Is LinkedIn Becoming TikTok?

LinkedIn is beta-testing a TikTok-like video feed in its app...

1 Second Summary:

• LinkedIn has launched a beta for vertical text video.
• The new feature could be a play at increasing time on the app.
• New features could mean opportunities for new creators.

What does that mean for you? The latest buzz in the social media world for professionals is the testing of vertical video on LinkedIn.?

The feed is currently in beta which means only a select few people have access to the feature. According to Techcrunch, the feed was first spotted by Austin Null,a strategy director at an influencer agency called McKinney.??

Based on what Austin shared, the new feed will be an additional tab on the LinkedIn app.

The new feed has a similar feel to the other shorts from video feeds like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or Reels, with one major exception…?

The focus on professional and career development. In a recent post on X creator Karine Hsu shared the new feature “feels like TikTok for work - currently a mix of inspirational podcast clips + current event.”

Also See: Linkedin Strategy For Vertical Video

Why I Believe Linkedin is Adding a Vertical feed?

To get more of your time! Over 1.8 billion people get on Linkedin monthly with an average session time of 7 minutes and 38 seconds.??

If LinkedIn can get users to spend a few more minutes on the platform and come back just one more time per month, it would increase the value of LinkedIn to advertisers 100-fold.?

In 2022, social media advertising spending in the United States amouned to 60 billion U.S. dollars, out of over 277 billion total online media advertising spending forecast for that year. Statista

What can you do with this new LinkedIn video feature?

Let's imagine you just spent months and millions of dollars renovating your house. After it's finished, what will you want to do? You'll want to show it off.

You want people to see it; you want your people to enjoy it...

Social media apps are no different. When new features are being launched, or old features are being improved, it's a way of letting you know what's important.

But please don't take my word for it. LinkedIn's own AI created this excerpt for one of its AI-generated articles.

"When platforms launch a new feature, the algorithm will automatically rig the content in its favor because they are trying to get people to use the new feature."

What Does A New Video Feed On Linkedin Mean?

A new feature means an opportunity for discoverability. Think about new features on social platforms as shaking up the algorithm. It's a way to gain followers and increase traffic for businesses that may have yet to be noticed.

Other platforms have tried multiple feeds, and from what I have noticed, the results are mixed.

Regardless of the success of the beta, the testing of this new feature tells us one thing: LinkedIn has acknowledged the vertical video.

The video has slowly become the gold standard of content creation. This new testing adds more fuel to the fire. As a business, I have focused much more on my video strategy.

Want to see how I plan to use this new video feature to grow? Click here to see my approach to using short-form video for linkedin.