This week, LinkedIn announced they are making some exciting new updates to their platform. Kapil Dattani, senior account executive at LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, outlined the changes in his recent LinkedIn post. We’ve summarized them here and included a few of our own thoughts on what they mean for LinkedIn’s users:
1) Video Cover Stories: This new feature will allow LinkedIn users to further personalize their profile photo by bringing the image to life. Traditionally, the professional headshot is the go-to move for most LinkedIn users. However, some choose to take a more creative approach. Video cover stories will marry these two styles, giving users an opportunity to showcase their unique personality while also highlighting their professional experience. I expect this feature will catch on very quickly (especially in the post-virtual world as we move into a hybrid work model) and you’ll start seeing these new profile photo formats on your own page very soon!
2) Preferred Pronouns: One positive outcome from the events of the past year is the growing respect and inclusivity being shown for those who are gender non-conforming or trans. By giving users the opportunity to include preferred pronouns on their profile, LinkedIn is building on the progress made over the last 12 months and contributing to the normalization of disclosing pronouns for all of us. Kapil said it best in his recent post, “Having this means you can show respect to everyone around how they identify themselves, and equally you can represent yourself accordingly.”
3) Creator Mode: LinkedIn will now allow users to highlight the topics that are most interesting to them at the top of their profile. The goal is to help users better engage with their networks around the subjects they post about the most and build their following. This update is directly in line with LinkedIn’s overall shift from a job board to a professional social network where content creators can promote and share their unique opinions about their careers, their industry, and the world at large. It’s clear that this is just the beginning for this new feature, so I’m excited to see what’s to come.
4) LinkedIn Live Visibility: While LinkedIn Live originally launched to select users in February 2019, it has grown in popularity over the last year. This new feature will add users’ live broadcasts to their profile background when they start streaming, increasing the visibility of their content. As LinkedIn Live continues to catch on among users, this is definitely a welcomed update for the early adopters.
5) Audio Rooms: Last, but certainly not least, LinkedIn announced they are testing a social audio experience in the app, which will allow creators on its network to connect with their community in a different and new way. Sound familiar? Yes, LinkedIn is working on a competitive solution to Clubhouse, the invitation-only audio-chat application that has blown up in the past year. This update has already seen an extensive amount of press coverage so if you want to learn more check out these articles: here, here, and here.
According to the comments on Kapil’s post, these updates are expected to roll out as soon as this week, so keep an eye out for these exciting changes on your own profile!
This roundup was spotted and shared by guest contributor Ryan Lemos from Matter.
