LinkedIn continues to evolve and introduce new features and updates to enhance the platform's effectiveness for recruiters. Today, we're exploring the recent updates and offerings on LinkedIn that can help recruiters leverage the platform's potential to connect with professionals, elevate their brand and attract top talent. 

Introducing Thought Leader Ads for Great Visibility 

Perhaps the most interesting update from LinkedIn this summer is the new thought leader ads format. With thought leader ads, you can amplify content from real people within your firm—yourself or other recruiters—leveraging your own authentic experiences and insights.  

Many times, we work with recruiters who have thousands or tens of thousands of personal connections on LinkedIn—but only a few hundred on their recruiting firm’s company page. It makes sense, though. As recruiters, you live and work constantly on the platform, connecting daily with potential candidates or hiring managers. You’ve spent years building that network on your own good name. But, if you wanted to put any kind of advertising spend on LinkedIn, you had to have a corporate page, which, if it already existed, likely was languishing away with only a random job posting or holiday message to show for your effort.   

Now, by promoting this content from people who are well-known in the industry, you can expand your brand's reach, increase engagement and build stronger connections with a larger audience. 

Requirements for using thought leader ads 

To ensure the effectiveness and authenticity of thought leader ads, LinkedIn has specific requirements that need to be met: 

• Verified Members: Only posts from verified members can be promoted through thought leader ads. Verification requires the active and current job of the member to be associated with your company on their LinkedIn profile. 
• Public Profiles: Employees whose posts you wish to promote must have public profiles on LinkedIn, and their employer must match the company page associated with your ad account. 
• Direct Sponsored Content (DSC) Poster Permission: The person setting up the campaign must have DSC poster permission approved for the company page of the post being promoted. 

How to create thought leader ads on LinkedIn 

Here's a step-by-step guide to creating thought leader ads within a new or existing campaign: 

1. Create a new campaign in Campaign Manager. You can also create new ads for an existing single image ad campaign by editing your campaign.
2. Go to the “Ads in this campaign” page in Campaign Manager.
   New campaign – If you're creating a new campaign, you'll go to the “Ads in this campaign” page after selecting your campaign settings.
   Existing campaign – To add an ad to an existing campaign, you can edit the campaign to go to the “Ads in this campaign” page.
3. Click the “Browse existing content” button.
4. In the content library, search for and select the desired employee.
5. Select the desired post from the employee and then send the sponsor request to them.
   The employee tab will only display posts from members who have associated their profile with the same employer associated with the Ads account.
6. The employee will receive an email notification for approval and then you’ll be able to select that post for promotion. You can also use the copy link feature and send it as a direct message to the employee.
   Employees can choose to revoke permission at a later time. You'll receive a notification and the ad will immediately turn off. The campaign will continue delivering if there are other ads; otherwise, the campaign will remain active but stop delivering.

According to LinkedIn, early performance indicators show that customers who participated in the thought leader ad beta saw a 1.7x higher clickthrough rate (CTR) and 1.6x higher engagement rate compared to other single-image ads. This ad format will be released to all users in July 2023.  

Prioritizing Connections on LinkedIn 

Another recent update is to LinkedIn's feed algorithms, which have undergone changes that prioritize posts from known connections. This shift aims to strengthen professional networks and build trust among users. Now, your connections or followers are more likely to see the posts you make on your personal feed, leading to increased visibility and engagement. By nurturing your connections and sharing valuable content, you can leverage this algorithm change to establish meaningful relationships and expand your reach. This update has already led to a 10 percent increase in people viewing posts from those they follow. 

Elevating Knowledge and Advice 

With more people being shown content from the people to whom they are connected, LinkedIn has taken a stand for reducing information overload by elevating posts that share valuable knowledge and advice. The platform aims to provide a space where professionals can learn, grow and be inspired. If the content you put out offers insights, expertise and actionable advice, you can position yourself as a thought leader in your industry. This emphasis on knowledge-sharing helps you reach a wider audience beyond your existing followers, opening doors to new connections and opportunities. 

This emphasis on knowledge and advice is dependent on how LinkedIn's algorithm evaluates several factors to prioritize content. These factors include the relevance of the post to a distinct audience, the author's expertise in the subject, the presence of meaningful comments and the inclusion of a unique perspective. By incorporating these elements into your content strategy, you increase the chances of your posts reaching the right audience and fostering engaging conversations. 

Since the changes took effect, LinkedIn has seen a nearly 40 percent increase in “people checking out and viewing content that is grounded in knowledge from people that are out of their network.” 

LinkedIn's recent updates and offerings provide recruiters with powerful tools to connect, engage and elevate their brand on the platform. By prioritizing connections, sharing valuable knowledge and advice and using thought leader ads where appropriate, recruiters can take full advantage of the opportunities LinkedIn offers. Embrace these updates, adapt your content strategy and reach out to Recruiters Websites for assistance with organic thought leader or company page content, as well as for LinkedIn advertising campaigns. With the right strategy and tactics in place, you’ll strengthen your position as a leading recruiter in your industry and build a thriving professional network that translates into more relationships and opportunities.