LinkedIn Is Adding GIFs To Its Messaging Feature

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LinkedIn is adding GIFs to its messaging through an exclusive partnership with Tenor, only weeks after the GIF search engine was acquired by Google.

During his testimony, Mark Zuckerberg struggled to name a true competitor to Facebook. In my opinion, this latest move from LinkedIn brings it one step closer to being “just another Facebook.”

Only weeks after being acquired by Google, Tenor is scoring yet another big victory, becoming the exclusive GIF search engine for LinkedIn. But this raises one major question: why? LinkedIn was always perceived as the “serious” platform, the business network, and one of the biggest job marketplace. Over the years, LinkedIn has tried to improve the quality of the content being shared on its feed to satisfy the needs of professionals. But the company has taken a surprising turn lately.

First, it added video. The idea was to provide professionals and companies with a modern tool to communicate with their peers and customers. Despite the lack of control over what users will share in their videos, I can see how it made sense for the platform to add native videos.

After native video, LinkedIn is now adding GIF search to its messaging feature. What is happening?

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But allow me to question the need for GIFs. Most conversations I am having on LinkedIn are fairly professional. I don’t really feel like responding to a potential client, a vendor, a recruiter or even a colleague, with a GIF.

The new GIF search feature, powered by Tenor, is available for roughly 50% of users today and will be rolling out to more users over the coming days. I have it, I won’t use it.