LinkedInfluencer: A New Threat to TikTok & Instagram Influencers

For years, Instagram and TikTok influencer marketing has arguably been among the best ways for businesses to establish real connections with their target audiences. But now, LinkedIn is on the influencer rise. The platform, previously deemed as just an online resume, is joining the competition for influencer marketing. You might be asking, “How does LinkedIn influencer marketing benefit me?” That is a great question!

Professionals have used LinkedIn as a source to brand themselves as valuable to businesses hiring in their fields. In fact, Hootsuite reported that 49 million people use LinkedIn to search for jobs, and there are 58 million companies on LinkedIn. These statistics prove the potential to make LinkedIn one of your most significant assets. A platform once seen as a linear channel between recruiters and potential employees has changed. The platform is now branding itself as an outlet for individuals to showcase their creative roots through collaborative, raw, and relatable content. Thirty percent of a company’s engagement on the platform comes from employees – that’s a huge advantage!

Companies: your employees are your most significant assets, and they are at your disposal on LinkedIn! Recently, LinkedIn announced a $25 million investment in creators, resulting in its new 10-week Creator Accelerator Program in the United States. The program offers coaching, a built-in creator network, opportunities to be featured on LinkedIn channels, and a $15,000 grant to help the winners share content, spark conversations, and build communities. Sharing content and growing an audience just became more effortless than ever.

Now back to your question. What’s in it for you?

This program is the poster child for creative opportunities for your business to utilize your employees as an asset to spread positive brand awareness. While Instagram and TikTok are prevalent in the marketing industry, LinkedIn has just as much pull to market your brand personality.

How can your employees showcase their positive experiences on LinkedIn? How can you reach your target audiences across multi-channel platforms? Keep reading.

Employees are included in your target audience, too. They still have personal lives outside of your company – show them you know this! Employees and customers share their opinions about professionalism and breaking toxic work environment norms. Professionalism exposure is the new black. Share content on LinkedIn that entices your employees to share, comment, and react. Encouraging engagement in your posts will create a direct communication channel to share their testimonies. Boom! That’s half of the influencer marketing battle. The other half is partnering with your customers to connect with others that would benefit from what your company offers.

When you make a genuine effort to give your followers a platform, you learn your true brand identity, build authentic connections, and positively develop as a brand. As defined by Caroyln Kim, Partnerships Manager at HubSpot, influencer marketing is “...about building real relationships. That’s what makes sense for building a corporate culture and building partnerships between companies.”

Content is not always transferable across all platforms, but your audiences consistently watch for your next move. Your employees are already on LinkedIn absorbing and regurgitating content. The real test is, what are you going to do about it? We suggest using it to your advantage instead of passively missing an opportunity to show your woke company has the best employees! The best employees deliver the best service to customers. It truly is a circle of life, even in the professional industry.