The management of LinkedIn, the American social network for business contacts, is seeking to expand the platform’s capabilities to form a habit among users of visiting it daily. To this end, AI functions were introduced to provide career advice, and puzzle games were added to showcase the gaming activity and achievements of users’ friends.
Faced with slowing revenue growth, LinkedIn has concluded that a broader overhaul of the Microsoft-owned platform is needed. LinkedIn is known for its narrow focus as a professional development tool. Its members visit the system much less frequently than users of entertainment-oriented social networks such as Facebook and TikTok. Therefore, the service needs additional tools to increase participant engagement. “It’s about developing a daily habit,” LinkedIn’s editor-in-chief Daniel Roth told the Financial Times. “Once you’re on LinkedIn, it’s time to share your knowledge, gain knowledge, information, and content.”
Introduction of AI and Games
Last year, LinkedIn introduced an AI job search advisor feature, offering professionals the ability to add comments and content that are compiled into “collaborative articles.” LinkedIn has also begun replicating the feeds of platforms like X, TikTok, and Instagram, giving users the ability to see posts and videos from creators with whom the algorithm estimates they might share common topics, as well as content from those they follow.
Commenting on the introduction of games to the platform, Roth noted that they are designed to start conversations and were crafted to be time-efficient due to LinkedIn’s reputation as a professional resource. “You don’t want to spend a ton of time on this,” he said.
Challenges and Future Plans
According to LinkedIn, in June it registered a “record engagement” of 1.5 million interactions with content per minute. However, the social network did not disclose data on site traffic and the number of active users. LinkedIn’s 1.8 billion visits last month have risen in recent years, according to estimates from analytics firm Likeweb. However, growth has stalled since the start of 2024 and in June was less than half the average for 2021 and 2022, adds NIXSolutions.
In addition to seeking higher engagement, LinkedIn is looking to expand its advertising business and is also cutting costs, including through layoffs: the company laid off more than 5% of its roughly 20,000 employees last year.
We’ll keep you updated on LinkedIn’s ongoing efforts to enhance user experience and foster daily engagement on the platform.