LinkedIn is traditionally viewed as a professional networking platform for finding jobs, connecting with colleagues, and building a personal brand. However, in recent years, there has been a shift towards using LinkedIn for more social and conversational purposes as well.
What is LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 722 million users worldwide as of April 2021. Founded in 2003, LinkedIn connects professionals from all industries and career levels and allows them to network, seek out jobs, share content, and build their professional profiles.
Some key features of LinkedIn include:
- Profiles – Detailed pages highlighting a user’s work history, education, skills, accomplishments, recommendations, and more.
- Feed – A newsfeed where users can post content like articles, images, and videos.
- Groups – Forums focused on industries, professions, interests, universities, and more where users can have discussions.
- Jobs – A built-in job board where users can search for and apply to open positions.
- Messaging – Users can directly message connections through the LinkedIn messaging system.
LinkedIn is often viewed strictly as a professional platform and not a place for casual socializing. But is it possible for LinkedIn to also serve as a social media platform?
How People Use LinkedIn for Social Purposes
While LinkedIn was designed primarily for professional networking and career development, some users have started leveraging it for more social and community-focused purposes as well. Some of the ways people use LinkedIn in a social media-like manner include:
- Posting more about their personal lives, interests, hobbies, and views.
- Following influencers, thought leaders, brands, and companies.
- Joining Groups not directly related to their careers to discuss common interests.
- Commenting on other’s posts and starting conversations.
- Sharing non-business related articles, images, and videos.
- Live broadcasting about topics unrelated to their work.
- Following and interacting with connections’ updates for personal reasons.
Essentially, some LinkedIn users are going beyond just professional networking and using it to build communities, share life updates, and interact with content just as they would on platforms like Facebook or Instagram.
Benefits of Using LinkedIn for Social Purposes
There are some advantages that LinkedIn offers as a social platform versus mainstream social networks like Facebook and Twitter:
- Expanded reach – Since LinkedIn is focused on professionals, it allows users to get their personal updates and content in front of a broader, global audience of working professionals vs just their close friends and family.
- Thought leadership – By posting more personal and interest-focused updates, users can build their authority and thought leadership within their industry beyond just career moves.
- Showcase life outside work – Publishing photos, updates, and content from hobbies, travels, and life events allows connections to get to know users more personally vs just professionally.
- Build diverse connections – Interacting in LinkedIn Groups around common interests allows users to connect with relevant professionals they likely wouldn’t otherwise meet.
- Control over image – LinkedIn provides users with more control over their professional personal brand identity versus social networks centered around one’s personal life.
The size and engagement levels of LinkedIn’s user base presents unique opportunities for social interactions versus other networks.
Drawbacks of LinkedIn as Social Media
Using LinkedIn for social purposes does come with some drawbacks to consider as well:
- Smaller reach – A user is unlikely to have all their close friends and family as connections on LinkedIn, limiting how many will see personal updates.
- Not the expected behavior – Some connections may dislike seeing non-professional updates in their feed from professional contacts.
- Identity confusion – Too much personal sharing could dilute a user’s professional brand identity on LinkedIn.
- Feels less personal – The anonymity and distance of professional contacts makes the platform less conducive to intimate sharing than social networks with closer friends.
- Less control over data – Any personal updates and interactions on LinkedIn become part of a user’s professional profile and connections can download data.
LinkedIn was not designed for vulnerable sharing or casual interactions in the way that Facebook groups and pages were, for example.
Best Practices for Social Use of LinkedIn
For those interested in occasionally using LinkedIn as a social platform, here are some best practices to follow:
- Occasionally post fun, personal updates but keep the large majority of posts professional.
- Interact frequently with Groups but stay on topic within those forums.
- Comment thoughtfully on connections’ posts when appropriate.
- Build social connections by mentioning common interests and experiences vs overly personal details.
- Utilize LinkedIn’s privacy settings to control who sees certain updates.
- Monitor comments and replies to avoid inappropriate conversations.
- Consider connections may judge you differently than friends on other networks.
The occasional personal post to show off achievements or major life events can be appropriate. But frequent casual status updates are better suited for Facebook and Instagram.
Examples of Appropriate Social Use
Here are some examples of appropriate, moderate ways to leverage LinkedIn for social purposes:
- Posting photos from volunteering at a charity event to showcase philanthropic efforts
- Sharing an article related to a personal interest or hobby like golf, gardening, etc.
- Commenting on a connection’s promotion announcement to thoughtfully congratulate them
- Publishing a travel photo during time off and mentioning recharging for the career journey ahead
- Joining and actively participating in a few Groups centered around common interests
The focus remains on building connections and identity – not vulnerable status updates. Any social uses should ideally tie back to professional interests and goals in some way.
Should You Use LinkedIn as Social Media?
There are pros and cons to leveraging LinkedIn as a social platform. Here are some key questions to consider:
- Who is your target audience and will they engage with personal updates?
- How might it shape perceptions of your professional brand identity?
- Do you want work connections viewing casual aspects of your life?
- Will you be able to thoughtfully manage comments and discussions?
- Does your industry culture support informal social engagement?
Ultimately there is no definitive yes or no answer. Each individual needs to evaluate their own priorities, brand strategy, audience, comfort level and motives to determine if and how to incorporate more social uses of LinkedIn.
Conclusion
While LinkedIn was designed specifically for professional networking, some users are leveraging it for more social purposes like sharing personal updates, interacting around hobbies, and forming communities. This can allow professionals to expand their reach and develop more diverse, global connections. However, too much social use runs the risks of damaging one’s career brand and annoying connections expecting professional content.
The ideal strategy is likely occasional, thoughtful social updates balanced heavily against career-focused content. Each user has to decide what mix of professional and social feeds best suits their objectives and industry norms. But overall, LinkedIn has the potential for light social uses beyond just job searching if handled strategically.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Expanded reach | Smaller reach than mainstream social networks |
| Showcase thought leadership | Identity confusion diluting professional brand |
| Highlight life outside work | Not the expected behavior on platform |
| Control over professional identity | Less control over data and privacy |
Key Takeaways
- LinkedIn can be used sparingly for social purposes like sharing personal updates, joining interest Groups, and interacting with connections.
- Benefits include expanded reach, thought leadership, and highlighting life outside work.
- Drawbacks include smaller reach than other social networks, identity confusion, and unexpected behavior.
- Best practices include keeping most posts professional, thoughtful commenting, and leveraging privacy settings.
- Each user must evaluate their goals, audience, and comfort level to determine appropriate social use.
