David Bridges
LinkedIn is currently experimenting with a new feature that could significantly enhance user engagement within the platform. This initiative allows users to shift to a personalized feed that exclusively showcases updates from their first-degree connections, providing a more tailored social media experience.
As stated by LinkedIn:
“We’re continually exploring innovative product experiences for our members, including various methods for users to control the content they encounter in their feeds. The newly introduced tabs at the top of your feed represent a test that enables users to filter their content on LinkedIn more effectively.
This experiment features two distinct tabs: “All,” which remains the default setting and reflects your current LinkedIn feed, and “My Network,” where you can access content exclusively from your connections, along with the pages and individuals you follow.
The format of this feature closely resembles LinkedIn’s previous experiment with the “Discover” feed, launched in 2022, which offered users enhanced control over their LinkedIn feed experience.
The evidence from the screenshots illustrates that this prior test provided users with a variety of feed tabs, allowing for a focused exploration of specific interests within their network.
This latest test, although more limited in scope, introduces an additional “My Network” tab, maintaining the core concept of enabling users to connect with the latest information from their acquaintances. This could significantly enhance engagement levels within users’ networks.
Research conducted by LinkedIn has indicated that users are most engaged with content shared by their peers. Furthermore, statistics reveal that LinkedIn members are more inclined to interact with posts from their colleagues, both past and present, which is a crucial factor in driving user engagement.
By offering a dedicated feed for this specific content, LinkedIn aims to boost interaction levels, allowing users to stay updated with the latest news and developments from their professional connections rather than sifting through a broader, algorithmically generated feed.
While algorithm-driven feeds have proven effective in increasing engagement across various platforms, leading to the widespread adoption of “For You” streams, it is intriguing to see LinkedIn pivot in the opposite direction. However, it’s important to note that the algorithmic feed will still be the default option, with the “My Network” tab requiring manual selection each time the app is accessed.
Additionally, LinkedIn has announced the removal of the “Sort” filter for desktop users in certain regions.
“LinkedIn’s content recommendations already prioritize recency, so we’ve streamlined the user experience to align with what members already encounter in the LinkedIn mobile app. Members located in the UK, the European Economic Area (EEA), and the European Union (EU) will still have access to the sort filter, allowing them to organize their feed by the most recent posts. This update affects members outside these regions, who will no longer have the sort filter available on their desktop feeds.”
While this change may be slightly inconvenient for some users, LinkedIn emphasizes that the update will mirror the mobile app experience.
LinkedIn intends to test this new multi-feed setup for a duration of five weeks to gather user feedback and determine the next steps based on the insights received.
Tessa Everly
Cameron Steel
