What's New on LinkedIn? Tips for B2B Business Owners

Hey there, fellow business owners! If you’re like me, your relationship with LinkedIn has evolved over time. It’s no longer just a platform for jobseekers and recruiters; it’s a powerhouse for B2B networking, brand building, and relationship nurturing. And guess what? LinkedIn keeps getting better.

Here’s a run-down of the latest features LinkedIn has rolled out and how they can help you foster stronger business relationships and explore new tactics for growth.

1. Games for Engagement

Okay, let's start with something fun—Games! Yes, LinkedIn has introduced three puzzled-based thinking games to foster fun engagement. Currently, the three games Pinpoint, Crossladder, and Queens, are available. These games are designed to help you improve your problem-solving skills and build a stronger connection with your network.

Think of It as the Golf Club for LinkedIn.

A new puzzle is released daily, along with a daily feed where players can share their results and interact with one another.

Start with these easy steps:

1. Leave a thoughtful comment about your approach or respond to someone else's comment.
2. Scan for people who match your dream audience
3. Visit their profiles or interact with their other content, and
4. Send a connect request with a message if you liked their profile.

The bonus is you have a built-in conversation starter, and because you both play the game regularly, it opens the door for fun banter and building genuine rapport.

2. Grow and Catch Up Tabs

One update you may have heard about, is the new My Network feed. Instead of one feed, its now split into two tabs, namely Grow and Catch Up. The small change makes it easier to stay informed and engaged with your network.

The Grow tab is where you'll find invitations to connect, attend events, or subscribe to newsletters from people in your network. It's also where you can discover new content and potential connections through trending hashtags and topics.

The Catch Up tab, on the other hand, is designed to help you stay up-to-date with your current connections. You'll see announcements about birthdays, job changes, and who's hiring.

How You Can Leverage The Catch Up Tab

Now, while the birthday notifications can get tedious, they're an opportunity to re-engage with old contacts and start conversations with potential clients who may be looking for new opportunities.

It's a form of relationship marketing or networking. The “Happy Birthday” or “Congrats” message is a simple gesture that can go a long way in fostering goodwill and building stronger connections.

Instead of just sending the suggested message, why not record a voice note or video message to stand out and show genuine interest? Then, continue the conversation — not to sell them something, but to foster genuine relationships. Finally, check in with them a week or two later and see how their birthday went. It's a small gesture, but it can make a big impact.

3. Contribute Button in Home Feed on the Web app

Next up is a feature LinkedIn is still rolling out. The Media, Job, Write article options on the Start a post section are switching up. The Job option is being replaced with a Contribute expertise option. This is designed to help you showcase your expertise and start meaningful conversations with your network.

What Does This Mean for You?

Well, collaborative articles and Community Top Badges are here to stay and LinkedIn is encouraging you to use them. Take advantage of this feature by sharing your knowledge, insights, and opinions on relevant industry topics, and engage with others who are doing the same.

4. Short-form Video Integration

Short-form video is still on its way to LinkedIn. The feature will create a separate video feed to make it easier for users to discover and engage with short, informative videos.

Start thinking about how you can use this to showcase your business, share tips, or highlight customer success stories.

5. Upload Video Covers

Speaking of videos, you can now upload video cover image. Similar to Instagram Reels or YouTube videos, you can now choose a custom image to represent your video. This is a great opportunity to capture attention and make your content stand out in the feed, inviting people to click and watch.

6. Create an Article URL

Creating articles on LinkedIn just got easier with the ability to create an Article URL. This means you can now share your articles more effectively across different platforms before they are live. As a LinkedIn Newsletter and Article enthusiast, I love this update because I can schedule cross promotional content WITH the link to articles ahead of time.

7. Customise Activity Section on Your Profile

Now, for my personal favourite. A feature that's been around for a while, but you may not have noticed or taken advantage of— customising your activity section on your profile. You can now select which activities you want to display on your profile, making it more tailored and relevant to potential connections or clients.

Since my newsletters are a big part of my business, I've selected to showcase them in this section alongside my two most recent articles. This not only shows what I'm passionate about and knowledgeable in, but it also serves as social proof for potential clients or partners who may want to work with me.

I've also used this strategy when updating clients' personal profiles. Let's say you post images with bold headlines or interesting graphics, you can set the Images tab as the default. Now, when someone scans through your profile, they'll see a stunning curated gallery of your most recent posts in all their beauty.

And you can select any of the following to show up in your activity section: Documents, Images, Events, Videos, or Newsletters.

Let's Connect and Brainstorm Together

These updates may seem small, but they can greatly impact your LinkedIn strategy and help you stand out from the crowd. Plus, as a fellow business owner or marketer, I love discussing new strategies and ideas for leveraging these features.

Share your thoughts in the comments below, or ask me any questions about using LinkedIn to grow your personal brand or business.

Want a personal guide to navigate these updates and enhance your LinkedIn presence?

Book a 30-minute Clarity Session with me today.