LinkedIn has allowed users to follow companies and groups for some time, making it easier to access the top news of the day.  In an effort to expand the type of updates users receive and to provide them more interesting content, the company is now allowing them to follow a small set of “influencers.”

“Influencers” basically means “important thought leaders,” and includes the likes of Richard Branson, Arianna Huffington, President Obama, Mitt Romney, Reid Hoffman, T. Boone Pickens, Craig Newmark, and many more.  At the outset, LinkedIn will provide around 150 “thought leaders” for users to follow.  According to a blog post, LinkedIn says that they’ll continue to expand the list of influencers over the next few months.

When you follow one of these top professionals, you’ll be able to see their posts in your feed and like, comment, and share them at will.  You won’t only see posts from these top users, but also videos, photos, and slideshare presentations.

Some of these media updates will be “long-form,” including big presentations on topics like “Impact of poverty on nutrition” by celebrity chef and author Marcus Samuelsson” and “It’s not just who you know, it’s what they know” by LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner.

“We know millions of conversations take place on LinkedIn everyday. Today, we’re providing another way for you to get even more value from LinkedIn by accessing the incredible insights and information directly from some of the most recognized and influential professionals on LinkedIn. We’ve also made it even easier for you to join or start a professional discussion,” says LinkedIn’s Ryan Roslansky.

You can check here for a big list of the “influencers” currently available to follow on the network.  LinkedIn will also be recommending people to follow to users in time.