Is LinkedIn Influencer Marketing Actually a Thing?

LinkedIn influencer marketing... Not something we hear or talk about very often. Oftentimes, the platform that most associate influencer marketing with is Instagram or YouTube, Facebook. But did you know that the business networking platform also has its own side of influencer marketing?

In this blog, we will dive deeper into this topic and shed some light on why it should be talked about more.

Why LinkedIn Influencer Marketing?

Targeted at B2B companies and brands, LinkedIn influencer marketing is the optimal platform to use for their influencer marketing campaigns. Though these B2B companies may try their hand at more commonly used platforms such as Instagram for their influencer marketing campaigns, due to the nature and user demographics of LinkedIn, LinkedIn still remains as the top choice. 

1. InMail - Paid messaging feature on LinkedIn

LinkedIn’s very own form of ad messaging - InMail, is a credible, private, and customised messaging tool that allows you to connect with any LinkedIn users, even 2nd or 3rd degree connections. This allows for business and influencers alike to increase their reach and grow their influence. Without a paid messaging option like such, users are only able to send messages to their direct connections and those that are from the same LinkedIn group as they are, thus limiting the scope of reach. 

Substantiating my point above is the fact that InMail has a 18-25% response rate, as compared to a meagre 3% response rate for emails/cold calls. Thus proving InMail as an effective addition to one’s marketing strategy.

If your company’s thought leaders are proactive in sending connection requests, posting content regularly or actively participating in LinkedIn groups, it will only be a matter of time before your company is able to grow your network, thereby increasing the audience that will see your articles and posts.

2. Key decision makers are from LinkedIn

With over 700 million members and 55 million registered companies, 40% of these figures are daily users, thus clocking approximately 1 billion interactions per month. Of this large pool of users, the majority are business professionals and decision makers in their companies. That said, influencers on LinkedIn surely would have a greater reach and wider audience compared to a normal user which equates to a higher chance of interaction & engagement with CEOs, CFOs, CMOs, and other important business leaders. 

As such it is the ideal platform for brands and businesses to promote their products and services. Doing so has a direct impact on these decision makers who will decide if they think purchasing your products and services is beneficial for their business or not.

3. Opinions from LinkedIn influencers carry a lot of weight

LinkedIn influencers are either well known business professionals like Bill Gates and Richard Branson, or previously lesser known experts/thought leaders in a particular field of knowledge like content marketing, advertising, product development etcetera that managed to grow their following on LinkedIn.

Of those previously lesser known ones, like Vartika Kashyap, Chief Marketing Officer at ProofHub managed to grow her following of more than 400k connections now by consistently posting thought provoking articles and posts on topics like marketing and team building.

Other examples of LinkedIn influencers that built their following by consistently posting and sharing high value, expert information is Christina Teo. As being listed as one of the LinkedIn Top Voices 2020 in Singapore, she focuses on generating content related to topics like Women Empowerment and Startups.

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Whether one started out as a well known business professional that hopped onto LinkedIn, or one that grew their following on LinkedIn through their expertise in a certain niche area, both groups hold a significant weight in their opinions. Due to their strong expertise and knowledge, their opinion is highly valued by businesses and as such have a great amount of influence that can sway the choices of decision makers.

4. LinkedIn is a strong lead generation tool

Studies have also shown that LinkedIn has a significantly higher B2B lead generation of 80% and is 277% more effective for lead generation than any other social media networks. For many, LinkedIn influencers are a much more compatible fit for businesses as compared to Instagram or Facebook influencers. Tying this in with their high lead generation, it is without a doubt that LinkedIn influencer marketing is an important aspect all businesses should look into.

Implications

To conclude, LinkedIn influencer marketing though holds a great amount of potential, is an area not yet explored enough. Especially so for B2B companies and brands, if you’re looking to start an influencer marketing campaign or maximise your current influencer marketing strategy, LinkedIn is definitely the platform to be!

Check out some of our blog posts to read more on influencer marketing campaigns!