LinkedIn is getting better and better. According to a Microsoft report, the company has seen a 34% YoY increase in LinkedIn revenue to $3.44 billion. On top of that, user engagement on the platform is also increasing. Microsoft even called the growth “record-breaking.”
We all know what caused that. The COVID-19 pandemic made professionals look for online tools they could use amid quarantines and lockdowns.
The company has decided to keep the momentum going. It is giving users more engagement options. That will boost user activity on the platform, which is crucial for LinkedIn’s growth.
LinkedIn is launching two new features that will boost user engagement. First is the comment and comment reply functionalities on the Events pages. Then, there’s the new “Repost” option, which would provide users with a new way to amplify LinkedIn updates.
Event Comments
LinkedIn Events are popular among professionals looking to grow their networks and improve their skills. It allows users to create and join professional events such as meetups, online workshops, seminars, and more. Events organized on LinkedIn could be in-person or online.
Likely, people interested in the event will have some questions. But conversations on Events pages could be a pain. However, that will change as LinkedIn introduces more comment engagement options. With this update, the tech company hopes to encourage on-topic discussion and engagement in LinkedIn Events.
There will be two ways to comment on a LinkedIn event. You can do it directly on the event post on the feed. Also, you can do it by going to the Event page in the Comments tab. Aside from commenting, you can also use these methods to react to events.
LinkedIn will allow you to engage with attendees before, during, and after the session. Furthermore, you can also reply to specific comments in-stream.
However, LinkedIn says comments will not generate notifications to the event attendees. If you want their attention, you must mention them in your comment.
LinkedIn users create more than 24,000 events in the app per week. This new feature capitalizes on that. With more comments and mentions on each event, LinkedIn increases engagements on the platform drastically.
Aside from this feature, LinkedIn Events are also now incorporated in LinkedIn’s streamlined “Boost” ad option. It enables users to bump their LinkedIn event listings.
Users will benefit greatly from this. More comment engagement options let you encourage topical discussion and promote your event. Both of these are critical to the success of the event.
LinkedIn is slowly rolling out the feature. Some users report that they already see advanced Comments in-stream. More of this feature will come soon, and it will eventually be available to all people.
Simplified “Repost” Option
You will see lots of blogs from professionals and job opportunities on LinkedIn. Sometimes you want to share those posts so your followers can see them. Or maybe you made the post yourself and want to make it reappear on your followers’ feeds.
In the past, something may deter you from doing that. You only have “Share with your thoughts” as an option. So, you have to add a comment in order to share it. It makes the task a little tedious. Also, in some instances, a comment is not needed.
LinkedIn is simplifying the Repost option in the Share menu. This update will provide a solution to the abovementioned problem. Social media expert Matt Navarra shares screenshots showcasing the feature.
As shown in the picture, you must first tap/click “Share” below the post. Then, select “Repost.” It will allow you to share the pose without adding a comment.
That will help make it easier to amplify job opportunities, says Social Media Today. Additionally, it will help streamline app engagement because users are now more likely to share posts.
Could It Be Problematic?
This new Repost option can also bring problems. For context, Chris Wetherell, the inventor of the “retweet” button, says he regrets making the feature. He did not consider how users can use it to amplify criticisms and negative opinions.
Weatherell said that the retweet button made it very easy for people to “brigade reputational harm on someone they did not like.” The feature allowed the attackers to get a false picture of a person out there faster than that person could respond. So, the retweet button is an offensive conduit, and they have not built a defense for it.
Imagine that happening on LinkedIn, a platform where people built their brand and professional reputations. It would be disastrous. Users can damage their competitor’s reputation with reposts that do not include the sharer’s opinions.
Also, while LinkedIn has improved on fake account detection, there still are fake accounts on the platform. These are more likely to use the Repost feature in a negative way.
Admittedly, users do not use LinkedIn in the same way they use Twitter. Still, this is a risk LinkedIn should not overlook. They should take a lesson from Weatherell’s mistake and prepare a line of defense for misuse of the Repost feature.
A Great Move For LinkedIn
Social media platforms are in a race to see who can do a better job at connecting people. In today’s world, that seems to be extremely important. It gives people lots of conveniences, among other things.
Microsoft’s latest performance update revealed that LinkedIn is on a steady rise. LinkedIn sessions grew 22% in the quarter the report covered. Interestingly, LinkedIn’s previous report also revealed a 22% growth in LinkedIn sessions.
These new engagement options can help the platform achieve higher results. New ways to comment will make people more likely to engage in conversations. And the ability to engage with attendees after the event repurposes that event page to a “hub” for a certain topic.
Meanwhile, Repost will make users more inclined to share posts. That increases the post’s visibility on the platform. In turn, that can increase comments. That leads to an increase in user engagement on the platform.
Overall, launching these features now when LinkedIn still has momentum is a wise decision.