“Better late than never.” That seems to be LinkedIn‘s mantra. At least with features that is, because LinkedIn is finally taking a step toward video, with 30-second clips created by its Influencers.
You read that right. LinkedIn is not giving all users the ability to create videos on the platform. It is allowing a hand-picked group of its Influencers (numbering around 500 at the moment and including Bill Gates, Arianna Huffington, Richard Branson etc) to create short clips to discuss specific topics. The topics themselves will be curated by LinkedIn itself.
If you like our stories, there is an easy way to stay updated:
Follow @wersm
The new videos will be appearing on users’ feeds (as long as they follow a specific Influencer) and users will be able to interact with them. To create these videos, LinkedIn will be giving Influencers a special iOS app – Record.
This is just the beginning of video on LinkedIn, and although it has been slow to get this far, it’s good news for a social network that has started to get rather obscure in its inability to bring something new to the table for users.
As senior product manager at the company, Jonathan Sherman-Presser, explains
[quote]We believe there is a huge opportunity to expand the ways our members can collect and share knowledge, and video will play a role in that. We are evaluating the experience and determining the best approach for expanding video more broadly in the future.[/quote]
Sure, LinkedIn isn’t like other platforms – it has its own place and its own strengths. Yet, social networks should always be keeping up with trends, and watching carefully what users are coming to expect as features. Video is one of these. I look forward to seeing a lot more of this.
If you like our stories, there is an easy way to stay updated:
Follow @wersm
[box]Also Read: LinkedIn Display Ads Are Now Available Via Programatic Buying[/box]