LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional social network, is constantly seeking ways to improve the user experience and increase engagement on the platform. Many updates have been launched between 2022 and this year, such as “Collaborative Articles,” which aims to increase engagement using AI, SEO tools, and improved search results.
And it continues to improve. For the first time, LinkedIn wants to include suggested posts in users’ feeds, meaning users will now see content from people and brands they may not be connected with.
If you thought this could be a good opportunity for brands, you’re right. In this article, I want to explore some of LinkedIn’s recent initiatives to attract more users and increase engagement on the network, and how you can maximize the potential of these updates for your marketing strategies.
What’s new on LinkedIn?
According to the company’s Director of Products, Heidi Wang, these are LinkedIn’s latest updates:
- Guide your feed around what’s important to the user;
- Search, discover, and delve into topics of interest — posts, newsletters, groups, events, and much more;
- Unleashing the knowledge of professionals from around the world;
- Suggested posts to help users discover more about what interests them;
- Controls so that the user can say what they like (or don’t!), so that LinkedIn can continuously improve their experience.
In my opinion, the most intriguing feature LinkedIn has recently introduced is the ability for users to personalize their feed according to their specific interests and needs. This is made possible through the platform’s algorithm, which considers users’ previous activities, connections, groups, and other information to offer content that is relevant to them. Furthermore, users can choose to follow specific topics of interest and keep up with the latest developments in those areas.
With these updates, LinkedIn aims to make users’ feeds more tailored and engaging, ultimately boosting overall engagement on the platform.
How can brands and marketing professionals leverage these updates?
There are both clear and subtle ways in which these recent updates can enhance your LinkedIn strategy. Some examples are listed below:
Feed customization
The feed customization feature provides brands and marketing professionals with a valuable opportunity to connect with their target audience more efficiently. By selecting their audience’s topics of interest and creating quality content in those areas, they can increase their visibility and engagement on LinkedIn.
Furthermore, following industry-related hashtags can help identify trends and opportunities to connect with other users who share a common interest. This allows brands and marketing professionals to stay updated and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry.
Research and topic discovery
There are several opportunities for brands and marketing professionals to connect with LinkedIn users who share their interests through research and topic discovery.
The ability to search and discover posts, newsletters, groups, and events related to specific topics can be especially useful for brands and marketing professionals who want to engage with a specific target audience.
One way to take advantage of this functionality is to search for groups related to your industry and participate in relevant discussions. This allows brands and marketing professionals to connect with other users interested in a specific topic, share knowledge, and increase their presence on the platform.
Suggested posts
Similar to other social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, LinkedIn’s algorithm will now suggest posts from people and brands, even if users are not connected to them. This means that producing relevant and engaging content for your target audience is more important than ever before.
By creating valuable content that resonates with your audience, your posts have a higher chance of being recommended to the audience you want to reach, leading to increased visibility and engagement. This presents new opportunities to expand your reach and connect with a larger audience.
Moreover, suggested posts can also be used to discover new topics related to your industry or find new ways to approach existing themes, providing valuable insights that can inform your content strategy.
Make your LinkedIn a more strategic channel
To fully benefit from these LinkedIn updates, it’s important for brands and marketing professionals to understand how they work and how they can be used to improve their content and advertising strategy.
By creating relevant and personalized content, targeting ads to the right users, and utilizing the targeting tools offered by LinkedIn, brands can increase user engagement and build stronger relationships with their target audiences.
Don’t miss the chance to leverage these changes to achieve even better results in your marketing campaigns and establish a stronger presence on LinkedIn.
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