Is LinkedIn losing ground as a professional-level platform?
Business Marketing with Nika
76 replies
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?
Replies
Hossein Yazdi@hosseinyazdi
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.
Share
@hosseinyazdi Speaking about that I haven't received a sales pitch for a long time. :D Something is wrong with that.
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 😊
@simona_o_neill3 It is interesting how social media evolved as a concept. You are right about the point that "tuxedo dresses" started to be boring and too serious (BTW, I hate that dress code) but sometimes really do not know what to think about this platform that started to be like Tinder (unfortunately :D IYWIM) I rarely block people but I swear that some accounts should be suspended for materials they sent me. 🤦♀️
Really ? 🤯@busmark_w_nika I don’t get anything like that so I guess everyone’s experience is different.
Launching soon!
LinkedIn is a professional networking platform that can be of many types.
LinkedIn is a job-search platform, serving both employees and employers.
LinkedIn is a knowledge-sharing platform that goes well beyond work and employment.
LinkedIn serves business organizations for sales and advertising, to generate leads and engage with potential clients.
LinkedIn is also among the most used platforms to gather data and analytics on all kinds of life-on-earth trends.
@abbas143official many purposes – this was rather Musk's plan with X. Maybe LI will get there sooner than him.
Launching soon!
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.
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.
@james_miller26 Should I feel guilty for contributing those MEMEs? :D
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
@busmark_w_nika if you mean "not cool anymore", I agree 100%
LinkedIn remains a strong professional platform, but its effectiveness can vary by industry and user engagement. Exploring alternative networks might be beneficial for those not seeing desired results.
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.
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/
@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?
@fabian_maume @hashem_elassad @nikkielizdemere I have read that lives are quite popular there. I believe that new features are well-intended but people started taking this platform less seriously (which can be okay) but I hope it will not become the second facebook completely.
Launching soon!
@nikkielizdemere Great suggestion. I've attended a few of yours!
Launching soon!
@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.
Launching soon!
I do miss when LI was more formal cringe, all the Im so honoured and proud announcements etc. Now its all informal cringe 😂 (and there are more trolls as well, I try to kill them with positivity 😂)
Oh don't get me started on that new "Catch up" tab 🤬
I wonder about this also. Is there a somewhat popular "more professional" alternative?
(Only XING comes to my mind, but I think it's only popular in the German-speaking world, which could change of course)
@konrad_sx Do not think so. LinkedIn was special in these terms (speaking professionalism/job opportunities). I do know that X has some aspirations (for example, they wanted to post job offers within their premium) but X is... I do not know what to think about the platform :D
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
@kitamashi I think it is not only a "LinkedIn thing" to look good. Instagram was the same, just about the beauty and luxury vacations. LinkedIn is about "pretty things" at their jobs. All social media are about showing off.
@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
Launching soon!
Just deleted it temporary last week and stay here..
@icodeforbeer are you about to come back again? What will make you to change your mind?
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!
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
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.
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.
Launching soon!
LinkedIn is evolving along with the changing landscape of professional networking. While it's true that the platform has seen some more casual content lately, it's also important to remember that professionals are multifaceted individuals who like to engage with content beyond just the strictly business-oriented. The key is finding the right balance between showcasing your professional expertise and personality. After all, building relationships and making connections go beyond just sharing resumes and job skills. It's about forming genuine connections with others in your field. Embrace the platform's evolution and use it as an opportunity to showcase all aspects of yourself, both personal and professional.
We are building a marketing Contentify AI for Free here, just look up Contentify AI.