What if LinkedIn began charging for a Bluetick?

Those of us active on social media platforms have an opinion on “Blue Checkmark” that journalists, politicians, and social media influencers flaunt on Twitter. Not surprisingly, Elon Musk’s recent announcement about charging for the use of checkmark on Twitter has drawn sharp reactions among influencers and acolytes, or ‘lords & peasants’ as Musk calls us.

Elon Musk, one of the richest men in the world, took over Twitter last week and immediately fired the leadership team and appointed himself as the CEO . Just to show he is out to shake up things and means business, Musk took to Twitter using his Blue-ticked handle to announce that he is going to charge users $8/month for the "honor" of remaining in his exclusive club.

There are already memes about paid-checkmark that draw a parallel with managers asking employees to pay to join an "employee of the month club," to be eventually eligible for an EOM pin that they can post on social media. Not too far-fetched since many employers auction premium parking slots that were earlier reserved for their executives, promising to give some of the proceeds to charity.

This got me thinking about LinkedIn where I frequently lurk around to get updates on peers, and occasionally post my viewpoints: What if this platform also began charging a fee for a ‘Bluetick’ to verify that it is indeed Mohan Krishnamoorthy who posted this blog?

Once can argue that Linkedin already has a lucrative paid Premium program that many jobseekers and recruiters find very useful. Full disclosure – I signed up for Premium and extensively used the benefits last time I was job-hopping. As per one estimate, the company generated around 4.45 billion U.S. dollars in premium subscriptions in 2021. Linkedin also has a secretive and selective 'LinkedIn Influencer ' program that may be an opportunity to monetize. ?

It would certainly be an attractive income stream for the company if all of us had to pay to be verified on LinkedIn. Some would be appalled at the prospect and threaten to disconnect from this social media platform, but realize that the benefits – in an uncertain economy and job market – outweigh the risk of rebelling.

So, what’s stopping Satya Nadella and his Microsoft team from rolling out a LinedIn-Bluetick and begin charging us?

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Other articles on the topic - Twitter Drafts Broad Job Layoffs in Elon Musk’s First Week as Owner (WSJ) || GM temporarily suspends advertising on Twitter following Elon Musk takeover

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