Linkedin has slowly transformed itself from an online resume to a full-fledged social media platform. LinkedIn now has over 600 million users, with a 40% daily usage rate. It has also changed to a network where you can engage and build relationships and trust with your target audience. That means more chances for sales, job opportunities, and business growth.
Linkedin is always looking to expand the ways you can share with your network. It added LinkedIn Pulse, LinkedIn Video, and soon, LinkedIn Live. Now, LinkedIn has decided to follow other social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, with the creation of LinkedIn Stories. Now, I know what you’re thinking - Linkedin does not need another feature! But there can be some value in LinkedIn Stories if used effectively, and, more importantly, professionally.
What Is LinkedIn Stories Anyway?
Like Instagram and Facebook, LinkedIn Stories allows users to share images, videos, and text in a quick, digestible, yet engaging way. And like these other platforms, the content stays on the Stories feed for 24 hours. For now, Linkedin Stories is only available on mobile devices. You can do much of the same on similar platforms like add text, images, mention others, and add stickers. The stories will appear in a bubble at the top of the app's fold, similar to Instagram.
At the start of the bubbles, you will see an icon with your profile picture, giving you the ability to add Your Story. From there, you can see a feed of your stories for the last 24 hours and select the “New Story” icon. You can add a 9:16 ratio video, images or start a live recording that goes up to 15 seconds.
Stories Can Become A Powerful Marketing Tool
LinkedIn stories will soon become a popular feature. It will be a great way to share immediate thoughts, highlight milestones, or get creative in getting your product or service in front of more of your connections. Individual influencers on other platforms have seen massive success by leveraging the Stories feature.
A big concern will be how LinkedIn Stories will be used, as it could be used unprofessionally. But if you have a clear plan, Stories can set you apart. Here are 5 ways you can use stories to propel your business or brand.
1. Share successes, notifications, and other milestones.
We love to see when a company or person achieves success. It inspires and motivates us. And some of us even want to support or be part of that success. Linkedin is the perfect place to connect like-minded people and your ideal customer. By celebrating mini milestones through your stories, you can build your engagement and even get more inquiries for ways your connections can work with you. If you have other important notifications, like a job opening, you can get some extra airtime by sharing the news in your stories.
2. Quickly promote new products, coaching, or services
On platforms like Instagram and Facebook, Stories is a great way to promote your products in quick, digestible forms. You finally have that opportunity with LinkedIn. You can show off new products, sales or encourage others to sign up for your services. If you’re a job seeker, you can even break up your resume into Stories, talking about your experience and how you can add value to a potential employer. The great thing is that the stories leave after 24 hours, so you can really drive your sales and marketing while keeping your timeline clear. Even though you can sell, you shouldn’t overdo it. Find a nice balance between sales and sharing your personal brand.
3. Build engagement through questions
You can pose questions on your LinkedIn Stories, which is always a great way to increase engagement. For example, you can answer pressing questions on the issues in your niche. Or you can give your followers more insight into your business through a Question and Answer format. People and businesses who engage with their audience are more likely to grab a sale in the future.
4. Show off a day in the life of…
Noah Kagan of Sum.com uses LinkedIn Live for Office Hours, where you can see exactly how his team works. What if you can do this on your Stories? You can show your work process, your team and give your followers an off-the-cuff view of how you deliver for your customers. A ‘day in the life’ story helps with authenticity and increases trust and likability. That can be enough for a high-paying client to reach out to you for help.
5. Snackable, actionable tips
The more value you can give, the better. If you can help people get what they want, they’ll likely pay you in the future. LinkedIn Stories is a great way to post an actionable tip, showcase your thought leadership, or share strategy in your niche. Professional tips can significantly grow your business if done in an engaging way. You can also enlist others in your business to share their expertise.
Provide updates of events or projects
Do you have an event or project coming up? Why not talk about it a bit leading up to the start? You can build anticipation and even find collaborations you did not know you needed! On the day of the project, or even show off some live moments in the event. LinkedIn has turned into a place where professionals can share their work and projects freely. Stories help do the same in a relaxed, fun way.
Try LinkedIn Stories today.
Linkedin Stories is the next logical step in LinkedIn as a social media platform. While there are a few skeptics, the feature is showing great promise. Don’t think it’s something that you should not give a shot. In any field, stories could be a real game-changer. And as LinkedIn is known for doing, their algorithm will favor accounts that create more stories - at least, for now. How would you use LinkedIn Stories to grow your business or your brand?
If you need more advice on getting sales, optimizing your profile, and growing your business on LinkedIn, let’s connect. I share tons of actionable steps in my blogs, coaching, and courses. Sign up here, and let’s crush it!
