LinkedIn Is Testing A New Dedicated Video Tab for Short-Form Videos
Screenshots: Austin Null | Mock Up: Lindsey Gamble
LinkedIn is doing a limited beta test of a dedicated short-form video experience on the iOS mobile app. Members with access will see a new video tab in the app's navigation bar, where the My Network tab used to be.
Tapping on the tab directs users to a vertical, full-screen feed of short-form videos that they can scroll through. Similar to other short-form video experiences, users can comment like, comment on, and share a video, as well as view the full post caption via ‘See More.’
Austin Null, Strategy Director at McKinney and creator, noticed this in his app and shared a screen recording of what it looks like, which you can view here or below.
🚨NEW 🚨 LinkedIn is testing a new short-form video experience, including a dedicated video ta, similiar to TikTok, Reels, Shorts, etc.
— Lindsey Gamble (@LindseyGamble_) March 27, 2024
H/T to @AustinNull for the discovery/screen recording
Details here:https://t.co/HgGSUaJYvq pic.twitter.com/nDQ8otY0iW
Why It Matters: LinkedIn's foray into short-form video follows the rise of this content format across various platforms, from TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat to streaming services like Spotify and Netflix.
LinkedIn has also been experimenting more with video-related features. For example, at the end of 2023, it launched Daily, a personalized short-form video feature on the LinkedIn Learning app featuring daily insights from LinkedIn instructors and experts.
Like similar experiences, this enables users to explore and interact with bite-sized video content from creators, thought leaders, educators, marketers, and more across the platform.
Reactions will likely be mixed; video-focused creators may welcome another platform to share their content, while others might fear LinkedIn transforming into another TikTok. LinkedIn could mitigate potential resistance by ensuring that the videos presented in the feed are high quality and cater to some of the platform’s key purposes, like education and learning.
Given that this is a test and LinkedIn previously decided to discontinue Stories after testing, the same could occur with short-form video if it doesn't resonate with users.