Confessions of a LinkedIn influencer

The default image of an influencer is likely a ring-lighted young person clacking their nails on the newest beauty product on TikTok or showing off the hottest new video game on YouTube. But increasingly, influencers might be touting the benefits of a  new SaaS tool on LinkedIn.

The Microsoft-owned platform boasts 1 billion global users, 300 million of whom use the app on a monthly basis, mostly to network, share thought leadership and find new jobs. But there’s been a recent shift to embrace its own influencer culture.

“It’s like the next step or next evolution of what it means to have a personal LinkedIn presence,” said Jayde I. Powell, a creator, marketing strategist and LinkedIn influencer. “It’s not just about utilizing LinkedIn as this platform for job opportunities and networking. It’s also, here’s how I establish myself as an authority in my industry, in my field, and making sure that when people see you or know you, they have words that they can associate with your personal brand.”

Powell, who will be hosting Ragan’s upcoming Social Media Conference in Walt Disney World, made more than $40,000 in 2024 from her LinkedIn content creation for an audience of 24,000 followers.

Here’s what she wants you to know about working with LinkedIn influencers.

The journey to LinkedIn

Powell didn’t start creating content on LinkedIn until about two years ago. Initially, she built a following on Twitter. But around the time Elon Musk bought the platform and rebranded it to X, she started to notice her audience, mostly marketing and social media professionals, was drifting away from the app. Some were finding a new home on LinkedIn.

What cemented her move was when one of Powell’s brand partners asked if she’d do a LinkedIn Audio. From there, she began to see the value of the tool. But she still had to build an audience.

“My intention behind posting on LinkedIn was to actually be very anti-corporate and reposition the way that we think about professionalism, because that’s who I am in real life,” Powell said. “I am a working professional, but I’m very deeply unserious. I never wear a suit. I work in a way that makes sense for me.”

Even though her posting was in line with what she’d done before on Twitter and Instagram, it was somewhat unusual for the more buttoned-up culture of LinkedIn. She uses captions like “a b*tch be contenting” and recounts her wins and losses with candor.

“Some of the first couple of messages I would get, they’d be like, ‘I can’t believe you just said that.’ Or, ‘I can’t believe you’re like, showing up in this way,” Powell recalled.

But it’s that authenticity that has helped her build her audience and has brought sponsors to her door.

Working with partners

Sponsors began approaching Powell proactively on LinkedIn – not the other way around. And when they did, they already understood and appreciated what made her unique.

“I have found that my brand partners, they don’t really edit me, which I really appreciate,” Powell said. “They know the value that I have by creating content through my own voice, tone and style, and then they know that my audience follows me because of that.”

The exact nature of the working relationship can differ based on how fully formed the client’s idea is. Some come ready with creative briefs and specific campaigns. And some just like what Powell does and ask what a collaboration could look like. Powell’s a fan of an arrangement that gives the influencer more, well, influence.

“Give your creator influencers that you want to work with a lot of freedom to engage in the way that you want them to,” Powell said. “I think briefs are incredibly helpful, but I don’t think they necessarily need to be a rule book. I feel like briefs are there to guide the creative and also just make sure that the outcome of the campaign or the engagement is very clear, but … especially knowing that the influencers or creators are experts in their industries, you can leave it up to them and trust that they know what they’re doing and know what is going to make sense for their audience.”

After each partnership, Powell ensures she sends an analytics report that shows results, whether that’s how many people attended an event she hosted or who interacted with her content. That way, the relationship managers can take that information to leadership and show the ROI of the partnership.

And what might this kind of partnership cost a company? Because this creator economy is in its early stages, there are still bargains to be found. Powell said she advocates for LinkedIn influencers to accept no less than $1,500 per post, though prices can rise well beyond that.

But as influencers begin to shift away from X and Instagram, those prices may rise rapidly.

“I feel like we’re shifting into a space where it’s not just about telling people, it’s about showing,” Powell said. “So showing the behind the scenes, really building in public, showcasing what your journey from entrepreneur to global CEO, looks like for that person. And I think that’s what people are going to want to see more of.”

Learn more from Powell during Ragan’s Social Media Conference!