10 LinkedIn GEEKS

VIVEKA VON ROSEN

HEADLINE: LinkedIn Expert & Author: LinkedIn Marketing Hour a Day | International Keynote Speaker | Forbes Top 20 Most Influential
LOCATION: Loveland, Colorado
PREMIUM: Yes
PUBLISHER: 37 posts
RECOMMENDATIONS: 98 received / 86 given
ENDORSEMENTS: 99+ (50 Skills)
FOLLOWERS: 31,000
RECENT ACTIVITY: 21
URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linkedinexpert

Viv is one of the most visible and prolific LinkedIn geeks I know. She’s spirited, funny, self-deprecating and knows more about LinkedIn than some of the people who work there. Big hearted, always smiling, naturally warm and one of the leading lights on the LinkedIn training scene. Most people who teach LinkedIn know who she is, but more importantly, like and respect her. There’s no order to this list but if there was, Viv would be at the top.

BRYNNE TILLMAN

HEADLINE: Transforming the Way Professionals Grow Their Business by Leveraging LinkedIn & Social Selling ►Learn How in My Summary
LOCATION: Greater Philadelphia Area
PREMIUM: Yes
PUBLISHER: 157 posts
RECOMMENDATIONS: 159 received / 88 given
ENDORSEMENTS: 99+ (29 Skills)
FOLLOWERS: 18,000
RECENT ACTIVITY: 68
URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brynnetillman

Brynne is whip smart, fast thinking, fast talking and cuts to the chase. She knows all about 3rd party software which works to squeeze value out of the LinkedIn platform. Social selling is her thing and she’s one of the best proponents of it on and via LinkedIn. Her mantra: “attract, teach and engage” is something we should all be doing, or trying to at least.

BRUCE JOHNSTON

HEADLINE: My clients get more prospects in less time using LinkedIn, along with a system to select the best way to approach them
LOCATION: Toronto, Canada
PREMIUM: Yes
PUBLISHER: 45 posts
RECOMMENDATIONS: 12 received / 10 given
ENDORSEMENTS: 99+ (14 Skills)
FOLLOWERS: 4,700
RECENT ACTIVITY: 25
URL: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/brucejohnston115

Bruce Johnston does a great job of understanding LinkedIn and turning that deep knowledge into something of great value for his clients. His specialty is leveraging LinkedIn search to find prospects for whatever you’re selling or whomever you’re targeting. He does the fishing and also teaches clients how to fish. I love the way his inquisitive, no-nonsense, razor sharp mind works; his publisher posts are always worth reading, his style can best be described as a convivial professor who pokes fun and holes where necessary. When LinkedIn does something stupid or ridiculous, he’ll call them on it.

DONNA SVEI

HEADLINE: Executive Resume Writer | LinkedIn Profile Writer | Interview Coach | Retained Search Consultant
LOCATION: Greater Los Angeles Area
PREMIUM: Yes
PUBLISHER: 15 posts
RECOMMENDATIONS: 32 received / 3 given
ENDORSEMENTS: 99+ (9 Skills)
FOLLOWERS: 8,300
RECENT ACTIVITY: 37
URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnasvei

Donna once said in a comment to one of my posts “LinkedIn do software updates like someone trying to fix a bike while they’re riding it”. That’s a great example of how expressive and perceptive she is in written conversation, she’s extremely good at LinkedIn and marketing via the written word. “I collaborate with my clients to write job-winning resumes and profiles.” If I was looking for someone to write my resume, I’d enlist Donna’s help in a heartbeat. Her blog, www.AvidCareerist.com is a very useful resource for anyone needing resume or job search advice/help.

CRYSTAL THIES

HEADLINE: Helping Grow Sales & Clients with LinkedIn | Social Media Handbook for Financial Advisors | The LinkedIn Ninja since ’10
LOCATION: Cincinnati Area, KY
PREMIUM: Yes
PUBLISHER: 6 posts
RECOMMENDATIONS: 38 received / 8 given
ENDORSEMENTS: 99+ (9 Skills)
FOLLOWERS: 4,000
RECENT ACTIVITY: 3
URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalthies

Crystal aka “LinkedInNinja” is someone who does very well in her niche. She’s a former financial planner who is best placed to guide/coach financial advisors because she can “understand the unique challenges faced by those regulated by FINRA, the SEC, and IIROC in utilizing LinkedIn”. Similar to Brynne, she has a deep knowledge of software in relation to making social platforms (not just LinkedIn) more efficient and valuable. Similar to Bruce, she takes a big picture view of the LinkedIn platform and is quick to understand the user ramifications of many of the platform changes which regularly occur, usually without warning or explanation. Sharp as that ninja samurai blade she wields.

DAVID PETHERICK

HEADLINE: I make you visible, legible & credible online ✔️ LinkedIn® Profile Writer ● Doctor LinkedIn™ ● Edinburgh London NYC
LOCATION: Edinburgh, United Kingdom
PREMIUM: Yes
PUBLISHER: 141 posts
RECOMMENDATIONS: 45 received / 16 given
ENDORSEMENTS: 99+ (6 Skills)
FOLLOWERS: 3,400
RECENT ACTIVITY: 29
URL: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/davidpetherick

He trademarked “Doctor LinkedIn” for crying out loud! That’s an indication of how committed and how astute David Petherick is. He’s also one of the most innovative LinkedIn geeks I know; first to use soundcloud to share his LinkedIn knowledge (perfect for folks to listen to while they’re driving or unable to read), first to do an extended marketing blitz (30 LinkedIn Tips in 30 days) flexing his intellectual muscles, leaning heavily on his impressive digital marketing background (BBC, no less). Sophisticated, smart, urbane and a great ambassador for the LinkedIn teaching crowd.

MELONIE DODARO

HEADLINE: HEADLINE: International #1 Bestselling Author of The LinkedIn Code ♦ LinkedIn Expert ♦ Keynote Speaker ♦ Social Selling Evangelist
LOCATION: British Columbia, Canada
PREMIUM: Yes
PUBLISHER: 75 posts
RECOMMENDATIONS: 130 received / 24 given
ENDORSEMENTS: 99+ (42 Skills)
FOLLOWERS: 26,000
RECENT ACTIVITY: 6
URL: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/meloniedodaro

Melonie recently published her first book on LinkedIn, The LinkedIn Code (4.5 stars on Amazon). She focuses on training, lead generation and social selling. She’s got a long list of professional accolades and operates and markets under the ’Top Dog Social Media’ brand. Definitely a top dog, she’s worked hard and cleverly to rise to the upper echelon of LinkedIn trainers. She’s one of 3 proud Canadians on this list.

SID CLARK

HEADLINE: LinkedIn Coach, Blogger and Investigator, English Instructor, ACT/SAT Prep Tutor, MS Excel Specialist
LOCATION: Orange County, California Area
PREMIUM: Yes
PUBLISHER: 47 posts
RECOMMENDATIONS: 6 received / 5 given
ENDORSEMENTS: 99+ (3 Skills)
FOLLOWERS: 1,400
RECENT ACTIVITY: 136
URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sidclark

Sid is a relative newcomer to the LinkedIn teaching scene, I only became aware of him recently but I follow what he says and does closely. What distinguishes him is his thorough, detail-oriented approach to sharing practical wisdom, tips and tricks. Some of his recent publisher posts: ”Working around the Commercial Use Limit” and “InMail Can Be Free of Charge–Sometimes” are typical of his approach and focus on wringing maximum value without spending big bucks. Another feature of Sid’s approach I love – his clear, supportive and thoughtful graphics.

IRINA SHAMAEVA

HEADLINE: Master Sourcer, Researcher, Sourcing Certification Founder, Boolean Strings Recruiter, Speaker @braingain
LOCATION: San Francisco Bay Area
PREMIUM: Yes
PUBLISHER: 87 posts
RECOMMENDATIONS: 6 received / 5 given
ENDORSEMENTS: 99+ (17 Skills)
FOLLOWERS: 31,000
RECENT ACTIVITY: 17
URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinashamaeva

Irina’s expertise in search applies to LinkedIn and google, anywhere in fact where search engines can be made to work smarter for you using boolean search keywords and operators. Though her natural audience are recruiters, her search methodology, hacks and guidance are incredibly useful to anyone looking to find people and information. “Sourcing is part art and part science. The “art” part is gradually becoming more important because of the complexity and volume of information to dive into and because of increasingly smart – but not smart enough – tools.” In other words she’s a search artist who understands the science. She also knows a heck of a lot about LinkedIn.

ME (ANDY FOOTE)

HEADLINE: Google “LinkedIn Summary” – I wrote that!
LOCATION: Greater Chicago Area
PREMIUM: Yes
PUBLISHER: 12 posts
RECOMMENDATIONS: 8 received / 3 given
ENDORSEMENTS: 99+ (19 Skills)
FOLLOWERS: 7,000
RECENT ACTIVITY: 32
URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linkedinsights

Lastly and leastly, me. Began studying LinkedIn in 2008, I experimented by building communities via LinkedIn groups and only started blogging about the platform in 2012. My first posts were pretty awful, I like to think I got better. In 2013 one of my posts “3 Stunningly Good LinkedIn Profile SUMMARIES” landed on the first page of google searches for ‘LinkedIn Summary’. This fluke essentially created my LinkedIn coaching/consulting business. I’m one of the luckiest people on this list. I think people do their best work when they love what they do. That’s certainly true in my case. Stay geeky everyone.

linkedinsights@gmail.com / 773.469.6600