LinkedIn has rolled out a new chat style interface for messaging contacts creating a messaging experience that offers an easier and more lightweight way to have professional conversations with your connections.
Top image source – LinkedIn Blog Sep 1, 2015
LinkedIn Adds Chat Style Interface
They’ve rebuilt everything from the ground up so you can expect a cleaner and more streamlined look and feel to help you start or keep a conversation going.
To get results from your LinkedIn network it requires showing up and being consistent versus collecting names and you never reach out again. Learn how to maximize your use of this new LinkedIn interface.
<<–I have created a short video to show you where the new LinkedIn chat-style interface is.
LinkedIn message as seen on mobile (below)
LinkedIn is trying to make it easier and more efficient for us to keep in touch with our network of contacts.
“Messaging on LinkedIn now offers a more lightweight, casual way to start a conversation, reach out for advice, respond to opportunities, or simply stay in touch with your network.” – LinkedIn
Whether you find this a great new feature or you think it will be annoying, the point is LinkedIn is trying to make the user experience better. I’m of the mind-set that taking advantage and being a leader with these tools will help me stand out and reach out via the latest technology advancements. According to LinkedIn, “the new messaging experience has started to ramp today to English-speaking members around the world on iOS, Android and the desktop web experience. We look forward to making it accessible in other languages in the coming weeks.”
LinkedIn said, “In addition to being able to attach photos and documents to your messages, now you can also add stickers, emojis and GIFs to insert a little extra personality into the conversations you’re having 1:1 or with a group on the new messaging experience. This means, the next time you want to set up a coffee follow up, you can use the coffee sticker image.” If you instant message now from your mobile device you won’t find this any different and LinkedIn has designed it that way!
Beware of mass messaging
Before this new interface we had the ability to message multiple people at once and click off the message “Allow recipients to see each other’s names and email addresses” which was in essence sending a blind copy. With the new LinkedIn messaging interface, you can no long hide other recipients, so my recommendations is to NEVER send mass mailings, people often don’t respond kindly to this.
The benefits to LinkedIn’s Chat Style Interface for Messaging
- Converse quickly and easily
- Build stronger relationships from having more conversations (don’t sell, be a resource. Refer to my article on Social Selling)
- Make introductions
- Send quick thanks you’s and follow-up’s
- Set-up a meeting and reconfirm meetings
Please weigh in, do you think this feature will be an asset ? I’d love to know what you think so please leave a comment below:
