Announcing the Launch of the LinkedIn Services Marketplace

Providing services or hiring a freelancer or service agency isn’t new. But, as the world of work continues to evolve, we’re seeing an unprecedented uptick in interest from both buyers and providers. Recent Workforce Confidence Index data reinforced that entrepreneurship is on the rise: more than half (51%) of professionals see themselves venturing out on their own for their next role -- either starting a business or freelancing. That is why we are thrilled to announce the launch of LinkedIn Service Marketplace - a better way for the world's service providers and buyers to find each other and get work done.??

Since launching service pages in March, we have seen 2 million providers join our Service Marketplace. Company formations on LinkedIn also rose 36% in 2020 as members explored new ventures amid the Great Reshuffle.

What gets us most excited about Service Marketplace is the unique way that LinkedIn brings buyers and providers together -- their networks and the broader LinkedIn ecosystem. A recent survey revealed 82% of those who are hiring or have hired a freelancer or service provider say that getting a referral from someone in their professional network is the best way to find a good candidate, yet only 38% of freelancers say they get most of their business from referrals*.?

LinkedIn Services Marketplace helps bridge this gap in a way only LinkedIn can. On top of making it easy for providers to represent themselves and for buyers to find them, we have empowered providers to collect and digitize the “word of mouth” that buyers rely on to make purchasing decisions.?

Here’s how it works for Providers:

Showcase your Services + Build Digital Word of Mouth

If you are an individual or small business owner who provides services, we encourage you to set up a service page from your LinkedIn profile. Since your service page is linked right at the top of your profile, your identity and page are connected.?

When someone visits your Service Page, they’ll see if you have mutual connections, an overview of the services you provide, and ratings and reviews from your past clients. This will give you a leg up on the competition and help prospective clients feel more informed about requesting your services.?

What’s more, they can immediately send a request for services without needing to connect or follow you.

Get Discovered + Convert Buyers

With a Service Page, you’ll benefit from the discovery tools we’ve built to make it easy for someone looking for a service provider to leverage the 800 million member community on LinkedIn. Once someone discovers your services, they can immediately send a request for services without needing to connect or follow you.?

1. They can ask their network for recommendations -- and get those referrals -- right on the feed.?
2. They can search for providers on LinkedIn through our search tools and filters. Just as you can filter for “People” or “Jobs” -- you can now filter for “Services”. Members who have used our new search experience during our test phase contributed to over 24% of monthly leads delivered to our providers.?

Manage Projects and Clients

Your Service Page also provides a dashboard so you can manage project requests, messages,? client lists and reviews right from LinkedIn. No need to manage different communication channels.?

Potential clients can message you for free without using InMail or premium by clicking the “Request a proposal” button on your service page. We’ll send you notifications as new requests or messages come in.?

In addition, you can manage and keep track of reviews right from your dashboard with features like “Reviews status.”??

Starting today, everyone can take advantage of these new tools. So check them out -- create your service page or search for a provider -- and let me know your thoughts in the comments below. You can also check out our resources for small businesses and service providers -- from unlocked learning courses , to weekly news and updates from our Editor Jordyn Dahl .?

We look forward to continuing to add more tools and features for providers and buyers in the future -- we are just getting started! Stay tuned.

*According to an October 2021 survey of 1,000 freelancers in the U.S. conducted by Censuswide on behalf of LinkedIn, and an October 2021 survey of 2,020 adults in the U.S. conducted by Censuswide on behalf of LinkedIn.?