LinkedIn is no longer just a place for announcing promotions or explaining what your vacation to Hawaii taught you about B2B sales.
Driving the news: The Microsoft-owned networking platform is rolling out four new short-form video shows backed by sponsors like IBM and AT&T. The shows, which will cover topics like entrepreneurship and AI, sound like they’re somewhere between a TED Talk and a TikTok.
- LinkedIn says payouts to publishers and creators in the video ad program, called BrandLink, have more than tripled in the last year.
- Publishers like The Economist, BBC Studios, Vox Media, Bloomberg, and the Wall Street Journal are already a part of the program, which is still invite-only. Now, the company is looking to poach more lifestyle influencers.
Why it’s happening: Video is one of LinkedIn’s fastest-growing formats, with uploads up 20% this year and its roster of creators doubling since 2021. The goal is to give users a reason to scroll and stick around on LinkedIn in the same way they would on Instagram or YouTube.
- For advertisers looking to reach CEOs, VCs, and other deep-pocketed decision makers, the more reasons there are for users to scroll, the better.
Why it matters: LinkedIn has transformed from a job board into the business world’s virtual playground. With over a billion accounts, a roster of daily games, and a vertical video feed, the user experience on the platform is becoming more pleasure than business.—LA