LinkedIn Stories, Update...

13th of May 2020 LinkedIn Stories were launched in the Netherlands.

The Dutch were the first Europeans to try out the new (old*) feature of LinkedIn Stories. LinkedIn users have been experimenting fanatically, with different results. LinkedIn is currently testing the LinkedIn Stories feature. During this time, it’s only available to members and select LinkedIn Pages located in Australia (launched today), Brazil, the Netherlands, and the UAE. However, they'll be releasing the feature more widely soon. (*) Linkedin Stories already existed back in 2011 with more options.

LinkedIn Stories, a valuable addition for this platform?

On the 14th of May we started a poll (also a new feature); "LinkedIn Stories, a valuable addition for this platform?" The poll was in Dutch language but LinkedIn translate will help out ;) One could vote during two weeks. People could choose from 4 different answers:

1. YES, for sure
2. MAYBE, I will try it out
3. MAYBE, but I'm skeptical
4. NO, absolutely not

As mentioned above, Australia started today and is the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to start a test with stories. Looking forward to the experiences you'll have down under.

Back to our question, has LinkedIn Stories been a valuable addition for this platform so far? Personally I was skeptical at first. Perhaps it had to do with my age (55 next month). And, as predicted, name it law of attraction, bad Stories came by. Stories about people walking their dog, people going for a morning walk, people doing sports activities or just poorly edited Stories.

I took me a while to understand the value of Stories but I think I'm getting there. The stories that were 'told', were stories about many different subjects. I learned more (personal stuff) about my network. Some Stories I watched until the end (a story is only 20 seconds long), others were clicked away after just 3 or 4 seconds...

I was also positively surprised by valuable Stories. For example within HR where someone told the Story of how it was like to work for their company, a sneak preview of a book being launched, breaking news, an advance notice of a Podcast that would be broadcasted or some tips someone shared. Just a few examples of how one can use LinkedIn Stories professionally.

Perhaps it's still too early to give an answer on the value of LinkedIn Stories but these were the results of the vote mentioned above. The numbers are not that far apart;

1. YES, for sure 27%
2. MAYBE, I will try it out 31%
3. MAYBE, but I'm skeptical 26%
4. NO, absolutely not 16%

It will be game changing if people know what to post

In the comments people wrote amongst others;

• LinkedIn is becoming like Facebook.
• A storm of Stories has arrived. Let's try it first before we criticize.
• Nice opportunity to show my network what I do every day as a radio reporter / journalist.
• To watch all video Stories last too long therefore I quit quickly.
• Wonderful tool to measure 'sounds' out of the market. A nice research tool and well deployable as a relation management/social tool. Great!
• I can't wait for stories... I think it will be game changing if people know what to post.
• I'm not going to use it.
• I will try it for sure because Stories are the basis for change. Whether LinkedIn Stories are suitable for this... I'm going to discover.
• The viewer dertermines the value eventually.
• Value of content depends on authenticity, relevancy and current events.
• Wow, hope it comes to Hungary soon as well :-)

Thanks for sharing your thoughts Mic Adam, Floris ten Kate, Cher Jones, Johan Koning, Erik Pasveer, Paula de Boer, Janet Oortwijn, Hedzer Kooistra, Trudy Pannekeet, Mirjam Groenendijk, Tamas Banki

LinkedIn Help published a list of answers (link below) to questions frequently asked. Questions like How do I create a Story or who can see my Story. But they also published a nice step-by-step guide.

George Carey-Sinos, a digital strategist and co-founder of WeRSM / We are Social Media published an article on May 4th after Stories rolled out in Brazil. Below a nice summary he wrote of what we know about LinkedIn Stories:

What we Know About LinkedIn Stories

1. Individual profiles or admins of LinkedIn Pages can create Stories “to capture images and videos and post them” using their LinkedIn mobile app. For the time being, the creation of LinkedIn Stories will be limited to the mobile app only.
2. LinkedIn members can view posted Stories using their LinkedIn mobile app. Stories from Pages or members you are connected to or follow appear as circular thumbnails at the top of the homepage on the mobile app.
3. The maximum length of videos uploaded as LinkedIn Stories is 20 seconds.
4. Stories last for 24 hours, however, members can save Stories frames for later.
5. Members can share LinkedIn Stories with other members via private message, or message the creator of a Story directly from within a frame. The limitation here is that you can only message the creator if you’re a first-degree connection. Also, you won’t be able to message Pages from Stories for the time being.
6. The creator of a Story can see a list of members who’ve viewed a Story. Members will appear as “your name and headline” in the creator’s analytics, but you can change how you appear, by visiting your settings and managing your Story viewing options. You can choose to appear as “your name and headline”, a private profile with specific characteristics (i.e. title and most recent educational institution or company), or anonymous in private mode.
7. A Story cannot be edited after it’s been posted.

A compliment to @LinkedIn for reading the other article I wrote ;) "WHY not test new LinkedIn features in the Netherlands"

Update 19th of June 2020 > If you're an Admin of a Company Page you just have to wait until you're selected so you can publish also from there. It was not until today I saw this possibility also available for the Pages for which I'm an admin.

To finalize my personal opinion, if people learn and know what to post, yes LinkedIn Stories will be valuable!

Guy Strijbosch, LinkedIn & Social Selling strategist, public speaker from the Netherlands.

Follow #LinkedInbyGuy for more news about LinkedIn.

Sources:

• Overview | LinkedIn Help
• FAQ | LinkedIn Help
• LinkedIn | Step-by-step-guide
• George Carey-Sinos | WESRM
• Natasha Boddy | The Australian Financial Review