How LinkedIn plans to unleash the power within its network
“This is the world’s largest business network, with 120m members worldwide, including more than half a million members in Ireland,” Bernsel explained.
“Globally, we have two members joining every second. What we have discovered is LinkedIn is not just a social network for these people – it is a work tool. It’s not just about getting introduced, it’s about knowing exactly what’s happening. And of course, there’s no better way of organising your business cards – if you move job your network stays with you.
“The other thing we are finding is that for people with specific job titles, such as IT professionals, it is much more useful in terms of getting the right information.”
For LinkedIn to grow its advertising base, having this specific information could be a bonus for advertisers, says Bernsel.
“We are all social creatures and we are curious about people and our networks. Most of our users start their day at the social network and it goes from there. The key is combining the predominance of very senior people into services for advertisers,” Bernsel said.
“One thing that social media provides you with is trust. In the business world, you tend to know who you are dealing with and if a connection recommends something, because you know that person it is likely to be of good value to you.”
Bernsel said the power of the network is its targeting capability.
“Every marketer today wants to put relevant messages in front of the right person. In many cases, the targeting is implied. On most networks they think they know a visitor because of the type of article he or she reads. On LinkedIn, we would know if it is a CFO or a CTO.
“As well as this, every updated profile is rich with information and we can use that information to help advertisers reach exactly the right people, so there’s value there for the advertisers and the members because what they will be seeing on their pages will be relevant to them.
“We believe the polls, for example, are an interesting new format for advertising. Instead of an ad where you have a banner, you have a question. That question will be about something that highlights the value around the brand, such as what’s important for you when you fly, is it fast check-in, comfortable seats, food, etc.
“The viral effect of that will result in the network seeing what members have engaged with.”
I asked Bernsel about LinkedIn’s plans for mobile marketing. “In the current mobile app there is no advertising and I’m not aware of any plans around that. But there is a constant stream of business development taking place around mobile.”
While Bernsel couldn’t comment on new features arriving on the LinkedIn platform, he said the social media landscape is evolving. “We will continue to be innovative and roll out new functions. The wishlist from members is very long. But you can be optimistic; we are working on some truly great things.”
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