LinkedIn rolls out stories feature to all users

Last Friday night, IMPACT CEO Bob Ruffolo sent out the following message in our internal #breaking-news Slack channel:

He wasn’t alone — many of us were shocked! 

Just like Instagram and Facebook, LinkedIn has now joined the lineup and has the ability to create stories. LinkedIn has been testing stories over the last few months in different regions.

Following all of that rigorous testing, LinkedIn rolled out stories last week to all users in the United States and Canada. They will continue to roll out to the remaining regions in the coming weeks. 

What is a story?

A story is a social media feed video (up to 20 seconds) or photo clip where you can add text, filters, GIFs, emojis, music, and more and share with your friends and colleagues. They also disappear after 24 hours.

Here's an example of an Instagram story from Hartford Prints!, a local business in Connecticut:

Unlike other social media platforms where they will focus on your personal life, LinkedIn stories will (and should) probably focus more on what’s happening in your professional life. Posting a story may not be for everyone, but with LinkedIn Stories, you will have an opportunity to show off your business or what you do from a new perspective.

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However, if this story function is available on plenty of other social platforms, how will stories be different on LinkedIn? In short, leveraging stories on LinkedIn is the place for you to go “behind the scenes” in the professional side of your life.

What kind of content should your brand share with LinkedIn stories?

In LinkedIn’s announcement story, they share different ways professionals can leverage the new feature: 

Here are a few other ways you can also use this new story feature.

Highlight personal achievements

Bring big wins to the table, such as highlighting a milestone, a promotion, an award, or a published article. Our very own Liz Moorehead posted about IMPACT’s email newsletter THE LATEST, turning 2 years old and having 50,000 subscribers.

If you aren’t subscribed already, you should subscribe today.

Educate your customers and prospects

If you are a product-based company, you can be showing updates being made to your products, or even sneak previews to new products that you are working on. If you are a service-based company, you can promote how you work with clients and how you can better serve their needs. As well as show what your clients think of you.

You can take a literal page out of They Ask, You Answer and host an AMA — "ask me anything" — session with one or more of your experts.

Have your customers and prospects send you questions and then answer them on LinkedIn stories. That way others who may have the same questions get to hear your answers. Another way to get your brand out there in a more professional setting.

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As we like to say at IMPACT, here is my “learned for the day,” AKA something I learned today that I didn’t know. Everyone should always be learning. Share what lessons you have learned while working on a project. There’s a good chance someone is experiencing something similar to you.

Share your experience

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or you’re just getting started in your career, share with others how you overcame a challenge and how you were able to succeed. Or even share about a challenge you are currently running and to see if anyone has advice.

Show what goes on behind the scenes

Why not peel back a layer and show what goes on behind the computer every day? With more of us working from home during the pandemic, we can show each other what improvements we are making to our workspace. How we stay focused when working from home with a full house.

Why not show what you are working on next on?

LinkedIn stories is also integrating unique tools.

• Question of the Day: LinkedIn will pose a question of the day to all users which they can respond to with a story
• Localized Stickers: In each region, LinkedIn will have unique stickers that users can add to their stories.

The potential power of LinkedIn stories

LinkedIn stories gives you an opportunity to show off your business or what you do from a new perspective. It’s going to be a new and different way to connect with people on a more professional basis on a more professional platform.

If you are a salesperson, LinkedIn stories can be a great way to show your prospects who are in this now virtual-first selling world. Or if you are looking for a job, it can be a way to show companies a different side of you.

I read somewhere that someone equated the situation we are in now with the COVID-19 pandemic that stories are replacing those water cooler moments. Stories can also be a great conversation starter and get you to reflect.

I'll just leave that gem from Gary Vaynerchuk for you to think about.