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How to Find Influencers on LinkedIn and Contact Them

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How to Find Influencers on LinkedIn and Contact Them

LinkedIn has quietly become one of the most powerful places to discover industry voices, thought leaders, and niche creators who can help amplify your brand. Unlike other social platforms, LinkedIn is built for professional conversations - which makes it the perfect channel to find influencers who genuinely understand your industry, your audience, and the problems your product solves.

Whether you're a marketer, founder, or personal brand, knowing how to find influencers on LinkedIn and contact them the right way can open doors to strong collaborations, partnerships, and long-term relationships.

In this guide, you’ll learn the exact process professionals use, from identifying the right creators to sending outreach messages that actually get replies.

Why LinkedIn Is a Goldmine for Influencer Discovery?

Before jumping into the how-to steps, it helps to understand why LinkedIn works so well for influencer marketing:

  • LinkedIn influencers are experts, not just entertainers.
  • Audiences are highly engaged and trust professional insights
  • The platform supports B2B and B2C collaborations
  • You can easily see an influencer’s background, credibility, and achievements
  • Most influencers here are open to business conversations

Plus, when paired with an Influencer Marketing Platform, LinkedIn becomes even more powerful, helping brands automate discovery, outreach, and performance tracking.

Step 1: Define What Kind of Influencer You Need

Start with clarity. Not every influencer will be the right fit. Before searching on LinkedIn, answer the following:

1. Industry: Which field should they belong to?
2. Audience: Who follows them and why?
3. Content Style: Educational? Motivational? Technical?
4. Follower Size:

  • Nano (1K - 10K): High trust
  • Micro (10K - 50K): Strong engagement
  • Mid-tier (50K - 200K): Broader reach

5. Collaboration Goal: Lead generation, brand awareness, event promotion, etc.

Once you’re clear on these points, the search becomes significantly easier.

Step 2: Use LinkedIn Search Properly

LinkedIn’s search bar is your first and most powerful tool.

Search Using Keywords

Use terms like:

  • “Marketing expert”
  • “SaaS founder”
  • “HR consultant”
  • “Finance creator”
  • “Cybersecurity speaker”
  • “Industry thought leader”

Then apply filters:

  • People
  • Connections (1st, 2nd, 3rd)
  • Locations
  • Industries
  • Follower count
  • Content creators

Tip: Look for profiles that consistently post content. Influencers on LinkedIn usually publish insights weekly or even daily.

Step 3: Explore the “Top Voice” and “LinkedIn Influencer” Badges

LinkedIn awards special badges such as Top Voice and “LinkedIn Influencer” to creators with strong authority and engagement.

To find them:

  1. Search for topics like “Top Voice Leadership”, “Top Voice Marketing”, etc.
  2. Visit LinkedIn News pages
  3. Browse curated lists and spotlights published by LinkedIn editors

These badges instantly help you identify credible voices.

Step 4: Check Their Engagement, Not Just Follower Count

An influencer with 10K followers and strong engagement can outperform someone with 500K followers and very few interactions.

Check:

  • Number of likes
  • Quality of comments
  • Frequency of posts
  • The tone of their community
  • Whether their followers seem genuinely engaged

A simple rule: If their posts spark conversations, they’re worth reaching out to.

Step 5: Use an Influencer Marketing Platform for Faster Results

If you want to scale your influencer search, a professional Influencer Marketing Platform can save hours.

These platforms help you:

  • Discover LinkedIn influencers by niche
  • Filter by location, follower count, language, engagement rate
  • Analyze influencer performance
  • Automate outreach
  • Track campaign ROI

This is especially helpful if you’re running multiple influencer campaigns or working across different industries.

Step 6: Engage With the Influencers Before Reaching Out

One of the biggest mistakes brands make is contacting influencers out of nowhere.

Instead:

  • Like their posts
  • Comment thoughtfully
  • Share their content with your own insights
  • Tag them in relevant discussions

When they see your name repeatedly, your outreach message will feel more familiar - and more likely to get a response.

Step 7: Craft a Personalized Outreach Message

Influencers receive dozens of generic messages. To stand out, your message must feel personal and genuine.

Here’s a simple structure:

Subject: Loved your recent post on [Topic]

Message Example:

Hi [Name],
I’ve been following your insights on LinkedIn, especially your recent post about [specific topic]. The clarity and expertise you shared were genuinely helpful.

I’m working with [brand/company], and we’re exploring collaborations with creators who understand [industry/topic]. I believe your voice would align perfectly with our audience.

If you're open to it, I’d love to discuss a potential partnership.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Best,
[Your Name]

Important: Keep it short, specific, and respectful of their time.

Step 8: Follow Up Professionally

If there's no response after 3–5 days, send a polite follow-up:

  • Keep it short
  • Reaffirm the value
  • Ask a simple question like:
  • “Would you be open to exploring this?”

Two follow-ups are usually enough - don’t spam.

Step 9: Move to Email (If Needed)

Many influencers prefer email for business.

Once they show interest, ask for their preferred communication channel.

Example:
“Happy to continue here or via email - whichever works best for you.”

Step 10: Build a Long-Term Relationship

The best influencer collaborations don’t end after one post.

Strengthen the relationship by:

  • Giving feedback
  • Sharing results
  • Thanking them publicly
  • Inviting them to future campaigns
  • Offering long-term partnerships

A strong relationship transforms influencers into genuine brand advocates.

Conclusion

Finding influencers on LinkedIn is not difficult once you know where to look and how to approach them. What matters most is authenticity, personalized outreach, and choosing influencers whose values align with your brand.

Whether you're doing manual searches or using an Influencer Marketing Platform, the right combination of strategy and communication can help you connect with industry voices who elevate your brand’s reach and credibility.

READ MORE: How to Reach Instagram Influencers for Your Brand?