LinkedIn has seen the future, and that future is mobile. With a whole slew of new mobile apps and app updates, LinkedIn is launching a campaign with the end goal of global dominance in the realm of professional networking and connections. As CEO Jeff Weiner has stated, mobile expansion is LinkedIn's path toward this goal, as it helps them surpass the obstacle of scale. For brands, this means that creating a LinkedIn presence will bring significant benefits as LinkedIn continues changing and improving for the future.
New Mobile App & App Updates
Over the past couple of weeks, LinkedIn has been introducing mobile apps and app updates galore. First came Recruiter Mobile, which is an iOS app available to members of LinkedIn's Recruiter service. This app keeps track of candidates, allowing recruiters to search and communicate via texting, calling, or InMail. It also enables them to receive hiring manager feedback on the go. Second, LinkedIn also introduced Mobile Work With Us, which is a mobile adaptation of a desktop feature that lets companies display ads for open jobs on the LinkedIn profiles of their companies.
More recently, LinkedIn also announced a new app, LinkedIn Intro, along with redesigning the Pulse app and LinkedIn app for iPad. LinkedIn Intro (announcement and user comments pictured above) uses the technology of Rapportive, an email company that LinkedIn acquired last year. With this iOS app, LinkedIn profiles are included in the Apple Mail app. This means that when someone emails you, you can see his or her employment information right in the email. Finally, the redesigned Pulse app adds many features available on LinkedIn on desktop, such as updates from Influencer blogs.
LinkedIn CEO: The Future is Mobile
The release of these new apps and app updates aligns with the vision that LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner has for the company: growth through mobile expansion. Ultimately, LinkedIn has the goal of becoming the go-to site for all economic opportunities across the globe, and mobile allows the network to be better suited to professionals on-the-go. Weiner states that by 2014, he believes 50% of unique visitors to LinkedIn will be using mobile devices. Currently, that number is at 38%. Furthermore, Weiner states that those who use the LinkedIn mobile app are 2.5 times as active as those on desktop.
What This Means for Brands
For brands, LinkedIn's plan to become the dominant professional and economic network across the globe means that you should get on LinkedIn now, if you aren't already. LinkedIn has much to offer small businesses in particular, with both sponsored updates for advertising and job postings to recruit new employees.
How do LinkedIn's mobile updates affect your brand?