With the new decade in full swing, many of us have embraced the “new year, new you” mantra. Professional networking site LinkedIn is set to follow suit and rumored to be introducing a whole range of innovative features to keep up with the ever-changing digital marketplace.
If you want to stay at the forefront of digital marketing trends, you need to be prepared. That’s why we’ve put together a list of expert predictions to help you realign your brand with LinkedIn’s smartest marketing strategies for 2020 and beyond.
Content As King
With the over-saturation of businesses vying for consumer attention online, it’s vital that you distinguish yourself from the crowd. So, it’s not surprising that Kathy Bernhard, of KFB Leadership Solutions, predicts LinkedIn’s focus on curating and creating content will only increase.
Whether you’re on LinkedIn to promote your business or to sell yourself to prospective employers, publishing original content can position you as an industry thought leader and indicate to stakeholders that you’re the best person or company for the contract.
If you don’t have the time to create content, listing your industry knowledge on your profile, as wealth manager Daniella Rand’s LinkedIn profile illustrates, is another easy way to set yourself apart from competitors.
Local Networking
Originally, LinkedIn’s drawcard was its ability to create a global professional network. However, Ken Gosnell of CEO Experience, speculates that 2020 will see LinkedIn will look to develop a “LinkedIn Local” tool that focuses on helping clients find profiles within a certain geographical radius. This would allow companies and jobseekers to more easily source talent and collaborators locally, where digital contact alone will not suffice.
To get the most out of this possible upcoming feature, ensure your contact details are always up to date.
Live Content & Video Introductions
LinkedIn already has a feature that allows you to stream live content, such as webinars. However, with Susan Heathfield of The Balance Careers, predicting video resumes are going to take center stage this year, LinkedIn’s ability to live stream pre-recorded content may take on new importance.
According to Vault Inc’s employer survey, the major value for employers is the ability a video provides to assess a candidates’ professional presentation and demeanor. Given the vast number of resumes employers filter through when looking for candidates, presenting a video resume along with a traditional cover letter on your profile is a great way to give yourself an edge.
AI Profile Analysis
Deepak Agarwal, VP of artificial intelligence (AI) at LinkedIn, explains “At Linkedin, AI is like oxygen.”
While AI has been an integral part of LinkedIn’s business plan since 2007, in 2020 the platform is set to rely even more heavily on AI profile analysis to recommend new connections, highlight articles that are trending in your industry and even suggest courses that may help you reach the next level in your career.
In a recent vlog on the subject, Agarwal illustrated its resounding success, explaining that a 2019 AI update to the job recommendation system resulted in an improvement in application rate of jobs by more than 30%.
Keeping these expert predictions in mind, head on over to your own LinkedIn page and give it the 2020 makeover it deserves.
