LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, today announced a new offering for members in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that enables them to share news and daily professional moments and helps them build and maintain valuable connections.
As the first country in the MENA region to test the LinkedIn Stories feature, a more casual way to communicate everyday professional updates, members in the UAE now have the option of sharing photos and videos of up to 20-second duration via their LinkedIn accounts.
The impact of COVID-19 has led many teams to work remotely and apart from one another, which made it necessary to find ways to stay connected. As a result, LinkedIn has registered a jump of more than 20 percent in the number of co-workers having private conversations on the professional networking platform, and 3X as much engagement on posts. Meanwhile, it also recorded a 55 percent increase in conversations between connections from March 2019 to March 2020. The COVID-19 situation has also had a direct impact on the consumption of content: 40 percent of LinkedIn members indicate that they read the news more often today and 30 percent check social media platforms more frequently to stay informed.
In this context, the rollout of LinkedIn Stories in the UAE aims to help members stay connected to their network and find trusted sources of news on the platform. Furthermore, with professional life going beyond engagement during business hours for most members, LinkedIn Stories makes it possible to offer a behind-the-scenes look at daily activities, to share sources of inspiration, to promote other entrepreneurs or professionals or to simply exchange knowledge and practical tips.
Speaking on the timing of the launch, Lynn Chouman, Editor at LinkedIn News, said: “As the workplace redefines itself to adapt to the rapidly changing world, it’s becoming increasingly important for people to stay connected to their network and grow their community. LinkedIn Stories will offer members an accessible and convenient way to share updates, industry news, and professional content with their connections. The new feature will also allow members to connect around the news and views that matter.
“With the demand for visual content and mobile-first formats poised to grow exponentially, we believe this feature will provide a creative solution for members to show their professional side with a human touch. We are looking forward to more productive interactions and engagements among our four-million strong community in the UAE.”
While the tool will be available to the broader LinkedIn community, it is also set to serve as an easy option for publishers and media to keep their audiences informed of industry updates.
For instance, LinkedIn News editors are also set to actively leverage the Stories function. Users are given an additional gateway to the Daily Rundown and can keep up to speed with economic developments. Today, news alerts place significant focus on the impact of the pandemic crisis on social life, how businesses respond to COVID-19 related challenges, new public policies, as well as best practices for people and companies.
