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LinkedIn Launches 3 Logic Puzzle Games to Boost User Engagement on its Networking Platform

LinkedIn Launches 3 Logic Puzzle Games to Boost User Engagement on its Networking Platform

Back in March, TechCrunch unveiled LinkedIn’s covert experiment with games on its platform, akin to the wildly popular Wordle. Following this, LinkedIn has now formally introduced three games to ramp up user attraction and engagement.

The Trio: Queens, Crossclimb, and Pinpoint

LinkedIn Launches 3 Logic Puzzle Games to Boost User Engagement on its Networking Platform

Image Source: LinkedIn.com

The trio of games, Queens, Crossclimb, and Pinpoint, puts players’ logic, trivia, and word association skills to the test. These games will be accessible globally from today, accessible via direct links or through LinkedIn News, the arm responsible for their creation.

Like Wordle, players can tackle each game once daily. Currently, players can invite their first-degree connections to join in, and their game participation and performance can be shared if they opt to do so.

LinkedIn’s Strategic Move

LinkedIn envisions these games as a means to foster stronger connections among its user base. Dan Roth, LinkedIn News’ VP and editor in chief, views games as a casual avenue to fortify existing connections.

While the social dynamics and game count remain open to evolution, LinkedIn plans to independently nurture these games, apart from its parent company, Microsoft, and its substantial gaming sector.

Beyond mere entertainment, these games are crafted with a strategic blend of networking in mind. They are designed to enhance user interactions, bridging the gap between casual gaming and professional networking.

Roth believes that games offer a unique opportunity to bolster network ties, acknowledging the challenge of maintaining connections in a busy digital landscape.

LinkedIn’s venture into games mirrors strategies employed by media giants like The New York Times. Leveraging word and logic games, akin to crosswords, NYT has successfully expanded its audience base over the years.

With LinkedIn’s vast user pool exceeding a billion, the addition of games augments its content ecosystem. These games not only enhance engagement but also amplify advertising prospects, creating a more immersive user experience.

LinkedIn’s introduction of logic puzzles is not merely about entertainment; it’s a strategic move to enhance networking dynamics. As social platforms evolve, integrating elements like gaming becomes imperative, ensuring platforms remain dynamic and engaging for users worldwide.

LinkedIn Dives into Gaming: A Bold New Direction for the Professional Network

LinkedIn Dives into Gaming: A Bold New Direction for the Professional Network

In an unexpected but interesting move, LinkedIn, the world’s leading professional networking platform, has announced plans to integrate gaming elements into its service. The initiative marks a significant pivot from LinkedIn’s traditional focus on career development, job search and professional networking, aiming to blend entertainment with professional engagement.

The Genesis of LinkedIn Gaming

A Strategic Shift

LinkedIn Dives into Gaming: A Bold New Direction for the Professional Network

Image Source: theasiantribune.com

LinkedIn’s decision to introduce gaming is part of a broader strategy to increase user engagement and provide a more diverse range of activities on the platform. The company believes that the inclusion of gaming will not only make the platform more attractive to its existing user base but will also attract a new demographic of users.

Bridging Professional and Personal Interests

LinkedIn aims to create games that are not only entertaining but also enrich professional skills and knowledge. This innovative approach attempts to blur the lines between leisure and learning, offering games that can help users enhance their professional abilities in a fun and engaging way.

The Mechanics of LinkedIn Gaming

Skill-Based Challenges

The platform plans to offer a variety of games, ranging from skill-based challenges to general knowledge quizzes related to different industries. These games are designed to test and improve users’ professional knowledge and skills, providing a new way to learn and grow in one’s career.

Networking Through Play

Additionally, LinkedIn Gaming will encourage networking through games. Users will have the opportunity to connect with others in their region by competing in games, participating in leaderboards, and even collaborating in team-based challenges. This aspect is intended to foster a sense of community and facilitate networking in a more casual and enjoyable setting.

Future Prospects and Potential Impact

Reinventing Professional Networking

LinkedIn’s foray into gaming has the potential to revolutionize the way professionals interact with each other and connect on the platform. By introducing elements of gaming, LinkedIn is set to provide a more dynamic and versatile user experience that goes beyond traditional networking and job searching.

Challenges and Opportunities

Although the initiative is ambitious, LinkedIn faces the challenge of integrating gaming in a way that resonates with its professional audience. The success of this venture will depend on the company’s ability to create games that are both relevant and attractive to professionals looking to advance their careers.

Conclusion

LinkedIn’s plan to add gaming to its platform represents a bold leap into uncharted territory. By combining the worlds of professional development and gaming, LinkedIn is not only expanding its service offerings but also redefining the boundaries of professional networking. As the platform prepares to launch its gaming features, the professional community watches with anticipation, ready to embrace the new way of learning, networking, and engaging in the professional world.

LinkedIn Cuts 668 Jobs in Second Round of Layoffs This Year

LinkedIn Cuts 668 Jobs in Second Round of Layoffs This Year

In a move reflective of broader trends in the tech industry, Microsoft’s professional networking platform, LinkedIn, has announced the second round of layoffs in 2023. 

LinkedIn Cuts 668 Jobs in Second Round of Layoffs This Year
Image Source: tech.hindustantimes.com

The company disclosed on Monday that 668 employees from its engineering, talent, and finance teams would be affected by the restructuring, constituting over 3% of its 20,000-strong workforce. This decision comes in the wake of slowing revenue growth for the social media network for professionals.

The tech sector, which has been grappling with an uncertain economic outlook, has witnessed a significant spike in job losses this year. According to employment firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, 141,516 employees have been laid off in the first half of the year, a stark contrast to the approximately 6,000 job losses recorded during the same period the previous year.

In response to the layoffs, LinkedIn emphasized its commitment to adapting organizational structures and streamlining decision-making processes. The company also stressed its ongoing investment in strategic priorities to ensure the delivery of value for its members and customers. The layoffs are seen as part of a broader trend in the industry to align workforce size with changing market dynamics.

LinkedIn’s revenue model relies on advertising sales and subscription fees charged to recruiting and sales professionals utilizing the platform for talent acquisition. Despite boasting a community of 950 million members, the company’s revenue growth has been sluggish. In the fourth quarter of its fiscal year 2023, LinkedIn reported a 5% increase in revenue year-on-year, a drop from the 10% growth observed in the previous quarter.

Also Read: South Korea’s Nand Flash Memory Chip Exports Return to Growth

Microsoft attributes the challenges faced by LinkedIn to a slowdown in hiring and a decline in advertising spending. The company, however, remains optimistic about the future and continues to welcome new members into its professional community. Earlier this year, in May, LinkedIn took a proactive step to streamline operations, announcing the layoff of 716 employees across sales, operations, and support teams to foster quicker decision-making processes.

As the tech industry navigates evolving economic conditions, these layoffs at LinkedIn underscore the ongoing challenges faced by companies in aligning their operations with market demands. The ripple effects of these decisions are not only felt within the organization but also contribute to the broader narrative of a transforming employment landscape in the technology sector.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn to test ad product for video streaming services

LinkedIn, which is owned by Microsoft Corp., announced on Thursday that it was developing a video advertising solution that would enable advertisers to target LinkedIn users as they watched content on streaming platforms.

In an effort to grow its advertising business during a period of economic uncertainty, LinkedIn has released AI technologies to aid marketers in creating ad content.

LinkedIn
Image Source: finance.yahoo.com

Penry Price, vice president of marketing solutions at LinkedIn, told Reuters that in-stream video advertisements might alter how businesses and consumers connect with and engage with their audiences.

Also Read: Google launches AI-powered advertiser features

With trailing 12-month sales of over $14 billion and an 8% year-over-year revenue growth as of the third quarter of fiscal year 2023, LinkedIn is doing well.

LinkedIn makes money by selling ads and subscriptions to salespeople, job searchers, and recruiters. A significant revenue stream for LinkedIn is its Marketing Solutions.

This includes advertising and marketing tools such as Sponsored Content, Sponsored InMail, Text Ads, Dynamic Ads, and Display Ads. These offerings enable businesses to promote their content, products, and services to LinkedIn’s professional user base, reaching a targeted audience for their marketing campaigns.

It provides advertising opportunities for businesses and marketers to reach its professional user base. One of the key advertising products available on LinkedIn is Sponsored Content, which enables businesses to promote their content directly in the LinkedIn feed.

Sponsored Content can consist of text, images, and videos, allowing companies to increase brand awareness and engage with their target audience effectively.

Another advertising option is Sponsored InMail, which allows businesses to send personalized messages directly to LinkedIn users’ inboxes. This feature facilitates targeted messaging and can be used to promote events, products, or content.

Text Ads are also available on the platform, appearing on the right-hand side of the desktop version of the app. These ads typically include a headline, description, and a small image.

Also Read: Nasdaq to buy fintech firm Adenza for $10.5 billion

Additionally, it offers Dynamic Ads that utilize a user’s LinkedIn profile data to create personalized and engaging ad experiences. Banner-style Display Ads are another option, appearing on the website and mobile app with images, videos, and interactive elements.

Video Ads, which can be placed within the feed and autoplay while users scroll, are also part of LinkedIn’s advertising offerings. It’s advisable to visit LinkedIn’s official website or contact their advertising team directly for the most up-to-date information on their advertising products and features.

Scribd+slideshare

Scribd Acquires SlideShare from LinkedIn in Surprise Move

SlideShare has changed hands for the second time now, having bought out from LinkedIn at an undisclosed price. As per news reports, the presentation-sharing platform now has a new owner in the form of rival Scribd. LinkedIn has released an official statement saying that Scribd will officially take over operations from September 24th. Here’s a look at how the acquisition came to be, and what it means for the business.

Common Missions and Goals

Trip Adler, who serves as the CEO of Scribd, stated that both the companies share a lot of values and ideas, both having similar journeys and backgrounds. Both the presentation-sharing platforms started in 2006-2007, announcing their arrival through TechCrunch, and both the companies share similar roles and responsibilities. The CEO stated that the companies share a joint mission, both being involved with presentation and document sharing. The major difference being that while SlideShare focused on PowerPoint presentations, Scribd developed PDFs and Word Doc files. Also, while SlideShare marketed more towards the business users, Scribd was more concerned with the general consumers.

Trip Adler
Image source: Wikipedia

Differences Later On 

Over the years though the companies drifted apart naturally, as a result of mergers, acquisitions, and a general change in strategy. LinkedIn acquired SlideShare in 2012, and four years later joined with Microsoft through an acquisition. Meanwhile, Scribd branched out into a Netflix-style subscription model for both e-books and audiobooks. However, Adler reaffirmed that for Scribd, both the premium and user-generated sides were crucial. 

Opportunity Arises

Hence, when both Microsoft and LinkedIn came to Scribd regarding an acquisition, Adler was very interested. He saw it as an opportunity to expand the company’s user base further. Scribd feels that having SlideShare on board will help them develop their document side, by integrating with their product, SlideShare’s vast content library. SlideShare, owing to its huge popularity, has over 40 million presentations on it and enjoys a user base of over 100 million unique visitors every month.

Adler believes that the acquisition will help Scribd leverage both SlideShare’s audience and content, helping Scribd grow exponentially. Furthermore, Adler also believes that Scribd can benefit from integrating SlideShare’s technology with its own. While Scribd will not be adding employees to its roster, it will not oversee the operations of the existing SlideShare team. Furthermore, SlideShare will continue as an independent service, and will not merge with Scribd to form one platform. He also hopes that the platform’s integration with LinkedIn too will remain as strong as it is now. Adler also made it clear that there will be no changes in the initial months, as decades’ worth of experience has given the team enough insight to know how to turn SlideShare genuinely successful.

LinkedIn’s Acquisition

LinkedIn took over the content and document sharing platform SlideShare in 2012, for $119 million split as both stock and cash. SlideShare is a massively popular document and presentation sharing website that even the likes of IBM use to curate their content. After the signing of the deal, the companies mentioned that their relationship was like that of Peanut Butter and Chocolate, as they were mutually complementary. The deal, worth slightly less than $119 million will be split 45% through cash and the remaining 55% through stock. Four years later, in December 2016, Microsoft acquired LinkedIn for a whopping $26.2 billion.

SlideShare’s Competitors

Some of SlideShare and Scribd’s most significant competitors include the following presentation sharing platforms.

  • SharePresentation is a high-quality web platform that supports the uploading and sharing of various kinds of presentations and documents. The platform offers a variety of functions and services that allow users to share information and improve their reach significantly.
  • Authorstream is another online document management and sharing platform that allows users to share their work with the world. It supports various multi-functional features, has an intuitive interface that is simple and easy to use.

VP of Engineering at LinkedIn, Chris Pruett released a statement highlighting the work that LinkedIn had done on the platform after acquiring it. LinkedIn took over SlideShare in 2012 to build its platform and make it more suitable for business professionals. The collaboration with SlideShare has helped the platform engage the community, and shape its content management and experience. As a new future awaits SlideShare, we will have to wait and see how Scribd develops and takes the platform forward.

Flipkart Tops the List of Best Company for Employees in India Third Time in a Row; Beats Amazon and Oyo

LinkedIn has released the 4th edition of the ‘2019 Top Companies in India’, and Flipkart is the one that topped the list of the most preferred workplace for Indians. The Walmart acquired company Flipkart is a home for over 14000 employees and is one of the fastest growing companies in India.

flipkart
Image Source: amarujala.com

The list from LinkedIn has ranked Amazon and OYO at the second and the third places, and the parent company of PayTm, One97, got shifted to fourth place from the third place which it held in the last year’s list.

LinkedIn, with the help of its 54 million users in India, shortlists the companies for ranking in the list and take four major criteria into account – interest in the company, engagement with employees, job demand and employee retention. Also, another requirement for the companies to get ranked into the list was to have employed over 500 employees as of February 1, 2018.

The evaluation of the best company was among the private companies operating in India, and any non-profit firm, government institutions and the recruiting companies were excluded from the competition. Also, LinkedIn and its parent company, Microsoft, were also not included in the contest to keep it fair.

Though Flipkart has been winning this race for the past three years, consecutively, as it has made to the top of the same list in 2016 and 2017, it is a great achievement for any company to be in a list of the most loved company by the employees.

Flipkart is one of the most successful startups in India and houses major e-commerce service providers including Myntra, Jabong and PhonePe, in India. It was also credited for having the fairest in working conditions and wages for ‘gig economy’ workers by an Oxford Internet Institute study.

This annual survey of the companies is done globally to determine the top companies to work for in India, Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, the U.K, and the U.S., among others. Following is the list of top 25 companies to work with according to LinkedIn:

  1. Flipkart (Walmart) – Internet
  2. Amazon – Internet
  3. Oyo – Hospitality
  4. One97 Communications (Paytm) – Internet
  5. Uber – Internet
  6. Swiggy – Internet
  7. Tata Consultancy Services – Information technology and services
  8. Zomato – Consumer services
  9. Alphabet – Internet
  10. Reliance Industries – Oil and energy
  11. EY – Accounting
  12. Adobe – Computer software
  13. Boston Consulting Group – Management consulting
  14. Yes Bank – Banking
  15. IBM – Information
  16. Daimler AG – Automotive technology and services
  17. Freshworks – Information technology and services
  18. Accenture – Information technology and services
  19. Ola – Internet
  20. ICICI Bank – Banking
  21. PwC India – Management consulting
  22. KPMG India – Management consulting
  23. Larsen & Toubro – Construction
  24. Oracle – Information technology and services
  25. Qualcomm – Wireless