I see a lot of LinkedIn profiles.
I see a lot of LinkedIn professional headlines like this:
Influencer | Thoughtleader | Expert | Speaker | Author
Can you call yourself an influencer or thoughtleader?
Of course, you can call yourself anything you want but does it mean anything to others?
What if Forbes added you to their list of top influencers?
That would carry a lot of weight.
It reminds me of something I recently heard.
If you talk about yourself, it’s bragging.
If someone else talks about you, it's credibility.
Makes sense.
I wrote three editions of Ultimate Guide to LinkedIn for Business in six years.
Does that give me the right to call myself a LinkedIn influencer?
Maybe a LinkedIn expert but an influencer?
A few months ago, Perry Marshall was promoting an Influential Writing Retreat.
He said Level 1 Influence makes you rich.
Level 2 Influence does that AND changes the world.
He goes on to say INFLUENCE is larger than marketing.
Influence is far greater than mere “popularity” or being an expert.
Can you hire a PR firm to turn you into an influencer?
Did Oprah hire a PR firm to make her famous?
Nelson Mandela?
Steve Jobs?
None of them hired a PR firm to become an Influencer.
They didn’t set out to become influencers.
Deep down they had a burning desire.
A burning desire to change the world.
And nothing would stop them.
Very few people have a burning desire to change the world at their level.
Most of us are just trying to make it through today.
Steve Jobs didn’t just want to create a computer.
He wanted to create a computer you could hold in the palm of your hand.
He actually said this as he and Steve Wozniak were building the first Apple computer.
It took years, but the iPhone and iPad were the culmination of his ultimate dream.
Imagine if he was still alive today.
What would be his encore?
So, what do you think?
Can you call yourself an influencer?
I’d love to hear your opinion.
