Written by: Clarene Mitchell, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Gone are the days of there only being traditional and expensive marketing options for business owners. With the ease of using smart devices and social media apps, entrepreneurs can freely market their businesses. Unfortunately, many don’t prioritize the one platform that was created exclusively for professional and business networking purposes. LinkedIn may not have the hype that other apps do, but it is where entrepreneurs can build credibility and grow their business.
Perhaps LinkedIn is underutilized by business owners because they think of it as just for job seekers to use. The platform initially started out that way, but it has evolved. To demonstrate the value of LinkedIn for business purposes, let’s consider celebrities and high-level business owners who not only have a LinkedIn profile but they also actively use the platform.
Bill Gates – The tech business trailblazer currently has approximately 35,553,534 LinkedIn followers. Much of his content focuses on key issues related to his foundation and other topics. The reactions to his post are generally in the four digits, some even five digits.
Bootsy Collins – As the CEO/President of Bootzilla Productions and legendary funk musician, most of his posts are photos and videos of his celebrity appearances. He even posted a video celebrating his 2022 Grammy win. Bootsy currently has approximately 12,451 followers.
Daymond John – He is the CEO of FUBU and featured on ABC’s Shark Tank. Daymond currently has approximately 2,525,847 LinkedIn followers. His daily content includes motivational quotes for entrepreneurs, videos, behind-the-scenes moments and he even does roll calls for new team members.
Eric D. Thomas – Many know him as ET, the real-talk motivational speaker. He currently has approximately 126,089 LinkedIn followers. Followers are his content get real-talk, no excuses posts.
Gary Vaynerchuk (Gary Vee) – Yes, the entrepreneur extraordinaire maximizes the top social media apps, but he is also posting on LinkedIn daily. In 2020, he stated in one of his videos how “LinkedIn 2020 Is Like Facebook 2012.” Gary Vee currently has approximately 5,075,093 LinkedIn followers.
Janice Bryant Howroyd – For those not family with her, she is a trailblazing business owner. Janice is the Founder and CEO of ActOne Group, an employment and workforce management company. It has been reported that she opened the business in Los Angeles in 1978 with $1,500 including a $900 loan from her mother, a fax machine and a phone. It is now a multi-million dollar business. Her daily content includes mostly inspiring videos and photos. She currently has approximately 136,808 LinkedIn Followers.
LeVar Burton – Yes, the veteran actor is on LinkedIn. He currently has 589,166 LinkedIn followers. He consistently makes posts about his different acting projects and key issues of importance to him.
Lisa Nichols – She is a top transformational speaker. Lisa currently has approximately 83,065 LinkedIn followers. She challenges her followers to say ‘Yes, yes!’ to creating the lives they want. If you are looking for empowering information, you will find it in her content.
Matthew Knowles – Yes, Beyonce’s father uses LinkedIn. He is a music executive and speaker. Matthew currently has approximately 24,317 LinkedIn followers. He consistently posts motivational content, information regarding his business endeavors and photos with him and his celebrity friends. He also gives glimpses into his personal life. Unlike many high-profile people on LinkedIn, Mathew’s profile includes Recommendations.
Mike Bloomberg – The businessman currently has approximately 2,495,379 LinkedIn followers. His ‘Ask Me Anything’ videos gives viewers insights directly from him, including what kind of music he listens to.
Perhaps some of the people mentioned above have assistants who keep their content consistent, but they still understand and demonstrate the importance of using LinkedIn. There are many more celebrities and top business owners who use LinkedIn. Hopefully the sample profiles peak your interest enough for you to think differently about LinkedIn. There are over 800+ million LinkedIn members in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. If some of the most successful and wealthy individuals are using it, shouldn’t you?
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Clarene Mitchell, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Clarene Mitchell changes the trajectory of lives and businesses, one LinkedIn profile at a time. A dramatic job loss in 2016 led her to using LinkedIn more consistently. She started generating organic results and others started requesting her help with how to use the platform. TCM Communications was created to address the challenge many have with understanding and effectively using LinkedIn. Clarene is on a mission to empower as many entrepreneurs and executives as she can to Shine Online and generate quality results from LinkedIn.
