Gems Gathered From Great Voices On LinkedIn

I’m a bit overdue, but here we have the first post of 2024. Over the last couple of months, I've fully immersed myself into introspection about my goals for this coming year. Rather than create wildly new resolutions, I’ve committed to focusing in on existing momentum to extend the reach of my impact even further.

Speaking of which, Social Feed has been a great vessel in amplifying my LinkedIn presence. Excited about sharing my work with everyone, I’ve naturally leaned into the platform where my audience is most active. And since the last newsletter, I surprisingly woke up one morning to a gold community badge of “Top Influencer Marketing Voice”.

While not a specific milestone I had set out to achieve, the acknowledgement is certainly appreciated. However, what I value even more is the one-to-one recognition that I’ve received from those who have enjoyed what I’ve shared thus far.

Working in influencer marketing, I often get asked, “would you want to be an [online] influencer?” Although an understandable question, the issue was always rooted in my lack of passion. I’ve given poor attempts at content creation before; mostly because, I never possessed enough true care for the most popular categories to create a consistent stream of content.

Yet, in the recent months, LinkedIn has sparked new inspiration. By tapping into professional conversations that truly excite me, I’ve maintained a genuine interest in online engagement. And funny enough, the evolving landscape of platform behavior seems to be offering an alternative "influencer" path from Instagram or TikTok.

Because of this, I am noticing more than ever that many people are embracing their unique voices and professional interests on LinkedIn.

As I work to grow and refine my own voice, I’ve developed a deep admiration for professionals who maintain their impact both at work and online. Being a changemaker in real life is a heavy undertaking, and dedicating time to create an impact online only adds to the weight.

In this particular newsletter, I wanted to recognize a few Black voices on LinkedIn that I see excel on the platform. Not only do I love the opportunity to spotlight great talent, but I’ve also found valuable gems in their approach.

To ground ourselves in what it means to excel, let’s first take a look at the basic requirements for relevancy:

With this as the baseline, here are some gems I’ve gathered from a range of notable professionals that add a little extra to their LinkedIn profiles:

Everette Taylor

Background: Everette Taylor is not only the current CEO of Kickstarter, but also a prime example of modernized leadership. With extensive experience contributing to startups, he’s shown the indispensable value of entrepreneurial and marketing acumen in the present day. His relatively expedited career path is a testament to the importance of adaptability, innovation & personal branding.

Caroline Wanga

Caroline Wanga is President & CEO of Essence Ventures and an internal architect of organizational culture. From early days to the highest senior level roles, Caroline has championed the power of always showing up as one’s authentic self. Her inspiring philosophies have been integrated into her own work & the coaching of others.

Walter T Geer III

Background: Walter Geer is a veteran in digital advertising, and currently Chief Creative Officer at VML. Leading creative for some of the top brands, he’s worked towards implementing the perfect balance of emotion & research for ad development. As part of this, Walter has amplified the call for better representation in the business of creative marketing.

Thasunda Brown Duckett

Background: Thasunda Brown Duckett is one of the top leaders in the financial industry, currently serving as the President and CEO of TIAA. With an undeniable history of accomplishments, she has established herself as a trailblazer in numerous ways. Beyond her individual advancement, she has consistently prioritized inclusivity and opportunity for others across all generations.

Elfried Samba

Background: Elfried Samba has shown what it means to have true impact at a company. The former Global Head of Social Content at Gymshark was instrumental in the brand becoming an online leader in the fitness community. With clear social wins under his belt, Elfried has recently gone on to pursue his own ventures via the creative house, Butterfly 3ffect.

As this post is shared on LinkedIn, I'm excited to hear about the other inspirational figures that the larger community is paying attention to and the lessons that those voices instill.

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Food For Thought

With the rise of content and creator inventory on LinkedIn, it is natural that we are beginning to see some brands further maximize the platform for both traditional and influencer marketing. While participation makes sense for some sectors more than others (particularly B2B), it’s clear that companies are reaping the benefits of less saturation, healthy organic reach, and a growing opportunity predicted for the future.

Interested in getting involved with Social Feed? Send an email to christina.westley@gmail.com