5 Ways to Leverage LinkedIn Stories as a Creator
The latest LinkedIn updates are proof that the business-focused site is becoming more beneficial to content creators. From the freshly-launched video cover story to the pronoun option in profiles to the creator mode that emphasizes connection, it’s abundantly clear that LinkedIn isn’t just a place to brag about your job skills and gain employment. And like other social platforms, Stories has become a place to further flex creative skills and leverage professional opportunities.
To that same point, there are so many Stories platforms to use and you may need a refresher on the one offered by LinkedIn. Ahead, Isha Patel, Senior Product Manager at LinkedIn, provides a refresher on this feature and creator-friendly ways to utilize it.
What are LinkedIn Stories?
LinkedIn Stories are a new way to start lightweight conversations related to your work-life by sharing images and short videos of your everyday work moments. Sharing Stories is an easy way to share your behind-the-scenes and to build meaningful relationships with your community. Stories last for 24 hours.
How do you create Stories on LinkedIn?
To share a story, open your LinkedIn app and tap the circle with your photo and a plus sign in the upper left corner to open the camera. You can:
- Record the video or take the photo directly through the app
- Upload video (up to 20s) or image
- Add a sticker and/or text
- Mention users with @
- Add a swipe up to web links for additional content
To create a new Story after posting your first Story, tap the plus icon on the top left or bottom right corner once you go into your previously published Story.
Why should you use LinkedIn Stories?
LinkedIn Stories is a great way to engage with your community on LinkedIn. It offers a unique way to showcase your authentic self on the platform, helping others get to know more about your career journey, goals, interest areas, and aspirations.
Stories aren’t just about posting either — you can find value in watching stories from others in your professional community and kicking off a conversation either with the Story creator or with someone else in your network by sharing a Story you’ve seen.
What are some ways creators can use LinkedIn Stories?
The stories that are resonating well are professional in nature, and make it easy for a response – for example, you could share a unique perspective from your workday, ask a question to your network, share insights on timely breaking news, walk through a product demo or teach others a skill. A few examples of ways you can use Stories include:
A day in the life: You can post stories over the course of the day so your network can get a sense of what your day looks like hour by hour. This could include advice on how you organize your schedule for the day, the meetings you join, how often you connect with partners or colleagues, and how you juggle work-life, etc. People are always looking for productivity hacks, and sharing your morning and/or nighttime routine is another great perspective to share as you talk about your day.
AMA (ask me anything): You can use Stories to ask questions to your followers about topics such as industry trends, what book to read next, productivity tips, or general career advice. You can also turn this the other way, and ask your network if they have any questions about your career, where you can share back advice and insights.
Share your “new normal”: With many people still working remotely, Stories provides a place to quickly share your in-the-moment feelings/insights about working from home, show off your new “coworkers,” such as roommates, dogs, or kids, and highlight at home productivity hacks. And, Stories is a great way to stay in touch with coworkers or past colleagues you may have not seen in person for many months since we’ve made it easy to kick start a message thread right within the Story.
Breaking news: Use your Stories to share information or a quick take on the latest news or events happening in your industry.
Celebrating moments: Stories also are a great platform to celebrate milestones (small and big) in your career or welcome a new coworker to the team. For example, if you’ve recently been featured in an article or won an award you can share that on Stories with a swipe-up link where people can learn more.
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