TLDR
- LinkedIn is introducing AI-powered career advice and games to increase daily user visits.
- The platform reported “record engagement” of 1.5 million content interactions per minute in June 2024.
- Site visits grew 5% year-over-year in June, down from higher growth rates in previous years.
- LinkedIn is aiming to broaden its platform beyond job searching to drive growth and revenue.
- The company is also enhancing its advertising business and using AI to generate content.
LinkedIn, the professional networking platform owned by Microsoft, is taking steps to transform itself from a job-search site to a daily destination for its users.
The company is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and introducing games to boost engagement and tackle slowing revenue growth in an increasingly competitive social media landscape.
In a recent development, LinkedIn has rolled out daily puzzles and AI features that generate career advice articles. These moves are part of a broader strategy to keep users on the platform longer and more frequently.
Daniel Roth, LinkedIn’s Editor-in-Chief, emphasized the company’s goal:
“It’s about building this daily habit. Once you’re on LinkedIn, it’s time to share your knowledge, get knowledge, get information and get content.”
The platform reported “record engagement” of 1.5 million content interactions per minute in June 2024. However, data from analytics firm Similarweb shows that while overall visits to the platform have increased in recent years, growth has slowed since the beginning of 2024.
In June, year-on-year growth of site visits was at 5%, less than half the rate averaged in 2021 and 2022.
This slowdown has prompted LinkedIn to explore new avenues for growth. The introduction of games in May 2024 is one such initiative. These daily puzzles allow users to record “streaks” of completed games, view leaderboards comparing different industries and companies, and share scores with connections. Roth noted that the games are designed to be quick, serving as conversation starters without taking up too much time.
On the AI front, LinkedIn has implemented a feature that generates advice questions and compiles responses from relevant specialists into “collaborative articles.” This AI-driven content creation aims to provide value to users while keeping them engaged on the platform.
LinkedIn is also adapting its feed to be more like other social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Instagram. The new algorithmic approach shows users posts and videos from creators they’re likely to interact with, along with content from people they follow.
These changes come as LinkedIn seeks to boost its advertising business in a challenging economic environment. The company has already taken steps to cut costs, including two rounds of layoffs in 2023 that affected more than 5% of its workforce.
The platform’s efforts to broaden its appeal seem to be paying off in some areas. LinkedIn has emerged as an unexpected place for merchants to reach and influence consumers.
Major companies like Amazon and Nike have garnered millions of followers on the platform. This trend aligns with the growing importance of social commerce, especially among younger demographics.
According to a PYMNTS Intelligence study, 68% of Generation Z consumers shop via social media.
However, some analysts caution that LinkedIn must balance its new initiatives with its core identity as a professional network. Rebecca McGrath, a technology analyst at Mintel, advised:
“Practical advice and tools are the best bet for expanding usage: getting back to that core mission of why people use LinkedIn rather than competing in different spaces that you don’t have to compete in.”
