The COVID-19 pandemic could be a pivotal event in the evolution of LinkedIn.
The global pandemic, which has put millions out of work, and will impact many millions more, in varying ways, has also opened up new opportunities for online training, digital connection, fresh approaches to work, etc. And within that, LinkedIn may be best-placed to both facilitate increased need, and maximize engagement – and as the global economy slowly gets back on track in the wake of the pandemic, LinkedIn stands to see significant increases in usage among job seekers and professionals seeking out their next step.
LinkedIn, of course, is already the key online platform for professional connection, and during the pandemic, it’s sought to increase the relevance and value of its digital training tools to help users identify the key skills that can align them with emerging opportunities.
This week, LinkedIn has provided an update on those efforts, reporting that 10 million people have learned new skills through LinkedIn Learning, Microsoft’s education tools and GitHub during the pandemic.
As per LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky:
“People from 231 countries and territories, and all 50 states have tapped into our program at opportunity.linkedin.com since we launched in June. We’re seeing huge numbers of people from the U.S., India, UK, France and Canada learning every day, with some of the most popular courses being for roles in software development, customer service and data analysts.”
By utilizing its Economic Graph, through which LinkedIn can map the skills and career progressions of more than 706 million professionals, 55 million companies, 11 million job listings, and more, LinkedIn is well-placed to identify key areas of opportunity, which positions the platform to become the essential connector for white collar professionals moving forward. Which, as noted, will likely see the platform continue to build on its record engagement and interaction levels in-app, and maximize its potential as a key HR tool in various respects.
For marketers, that’s important to note. While the focus here is on training and education, the broader implications relate to LinkedIn usage more broadly, and with more professionals coming to the platform to improve their prospects, that provides additional opportunity to reach active decision-makers and business leaders who are also engaging in the LinkedIn news feed to boost brand awareness and thought leadership.
That could lead to significant opportunity – so while LinkedIn’s focus right now is on helping as many people as possible through training, it’s also further establishing its platform as a central focus for more professionals, which could lead to increased marketing and outreach value moving forward.
That’s worth noting in your long-term strategic plans, and it’s worth monitoring LinkedIn’s activity stats and data to determine it’s ongoing potential in this respect.
You can read LinkedIn’s full update about its various training and education initiatives here.
