Stories within Professionalism: an opportunity for individuals and business pages to post photos and short videos via the mobile app. The new feature brings that dash of creativity that was probably missing.
What do LinkedIn stories look like?
- The vertical format allows brands to reach out to their community using photos and videos up to 20 seconds in length, offering a more informal and immediate way to share news, insights and highlights of their business.
- This content will only be viewable for a 24-hour window and represents the professional network's efforts to capitalize on the popularity of video as part of a shift in emphasis to mobile devices.
- Users and brands also have the option of embedding custom text and stickers.
Have any companies already used them?
Many brands have been quick to take advantage of stories in their target markets: such as in France, the United States and Brazil, spurring the creation of new content. The fashion house Christian Dior Couture used Stories to communicate behind-the-scenes footage from Paris Fashion Week. Other modes of the new feature include revealing contest winners and Q&As with audiences.
What are the advantages of Stories?
The new tool offers job seekers and freelancers the ability to share temporary content and is designed to dispense concrete advice that does not have to be saved for posterity.
Tom Pepper, LinkedIn Marketing Manager for the UK, Ireland and Israel, said, "Stories offer our audience an authentic and visual way to promote themselves." Pepper added, "We believe the new feature can become an integral part of brands' communication strategies. My advice to businesses is: just do them! They should not be overly manipulated; authenticity is needed."
Talk about your work and don't hesitate to emphasize its impact
Stories have added a more personal touch to virtual conversations; they are much more interactive than just reading a post. In the age of pandemics, where people meet less, they play a predominant role in increasing trust among professionals.
To build a strong image on LinkedIn, you need to highlight the characteristics of the work you are doing and how you are influencing the stakeholders involved. When your audience realizes that you are interacting with a broad audience, they will want to associate with you. Everyone wants to be part of a larger story.
Tannisha Avarrsekar, founder of Lokatantra, emphasizes, "It is important to talk about the connections you are making. On LinkedIn I often talk about the impact my work has in society. Through Stories, I connect my business with people, because I know everyone wants to be part of a relevant story."
Make your professional profile creative
The main purpose is to enrich users' social profiles with various backgrounds, in what could be a kind of virtual narrative of one's business, highlighting creative thinking.
Stories are a response to the increase in user-initiated conversations and the profitable level of engagement that distinguishes the platform. They also represent a way to appeal to the younger generation, which is increasingly accustomed to thinking and communicating in a vertical and imaginative format.
It is precisely to social media that a room at Digital Innovation Days will be dedicated on Thursday, Oct. 29, starting at 2 p.m. Find out more.
Laura Zucchiatti
Brand Ambassador Digital Innovation Days20