Can You Call Yourself an Influencer?

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?