LinkedIn is testing yet another new feature. This time it wants to help you connect with people who are nearby – in meetings, conferences, and events.
After rolling out native videos to all Company Pages, launching its first ever video ad product, and more recently introducing GIF search in messaging, LinkedIn is testing yet another “very social” feature.
Wth “Find Nearby,” LinkedIn wants to help you connect with the people you meet during meetings, conferences, and events.
At first I thought it was a little on the creepy side. I’d expect something like this from Facebook or Tinder, but not really from the “professional network.” But taking a step back, I then understood the power of such feature for LinkedIn (and why it is the only platform where such a feature actually makes sense.)
If you have attended conferences or industry events, you have no doubt tried, successfully or not, to connect with the people you met, talked to, or listened to on stage. However, catching a name, and finding the right person on social media can sometimes be tricky. “Find Nearby” is the ultimate tool to network. Although a little creepier, the tool can also help you connect with people you have seen but not talked to at events…
“Find Nearby” uses your device’s Bluetooth to work and “scan” the people around you. Of course, all users would need to activate the feature to be discoverable. Once activated, you can choose to let people nearby discover you, for the next one to three days – or forever – which, in LinkedIn’s terms, means weekdays, 9am-5pm.
The feature first appeared in my iPhone app on Friday. A LinkedIn spokesperson confirmed that the feature is now part of a global rollout after being beta-tested among selected members back in May.
What I know for sure, as LinkedIn likes to point out, is that it “looks quiet around here.” Does that mean that the feature is only being beta tested, or that no-one around here uses LinkedIn?
Featured image: our Beat The Buzz conference in London, 2016
You might also like
More from LinkedIn
LinkedIn Is Building A Marketplace Platform For Freelancers
According to reports, LinkedIn is building a new service to let its members find and work with freelancers.
You Can Now Control Who Sees And Comments On Your LinkedIn Posts
LinkedIn is introducing controls for individual posts which let users restrict who can see and comment on them.
LinkedIn Announces The Rollout Of Product Pages
LinkedIn Marketing Solutions has announced the launch of LinkedIn Product Pages - a dedicated tab on company pages for products.
The 10 Most In-Demand Jobs In 2020 According To LinkedIn
LinkedIn has published a list of its 10 most in-demand jobs based on the number of job openings available through …
You Can Now Use LinkedIn Profile Targeting On Microsoft Advertising
Advertisers can now use Microsoft Advertising to target users based on their professional profiles with LinkedIn Profile targeting.
LinkedIn Introduces New Features On Company Pages
LinkedIn has announced new features that let Page Admins connect their employees, highlight upcoming events, and gain insights about brand followers.