LinkedIn drops "Events", adds video advertising

Changes and new features at LinkedIn keep coming and it is important to stay as current as possible. I try to keep myself current and post the significant changes here. Back in early October I posted info on the then new "Endorsement" feature -

http://blog.federaldirect.net/2012/10/the-facebooking-of-linkedin-endorsing.html

It is important to stay current so you can leverage each new feature when it fits your business plan and budget. Keep in mind some of the features, like "Endorsements" and the enhanced "Company Profile" are free. 

If you need to catch up and learn to maximize the current power of LinkedIn, consider attending my December 11 session on LinkedIn at Capitol College:

http://blog.federaldirect.net/2012/12/december-2012-government-market-master.html

Now, on to the two most recent changes.

LinkedIn's relatively popular "Events" calendar is gone. Here is the announcement posted about 10 days ago:

LinkedIn will be shutting off the LinkedIn Events application effective November 26, 2012.

At LinkedIn, we want to provide a simple and efficient experience for all members. So from time to time, we take a look at our set of features to evaluate how they're being used by our members. Part of this process sometimes means we decide to eliminate a feature, so we can better invest our development resources in building more great LinkedIn products for members like you.

There are still many ways to spread the word about upcoming events. You can always share links about events from your homepage, or in relevant groups.

The removal of this feature impacts events producers and others providing niche information on this otherwise robust platform.

I don't think the "Events" feature is gone forever, but if it does return, I think it will do so as a paid service.

In an unrelated move, LinkedIn recently announced that you can now run video ads. Here is the announcement from October 23, 2012:

Have more to say than can fit in a text ad? Most advertisers do, which is why we’re excited to announce the global roll-out of video ads on our self-serve platform, LinkedIn Ads. Whether you have a complex B2B service to promote or an inspiring brand message, video ads are a way to educate, persuade, and inspire LinkedIn’s 175M members.

I have seen some video as profile enhancements. Some has been quite good and some has been, well let's say, embarrassing. This feature will be fun to watch as companies experiment with it, so stay tuned.

And if you want to excel on LinkedIn, attend the December 11 session!

http://blog.federaldirect.net/2012/12/december-2012-government-market-master.html