIn offers us and that analyzes our profile. We will dedicate a blog post to this index later to study it in depth. At this point we have to contact the profile and define the type of collaboration. Here we must take into account the formats of this social network and how we can use them:
- Articles: creating articles that are relevant to both the brand and your target audience: one of the options is for them to share your content so that they reach their followers. Another option is to publish articles that talk about your brand and describe the experience with your product/service. You will get visibility and brand recognition.
- Expert quotes: Mentioning them in your posts or sharing their content on your profile will help you gain credibility in the industry.
- Company pages: find the influencer among yours. Within companies there may be active and relevant profiles on LinkedIn. Ask them to interact with your content or to mention you in their posts.
Finally, as in any other campaign, all that remains is to measure the metrics, see how it has worked and if the expected objectives have been met.
In short, influencers on LinkedIn can help you reach your target audience, especially in the B2B sector, as well as generate new connections and gain recognition as an expert within your sector. But don’t just rely on influencers, LinkedIn has its own blog where you can share articles and other content relevant to your audience.