Simu Liu joins LinkedIn: Why celebs need to build a brand beyond the spotlight

Actor Simu Liu joined LinkedIn just two weeks ago, following the footsteps of fellow celebrities Selena Gomez, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Alba, Snoop Dogg and Shaquille O'Neal in creating an account on the professional networking platform. The actor shared his new account on Instagram, calling it a "triumphant return" and attached photos of him before his acting career where he was a stock photo model.

On his LinkedIn, Liu's experience featured being a general partner at Markham Valley Ventures, chief content officer at Chinese food company MìLà, a self-employed actor, a staff accountant at Deloitte and a summer marketing intern at Weston Bakeries.

"Many people know me as a Marvel superhero, and some as Ken. Some still know me as the guy behind the counter at their local Handy Car Rental, or perhaps as one of the world’s most recognisable stock photo models - factcheck pending. But before all of the glitz, the glamour and the endless shots of me posing in a corporate boardroom setting, I was just a business school graduate from Canada with no idea how his life would pan out," said Liu in his LinkedIn profile.

Industry professionals MARKETING-INTERACTIVE spoke to said that celebrities are now leveraging LinkedIn to build and create new opportunities outside of entertainment.

"Rather than seeing it as a way to boost their celebrity status, I would think that it offers them a chance to establish credibility in their professional pursuits off the screen," said Freda Yuin, CEO and co-founder of WhiteLabel PR. "Instead of being seen as someone milking their fame, LinkedIn helps them to establish a sense of authority in their chosen trade. In a way, it signals to others that they are serious about what they do and they’re ready for discussions about it with other industry players."

"In marketing and PR, we place a lot of emphasis on identifying our target audience and identifying the appropriate channels to reach out to them. In the same way, celebrities creating a LinkedIn account is simply just that," added Yuin.

In recent times, many celebrities, given their fame and network, diversified their income streams through investments and launching businesses and brands of their own. One such example includes Gomez's new beauty brand Rare Beauty where she is the brand's founder. In the case of Liu, the actor recently launched his venture capital fund, Markham Valley Ventures, and is increasingly vocal about his advocacy work as seen with the recent cultural appropriation controversy with Canadian beverage brand Bobba.

"LinkedIn is a suitable platform for him to form new networks for his venture capital fund, establish credibility among fellow industry players, as well as to consume and gather the information they need for the advancement of his new role as general partner. Trying to share or gather such information on other social media platforms designed for entertainment would likely not resonate well with his followers and not yield him the kind of professional growth he is seeking for his venture capital work," added Yuin.

Meanwhile, Jared Kong, director of Gushcloud International, a global creator and IP management and licensing company powered by AI, said that LinkedIn is "one of the most underutilised platforms for celebrities and creators looking to level up". Kong even went so far to say that "LinkedIn is where Facebook was in 2012".

"LinkedIn is no longer just for resumes or job hunting. It’s become a space for real business moves, and it provides unparalleled access to market makers, business thought leaders and decision makers. If you’re a celebrity building a business, investing, or working on a philanthropic project, LinkedIn is where you connect directly with people who make things happen—investors, entrepreneurs, and executives," said Kong.

"Celebrities, athletes and notable personalities who want to be known as more than just their chosen field of expertise are using LinkedIn to share thought leadership, announce new ventures, or support causes that matter to them. It’s a space to position themselves for the long game—not just in entertainment but in business, philanthropy, and even investment," he added.

Boosting a celebrity's brand

According to Kong, LinkedIn is a platform where celebrities can take control of their professional narrative. This includes highlighting business moves which can build a celebrity's credibility, networking with high-level professionals including CEOs, investors and founders and unlike social media deals, relationships built on LinkedIn can turn into long-term business partnerships or collaborations. 

At the same time, celebrities can leverage LinkedIn to establish thought leadership and showcase that they're not just about the spotlight. "By posting insightful content—whether on business, philanthropy, or social causes—you position yourself as a serious player in industries beyond entertainment. A good example of this is former F1 World Champion Nico Rosberg who has transitioned to a career in venture capital and who posts content specifically focused on issues around the environment, climate, and sustainability with the good work he is doing with Rosberg Ventures," explained Kong.

However, being a celebrity on LinkedIn does pose risks and challenges. This includes losing authenticity should a celebrity is unable to keep a balance of remaining relatable while building a professional brand, public scrutiny should negative comments or criticism come from business decisions, partnerships, or posts that don't resonate with their audience. There are also risks of privacy concerns and oversaturation where too much self-promotion can hurt a celebrity's brand instead of helping it, said Kong.

He explained: 

LinkedIn is a place to offer value, not just push products or partnerships. It’s important to add real insight and not just use it as another platform to advertise

To mitigate these challenges, Kong is of the opinion that celebrities should stay authentic, provide value to their connections and be thoughtful in their engagement. Yuin agrees with Kong, saying that "being a celebrity is both a blessing and a curse."

"The stardom does help to open doors, but it also puts the celebrity under magnified scrutiny and sometimes sharing professional opinions openly or publicly may cause unintended controversies. Most recent example being Liu’s comments on Bobba on an episode of Dragon’s Den," said Yuin.

"Unlike other social media platforms, where it is generally accepted that a post is your personal opinion, on LinkedIn, there is a high probability that a celebrity’s personal professional opinion may be taken as an indication of their company’s or brand’s direction as well," added Yuin.

To mitigate such situations, Yuin suggests engaging a professional communications team to help navigate tricky topics, preempt potentially contentious discourse, and establishing clear distinction between personal opinions and company directives.

Tailoring communications

With LinkedIn's tone of voice being vastly different than other social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, celebrities must also learn to tailor their communications for each platform. Yuin is of the opinion that if the celebrity is using the platform for the right reason, tailoring the messages and the tone of voice should come quite naturally. 

She said: 

"It is not so much how you say it but what you say."

"Tailoring tonality is not about writing in an impersonal or overtly formal tone on LinkedIn, rather, it is tailoring the type and value of the content that they are sharing that matters on LinkedIn. It doesn’t matter if it’s a personal story told in a less formal tone, as long as their post is insightful, offers new perspectives or new appreciation of something in their field and is relatable to those following them on LinkedIn, it is a good post," said Yuin.

Kong agrees, stating that "LinkedIn is all about depth and value. It’s not like TikTok, where it centers more on entertainment and viral content, or Instagram, which focuses on visual branding."

"LinkedIn is where you share what you are building and working on professionally and why it matters. The audience here is ready for deeper conversations—ones that can lead to insights being gleaned, and real business opportunities. For content creators, celebrities and talent within the Gushcloud network, LinkedIn offers a chance to transition from being just creators to being entrepreneurs. It is where creators can connect with brands, investors, and partners who are ready to talk business," said Kong, adding that:

With the platform still in a phase of underpriced attention, there’s never been a better time to leverage LinkedIn’s reach and potential.

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