Having a healthy ego is the main ingredient for being a successful LinkedIn influencer agreed a panel at the launch of the 2017 LinkedIn Agency Influencer of the year awards.
The panel, featuring three of last year’s contestants, including last year’s winner Greg ‘Sparrow’ Graham, gave their insights on how to use LinkedIn successfully.
“I’m almost a 100% ego driven in what I do,” said last year’s finalist Rachael Lonergan of Foundation, part of the Omnicom Media Group. “If mediocre men are getting some airtime, then why not me?”
Rachael Lonergan
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The Agency Influencer of the Year is an opportunity for Australian media and creative industry staffers to publish content, build their own brand and elevate the brands they work for using LinkedIn.
Controversial marketing professor and branding columnist Mark Ritson from the University of Melbourne’s business school gave some tips on building a personal brand on LinkedIn.
Ritson pointed out having a strong point of view is essential, but being a “profile wanker” turns people off. He advised adland to keep descriptions simple, don’t claim to do everything and never describe yourself as a “ninja, thought leader or guru”.
“If they say they are results-orientated and innovative, you know two things,” he said. “They are not results-orientated and aren’t particularly innovative.”
The ‘Magic Ratio’ for successful influencers is having 30% of the audience of supporters, 40% neutral and the rest hostile to your views he said.
“30% think I’m a tosser. That’s good,” he said.
Ritson noted that personal branding is nothing new: “Marx predicted personal branding in 1872. In Commodity Fetishism he talks about how people will sell themselves as a commodity.” Despite that he sees LinkedIn as an important part of his business life.
“It’s become an important tool for me in a very busy world,” he said.
This year the awards added a new category of Australian Newcomer Agency Influencer of the year open to those with less than five years in the industry. The winner of each category will receive a trip to New York and time with LinkedIn’s Empire State Building based team.
“When you think about agency influencers it’s all about finding your voice,” said Matt Tindale who took over leadership of LinkedIn’s Australian operations last month. “Healthy debate is what fuels our industry, it’s important to have an opinion.”
Disclaimer: LinkedIn has partnered with Mumbrella for the 2017 Agency Influencer program.