LinkedIn has been around for a while. It’s probably not where you browse Top 40 playlists or scroll for new recipes. Even so, it’s now approaching its 20th year of forging professional networking connections. And having risen to nearly one billion members, it may be one of the most under-utilised creator platforms in the world.
LinkedIn agrees. They’ve updated their platform to include creator-friendly policies like LinkedIn Newsletters (build subscribers with a notification to your followers) or competitor analytics. And even though it’s not trying to be the next Twitter, YouTube or TikTok, these changes promise a more creator-friendly experience. This experience has led to creators like Tobi Oluwole connecting with entirely new audiences.
It’s not often we see a platform with nearly one billion users turn the lights on for creators. That’s why it’s leading to the rise of a new kind of influencer—and a completely new sector in the creator economy. Meet the LinkedIn influencer.
There is a time in every platform’s life when it becomes the next big thing. TikTok was that way in 2021, shortly before it became the big thing. Nowadays, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Stories are scrambling to put a dent in TikTok’s short-video dominance. TikTok and short videos are no longer an up-and-coming trend. It’s just a trend. Shifting trends should always give creators some pause. There was even talk of banning TikTok in the U.S., for example. This has the potential to leave TikTok-focused creators scrambling for a new audience overnight.
And that’s one key to benefit to LinkedIn: there’s still room for growth.
LinkedIn has caught on, introducing its creator incubator program. Slowly but surely, LinkedIn has added more capabilities for people who want to post helpful content outside of networking, including:
- Newsletters – You can start a newsletter on LinkedIn and build a following that feels less like social media and more like a personal list. LinkedIn enhances your engagement by sending in-app and email notifications to your audience when you’ve posted a newsletter.
- LinkedIn Live – Live on YouTube, live on TikTok, live on Instagram—it was only a matter of time until LinkedIn became its own channel for broadcast success. LinkedIn’s scheduling and live broadcast features make it moot to use third-party webinar software.
- Creator Mode – Turning on Creator Mode lets you access analytics, breaking down the performance of the content you’ve posted to the platform. You can also use this mode to make ‘Follow’ the default button on your profile, making LinkedIn function more like a professional version of Instagram.
LinkedIn is acting more like its creator-friendly counterparts in social media. But it also hasn’t broken its connection to what got it here. Specifically, LinkedIn has always been especially adept at the B2B creator economy.
It’s been a place where C-level executives don’t feel strange about openly communicating and networking with each other. That’s not always the case on Facebook or TikTok. In fact, LinkedIn’s reputation among B2B buyers is strong enough that many will use it to support their research when looking up businesses, products, and industrial orders.
The creator economy stands on a few key platforms—TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. But increasingly, LinkedIn looks like a great opportunity. LinkedIn might look similar to how it did 15 years ago. But LinkedIn keeps adding new features (product pages, LinkedIn newsletters, Creator Mode) that make the platform much more enticing for anyone trying to build their first audience on the platform.
In a world where you can find Mr. Beast on LinkedIn, it looks like LinkedIn could be the next big creator hub.
Looking to upgrade your LinkedIn strategy? Get in touch.
