LinkedIn has confirmed that it is working on its own version of Stories which will be rolled out to all users soon.
“Stories first appeared on Snapchat, with other platforms like Instagram and Facebook adopting them soon after. They spread for a good reason: they offer a lightweight, fun way to share an update without it having to be perfect or attached to your profile forever. Does that exist in the business world? I’d hope that most of my interactions in the break room or passing people in the hall are similarly ephemeral and light.”
-Pete Davies, LinkedIn
This feature, however, is currently being tested and there’s no timeline for a full rollout as yet:
This isn’t the first time LinkedIn has given Stories a look. Back in 2018, LinkedIn started testing its first iteration of LinkedIn Stories, though only for university students.
That version, called ‘Student Voices’, was rolled out to US college students, and aimed to help people at different universities interact and share their experiences. This was motivated by the fact that Stories were and are becoming a more essential tool for communication among younger audiences, the platform could provide a more familiar sharing surface, which would subsequently encourage more engagement.
Even back in 2018, LinkedIn noted that it was planning to roll out Stories to more users – We would expect that this new feature will look much the same as the above.
Will LinkedIn Stories Be Effective?
There are already rumblings of criticism within social media circles – but then again, Instagram Stories was widely criticized too, and it now leads the way in terms of Stories usage. Facebook Stories was also regularly chastised, but Facebook Stories use is rising over time.
Soon we’ll have Stories options on Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn. Pinterest has its own version – ‘Story Pins’. Does this mean we’ll see Twitter Stories anytime soon?
Stories are definitely what younger users, in particular, feel comfortable with. Seeing that major social media platforms are following the trend some may argue that this is somewhat ‘not original’ while others believe that it is a rational decision.
This post features Andrew H./ SMT
Share your thoughts on the upcoming LinkedIn Stories in the comments.
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