Who has time to know the ins and outs of LinkedIn, not to mention the continual updates and improvements? Winbound will keep you updated on the latest changes for LinkedIn company and personal pages. (Note: These changes are current through January of 2021.)
This post will help you understand LinkedIn’s recent changes. We’ll use the help of LinkedIn’s own resources. Plus, we’ll also include insights from Wayne Breitbarth, a nationally recognized speaker, trainer, and author on leveraging the power of LinkedIn.
Changes for LinkedIn individual profile pages (Updated 1-2021)
1. Show off work with a new Featured section
“This handy-dandy, highly viewed carousel of documents or links to other web pages is a great way to display your best stuff,” Wayne explains.
The first 2.5 selections will get the most attention, and you can rearrange the order as needed. Wayne encourages marketers to “leverage your sales team’s Featured sections.”
2. Pronounce (and quickly pitch) with a 10-second audio option
Look for a pronunciation button, a new feature that may not yet be available for everyone. It allows you to record a brief message with the correct pronunciation of your name, and even a short sales pitch. It’s one more way for your profile visitors to get to know you.
3. Tell more in your headline with the expansion to 220 characters
Wayne says this is one of three hotspots for the LinkedIn search algorithm. It allows you to tell your story or add keywords. Put your best phrases at the start of the headline to maximize exposure.
4. Share more in the About section, but be strategic
The About section now allows an additional 600 characters. Wayne suggests putting your contact information at the start of the section and then include why you’re the best choice for your prospects.
2020 Changes for LinkedIn company pages
Company pages can also build engagement. Wayne says LinkedIn has made improvements for you to do that more effectively. In fact, he writes, “These are by far the most helpful changes LinkedIn has designed for your company page in at least ten years.”
1. Invite your connections to follow the company page
You can send 100 invitations each month. Assign different people as company page administrators so they can invite their connections.
2. Notify employees of posts
A box is available that allows administrators to notify employees of a post every 24 hours. An alternate is to send emails or use tagging to encourage engagement.
3. Analyze your company page followers
In the analytics section, review your list of followers. You now can see individual followers rather than just the aggregate number and general demographics.
By taking a deep dive into your follower pool, you can better understand exactly who they are. Ask yourself if you should be taking additional steps to engage with key connections.
4. Engage with commenters
Next to the Activity header on your company page’s toolbar, a hard-to-miss red indicator will now let you know when people are reacting to your company posts. That means you can now communicate much more easily with them.
“Reaching out to these people will help you strengthen relationships and begin new ones, which should ultimately lead to new customers and talented new employees,” says Breitbarth.
5. Strengthen your employee community
With a new “My Company” tab, LinkedIn has created an employee-only space within your organization’s page. The feature encourages employees to engage with one another and, as LinkedIn puts it, “brings your workforce closer together.”
As social wiz Tanya Ciurro points out, this feature is only available for companies with 200+ employees.
6. Make it easier to showcase upcoming events
As virtual events have become the norm, the challenge has been how to effectively help LinkedIn members find them. Enter the new “Events” tab, which automatically displays your company’s past and future events.
7. Share everyday moments
LinkedIn has added a Snapchat-like option called Stories, which lets companies and individual members share images and videos that remain available for 24 hours.
The jury is still out on the staying power of this new feature, but it has the potential to capture the kind of authentic moments that drive interest and engagement.
Looking for a marketing strategy on both pages?
Check out Winbound’s:
LinkedIn Marketing Strategy for Individual Pages
LinkedIn Marketing Strategy for Company Pages
Every year, we’ll update this page with new changes!