LinkedIn has announced some new additions to its Creator Mode, which provides more ways for users to build their presence on the professional social network.
Adding to its existing Creator Mode elements – including LinkedIn LIVE and Newsletter access – LinkedIn is now also adding audio events, on-profile URL link display, and more ways to build your following in the app.
First off, on Audio Events – initially launched in beta mode back in January, LinkedIn is now giving all Creator Mode users access to its audio rooms option.
As you can see in this example, LinkedIn audio events are much like Clubhouse or Twitter Spaces, with the capacity to host audio discussions within the app.
Originally only available to a few selected users, LinkedIn is now making the option more broadly accessible – and really, on balance, it does seem like the option could be a better fit on LinkedIn than almost anywhere else.
With the capacity to facilitate professional connection within industry-aligned meetings and discussions, and moving in line with the broader WFH shift, audio sessions within LinkedIn could be a valuable addition – and if your favorite creators in the app start streaming on a regular basis, it could well be worth tuning in to get the latest news and updates in your sector.
Either way, it’ll be another tool to consider for those looking to build their LinkedIn presence.
LinkedIn’s also adding a new option for Creator Mode participants to add a link to the top of their LinkedIn profile, so that audiences can learn more about them and their brand.
As you can see here, the new option will enable you to add a showcase link on your LinkedIn presence, which could help to drive more referral traffic from the app.
LinkedIn’s also looking to help creators build their audience, both on platform and off, with a new way to share a quick link to your LinkedIn profile that can be embedded on websites and blogs, or forwarded in emails.
“With just one click, a person’s audience can instantly follow them on LinkedIn from any of their other platforms, making it easier to discover content on LinkedIn.”
LinkedIn’s also adding new follow buttons in the main feed and search results to help connect users with relevant voices direct, while searches on a specific company or topic will now also include recommendations for people to follow who regularly talk about those topics
Finally, LinkedIn will now automatically add a user as a follower if they send a connection request to a user who has Creator Mode turned on.
“When someone invites a LinkedIn creator to connect on the platform, that person will automatically become a follower of that creator. This means they’ll automatically start seeing the creator’s post updates in their feed even if their connection request is pending.”
Which seems a little forced, and probably not the ideal way to help users grow their audience. But the base concept is that if a user has expressed a clear, definitive interest in that creator, by sending them a connection request, that likely also means that they’re interested in what they have to share in the app.
That could be a boon for creators looking to get more followers – but again, I’m not sure that it’s as beneficial to the regular user, who may end up following people unwittingly, and cluttering their feed as a result.
I guess, a part of the problem here will be those that look to connect with people they don’t actually know, because now, they’ll end up getting a heap of updates from profiles that they don’t really care about, and were just following to improve their numbers. But that’s not how you’re supposed to use the platform, so the potential fallout, in this case, would be your own fault to a degree.
Still, it could be problematic, while growth hackers are now going to be switching on Creator Mode in record numbers in the hopes of inflating their follower counts with minimal effort.
Overall, these are some interesting additions, which provide new capacity for LinkedIn creators to build their presence in the app. The main benefit of building a presence on LinkedIn is that it can help to establish you as a thought leader in your sector, and that can have significant benefits from a professional perspective, opening up new doors and boosting your job prospects, simply by posting to the app.
These tools will definitely enhance this aspect, and you can see how they could be of significant value, in a range of ways.
The new Creator Mode options are being rolled out from today – you can learn more about Creator Mode and how to switch it on for your profile here.
