As LinkedIn becomes more of a go-to social-media site where go-getters are oversharing in overwhelming quantities, more influencer types are rising to the top (of your news feed). In order to get to the bottom of this phenomenon, a business reporter from Circle Back Monthly sat down with a LinkedIn Influencer and asked some hard-hitting questions.
What is a LinkedIn influencer?
Above all, I am a thought leader. I have thoughts, and they lead me to extraordinary places. I’m an expert in my field. Which field? Any field that requires passion, strategy, experience, skills, motivation, and success. I’ve held jobs. I’ve done business. I connect with executives for sport. I apply for jobs for breakfast. I’m the founder & CEO of my entire life. I am the only one in the world who truly knows how to network.
What do you… influence?
Businesses. Businessmen. Business women. Anyone who has ever said the word “business.” I inspire job-havers and job-haters to be bold enough to make mistakes, as long as they turn those mistakes into SEO-optimized content that oozes inspiration and corporate buzzwords. I also once suggested to LinkedIn that they notify you every time someone even thinks about your profile.
Is it a missed opportunity not to call them LinkedInfluencers?
Yes.
Who follows you?
CAOs, CBOs, CCOs, CDOs, CEOs, CFOs, CGOs, CHOs, CIOs, CJOs, CKOs, CLOs, CMOs, CNOs, COOs, CPOs, CQOs, CROs, CSOs, CTOs, CUOs, CVOs, CWOs, CXOs, CYOs, and CZOs. Also, job-seekers who are looking to spend some of their unemployment check on a LinkedIn Premium account. If that’s you, just use promo code SYNERGIZE at checkout! There’s no discount — it just feels good to type it out in all caps.
Do we really need more influencers?
Big data says: yes! Everyone is tired of super-fit hotties and brilliant comedians and amazing moms who do it all. That’s where I come in. Following me might not have the same visual or emotional appeal, but you get access to the very best insight for thriving in the workplace. For example, I can tell you why it’s beneficial for your out-of-office message to make your coworkers think: “Wow, they’ve really lost it. Glad they’re taking some time off.”
What other kinds of content do you create?
Every day, I share a new post on LinkedIn that can help improve your career — whether you’re miserable at the top, very happy at the bottom, or completely invisible in the middle! Sometimes it will be the Merriam-Webster definition of a buzzword, like “strategic” or “office”; sometimes it will be a quote from Melinda Gates or Kylie Jenner—or a family member who is confused about my path in life; other times, it will be an inspiring story about how I once hired a Gen Z candidate with no experience. (If you see someone else share my exact same story, please be respectful. This is us influencing.)
Has anything you’ve shared gone viral?
The post that generated the most engagement, quite possibly in the site’s history, was when I wrote 9,000 words — on the topic of LinkedIn launching a dating app called LinkedGetItin — entirely in hashtags. The post was deemed too discoverable. (#But #Id #do #it #again.)
Which hashtags or buzzwords garner the most attention on LinkedIn?
Drill down, get the ball rolling, all hands, hard stop, organic growth, touch base, run it up the flagpole, soup to nuts, and strategic fit. It’s not anyone’s fault that these are, by far, the sexiest of all the buzzwords.
As an influencer, do you think I should use LinkedIn Stories?
Yes, pivoting to video is hot again — professionally speaking. Stories can help grab the attention of LinkedIn users who are online at ungodly hours, trying not to open Twitter again. Don’t, however, treat Stories like Instagram or TikTok. Here’s a teachable moment: One night, I chugged three bottles of red and posted a video to LinkedIn of me “Netwerking.” I received several unprofessional messages as a result, and guess what I did? I responded to every single one of them because you never know where your next opportunity might be.
Some of the things you do and say as a LinkedIn Influencer don’t seem very professional…
I once hired a Gen Z candidate with no experience. Here’s why… He went off the rails a lot, too, and that shows courage.
What is your actual job?
Great question. My job is to make sure you’re succeeding, you’re inspired, and you’re getting the jobs you want! However, that gig doesn’t pay, so if you know of anything, please hit me up.
Sara K. Runnels
Yahoo Creator
Sara K. Runnels is a seasoned humor writer, copywriter and writer-writer living in Seattle, WA. She is a regular contributor to The New Yorker & her sharp social commentary can be found, quite literally, all over the internet under @omgskr.
