LinkedIn is one of the most popular professional social networking platforms, with over 800 million members worldwide. With so many members, businesses and organizations have flocked to LinkedIn to establish an online presence and connect with professionals in their industry. But with millions of company pages on LinkedIn, which ones stand out as the most popular and engaging? Let’s take a look at some of the highest-profile LinkedIn pages according to follower count and engagement.
Measuring Popularity on LinkedIn
When determining the most popular LinkedIn pages, there are two key metrics to consider:
- Follower count – The number of LinkedIn members who have decided to follow a particular page to receive updates in their feed.
- Engagement – This includes metrics like shares, comments and likes on a page’s content. Pages generating a high-level of engagement tend to be more popular.
Follower count is a simple metric for gauging popularity, but engagement provides important context. An active, engaged audience signals that a page’s content resonates and its followers are invested in the brand. Let’s explore examples of both metrics.
Most Followers: Microsoft
In terms of sheer follower size, the current most followed LinkedIn page belongs to Microsoft. As of September 2022, Microsoft’s LinkedIn page has over 14 million followers. This massive follower count is nearly double the size of LinkedIn’s second most followed page, Amazon (7.4 million).
As one of the world’s largest and most well-known technology companies, Microsoft’s global brand recognition helps drive its huge follower base. The company utilizes its LinkedIn presence to share company news, spotlight its products and services, highlight employees and recruit talent. Its content focuses heavily on showcasing Microsoft technology and how it empowers productivity and business growth.
Most Engaging: LinkedIn Marketing Solutions
While Microsoft may have the most overall followers, the most actively engaging LinkedIn page belongs to a sub-brand – LinkedIn Marketing Solutions. This page offers marketing tips, trends and success stories aimed at marketing professionals and has extremely high engagement levels.
In 2021, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions averaged over 5,100 interactions per post. This includes likes, shares and comments – dwarfing engagement on other brand pages. For comparison, IBM averaged 650 engagements per post over the same period. LinkedIn Marketing Solution’s combination of useful, tactical content and a highly targeted audience leads to this standout engagement.
Additional Top Followed Pages on LinkedIn
While Microsoft and LinkedIn Marketing Solutions take the top spots for followers and engagement, other notable brands also boast strong LinkedIn followings and engagement levels:
Page | Followers |
---|---|
8.2 million | |
Amazon | 7.4 million |
Apple | 3.7 million |
IBM | 3.5 million |
Oracle | 2.7 million |
HP | 2.5 million |
Intel | 2.1 million |
Top companies in the technology, e-commerce, professional services and manufacturing industries have invested heavily in building their LinkedIn presence. Followers don’t necessarily indicate engagement though. For example, IBM averages only 650 interactions per post compared to LinkedIn Marketing Solution’s 5000+. Still, these follower numbers represent a massive audience reach that makes these among the most popular pages.
Most Followed LinkedIn Users
Along with company pages, LinkedIn also tracks the most followed individual influencers on the platform. The current top 5 most followed users are:
User | Followers |
---|---|
Bill Gates | 17.9 million |
Barack Obama | 6 million |
Narendra Modi | 5.5 million |
Jeff Weiner | 5.1 million |
Richard Branson | 4.6 million |
These influential business leaders, politicians and executives attract followers interested in their insights and connections. Cultivating a personal brand on LinkedIn allows them to disseminate messages directly to millions of professionals worldwide. However, high follower counts don’t always translate into engagement. For example, Barack Obama averages just over 2,100 interactions per post, far below major company pages.
Most Followed by Category
LinkedIn also showcases the most followed pages across various industries and focus areas:
Most Followed Media Companies on LinkedIn
Page | Followers |
---|---|
CNN | 19 million |
The New York Times | 10 million |
TIME | 7 million |
BBC | 6.7 million |
Forbes | 6.4 million |
Major media brands use LinkedIn to extend their audience reach and highlight their coverage. News and analysis on business and world events help drive followers and engagement.
Most Followed Non-Profits on LinkedIn
Page | Followers |
---|---|
World Economic Forum | 15 million |
United Nations | 4.9 million |
UNICEF | 1.6 million |
Red Cross | 1.5 million |
UNHCR | 1.3 million |
Non-profit organizations use LinkedIn to share their mission, programs, and opportunities for support. Followers indicate increased visibility and awareness.
Most Followed Universities on LinkedIn
Page | Followers |
---|---|
Harvard University | 3.1 million |
Stanford University | 2.3 million |
UC Berkeley | 1.7 million |
MIT | 1.5 million |
INSEAD | 1.3 million |
Leading universities maintain LinkedIn pages to connect with alumni, share thought leadership, and provide recruitment pipelines. Their global reputations drive massive followings.
Most Followed by Country
LinkedIn company page followings also break down by country. Here are some of the most followed pages in key national markets:
Most Followed in United States
Page | Followers |
---|---|
Microsoft | 14 million |
8.2 million | |
Amazon | 7.4 million |
Apple | 3.7 million |
IBM | 3.5 million |
Most Followed in India
Page | Followers |
---|---|
Narendra Modi | 5.5 million |
Tata Consultancy Services | 2.7 million |
Infosys | 1.8 million |
Accenture India | 1.2 million |
Reliance Industries | 1.1 million |
Most Followed in Brazil
Page | Followers |
---|---|
Febraban | 763,000 |
Ambev | 511,000 |
Itaú Unibanco | 406,000 |
Banco do Brasil | 389,000 |
Caixa | 332,000 |
Followings reflect important national brands. In India, politicians and IT services lead while banks dominate in Brazil. Analyzing followings by country provides insight into the major companies and influencers in each market.
Most Followed Accounts on LinkedIn Summary
In summary, while Microsoft currently has the most LinkedIn followers overall at over 14 million, the LinkedIn Marketing Solutions page generates the highest engagement. Other major companies in technology, media, banking and professional services also boast millions of followers and high engagement.
Follower count offers a simple metric for identifying popular pages, but factors like engagement provide added context. For businesses, non-profits and public figures aiming to expand their reach on LinkedIn, these benchmark follower numbers and engagement rates offer guidance on what good performance looks like.
Consistently delivering content tailored to interests and pain points results in higher engagement levels. But inherently shareable content alone is not enough. Companies and influencers also need a pre-existing brand name and audience to maximize their follower count and engagement potential.
Why Follower Count and Engagement Matter
For organizations and personal brands, LinkedIn followers represent an audience to target and the potential for increased awareness and visibility. More followers mean each post reaches more LinkedIn members. This expands content distribution without additional advertising spend.
Meanwhile, high engagement levels indicate content is resonating with followers. When followers actively like, share and comment on posts, it generates a positive halo effect. Each engagement cues the LinkedIn algorithm to show the post to more members, driving visibility. Engagement also signals follower interest. A highly engaged audience provides added incentive for brands to invest in their LinkedIn presence.
Both follower count and engagement enable brands to quantify their LinkedIn presence. These metrics allow tracking progression over time. Goals around expanding followers and improving engagement levels give brands concrete objectives for their LinkedIn strategy.
Best Practices for Growing Your LinkedIn Following and Engagement
For any organization or influencer, growing an audience and engagement on LinkedIn requires a proactive, strategic approach. Here are some top tips:
- Post consistently – Establish a regular content cadence to give followers a reason to visit your page and engage.
- Personalize content – Connect with followers by speaking to their interests, pains and goals.
- Engage with followers – Respond to comments and messages to build community.
- Use rich media – Photos, videos, presentations etc. improve engagement over text-only updates.
- Promote off LinkedIn – Cross-promote your page through email, online ads, events and other channels.
- Partner strategically – Work with influencers and companies to tap into each other’s audiences.
- Pay for visibility – Invest in LinkedIn’s advertising products to expand your follower reach.
- Analyze and optimize – Track data on top-performing posts to refine content.
With a strategic, multi-pronged approach focused on delivering audience value, it’s possible for any brand or influential individual to build an audience and engagement on LinkedIn over time.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while sheer follower count provides a simple measure of LinkedIn popularity, indicators like engagement offer a clearer picture of audience interest and value. Microsoft currently attracts the most LinkedIn followers globally, but a niche sub-brand page – LinkedIn Marketing Solutions – fosters greater participation through targeted content.
For companies, non-profits, media brands and influential individuals aiming to expand their LinkedIn presence, benchmarking against the platform’s most followed pages across categories and countries offers tangible goals. Paired with intensive audience engagement, a strategic approach gives any organization the ability to cultivate an influential and valuable LinkedIn audience over time.