Preparing for LinkedIn Stories
Given all that is currently going on, you’ll be excused if you missed the announcement that LinkedIn has been trialling its own version of Stories, with the view of rolling this out to all users very soon. But why, why has LinkedIn decided to follow the suit of many other social platforms in adding stories to their variety of placement and posting options? Pete Davies, LinkedIn’s Senior Director of Product Management explains: “Stories first appeared on Snapchat, with other platforms like Instagram and Facebook adopting them soon after. They spread for a good reason: they offer a lightweight, fun way to share an update without it having to be perfect or attached to your profile forever. Does that exist in the business world? I’d hope that most of my interactions in the break room or passing people in the hall are similarly ephemeral and light.”
So what exactly will LinkedIn Stories look like and how will they work? Pete Davies, LinkedIn’s Senior Director of Product Management explains, “We’ve learned so much already about the unique possibilities of Stories in a professional context. For example, the sequencing of the Stories format is great for sharing key moments from work events, the full-screen narrative style makes it easy to share tips and tricks that help us work smarter, and the way Stories opens up new messaging threads makes it easier for someone to say, “and by the way… I noticed you know Linda, could you introduce me?”
While LinkedIn hasn’t given specifics on the features creative or ad capabilities, we assume that it will display in a full-screen mode, similar to Instagram stories, which is likely to feature a call to action/messaging feature which could make engaging or casual conversations easier on the LinkedIn platform. This follows the trend the social media platforms have seen over the last few years, with posts to feeds reducing, whilst posts to stories increase.
For many businesses, LinkedIn stories will provide a new placement to temporarily share information with a professional audience, which could become vital in the support of many businesses goals. Much like Instagram or Facebook Stories, there is a huge opportunity to open a more personable dialogue with audiences which wasn’t there before. For example, bite-sized thought leadership pieces, sharing real-time events or behind the scenes access, posting FAQ or Q&A’s to help audiences understand and building awareness of the brand or product are all areas which can prosper through the use of Stories.
If you need any more information or advice on your LinkedIn marketing campaigns, need some guidance on where to start or are looking for an agency which can manage yours for you, get in touch today.
