4 Ways LinkedIn is Becoming More Appealing to Generation Z

In the world of social media, LinkedIn has built up a reputation as a business-focused platform for professionals looking to build contact networks and get ahead in their careers.

This gives a safe but arguably bland brand identity, which is a far cry from the youth-focused dynamism of other platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

However, change is afoot, and LinkedIn is gradually turning the ship around to connect with members of Gen Z. Let’s go over some of the ways this is happening, and what you can do to harness it regardless of your age.

Video is making a splash

While LinkedIn is more focused on the written word than almost any other social network, the arrival of Gen Z professionals is causing a seismic shift towards video.

Such a pivot was inevitable given that members of this generation came of age at a time when streaming services and short-form clips were the norm for creative expression. So it’s natural that they’d also want to see similar solutions available on a platform designed to help them get jobs and build professional relationships.

Being able to record a video which sits on your LinkedIn profile and use this as your calling card, rather than just relying on a dry, written overview of your achievements and ambitions, clearly clicks with younger users.

How to get the most out of LinkedIn

For users, taking advantage of the profile-building features that LinkedIn offers, including the aforementioned video profile option, is sensible. Even if you fall into an older demographic, there’s no reason that you can’t capitalize on what Gen Z employees are harnessing.

For marketers, tools like SalesFlow are empowering, since they allow for campaign automation, letting you connect with prospects from across the generational spectrum and make meaningful improvements to conversions as a result.

Podcasts are providing new avenues for expression

Another type of content that Gen Z-ers have come of age alongside is the humble podcast, and in particular they have seen it go from a niche concern to a mainstream behemoth.

Riding on the coattails of this, LinkedIn has recently introduced its very own network of business-related podcasts, combining both pre-recorded audio sessions as well as live events to which users are able to make contributions in real time.

Indeed this could be seen as a major innovation, with the platform reimagining podcasts as an opportunity for networking and relationship building, rather than just a one-way conversation between the hosts and the audience.

Filtering is keeping social feeds on-topic and uncontroversial

Social media is known for its reactionary nature, and in the past half-decade in particular the prevalence of political discourse has become perpetual to the point of being overwhelming.

Gen Z is not just politically aware, but also attuned to the idea that sometimes it’s better to step back from partisan conversations and avoid all sorts of triggering topics in the process.

LinkedIn has catered to those who just want to use its tools as intended by offering content filtering which is specifically focused around political hot potato subjects. This could remove the toxicity from social media, and make it a bastion of kindness and tolerance, at least comparatively speaking.

Progressiveness is more of a priority

While LinkedIn may enable a politics-free experience for users, that doesn’t mean it is ignoring the more progressive parts of modern social movements, specifically with regards to the world of work and careers.

For example, users are able to better explain why they were out of work for a given period, whether that might be as a result of becoming a parent or taking a career break.

This should all mean that Gen Z users, and every other member of the LinkedIn community, is given a better experience which is more inclusive and less discriminatory.

The last word on LinkedIn

Having been around for almost two decades, you’d expect LinkedIn to be a mature and established platform. Yet because it is clearly willing to move with the times and adapt to appeal to younger audiences, it could actually be more relevant today than ever, and avoid the slow decline that some of its rivals are suffering.