When Microsoft acquired LinkedIn in 2016 it indicated that there will be upcoming changes in the nature of people’s favorite professional networking platform.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadela specifically mentioned,
“The more we grow LinkedIn, the better it benefits Microsoft.”
Following that vision, many changes have been made to the platform, and as we understand these are not only beneficial for Microsoft, but also for LinkedIn itself and for millions of businesses as well.
In this Review, we discuss the recent changes in LinkedIn, and how this ‘change-strategy’ is going to affect LinkedIn in the long term, and also what businesses can do to leverage it in the best possible way.
Recent Changes in LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a professional networking platform that connects people, and companies. It has over 800 million members and 55 million registered companies. LinkedIn is considered an essential channel for any B2B marketer, as it allows them to reach potential customers, partners, and employees.
LinkedIn has been making some changes to its platform in recent years, some of which may resemble Instagram. Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, has been a vocal advocate for the platform’s recent changes. In a number of interviews and blog posts, Hoffman has argued that the changes are necessary to make LinkedIn more relevant to the needs of today’s professionals.
Hoffman has said that the changes are designed to make LinkedIn more “social” and “visual.” These changes are designed to make LinkedIn more accessible to mobile users. Further he mentioned that these changes will make LinkedIn more “personalized” and the company is using artificial intelligence to personalize the content that users see, based on their interests and job title.
Here are some of the key changes made to the platform:
1. New design:
LinkedIn has rolled out a new design that is more modern and user-friendly. The new design features a cleaner layout, larger fonts, and more white space. It also makes it easier to find and use the features that you need.
2. Focus on video content:
LinkedIn has been making a big push into video content in recent months. The company has added new features such as live streaming and video resumes. Live streaming allows users to broadcast live video to their connections, while video resumes allow users to create video versions of their resumes. LinkedIn has made it easier for users with disabilities to watch and interact with videos on the platform. This includes adding closed captions and transcripts to all videos, as well as providing a way for users to control the speed of playback.
3. Focus on job search:
LinkedIn has added new tools and resources to help users find their next job. These tools include a new job search engine, a job board, and a resume builder.
LinkedIn has made it easier for users to find jobs that are a good fit for their skills and experience. This includes adding new filters to the job search results page, as well as providing more information about each job opening.
4. More personalized experience:
LinkedIn is using artificial intelligence to personalize the newsfeed, recommendations, and other features.
For example: If you’ve been viewing jobs in the marketing field, LinkedIn might recommend other marketing professionals to connect with, or it might suggest articles or videos about marketing that you might be interested in. Also, LinkedIn might use AI to suggest relevant jobs that you might not have found otherwise.
5. Greater emphasis on community:
LinkedIn is also placing a greater emphasis on community. The company has added new features such as groups and events. Groups allow users to connect with other professionals who share their interests, while events allow users to attend live events with other LinkedIn users.
6. Post scheduling:
LinkedIn now allows users to schedule posts in advance, so they can share content at times when their audience is most likely to see it. This is a great way to stay top-of-mind with your connections and followers.
7. Content analytics:
LinkedIn now provides users with more insights into how their content is performing. This includes information about how many people have seen their posts, how many people have clicked on links, and how many people have engaged with their content.
8. Updates to B2B product search:
LinkedIn has made it easier for businesses to find the products and services they need. This includes adding new category filters and improving the relevance of the product pages.
Reasons Behind These Changes
The recent changes in LinkedIn are being done to make a strategic shift in its primary appeal. LinkedIn is trying to move away from being just a job board and become a more comprehensive professional network. Social media has become an increasingly important part of people’s lives, and LinkedIn is no exception. Hence it took the route of Instagram to be more ‘social’ and ‘visual’, as also said by Hoffman. If we look closely at these two platforms, LinkedIn now have almost all the features of Instagram.
For example: You can now add several types of posts in LinkedIn, such as photo, video, template, event, celebrate, job, poll, document and services. Now if we look at the post features of Instagram we will see that all these features, except jobs and services, are present there too. Also, LinkedIn’s new post scheduling feature is totally similar to Instagram.
In order to stay relevant, LinkedIn is making sure that it is offering a platform that is both informative and engaging. The company is doing this by adding new features that make it easier for users to connect with each other, share content, and learn new things. The nature of work is changing, and LinkedIn has adapted its platform to make it easy to use for people who are not in the office.
To provide personalized experiences to its users LinkedIn is using artificial intelligence to personalize the content that users see, based on their interests and job title. Similar to social media platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn is also promoting the sense of community by suggesting connections with common goals and interests, enabling a platform for people to build their professional networks and find jobs and opportunities.
How will these changes affect LinkedIn’s future?
Hoffman has said that he is confident that the changes will make LinkedIn more successful in the long run. He has said that the company is “on the right track” and that he is “excited about the future of LinkedIn.”
LinkedIn’s financial performance is closely tied to its user growth and engagement. According to its parent company Microsoft, LinkedIn’s revenue grew 27% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2022, driven by strong demand for its marketing solutions and learning products. LinkedIn also reported a record level of engagement, with sessions up 30% year-over-year and content shared up 50% year-over-year. These metrics indicate that LinkedIn’s recent changes are having a positive impact on its financial performance by increasing its user base and retention.
How can you leverage the newly evolved LinkedIn?
Here are some of the latest features that businesses can leverage to enhance their presence and performance on LinkedIn:
1. Videos with Auto Captions and High Contrast:
The add video feature of LinkedIn is a great opportunity for businesses to connect with their audience by being more creative with their content as on Instagram. Also, there is a live streaming feature that allows businesses to connect to their audience and respond to their queries in real time. Besides, LinkedIn has recently taken steps to make videos more accessible for hearing or visually impaired individuals. Captions are automatically generated and can be edited by the user before posting. These features can help businesses reach a wider and more diverse audience and demonstrate their commitment to inclusion and accessibility.
2. LinkedIn Events Analytics:
LinkedIn Events Analytics provides valuable insights into the performance and impact of virtual or in-person professional gatherings. Businesses can track metrics like views, registrations, attendees, engagement, and feedback. Additionally, they can download attendee lists for follow-up. This tool helps measure and enhance event strategies and ROI on LinkedIn.
3. LinkedIn Creator Mode:
LinkedIn Creator Mode enables users to highlight their content creation skills and attract followers. By selecting relevant hashtags, users can showcase their expertise and display their content in the Featured section of their profile. This feature helps businesses establish thought leadership, build their personal brand, and grow their follower base.
4. LinkedIn Advertising:
Instagram is the popular go to platform for businesses for advertising. But recently LinkedIn is actively promoting its advertising solutions and it can prove much more beneficial for businesses. In Instagram not every user is looking for products or services because it is a platform for varied interests. But LinkedIn is a dedicated platform to promote the interests of, not only job seekers, but also businesses and service providers. In this platform people are actively looking for networking, services, and expertise, hence posting advertisements on LinkedIn can be a big plus for businesses.
Conclusion
LinkedIn has evolved to be more user-friendly and engaging, and for businesses, these features hold great opportunities for growth. The newly inducted features of LinkedIn enable businesses to be more creative with their contents, engage with their audience more efficiently, and showcase their expertise, services, and products to a wider audience more effectively.
That’s all for now, share your LinkedIn journey with us in our comment section.
