Last updated on July 28th, 2015 at 02:33 pm
While it’s true that everyone can publish on LinkedIn, not everyone can be a LinkedIn Influencer. That’s an exclusive group of 500 people that LinkedIn promotes through the news Pulse feature. People like President Barak Obama, Sir Richard Branson, and Guy Kawasaki.
Take a closer look at that list, and you’ll see a number of B2B marketers creating some impressive content. Many B2B marketers have figured out how to incorporate LinkedIn Influencer posts into their businesses’ content marketing strategy. And it’s working. Really well. Their LinkedIn posts attract attention to their businesses in the best way possible: by inspiring us to be better marketers, business people, and better thought leaders.
Let’s take a look at the top 3 B2B influencers on LinkedIn.
Meg Whitman, CEO of Hewlett-Packard
Whitman is in charge of one of the world’s largest technology companies, yet manages to write thoughtful posts that are always focused on the people that matter: customers.
Her content bridges the gap between big business and consumers, and demonstrates how customer-centric marketing ideas can be integrated into even the largest of businesses. Her content is so well read and shared that she’s currently #24 on the entire Influencer list.
Post sample:
When I meet with customers, they often tell me that their greatest challenge is capitalizing on these new technologies to unlock the full potential of their business…To help narrow the gap between hype and reality, I have convened some of the brightest minds in business to share their perspectives on technology in a new online magazine, HP Matter…I have asked them to share their frank perspectives because I believe they can help executives and IT decision makers frame the way they think about their own big IT decisions and showcase the power of technology. My hope is that these contributions will provide a foundation for robust conversations.
Whitman’s posts:
- The State of Technology: Welcome to the Idea Economy
- 10 Big Tech Trends in Healthcare
- The Importance of Strong Partnerships
Beth Comstock, CMO at General Electric (GE)
Coming in at #59 on the Influencers list and #2 on ours, Beth Comstock is the CMO of GE and formerly worked at NBC, CBS and Turner Broadcasting. Comstock’s LinkedIn posts are a perfect blend of her own personality and GE’s core values and marketing strategies. She lifts the veil on how a CMO at a major B2B business handles her daily work with behind the scenes posts, offers insight into how she makes decisions that affect hundreds of people, and how GE’s work fits in to the world we live in.
Post sample:
Even selfish machines will have the capacity for generosity. Machines won’t just say, “This is how I’m performing,” they’ll also say, “There’s a machine beside me that needs to be replaced.”
For example, GE’s brilliant turbines on a wind farm don’t just create their own energy. Using software that analyzes tens of thousands of data points per second, each turbine adjusts its torque and direction in line with the farm’s other turbines to make sure the group is maximizing its productivity.
Comstock’s posts:
- Best Advice: What Happened After I Overheard Someone Call Me Too Negative
- State of Innovation: The Global Brain Comes Online
- ‘Make Invention Accessible’
Jonathan Becher, Chief Digital Officer at SAP
The man behind SAP’s robust and engaging (not to mention entertaining) content marketing program is Jonathan Becher [Ed. Note: SAP is a sponsor of B2Bnn]. He understands the importance of consumer-first content, and has his team cranking out some great posts such as their Star Wars-themed infographics, thoughtful articles on leadership and customer service, and a personalized YouTube channel for different markets, industries, and lines of business.
Becher’s understanding of strong content marketing extends to his LinkedIn posts too, where he blends the personal and corporate very well.
Post sample:
Technology has long promised to simplify our lives but the reality is that most systems have been built on a series of independent layers (in technology land, this is the stack). The result is functional but typically complex to operate and use. I believe we’ve turned a corner with technology, such that it can be the great simplifier that businesses have been searching for.
I sat down with Dr. Alea Fairchild, Research Fellow at The Constantia Institute, as part of SAP TechEd && d-code. Our conversation touches on several important topics, such as the power of real-time data in meetings, the way complexity builds over time, and the relationship between popcorn sales and birth rates.
Becher’s posts:
- The Road Not Taken: What I Learned About Relationships from Screenwriting and Coding
- Complexity Kills (So Kill Complexity)
- Bring Your Gifts to Work: My Maverick Hangout Experience
Catch up with more influencers
LinkedIn tells us that there are 500 Influencers on the list at any one given time, which means new faces and ideas will appear on it over time. Keep an eye on the list and see which other B2B marketers make the grade.
Regardless of who is on the list, you can be sure these B2B marketers will be producing insightful and helpful content that reflects well on themselves and their businesses.
Who are your favourite B2B marketers writing great content on LinkedIn? Did they make the current Top 500 list? Share in the comments and let us know.
