Online professional social network LinkedIn connects the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful and transforms the way companies hire, learn, market, and sell. Its vision is to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce through the ongoing development of the world’s first Economic Graph. LinkedIn has over 1 billion members and has offices around the globe.
MediaNews4U.com caught up with Sachin Sharma, Director – Marketing Solutions, LinkedIn India
Q. How has LinkedIn evolved as a professional community in 2024? What factors are driving this evolution and what will drive the company’s growth in the coming year?
Over the last few years, LinkedIn has evolved into a dynamic, trusted community where professionals across the globe come together to share, learn, and grow. With over 143 million members in India and more than a billion worldwide, LinkedIn is now a living repository of the world’s collective professional wisdom, where ideas spark opportunities, insights make way for growth, and connections turn into careers.
In 2024, our community has embraced innovations that make it easier to showcase expertise and build meaningful engagement. From the rise of video as an authentic storytelling medium, driving a 34% year-over-year increase in uploads, to the expansion of regional language options like Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, and Punjabi, LinkedIn is becoming more inclusive, accessible, and impactful than ever before.
As we move into the next year, we’ll continue to focus on connecting professionals to opportunity by empowering diverse voices, enabling skill-building at scale, and delivering the tools to thrive in an ever-changing world of work.
Q. How is LinkedIn expanding its offerings for members, especially through its Premium offerings?
We’re constantly evolving our platform to help professionals progress at every stage of their career journey. Over the past year, we’ve seen a 51% growth in Premium sign-ups globally, which shows the value professionals find in tools designed to help them learn, connect, and grow.
Our AI-powered features, like personalised career coaching and tailored skill-building recommendations, are redefining how members prepare for their next opportunity. For job seekers, tools like InMail — a feature proven to be 4.6x more effective than cold emails — and Top Choice, which increases recruiter response rates by 43%, make it easier than ever to stand out and land the role they deserve.
For entrepreneurs, our Service Pages are helping small business owners and freelancers thrive. These dedicated “storefronts” have enabled over 10 million professionals globally to showcase their services, driving a 65% year-over-year increase in service requests. Premium members, in particular, are seeing incredible results, with 12x more service requests per month on average.
Q. What trends are we seeing in the B2B marketing space and how is LinkedIn leveraging the opportunity?
The B2B buying journey is becoming increasingly complex, with multiple decision-makers involved and buyers gravitating toward brands they know and trust. As B2B marketers sharpen their focus on ROI, they are exploring new ways to engage buying groups, with video emerging as a preferred format.
Our recent Business of Influence research revealed that 66% of B2B buyers in India find short-form video content influential in their decisions, while 83% view video-driven influencer content as one of the most trusted forms of B2B communication.
To help marketers leverage this trend and drive impactful storytelling, LinkedIn offers a suite of tools, including video, sponsored newsletters, live events, and AI-powered solutions like Accelerate. Using these tools helps them build deeper trust, engage decision-makers, and maximise ROI.
Q. Would you talk about the focus being put in AI through initiatives like Accelerate and how it will help B2B marketers create more engaging experiences?
For years, AI has been at the heart of LinkedIn’s innovation, helping professionals and businesses connect in smarter, more meaningful ways. With tools like Accelerate, we’re enabling B2B marketers to tell richer, more engaging stories that resonate with their audiences. Whether it’s a video ad sharing a brand’s journey, a testimonial building trust, or a whitepaper driving thought leadership, Accelerate brings flexibility to integrate formats that create deeper connections.
We’ve also introduced new campaign objectives like ‘brand awareness,’ ‘video views,’ and ‘website conversions’, so marketers can align their efforts with clear, measurable goals. And it’s working: Accelerate campaigns have shown up to 42% lower cost per action compared to Classic Campaigns, making it a more efficient way to drive results.
Q. What ad categories/formats use LinkedIn the most and how is the platform looking to deepen relationships through things like video content tools?
LinkedIn has a range of ad formats that resonate strongly with B2B marketers, including video ads, event promotions, and more. We’ve also rolled out new features under ‘Live Event Ads’ to allow marketers to maximise participation in their events. These include sneak peeks with 30-second videos, and regionally targeted event invitations for a more personalised experience. Marketers can also use ‘Thought Leader Ads’, which allow them to promote posts from leaders, influencers, or industry experts as ads, to highlight member posts around the Live Event; and drive more registrations, views, and engagement.
Additionally, with ‘Sponsored Newsletters’, brands can now amplify their own or any member’s newsletter as a Thought Leader Ad, driving higher engagement and scaling their thought leadership efforts.
Q. Google CEO Sundar Pichai joined LinkedIn last year. Are CEOs increasingly seeing the importance of using LinkedIn as a tool to communicate the message?
There’s a growing demand for authenticity and transparency in storytelling, particularly from leaders. As a result, LinkedIn is becoming a priority comms channel for business news driven by C-Suite leaders.
They are breaking the fourth wall to engage with their community through insights on everything, from the decisions they’re making, to executive hires, to explaining the context behind a recent announcement or acquisition.
Interestingly, more leaders are turning to video while engaging with their community. In fact, video creation among C-suite leaders has grown by 40% year-over-year globally, with 21% year-on-year growth in follower presence in India. This strategic use of the platform is creating a space for leaders to humanise their brands, build credibility, and inspire dialogue around important topics for India Inc.
