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Is LinkedIn losing ground as a professional-level platform?
People are social by nature. It's nice to have fun on a non-career level, but LI has always been known as a career platform.
That has been changing recently.
• We get notifications about our contacts' anniversaries (almost like on FB).
• We share MEMEs there (I'm not a saint, I do it too.) 😀
• The form of communication is already so informal that I sometimes wonder about it.
Can LinkedIn still be taken seriously as a professional platform? What's your take on it?
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Eithiriel DeMerè | Language-Market Fit
I've had a lot of success with hosting LinkedIn events.
Occasionally, I'll spend an hour discussing topics in which I am most passionate:
- Pre-launch, launch, and post-launch initiatives (especially with @fabian_maume as a co-host)
- Go-to-market product marketing
- Community-led growth
- Language-market fit (publishing the book on it with @hashem_elassad)
- Experimentation and innovation
- Etc.
(Mostly in the context of B2B SaaS.)
It's a relatively simple, yet genuine way to connect with ideal customers and network with colleagues.
https://www.linkedin.com/events/
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@fabian_maume @hashem_elassad @nikkielizdemere This is something I want to explore as well! What's your "tech stack" for these live events? Do you do a recording as well?
@ichangetheway I think recording it locally on your own machine is always a good idea too, even if to just provide an MP3 to your audience at a later date.
I think that it’s still the main platform for building professional networks and staying up to date with what everyone is doing. Yes it’s mainly used by content creators and people working in sales and marketing probably. It does contain some content that’s more casual perhaps and the way it’s delivered is certainly quite informal. Do people still like wearing suits and having serious formal conversations? I think there’s time and place for that too , but I personally want to leave that to politicians 😊
Really ? 🤯@busmark_w_nika I don’t get anything like that so I guess everyone’s experience is different.
I can feel it when you say "informal". But generally, I think people are there mostly to DM sales pitches, I think that's the only use case and interesting part of LinkedIn.
They're even launching games lol
I feel like it's a trend for a previously-niche platform to try and expand its offering. Instagram tried it and, according to many, failed. TikTok did it rather successfully. Let's see what happens to LinkedIn
I still see it as useful for networking and job stuff, but all the memes and casual updates can make it feel less strictly professional.
LinkedIn still has the advantage of providing up-to-date CVs for your contacts. Even if it gets more and more informal, the fact that LinkedIn is built around your CV will keep it relevant for B2B and personal branding.
Losing ground vs?
The anniversaries - birthdays have always been there - I have wished clients happy birthday with cards or emails for years.
I first got Rickrolled by a co worker, and have been meme'd 100's times in an office context.
Communication in general is a lot less formal on LI than on an email or other business related content.
Interesting question.
The recent drops in reach, the notifications, the new « GAMES » section (I mean, what s up with that?) , the upcoming push towards reels videos.
Seems LinkedIn is lurking on tik tok and other trends.
In the meantime at its core value (imo)
the job offer suggestions are still totally irrelevant, connection suggestions don’t make sense half the time, and it’s AI tool feels like a cheap GPT 3.5
Honestly, I believe everything you described is actually useful for Li. I remember when it was considered okay for almost everyone to describe Li in the third person, which felt cringeworthy to me.
I understand that some businesses are very traditional and that's just how they operate. However, at the end of the day, people do business with people, and those business shark personas are usually quite fake and don't help at all. What really helps is finding a good balance, which could even be brought by memes.
Linkedin is probably one of the worst social medias out there. Many people just want to write stuff and look good. I don't really like when people prefer to look good rather than being productive irl
@busmark_w_nika that's true. I was talking about job&productivity perspective but honestly every social platform is similar on this matter, I agree with you
I think LinkedIn is still a professional platform. I don't like the sidebar that is filled with political news. If you listen to business news then there is quite a difference in the language. I personally like the Yahoo Business news on youtube.
But I get a lot of recruiters contacting me through LinkedIn and without that I would have never had the opportunity to work where I am. So I do believe that it opens doors for people. It feels to me like an online resume. I don't know why we are still submitting resumes really.. that seems like an old formality.
but i like it!
LinkedIn's transformation reflects broader trends in social media where boundaries between personal and professional life are increasingly fluid. While some traditionalists may lament these changes, LinkedIn's ability to balance social elements with professional networking remains crucial. Its ongoing relevance as a career platform will depend on how effectively it navigates these evolving dynamics while maintaining its core value as a place for meaningful professional connections and opportunities. in short It depends on how you approach the website. It is still the number 1 platform for opportunities.
I think so. LI may be expanding its space for creators which is really good, on the other hand, LI is known for its professional vibe so maybe there will be some distance for this!
I used to find LinkedIn too stiff, but the recent changes have made it easier for me to connect authentically with peers. It's less about formalities now and more about real interactions.