9 Super LinkedIn Influencers You Should Follow

 

With over 240 million active users, LinkedIn is by far the most valuable business-centric social network ever dreamed of. Every evangelist of social media knows too, this game of visibility and viability we play daily online, it’s all about influence really. Given this transparent fact, the only thing as powerful as being influential, is knowing someone who is. To this end I present a list (not exhaustive) of 9 LinkedIn influentials you’d do well to follow (if not flat out emulate).

Guy Kawasaki

There’s nobody more influential really, not on any social network, than Guy. His mantra of “empowering people” just resonates along with that charismatic smile you see everywhere. With 659,117 follows, Guy plays along with the best of the best numbers wise,  but the real strength of his residency in business on LI is the content he shares. Like this most recent post on the influencer network within LI, Guys goes deep, deep, deep into the topic of evangelism. For marketers and PR types, even sales peeps, evangelism is the Holy Grail.

Barbara Corcoran

This LinkedIn influential may not have half a million followers, but the people who do follow get their money’s worth. The “Shark Tank” diva is one of the digital world’s most well thought of businesswoman, investors, speakers, consultants, and columnists. Checking out here postings on LI it’s easy to see Barbara has a gift for being able to say a lot in a few words. Clearly she’s a busy lady and has little free time for writing War and Peace, but what she does manage to post is beneficial.

David Marcus

With something over 150,000 followers David is a force on LinkedIn. The President at PayPal may not have the time to go as in depth with his LI influencer posts every outing as well as Kawasaki, but what he does offer is great food for thought. Some might weigh David’s presence on the business network as a bit too marketing-centric where PayPal is concerned, but who could blame him? LI is all about business, and PayPal is a banner business if ever there were one.

Mark Cuban

Mr. Cuban is another LinkedIn superstar influencer. His 479,255 followers get treated to some of the most interesting ideas and heads up material on the business network. According to the eyes on his postings, Mark’s following actually read too. Some of his posts have a way upwards of a hundred thousand views. is an American businessman and investor. The owner of the National Basketball Association‘s Dallas Mavericks and shark investor is also the author of “How to Win at the Sport of Business”, where he chronicles his life experiences in business and sports. Mark knows his business, and is a good source for ideas and answers.

Mark Hurd

Oracle’s President has a following almost half a million strong on LinkedIn. Between you and me, if it’s cutting edge marketing “how to” or concepts you’re after, Mark is one of the best sources out there. This post, “Customer-Obsessed Marketing Is Your Next Competitive Edge” – its all about the convergence of technologies and marketing, a primer or road map leading to where we all should be digitally. Pay close attention to the “team effort” he speaks of, in case you’re inclined to learn something this very day.

Dara Khosrowshahi

The Expedia CEO has to fall into the category “influencers to watch.” Dara obviously has a wealth of vital experience to share, based solely on what he presented in the influencer bracket so far. Interestingly, he tends to not be so “Expedia” focused as one might imagine, his best and most read post so far being about career. His tips there just make good common sense. One I like in particular, Tip #1: Don’t plan your career. For those in the know, your career does more molding of you than you do of it.

Mark Suster

Rounding out our magnificent seven here, the most prolific of our list of contributors to LI is a world class angel investor and venture capitalist. On top of figuring out where, when, and how money should be floated and what to, Mark is a super blogger as well. Maybe this why he is so well written on LinkedIn? 22,000 followers does not tell the tale here, but posts like “Why Growth Hacking isn’t BS” do. If you’re into tech or startups, investing in same, Mark is perhaps the most influential to read/follow.

Joe Pulizzi

The author of “Epic Content Marketing” is also the genre’s most visible and heard evangelist. The poster child for spreading good content around the digital landscape, Joe has some super solid advice for anyone who is smart enough to listen. As a writer who’s been in the same field many a time, he’s one of the people our team has turned to for fresh ideas. Even though Mark does not have Kawasaki’s following, the peeps who do, read what he has to say too.

Brad Feld

Feld is the Managing Director at Foundry Group, another key entrepreneur and investor bent on booting early stage startups to success. The list of startups Feld and his crew have been involved with is longer than anybody’s arm, and covers the alphabet from AppDirect to Zynga. Typical of his philosophies on investing is the synthesis of the article on LI “I Invest In CEOs Who Are Learning Machines” – boy, does that say a lot. Brad has 50 something thousand loyals.

Send us one more to make it an even 10!