Social Media Marketing Talk Show - Episode Summary

Title: LinkedIn Updates: Boosted Profile Posts, Creative Trend Data, and More
Host: Jerry Potter
Guest: Judy Fox, LinkedIn Strategist
Release Date: January 13, 2025

Introduction

In this episode of the Social Media Marketing Talk Show, host Jerry Potter engages in an insightful conversation with Judy Fox, a LinkedIn strategist and creator of the LinkedIn Business Accelerator course. The discussion centers around the latest updates on LinkedIn, focusing on profile enhancements, content strategies, advertising innovations, and creative trends that marketers should leverage to stay competitive in 2025.

1. LinkedIn Profile Enhancements: Multiple Cover Images

[00:31]
Jerry Potter:
"On today's show, we are going to explore some important LinkedIn updates, including the content that's working best on LinkedIn as we enter 2025."

Judy Fox introduces the newest feature on LinkedIn profiles—a dynamic cover image capability that allows users to upload up to five images instead of the traditional static banner.

[01:39] Judy Fox:
"At the top of your profile, it is a banner, a cover image. I like to call it the billboard on the Internet highway. And now by being able to upload several pictures, I think you can get up to five in there right now. It will auto scroll and it'll be something that is a moving something that can catch people's eyes."

Key Insights:

• Dynamic Visual Storytelling: Multiple rotating images enhance visual storytelling and attract more attention compared to static images.
• User Experience: Judy recommends limiting to two rotating images to ensure viewers can process the information without feeling overwhelmed.
• Practical Application: Examples include showcasing before-and-after scenarios, team images, or highlighting multiple aspects of a business.

[04:08] Jerry Potter:
"Are there no manual controls right now? Like it just scrolls. You can't go back and forth or pause or anything?"

[03:10] Judy Fox:
"There is manual controls, but I would say it's not as maybe intuitive for somebody who isn't spending a lot of time on the platform."

Takeaway: While manual controls exist, the auto-scrolling feature is predominant. Marketers should focus on creating highly engaging visuals that capture attention quickly.

2. Video Content: A Central Part of LinkedIn

[05:26] Jerry Potter:
"And you know, they always want to know what the content that's working best on LinkedIn and now another signal directly from LinkedIn themselves that people are consuming video on LinkedIn. Can you tell us about this update?"

Judy Fox elaborates on LinkedIn's strategic push towards video content, integrating features similar to Instagram Reels and TikTok to enhance user engagement.

[06:03] Judy Fox:
"A direct quote from LinkedIn is that video is a central part of LinkedIn. They're saying it as truth... they've created a new video experience... similar to Instagram Reels or TikTok."

Key Points:

• Enhanced Video Integration: Videos now appear prominently in the newsfeed without accompanying text, prioritizing video content.
• Scrollable Video Experience: LinkedIn is experimenting with a scrollable video format on mobile, increasing accessibility and user interaction.
• Algorithmic Support: The platform is prioritizing video content in its algorithms, offering higher visibility and engagement potential.

[07:20] Judy Fox:
"LinkedIn's saying we're going to start pushing that experience harder and harder. So it's win for you and then win for LinkedIn."

Implications for Marketers:

• Continued Investment in Video: Given LinkedIn's focus, marketers should persist with video strategies, even if past attempts have had limited success.
• Diverse Video Content: Emphasizing benefits, storytelling, and emotional connections can drive significant engagement and conversions.

3. LinkedIn Creative Trends Analysis

[09:10] Jerry Potter:
"LinkedIn did a what they call a creative trends analysis. I like the name. About exactly what worked in 2024 and this was some really interesting stuff. So tell us about your favorite parts of this report, Judy?"

Judy Fox dives into LinkedIn's Creative Trends Analysis, highlighting data-driven insights that reveal what types of content resonate most with audiences.

Highlights:

• Benefits Advertising: Emphasizing the benefits and positive outcomes of using a product or service leads to a 738% increase in conversions.

  • [09:10] Judy Fox:
    "LinkedIn has confirmed it's a 740, 38% increase when you do benefits advertising. Wow, that is a huge number."

• Emotional Engagement: Posts evoking emotions see a 4x increase in brand equity.

  • [10:15] Judy Fox:
    "You get a four times increase in brand equity by evoking an emotion."

• Use of Colors and Personal Touches: Incorporating vibrant colors like pink and personal elements such as jewelry can boost video view rates to 53%.

  • [13:22] Judy Fox:
    "They did say having even pops of pink... it's more visually engaging to see color versus a maybe overall washed out imagery."

Additional Insights:

• Casual Authenticity: Casual clothing and relatable backgrounds foster trust and connect with the audience on a personal level.
  • [12:05] Judy Fox:
    "Having relatable things in your background or wearing relatable clothing creates so much more trust."

Takeaway: Leveraging these creative trends can significantly enhance content performance on LinkedIn, driving higher engagement and conversion rates.

4. Boosting LinkedIn Personal Profile Posts

[15:03] Jerry Potter:
"So one of the limitations on LinkedIn has always been you've kind of had to have a company page to run any paid ads. They introduced these thought leader ads where a company could promote the post of a profile. But now they are introducing boosting for LinkedIn personal profile posts. So what do we know about this so far?"

Judy Fox discusses LinkedIn's new feature allowing users to boost personal profile posts without needing a company page.

Key Points:

• Beta Testing Phase: Currently available to select users, with broader availability expected.

• Targeted Boosting: Users can amplify posts to reach specific audiences, utilizing ad campaign data typically reserved for company pages.

  • [15:23] Judy Fox:
    "You can make a beta personal post on your personal profile and boost it to a target audience..."

• Strategic Advantages: This feature enables thought leaders, CEOs, and executives to increase the visibility of their personal posts, potentially enhancing personal branding and business reach.

  • [16:15] Judy Fox:
    "Consider what has performed well for you in the past organically, and make sure to be ready to upload that to then boost."

Considerations:

• Content Relevance: It's advisable to refresh older high-performing posts to ensure they remain relevant before boosting.
• Authenticity: Ensure that boosted content doesn’t appear outdated or out of context.

[17:54] Judy Fox:
"If it did well in the past, I would assume it could also do well if you resurface it again."

Implications for Marketers:

• Enhanced Reach for Individuals: Personal branding efforts can now extend beyond company pages, allowing individuals to leverage LinkedIn's advertising capabilities.
• Content Repurposing: Strategies can include identifying top-performing organic posts and strategically boosting them for broader reach.

5. LinkedIn Advertising Platform Updates

[18:26] Judy Fox:
"LinkedIn's advertising platform is leaning into AI and data. They are calling it like an engagement hub... deep engagement insights... effective targeting."

Recent Updates:

• Enhanced Dashboard: Introduction of an Engagement Hub that offers insights categorized by engagement levels (low, medium, high, very high).

• AI Integration: Utilization of AI to provide deeper insights and actionable recommendations, optimizing ad performance.

  • [20:14] Judy Fox:
    "The ability to merge AI and data can give you insights but also distill those insights... qualified lead optimization... better ROI."

• Targetable Audiences: Ability to save engagement reports as targetable audiences, enabling precise targeting based on touchpoints that impact the sales process.

• Global Availability: The Company Hub feature is accessible worldwide to all campaign manager users, ensuring comprehensive data access for advertisers.

Implications for Marketers:

• Data-Driven Decisions: Enhanced reporting and AI-driven insights facilitate more informed and strategic advertising decisions.
• Optimized Targeting: Better audience segmentation and targeting improve ad relevance and return on investment.
• Streamlined Reporting: Comprehensive dashboards simplify performance tracking and reporting for stakeholders.

[20:56] Jerry Potter:
"Unlike the boosting on personal profiles we just talked about, companies Hub is supposed to be available worldwide to all campaign manager customers."

6. Upcoming Events and Additional Resources

[08:04] Jerry Potter:
"LinkedIn and AI, of course, at Social Media Marketing World. Quick reminder to learn more about your all access ticket, virtual ticket or an all new AI ticket for Social Media Marketing World."

Promotional Highlights:

• Social Media Marketing World 2025: An event scheduled from March 30th to April 1st, featuring talks on combining AI and LinkedIn for B2B marketing success.
• Guest Participation: Judy Fox will be presenting a talk titled "Combining AI and LinkedIn to Improve Your B2B Marketing Success."

Call to Action:

• Tickets Available: Secure spots for the event by visiting SocialMediaExaminer.com/liveshow.
• Connect with Judy Fox: Follow Judy on LinkedIn or contact her at I am@judx.com for more insights.

Conclusion

This episode of the Social Media Marketing Talk Show provides a comprehensive overview of LinkedIn's latest features and updates, offering valuable insights for marketers aiming to enhance their LinkedIn strategies. From dynamic profile visuals and prioritized video content to innovative advertising tools and creative trends, Judy Fox emphasizes leveraging data-driven approaches and authenticity to maximize engagement and conversions on LinkedIn. As LinkedIn continues to evolve its platform with AI integrations and new advertising capabilities, marketers are encouraged to stay adaptable and embrace these changes to maintain a competitive edge.

Notable Quotes

• Judy Fox [01:39]:
  "If you had a choice between a static billboard on a highway versus a moving image, rotating image type of feature that is going to catch people's eyes..."

• Judy Fox [09:10]:
  "LinkedIn has confirmed it's a 740, 38% increase when you do benefits advertising. Wow, that is a huge number."

• Judy Fox [12:05]:
  "Having relatable things in your background or wearing relatable clothing creates so much more trust."

• Judy Fox [15:23]:
  "You can make a beta personal post on your personal profile and boost it to a target audience..."

For more insights and to stay updated with the latest in social media marketing, visit SocialMediaExaminer.com.