LinkedIn recently confirmed to TechCrunch that it plans to build ‘Stories’ feature into its platform, and is currently testing it with students.

There has been a mixed response from the business and marketing community for this news.

Most of them negative.

But the negative response seems to be influenced, for the most part, by the negativity in TechCrunch’s article titled, “LinkedIn launches it own Snapchat Stories. Here is why it shouldn’t have.”

But I have a different take on this.

I actually have a prediction. But with one condition.

My prediction:

LinkedIn Stories is going to be a huge success with millions of people using it on a daily basis to share their workplace stories, wins, losses, challenges, struggles, authenticity, expertise and tips.

One condition:

LinkedIn should rethink its current positioning strategy.

Right now, it seems like LinkedIn want the Stories feature to be for the ‘cool’ and ‘young’ like Snapchat & Instagram, but LinkedIn should try and go back to its roots and position it as a branding & communication tool for its ‘professional’ and ‘mature’ audience, refocussing on its strength – which is helping working professionals and serving the business community.

I think LinkedIn might have got off on the wrong foot here in its testing process, by releasing the feature first to students, making it look like it is trying to cater to a younger audience.

But once they go back to their roots and position Stories as the tool for people to showcase their ‘authentic, in-the-moment, transparent professionalism’ where people can display their everyday work life, it surely could win.

3 reasons I think LinkedIn Stories has the potential to be big

1. A Suitable Setting to Create Stories

Other than on weekends, for most working professionals creating relevant Stories for Instagram or Facebook or Snapchat is a struggle. Simply because they spend most of their day at work.

Professionals need to think hard and come up with stuff to compete with other interesting personal stories & photos shared by other ‘cooler’ community on these networks. After all, how long can one keep posting pictures of lunch, business travel and traffic!

But if they have a way to showcase what is happening in a setting where they spend most of their time in a day, why wouldn’t they use it?

2. A Better Return on Time Spent on Creating Stories

While the ROI on sharing business and work related stories on Facebook or Instagram is still fuzzy, sharing Stories on LinkedIn could have a clear and unambiguous outcome.

Simply because the audience are already in a professional mindset.

So the stories will have a better ROI on the time and effort it took to create them, whether it was for personal branding or career development or establishing expertise or selling products.

3. An Easier Low-Pressure Way to Create Content

The temporary, disappearing nature of Stories could bring many working professionals out of their cocoon, into a new way of creating social media content.

Because they know that Stories are temporary, it would give them an extra motivation to shed their inhibitions and share their thoughts and expertise more freely.

Imagine millions of business owners, working professionals and thought leaders sharing what happened in their office each day, how they felt, how they overcame challenges, what they learnt, how it helped them grow, how other users can use those tips to their benefit, etc.

I think Stories could be the best thing that has happened in LinkedIn for some time now, provided they position it and play it right.

What do you think? Would you use LinkedIn Stories when it is released?

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