LinkedIn is venturing into gaming to increase user engagement, developing puzzle-based games like "Queens," "Inference," and "Crossclimb." It is exploring gaming features possibly linked to workplaces, aligning with the popularity of casual games and drawing inspiration from the success of games like Wordle.

LinkedIn's user profile views created a massive read workload that pushed the limits of its existing document database, Espresso. To solve this, its team introduced Couchbase, a distributed NoSQL database, as a caching layer to reduce the read load on Espresso. They designed the caching layer to be independent of Espresso to avoid cascading failures if Couchbase experienced issues. The entire profile dataset is cached in every data center for quick access.

LinkedIn is expanding its Thought Leader ads by enabling businesses to promote content from any user in the app, not just their own employees. To help prevent content from being promoted without consent, creators will receive a notification asking them to approve or deny requests to promote their posts.

With Meta and Google reducing their involvement in the news business, LinkedIn is using the opportunity to emerge as a news platform. Its user base is already increasingly engaging with news content. However, concerns remain regarding the company’s ability to combat AI-generated spam and misinformation.

LinkedIn’s new dynamic UTMs allow marketers to include custom tracking elements in their ad campaign URLs. For each campaign, marketers can add a dynamic UTM parameter that will automatically be added to the destination URL alongside the account, campaign, and/or creative name. Dynamic UTMs will be available globally by the end of this month.

Pages Messaging is a feature that organizations can activate on LinkedIn to enable users to communicate directly with their Pages. You can configure different conversation topics that your LinkedIn Page is open to receiving, including demo requests, customer support, or career inquiries. The feature offers integrations with Bird CRM, Brandwatch, Hootsuite, Oktopost, Sprinklr, and Zoho.

LinkedIn is testing a new short-form video feed. The dedicated feed is designed to boost engagement and discovery on the platform by presenting bite-sized videos that people can quickly scroll through. Its content is focused on careers and professionalism. The feed may be monetized in the future to entice creators to post.

By introducing games and short-form content, LinkedIn seems to be strategically targeting users who find themselves lost between TikTok and the transformed Twitter. It is trying to position itself as a unique blend of professional networking and engaging content for a broader audience.

LinkedIn has expanded its advertising offerings for B2B marketers by introducing connected TV ad placements. This will enable marketers to target audiences off-platform while they're streaming shows and movies. The move aims to reach users more intentionally during their workday or leisure time.

LinkedIn is rolling out new features, including a "Contribute your expertise" tool for collaborative articles, to enhance content quality. The platform also moved into short-form video following wider social media trends, potentially offering marketers a new way to engage audiences, and introduced Dynamic UTMs and Shutterstock integration in ads to streamline campaign management and improve ad performance.

LinkedIn has launched a new sponsored video program called The Wire that will enable brands to run in-stream video ads alongside trusted publisher content. The platform has partnered with a number of high-profile publishers for the initiative, including Barron's, Bloomberg, Business Insider, Forbes, MarketWatch, and NBCUniversal. LinkedIn is also adding more AI capabilities to its ad tools, including an ad creative generator, enhanced targeting, and an improved AI assistant.

You will get more impressions and results for your money if a LinkedIn ad has a lot of engagement in the form of likes and comments. First, make an organic post that addresses the problem that your business is supposed to solve and also offers a narrative that gets engagement. It may take multiple tries to find the post that captures people's imagination and inspires the kind of comments and engagements you're looking for. The following day, edit the post to add in a call-to-action and a couple of lines about your service or product. Finally, boost the post with Thought-Leader Ads. This can help you achieve more affordable ad impressions, as well as a higher conversion rate due to the social proof.

This report outlines 9 characteristics the future B2B marketer must encompass, including being data interpreters, tech trailblazers, and DEI champions. Privacy and data management remain a top concern for B2B companies. It was surveyed that gen AI lacks humanity/is too robotic (40%), risks plagiarism (34%), and provides inaccurate information (32%). When it comes to efficacy, respondents cited social media (36%) as the channel that is most effective for meeting their marketing needs. In-person events/trade shows (18%) and email (12%) came in at a distant second and third.

Nail your LinkedIn posts by chunking your text, using simple words and short sentences, and embracing the space bar.

Media companies are expanding into gaming to capture user attention and tap into the $221 billion global gaming market. Netflix offers nearly 100 games, including titles tied to its original series. YouTube introduced "Playables," a collection of over 75 minigames accessible to all users on desktop and mobile without downloads. Sling TV launched "Arcade," which features 10 classic games playable alongside TV content. LinkedIn introduced 3 games designed to foster connections among users playable only with direct connections.

LinkedIn is expanding its sponsored articles ad option to include sponsored newsletters, allowing brands to generate leads from their LinkedIn content. With newsletters seeing significant growth, this new feature can help brands reach more people within their sector. Sponsored newsletters function similarly to sponsored articles, allowing companies to boost their content and attract more sign-ups. This extension also includes the potential to sponsor existing newsletters by partnering with popular creators on LinkedIn.

Commenting, creating content in batches, diversifying content formats, and utilizing polls are key ways to increase engagement on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn has introduced sponsored newsletters as a way to extend the reach of your existing long-form newsletter content. You can now sponsor any member's newsletter content (upon receiving approval) or any newsletter published on your Company Page as a single image ad. There are now over 184K newsletters on LinkedIn, and in the past year there's been a 47% increase in engagement with newsletters on the platform.

A popular tactic currently is "Mini-Games Marketing," where brands use simple games to capture and retain user attention. Inspired by Toggl's "Startup Simulator," companies like LinkedIn, YouTube, and Netflix have adopted mini-games to increase interaction. These games work because they keep users on-site longer, foster brand loyalty (by making users feel understood), and have high viral potential, as players share scores and challenges. Mini-games also stand out by being a more memorable experience compared to traditional content.

The social media marketing landscape is evolving as platforms adjust their algorithms. Meta has shifted away from news content, impacting publishers' strategies. Reddit's organic referral traffic has surged sevenfold due to its partnership with Google. LinkedIn is seeing higher engagement through newsletters, while Meta and X penalize link posts, leading publishers to explore new opportunities. Ad budgets are shifting from X to Snapchat and Reddit, with notable increases in spending from small and medium-sized businesses.

A new study from LinkedIn highlights that both format and creativity matter for B2B ads. Decision makers say that B2B ads lack humor, emotional appeal, characters they can connect with, and a unique perspective. Yet, when ads are seen as “creative” in those ways, decision makers are 40% more likely to consider purchasing from the brand. The study also found that video ads on LinkedIn tend to drive more impact than display ads.

LinkedIn has embraced short-form video content, with uploads increasing by 34% YoY. Creators, including popular TikTok figures, are now posting more dynamic content, ranging from business insights to stunts similar to those on TikTok or YouTube. Influencers note that LinkedIn offers more thoughtful engagement and a more responsive audience compared to other platforms.

LinkedIn has introduced a revamped company page layout that includes features like easier admin access, a new identity switcher for engaging with other posts, and premium options like custom CTA buttons. These updates streamline page management and help brands engage more effectively. Other new tools like LinkedIn newsletters have shown rapid audience growth potential, with some pages gaining thousands of subscribers within weeks.

AdMockups.com is a free tool for creating mockups of ads on the fly. The tool supports top ad platforms including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Snapchat. Select the platform, then edit the copy and imagery to produce a professional and realistic mock. You can download the mock as a PNG, JPG, or SVG file.

The content revolves around the process of signing up for LinkedIn, a professional networking platform. It emphasizes the importance of maximizing one's professional life through the use of the platform. Users are prompted to enter their first name, last name, email, and a password to create an account. There is an option to remain logged in for convenience. The sign-up process includes an agreement to LinkedIn's User Agreement, Privacy Policy, and Cookie Policy, which users must accept to proceed. Additionally, there is a security verification step to ensure the authenticity of the user. For those who already have an account, there is a straightforward option to sign in. The platform also offers assistance for users looking to create a business page, indicating its utility for both individual professionals and businesses. The footer of the page contains links to various policies, including accessibility, copyright, and community guidelines, ensuring users have access to important information regarding their rights and responsibilities on the platform. Furthermore, LinkedIn supports multiple languages, reflecting its global reach and commitment to inclusivity.

LinkedIn has announced the discontinuation of its "Top Voice" badges associated with Collaborative Articles, a feature that has encouraged user engagement through AI-generated content prompts. This decision, effective October 8, 2024, comes as a response to feedback indicating that the automatic awarding of these badges did not accurately reflect true expertise among contributors. The badges were initially introduced in March 2023 to incentivize users to share their insights, leading to a significant increase in contributions. The platform's rationale for this change stems from concerns that the badges were being awarded to individuals who may not possess genuine expertise, undermining the quality of contributions. LinkedIn acknowledged that the system allowed for the recognition of users who might not be reputable or knowledgeable, which has raised concerns within the community. As a result, the company has decided to retire the gold Community Top Voice badge, which will expire for current holders within 60 days of its issuance. Despite the popularity of Collaborative Articles, LinkedIn's move to eliminate the badge may diminish user motivation to contribute. The platform has attempted to maintain interest by emphasizing the benefits of sharing expertise, expanding networks, and helping others, but the removal of the badge could lead to a decline in participation. Current badge holders will see their badges disappear by December 7, 2024, marking a significant shift in how LinkedIn recognizes contributions to its content. While LinkedIn has clarified that its traditional Top Voice program, which is awarded by invitation only, remains unaffected, the future of Collaborative Articles may be uncertain. The removal of the badge could signal a decline in the format's popularity, as users may feel less incentivized to engage without the recognition that the badge provided.