The evolution of LinkedIn

Is online influencing just for entertainment? Or does it have a place in the business world? LinkedIn has been a networking platform since 2002, but lately, it has evolved into something more.

So-called LinkedInfluencers are using the platform in the same vein as other social media sites, injecting inspiration into their posts to boost their personal brands and shape conversations about their industries.

On this episode of Challenge. Change., Professors Lawrence Norman and Tim Hally ’19, MBA ’20, who teach marketing at Clark’s School of Business, weigh in on whether this kind of content is beneficial and share how one can develop their personal brand messaging to cut through the online clutter to form genuine connections.

“LinkedIn has evolved from a work and internship job hub to a place to post entertainment that’s linked to work,” Norman says. “It’s become a powerful space where you’re able to promote your brand in a way that you couldn’t years ago.”

Hally says he does consider himself a LinkedInfluencer, but is cautious and thoughtful with his posts. He wants to avoid the negative connotations associated with online influencing.

“I think personal branding really is an exercise of self-awareness,” he says. “Personal branding is this conscious long-term activity of projecting thoughts, ideas, values, and experiences out into the world. We cannot control what people think of us, but we can help own our narrative, we can help shape that perception, and we can take our power back.”

Challenge. Change. is produced by Melissa Hanson for Clark University. Listen and subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Find other episodes wherever you listen to podcasts.

Alumni voices on Challenge. Change.

Humanizing Sexual Health with Alicia Gauvin ’12

Mastering your Destiny (in the Woods) with Andrew Vietze ’91

The Sublime Symphonies of Anton Bruckner with Professor Benjamin Korstvedt ’87