LinkedIn Updates: Newsletter Analytics, Ads Features, and More

Our Take: On one hand, having AI check posts sounds like it could really speed things up and get more content approved faster without people having to wait around. That would help out anyone posting stuff for their business or whatever that needs to go live right away. But on the other hand, the speakers seem pretty skeptical, whether because of past screw-ups or just not really trusting how the AI works behind the scenes. So, while AI might help make things more efficient, you still need actual humans to make the calls on what flies and what doesn't. The best way forward is to use AI to deal with the easy stuff at scale but keep the complicated decisions for people to sort out. It's clear AI tools and human wisdom both have important parts to play when it comes to keeping tabs on what gets posted. Each has its strengths, so finding the right balance will matter.

Our Take: The excitement around LinkedIn newsletters is understandable when you look at the results some people are seeing. Newsletters seem to be converting for both companies and individuals – driving business, opportunities, and attention in search engines. For those trying to make content work, newsletters should be a top focus in 2024. The expanded analytics now provide previously unavailable insights, like seeing the job roles and locations of your subscribers over time. This level of detail allows creators to connect content to business outcomes and know what's resonating. With easy duplication of formats and previews to perfect layout, producing effective newsletters looks more promising than ever. Given LinkedIn's roots in professional connections, it makes sense that newsletters enable local targeting and visibility, too. Overall, their low adoption so far represents a wide-open chance. For those looking to stand out in a sea of 1 billion members, an optimized newsletter strategy could be the perfect wave to catch.

Our Take: The ability to combine online and offline data from LinkedIn campaigns sounds like a potential game-changer. Tying together actions that originate from LinkedIn ads and lead to website visits, sales calls, in-person event signups, and more should expand insights for savvy marketers. They can better attribute what marketing drives desired outcomes across channels. Retargeting website visitors based on simpler button clicks also promises to boost efficiency. Essentially, LinkedIn is trying to eliminate friction in understanding campaign performance across customer touchpoints. Their motivation is obvious – more seamless tracking should encourage more ad spending. But the end result seems to empower both platforms and brands if done right. Marketers get transparency to optimize efforts, while LinkedIn gains revenue from properly valued ads. Though third-party experts likely still create the most advanced tracking, LinkedIn's continuing push into direct closed-loop attribution is logical. For many advertisers, it may provide just enough functionality to evaluate and expand budgets.

Our Take: LinkedIn's ongoing integration of AI features seems poised to fundamentally evolve the platform's user experience. The ability for premium members to get AI-generated summaries of their feeds hints at more conversational, personalized newsfeeds ahead. If you end up chatting with your content rather than simply scrolling it, the implications could significantly impact content creators relying on passive engagement metrics. Of course, enhanced premium features also hint that the costs of processing power behind innovations may start flowing to users. As other AI additions like automated writing assistance risk compromising authenticity, LinkedIn faces balancing acts in capturing revenue while avoiding disruption of community dynamics. Still, AI coaching for LinkedIn Learning points to helpful applications, too. Overall, AI promises to accelerate efficiency for users and revenue potential for LinkedIn itself. Yet its embedding within a historically relationship-driven ecosystem warrants a delicate touch. As more AI capabilities permeate LinkedIn, preserving the uniquely trust-building culture will be vital amidst the inevitability of technological progress.