LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional networking platform, enables users to connect with other professionals, find jobs, follow companies, and grow their careers. To encourage user engagement and drive desired actions, LinkedIn provides call-to-action (CTA) buttons throughout the platform.
What is a CTA button?
A call-to-action (CTA) button is an interactive element meant to prompt users to take a desired action. On LinkedIn, some common CTA buttons include:
- Follow
- Connect
- Apply
- Save
- Share
- Message
When a user clicks on one of these buttons, it initiates the associated action, like following a company page, connecting with a professional contact, applying for a job, saving a post, sharing content, or messaging someone directly.
CTA buttons allow LinkedIn to guide users through workflows to maximize engagement. They serve an important role in converting passive visitors into active members.
Types of LinkedIn CTA buttons
LinkedIn utilizes a wide variety of CTA buttons across the platform. Some of the main types include:
Profile CTA buttons
On individual profile pages, key buttons aim to connect users with that professional. Common profile page CTAs include:
- Connect – Send a connection request
- Follow – Follow their public updates
- More – View expanded menu, including options like Send Message, Create job alert, and Follow company
These simple calls-to-action allow you to engage with a profile right from their page.
Messaging CTA buttons
Messaging-related CTAs encourage users to communicate directly. Examples include:
- Send – Send a message
- Reply – Reply to a message
- Mark as unread – Mark a message as unread
- Delete – Delete the message
- Leave conversation – Leave a group message thread
These buttons enable seamless messaging interactions.
Content sharing CTA buttons
Users can easily share posts and articles with their networks through share CTAs:
- Share now – Share the content to your own feed
- Post – Share content to a group or on your profile
- Tweet – Share via Twitter
- Embed – Generate embed code
Viral sharing is critical for engagement on LinkedIn, and appropriately placed share buttons facilitate that.
Group CTA buttons
Groups have their own set of CTAs to create participation:
- Join – Become a group member
- Comment – Leave a comment on a post
- Post – Create a new post in the group
- More – Additional options like Promote and Share
These buttons allow users to fully utilize group functionality.
Job application CTA buttons
Jobs and internships feature calls-to-action tailored to the application process:
- Easy Apply – Simplified application with existing profile as a resume
- Apply Now – Default application process
- Save – Save the listing
- Follow – Follow the company
Job seekers can progress through the job search funnel with intuitive application CTAs.
Company page CTA buttons
Company pages include CTAs for engaging with brands:
- Follow – Follow company updates
- Apply – Apply for jobs
- More – View options like Write Review
- Message – Direct message the company
This facilitates brand interaction and talent pipelines.
Sponsored CTA buttons
Sponsored posts have distinctive CTAs tailored to advertisers:
- Learn more – Get more info on the promoted product/service
- Sign up – Create an account/mailing list registration
- Buy now – Direct purchase for promoted offers
- Register – Sign up for event promotions
These provide direct response mechanisms for ads.
Other call-to-action buttons
Additional examples include:
- Like – Like a post
- Comment – Comment on a post
- Visit website – Go to an external site
- Contact sales – Sales inquiry lead gen
- Register now – Sign up for a service
There are many more niche CTAs throughout the platform.
Color scheme of LinkedIn CTA buttons
LinkedIn primarily uses a familiar blue color for its standard call-to-action buttons:
| CTA | Color |
|---|---|
| Follow | #0a66c2 |
| Connect | #0a66c2 |
| Apply | #0a66c2 |
| Share | #0a66c2 |
| Send | #0a66c2 |
This vibrant blue helps the key action buttons stand out on the page.
Secondary buttons use a lighter gray:
| CTA | Color |
|---|---|
| Save | #666 |
| See all | #666 |
| View profile | #666 |
Less important calls-to-action blend into the background more with a neutral gray hue.
Some variations exist for specific use cases. Sponsor-focused CTAs often use bright green:
| CTA | Color |
|---|---|
| Register | #62b858 |
| Learn more | #62b858 |
| Sign up | #62b858 |
Vibrant sponsor buttons capture more attention.
On the hiring side, call-to-action buttons are styled to suit recruiters:
| CTA | Color |
|---|---|
| Contact candidate | #0074b1 |
| Save candidate | #0074b1 |
| Send inMail | #0074b1 |
So while uniform blue is the dominant CTA color, LinkedIn incorporates strategic variations to align with specific use cases.
Size and prominence of LinkedIn CTA buttons
To attract clicks, the most important calls-to-action are made clearly visible through size and placement.
For instance, the bright blue “Follow” button on company pages takes up prime real estate at the top of the page. This large, fixed placement keeps the call to follow readily accessible even while scrolling through the page.
Similarly, the main action buttons on job listings are made intentionally prominent through fixed placement and sizing. “Easy Apply” stands out as the recommended application method.
On the flip side, secondary actions are displayed smaller to convey their lower priority. For example, on job listings the “Save” button appears much smaller underneath the “Apply” CTAs.
Within the LinkedIn feed, the share, like, and comment buttons are sized appropriately to their importance. Share is most essential for engagement, so it appears larger than like and comment.
Through strategic sizing, LinkedIn draws attention to the desired outcome for each component of the platform. Users’ eyes gravitate toward the most important calls-to-action based on prominence.
Which types of LinkedIn members see which CTA buttons?
Beyond different CTAs by location, LinkedIn also personalizes which calls-to-action you see based on your account type and activity.
As a LinkedIn member, you will see CTAs encouraging you to connect with other members, follow companies, share content, and comment or like posts.
With a paid Premium account, additional CTAs like “Send inMail” appear to utilize your upgraded messaging capabilities.
As a recruiter, you get specialized CTAs to contact potential candidates from their profiles and save them to talent pools.
Active job seekers will see prominent apply buttons on job listings matching their preferences and skills. Passive seekers may see “Follow company” instead to stay updated.
Businesses with active ads and sponsorships unlock response-oriented buttons like “Learn more” and “Register.”
Group admins can access post creation and group management calls-to-action.
So the specific CTAs presented to you deliver a tailored experience based on your needs and capabilities on LinkedIn.
How do LinkedIn’s CTA buttons lead to conversions?
Ultimately LinkedIn’s purpose for call-to-action buttons is guiding users to complete valuable actions that benefit their platform ecosystem. What types of conversions do they aim to drive?
Connection requests
CTAs to connect with other members directly enable LinkedIn’s core value proposition – growing your professional network. Each new connection expands users’ reach and opportunities.
Content engagement
Calls to share, like, and comment make content creation worthwhile and spread information virally. Increased engagement leads to more time on site.
FOLLOW COMPANY AND INFLUENCER PAGES
Following pages provides touchpoints to update users on relevant brands, organizations, and thought leaders. This can inspire future engagement.
Job applications
Apply CTAs convert passive candidates into active applicants, feeding the hiring demands of LinkedIn’s corporate customers.
LEAD GENERATION FROM SPONSORED CONTENT
Lead gen CTAs allow advertisers to gather direct contacts and pipeline opportunities from their sponsorships.
Premium subscriptions
Upgraded features prompt users to purchase Premium access in order to utilize them. This provides a revenue stream for LinkedIn.
Group participation
Groups that thrive with engaged members and dialogue reflect positively on the platform as providing value.
The strategic use of calls-to-action ultimately drives growth, activity, and revenue for LinkedIn in a range of ways. Well-placed buttons at critical moments guide users down conversion funnels naturally over time.
Conclusion
LinkedIn’s meticulously crafted call-to-action buttons serve as a driving force behind their platform’s user engagement. Simple one-click actions like follow, share, and apply facilitate meaningful conversions at scale.
The calculated placement, customization, and design of these prompts turn passive visitors into active participants. CTAs transform isolated profiles into an interconnected professional community.
For individual users, following the right calls to action unlocks networking opportunities, career growth, knowledge sharing, and expanded perspectives. Meanwhile, LinkedIn benefits from the platform activity and participation fueled by billions of CTA clicks each day.
It’s a Win-win scenario driven by strategically clickable buttons. LinkedIn sets the gold standard for user experience design and psychology, leveraging our innate response to clear prompts and micro-conversions. The proof lies in their unparalleled scale and network effects amplified across every industry worldwide.
So next time you encounter a call-to-action on LinkedIn, consider the immense care and impact wrapped up in that simple blue button.
