LinkedIn Changes and Updates
Looking for some change? LinkedIn has some that you should know about.
Consistency is key in marketing right? Consistent changes also seem to be LinkedIn’s marketing game this year.
LinkedIn got a makeover- did you notice?
Did you notice the subtle changes to the color scheme on LinkedIn? Gone are the big bold blue boxes. It’s been replaced with hues of gray, blue and green. So why did LinkedIn make this change? I think because it felt outdated. I mean they had the same colors since I’ve been on the platform and it was rather loud. I hear, they simply wanted to create a more simple and modern look.
Gone are the hard edges and squares, say hello to round edges and a softer look. There is a lot more white space also, making it look brighter.
Open to work on LinkedIn
Not to state the obvious, but unemployment rose exponentially in 2020. To help those searching for positions, and recruiters find available candidates more efficiently, LinkedIn now offers a feature to show you’re Open-To Work.
It’s a modest, subtle way of getting eyes on your profile without having to say “unemployed” or “job searching”. When you display your profile up as Open To Work, your page will automatically get #openforwork which shows up in your photo when you like and comment on posts. This is a great reason to start engaging more by commenting on other people’s content!
Messages get new features!
Changes to messaging. Out-of-Office reply (which I recently used while we were moving), bulk edit and delete — finally!
Where do I start? I haven’t been a fan of the LinkedIn Inbox, you can't organize or sort your messages, but now you can manage bulk messages. LinkedIn recognized the deficiencies and are adding features that will make your messaging life a lot easier.
You can select multiple messages and archive, delete or mark “read” or unread with one simple click.
Speaking of deleting messages- how many times have you sent something and quickly realized there is a typo? Or maybe you forgot to actually attach your resume? LinkedIn has a new feature where you can delete or edit messages sent within the last 60 minutes. Make sure it’s worth having an “Edited” or “Deleted” tag with it though.
In my opinion, I’d rather a recruiter see I edited a message instead of trying to ignore the fact I misspelled the word “definitely”.
In addition, LinkedIn has now offered you the ability to reply with emojis. You’re not limited to the same 6 “like” “support” “celebrate” “insightful” “love” or “curious” that are in content posts, you can hover over the message and choose from the emoji library.
Finally! Let’s Start a Video Meeting on LinkedIn!
Less clicks, quicker meetings.
In the past you had to jump around from one platform to another to start a video meeting (#exhausting) but now you can start a video meeting right in the message thread!
Simply click on the video meeting icon in the message thread and choose which platform you want to use (Microsoft Teams, Zoom or BlueJeans). You’ll need to have an account already established with the platform you choose.
“In the message thread, either with another individual or with a group of people, simply click the video meeting icon, and select a provider to sign-in or register. Once complete, you'll be able to automatically generate a unique video meeting link within any message threads on LinkedIn."
On your mobile device it’s inside the “Write a message…” box.
Group Chat
Instead of the awkward “Let them know I sent you,” you can now seamlessly introduce your friend or family member to someone you know who’s hiring.
Or maybe you’re the type of person to start a group chat with the office to let everyone know there’s no more toilet paper...
To start a group chat select a new message and add the people you want to add to the conversation. Everyone is an admin and can add and remove members as well as change the chat name.
Group Features
You can add up to 50 people
You can remove or add people at anytime in the conversation
When someone is added they WILL see previous group chat messages- keep in mind when adding people to existing message threads
This feature is not meant for mass messaging- Report and leave any group chats that are outside communication relevant to you.
LinkedIn Stories
When LinkedIn first announced they were adding stories as a new feature, I was like, really LinkedIn? Who are you Instagram? Facebook? I was worried that LinkedIn would start feeling like IG or FB.. I was totally against it.
But then a funny thing happened, I read some stories (they were informative, telling me about a new tip or an upcoming live show) and then I commented on one, and it started a conversation between me and someone in my network that I really wanted to get to know, but hadn’t. That led to a Zoom call which is leading to other great things like guest appearances on each others’ show! So I guess I’m a fan now...a fan of LinkedIn Stories.
Conversations are the heart of your online community/network.
Here are some tips on how to use LinkedIn Stories:
1. Keep it Professional - this isn’t Instagram.
2. Show behind the scenes images of your office, training or speaking gigs.
3. Share new tech tools. Headphones, cameras, or gadgets that help us stay connected in this virtual world or make running a business easier.
Stories are only available via the mobile app and are only visible for 24 hours.
Some of these changes might be great for you while others might be *meh*. My advice, give them a try. See which ones might enhance your LinkedIn game.
Want more LinkedIn tips? Then you’ll want to subscribe to my YouTube channel because in 2021 we are creating a bunch of “how to” videos.
Subscribe here:
https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCRzQSpLwHRhddUMd0Q8ylmg