Are LinkedIn stories the way to go?

If you have a good story, it has to be told: in text, in pictures, and of course with a slick video. In 2020, almost every social medium contains the functionality for adding a video. The best example of the way videos are integrated in platforms are ‘’stories’’. Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and since this spring – somewhat unexpected – LinkedIn. With so many story platforms, you might wonder if LinkedIn Stories will be successful in the integration of stories on their platform.

A story is also known as ephemeral content. After Snapchat introduced the world to stories in 2011, Instagram (2016) and Facebook (2017) followed. A notable newcomer to this is LinkedIn. Did you know that the Netherlands was the first European country to gain access to LinkedIn Stories? Since mid-May, you can use stories in this business-oriented social medium. However, because LinkedIn contains a slightly different clientele and content than the other social platforms, it is good to adjust your content accordingly.

The image of stories

When LinkedIn Stories was launched, the company communicated that the implementation of this additional functionality might initially be considered a test phase. Therefore, right now it can only be used for personal profiles and selected LinkedIn pages in Australia, Brazil, the Netherlands, and the United Arab Emirates. That may be the reason that the number of stories you see right now is still pretty scarce. Another reason might have to do with the rather light-hearted image of a story, because since its introduction stories have only become known on the non-business platforms. Is there a specific fun factor to stories? It may be the reason that LinkedIn users have not fully embraced the story at this time. Whatever the reason, we are very curious about how the stories will be picked up by the chosen LinkedIn users and pages in the future.

Interested in using LinkedIn Stories? First, take a look below:

• First of all, use LinkedIn Stories to provide your connections with professional information/stories that are easier to tell on screen than in a LinkedIn post. Think of an inspiring morning ritual before your working day, an educational book about your field, a photo of your workplace, or an enthusiastic pep talk.
• LinkedIn pages cannot yet use stories, so it is only interesting for personal profiles to distribute engaging stories in the name of the company where they work.
• Since LinkedIn is a strongly business-oriented platform, it is best not to throw your Instagram or Facebook stories on LinkedIn randomly. Each social medium has its own specific target group, theme, and matching topics.
• The stories are not yet accessible on the desktop version of LinkedIn, so they can only be created and viewed by mobile users.

Do you want to know more about LinkedIn Stories, the use of stories on your other social media channels, or set up a complete strategy for communication with all your online platforms? Don’t hesitate to contact our social media team!