LinkedIn Redesigns, Adds Features

LinkedIn has responded to the challenge of Facebook today by joining OpenSocial and launching its developer platform as well as a new look (still to come) and host of new features. They’re described in some detail on VentureBeat. The design changes include a new homepage, an emphasis on activity feeds, customized company news, and several […]

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LinkedIn has responded to the challenge of Facebook today by joining OpenSocial and launching its developer platform as well as a new look (still to come) and host of new features. They’re described in some detail on VentureBeat. The design changes include a new homepage, an emphasis on activity feeds, customized company news, and several customizable modules on the site.


One interesting new feature, as described by VentureBeat, is a third-party module/widget that reportedly takes advantage of a new LinkedIn API and shows you your connections via content that site (in this case, BusinessWeek):

Business Week, one pre-launch platform partner, has already developed a feature that lets you see how you’re connected through LinkedIn to people and companies written about in its articles. Click on a name in a Business Week article, and you’ll see a popup window showing how you’re connected through LinkedIn

In all, these new features create more reasons to use the site on a daily basis or put the brand in front of you more frequently. Frequency had been a persistent issue with the site: there were few things to do after accepting an invitation to connect. To remedy that, LinkedIn added “Q&A functionality” and yellow pages style listings some time ago. The new company news and additional features will undoubtedly add utility, boosting usage frequency.

There is a rumor circulating that News Corp. is in talks to buy LinkedIn.

Here’s more information from the LinkedIn blog about the new platform and site features.


Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.


About the author

Greg Sterling
Contributor
Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor to Search Engine Land, a member of the programming team for SMX events and the VP, Market Insights at Uberall.

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