LinkedIn Top Voices 2016: The 10 must-know writers in marketing and social media
Every week, writers on LinkedIn publish more than 160,000 articles. So who stood out in 2016 — and who do you need to start reading now?
We've sifted through the data, looking at factors as diverse as engagement (particularly comments and shares) to follower growth, to come up with the top 10 voices in marketing and social media.
These writers covered some of the biggest—and trendiest—stories this year: the debut of instant articles on Facebook, how to Snapchat like a Kardashian and how Amazon is redefining our futures. They touched on themes as diverse as the upheaval of the entertainment industry to workplace bullying, from the power of small data to the enduring influence of words.
Here are the top 10 marketing and social media writers on LinkedIn in 2016:
Tom Goodwin | EVP, Head of Innovation, Zenith Media
What he writes about: Goodwin explores issues at the heart of technological change where behaviors, new platforms and societal movements converge. This includes why the problem of creativity, why Apple hasn’t cracked wearables and how 5G connectivity will transform mobile (again). “Change has never been faster but will never be so slow again,” he says.
His favorite post: “Why the future of TV isn’t TV,” a dive into how digitization has changed the trajectory of entertainment. “It got a lot of people engaged and started a big debate,” says Goodwin.
Where he gets his best ideas: “I have ideas too often; the hard thing is narrowing them down. It's an incredible time to be alive,” says Goodwin. “I'm lucky to travel a lot and see the world. I get ideas by looking around and joining the dots.”
Michael Spencer | Freelance Copywriter
What he writes about: Spencer calls himself “a cross-disciplinary futurist,” taking on topics as diverse as social media, retail, inclusion and global technology through the lens of technology. “I consider myself an advocate of diversity, with a prolific interest in the future of work, commerce and technological change,” he says.
His favorite post: “How Amazon is secretly altering the future,” which was shared over 1,000 times. “It signaled to me how relevant that intersection of technology with commerce is, with Amazon leading the way,” says Spencer. “More so than governments or the people, it’s technology companies that change the world.”
A fact that isn’t in his LinkedIn profile: “Creative writing was the backbone of my evolution as a writer,” says Spencer. “Writing short poems, over some 8,000 or so of them, trained me to process information facilitating a natural voice not filtered by years of journalism, necessarily correct grammar or formulaic writing.”
Martin Lindstrom | Author, Lindstrom Company
What he writes about: Lindstrom, author of the New York Times best-seller “Small Data,” explores consumer psychology and how subconscious signals influence up to 85 percent of every decision we make on a daily basis — and how companies use these signals to get ahead.
His favorite post: “LEGO engineered a remarkable turnaround of its business. How’d that happen?” LEGO was barely surviving a decade ago but an 11-year-old German boy helped change that. “The article covers the very essence of what I believe in — the true power of small data and true consumer observation is able to turn major businesses around if you’re just open to listen and act,” says Lindstrom.
Where he does his best writing: “While swimming,” says Lindstrom. “I call this the 'watermoment' — in fact my latest book, “Small Data”, was 100 percent written in the pool, taking notes in each end as I was thinking and reflecting on life.”
Glenn Leibowitz | Group Head of External Relations, Greater China, McKinsey & Company
What he writes about: Communication is at the heart of what Leibowitz writes about, from how to become a prolific writer to the power of podcasting to Shakespeare’s enduring business terms. “Writing is a fundamental and powerful tool for communicating effectively, and learning how to do it well can be enormously helpful in your professional and personal life,” he says.
His favorite post: “This Woman Helped Put the First Man on the Moon,” chronicling the little-known work of Margaret Hamilton, who was instrumental to the success of the Apollo 11 mission and was awarded one of 21 Presidential Freedom Awards in November. “It's indicative of a larger problem: the gender gap in computing," says Leibowitz. "The point I make is that young girls like my daughter need to learn about more role models like her."
What he thought would be big in 2016 that didn’t pan out: “With all the hype and the different apps available, I thought live video would be bigger in 2016,” says Leibowitz. “The shutdown of so many apps is an indication of how it hasn't gained as much traction as expected.”
Dennis Williams II | Content Marketing Manager, Augment
What he writes about: Williams, who oversees content curation and strategy for augmented reality platform Augment, takes a millennial perspective on the future of content and how it relates to technology. “I explore the dynamic between digital platforms and their audiences, specifically how content is used to bridge the gap,” he says.
His favorite post: “Defying stigmas: How I went from homeless to the Big Apple,” a deeply personal look at how he achieved professional success. “I debated on publishing such a story for a good while, but I felt others who were in a similar position could benefit from my experiences,” says Williams. “By sharing part of my story, I had hope that others who were facing various obstacles could get the inspiration to ignite their fire despite every reason standing against them.”
Where he does his best writing: "Believe it or not I do my best writing on the train in the notes of my phone or in my apartment with the lights off!”
Marianne Griebler | Marketing Communications Strategist, Writer and Speaker
What she writes about: Griebler touches on an assortment of topics, ranging from workplace culture to marketing communications and the power of language. “Words are among our smallest but mightiest tools on the job, accessible to all and with tremendous power to hurt or heal, encourage or defeat,” she says. “I’m increasingly drawn to starting conversations about how we can harness their potential for the right reasons.”
Her favorite post: “Jargon can’t hide the insensitivity of Macy’s layoff announcement,” an analysis of the department store’s January 6th news that it would be laying off as many as 4,800 workers. “So many people reached out to me, via LinkedIn, email and phone to share their horrifying experiences with one of America’s premium retail brands,” says Griebler. “I felt as if I had been entrusted with stories that were so personal and filled with pain. If even one HR director thinks differently about how to publicly announce a layoff, I’ll die happy.”
The company she most admires: “BuzzFeed, for refusing to be confined by any conventions,” says Griebler. “Yes, while they still post endless ‘listicles’ with cat GIFS, they have also become a trusted source for breaking news and political coverage. Their appeal crosses generational divides once thought insurmountable. I especially admire their almost protean ability to reinvent themselves, making smart pivots to take advantage of opportunities more traditional news outlets would turn their noses up at.”
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Jan Rezab | Founder, Socialbakers
What he writes about: Rezab, a serial entrepreneur who started his first business at age 15, writes extensively about digital technology and entrepreneurship. He’s especially interested in “the trends, future, and societal impact of social media.”
His stand-out post of the year: “Instant articles taking over — Is Facebook helping or hurting media companies?” Rezab takes a deep look at Facebook’s Instant Articles and how they are set to redefine the modern media industry.
One of his memorable quotes: “Media companies are afraid that Facebook will change the model, change the distribution — and change the monetization. They see it as giving content out to someone else, and effectively outsourcing the user experience (the second part being true),” writes Rezab. “I don’t really think that media companies should be scared of that.”
Katie Martell | On-Demand Marketer
What she writes about: Martell, a Boston-based marketing consultant, writes about “what’s working — and what’s completely ridiculous — about this strange world of marketing,” she explains. “I write articles that are primarily driven by my experiences in the realm of B2B marketing, tech and entrepreneurship, but also from the perspective of operating in this space as a female millennial.”
Her favorite post: “Leaving a ‘real job’ to become a consultant (AKA what the F did I just do?!)” When Martell shifted her career path from being a startup founder and CMO to open her own consulting practice, she wrote out her thought process and the fear and uncertainty involved with such a decision. “I received nearly 200 emails in response to the piece,” says Martell. “It was a really validating feeling to help others just by sharing my own journey.”
Something she thought would be big in 2016 but wasn’t: “I thought we'd see more adoption of marketing tech — I don't mean buying tools; I mean actually integrating them into the ways in which marketing teams operate,” says Martell. “What we're seeing instead is a lot of hype in the marketing tech world situated next to marketing practitioners who are wondering… how do I actually get this done? This gap is a huge opportunity for martech brands to educate / guide their customers through the confusion and into the kind of future their technology promises.”
Taylor Loren | Content Marketing Manager, Later
What she writes about: Loren, who works for a Vancouver-based visual marketing agency, is an expert in all things Instagram and Snapchat. She understands the visual component to marketing that’s taken over everyone’s social feeds and likes “to educate people about how to grow their business using photos, videos and modern content marketing,” she says.
Her favorite post: “Here’s what Kim Kardashian just taught Taylor Swift about social media and Snapchat,” which outlines the core elements to succeeding at the ever-elusive Snapchat marketing game. “I love this post because it incorporated Snapchat strategies into a timely, pop culture event and was able to construe not only why Snapchat was important, but the lessons that businesses could learn from it,” says Loren.
How she comes up with her best ideas: “For my visual content marketing trend pieces, I always look to celebrities and teenagers to see how they are interacting with and using social media,” says Loren. “A lot of marketers may discount the value of Kylie Jenner's Instagram, but when you take a deeper look, you're able to spot trends in the comments section. I also love asking my teenage cousins and their friends about what apps they're using and obsessed with — because of them, I've been on Snapchat way longer than most people my age!”
Anna O’Dea | Founder & CEO, Agency Iceberg
What she writes about: O’Dea, a recruitment expert in her native Australia, publishes a hit series through her company called “Leading Ladies” that explores issues as diverse as sexuality, paternity policies, equal rights and workplace bullying. “I am a firm believer that if employees see that it’s OK to be themselves, and that it’s one of Iceberg’s values, they will feel more comfortable bringing their authentic self to work,” she says.
Her favorite post: “‘Managers aren’t always promoted for leadership or people skills,’” an interview with a NYC PR executive that shined a light on a sensitive issue. “When Suzanne Tonks discussed bullying in the workplace and called employers accountable for openly discussing the issue, our inbox was flooded with emails from job seekers and employees alike applauding us for shining a light on this issue,” says O’Dea.
The story she thought would be big in 2016 that wasn’t: “Job sharing is still disappointingly perceived as ‘too hard’ for many employers,” says O’Dea. “Sharing a role between two high performers will deliver results as well as contribute to a more diverse workforce with a more advanced skill set. Despite research indicating performance will be higher, it’s still not happening.”
Bring any hard-to-crack nut in SEO | Freelance b2b marketing writer | Active SEO strategist since 2017 | DeFi & NFTs | I share tips on clickup.com, entrepreneur.com, benzinga.com, hackernoon.com, etc
1yYou didn't include Jon Morrow and Henneke Duistermaat. I'll forgive you for that😌 But these two writers are still the top two, for me.
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4yWhat an achievement!. I will be part of this amazing group of writers!
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6y---The story she thought would be big in 2016 that wasn’t: “Job sharing is still disappointingly perceived as ‘too hard’ for many employers,” says O’Dea. “Sharing a role between two high performers will deliver results as well as contribute to a more diverse workforce with a more advanced skill set. Despite research indicating performance will be higher, it’s still not happening.”--- That's because putting two people onto one job creates dysfunction.