The Microsoft-owned LinkedIn social network is eliminating its Stories feature just over a year after its public introduction. It became clear that users weren’t interested in using them in such a professional setting.
In late September of last year, LinkedIn introduced the Stories feature as a method for members to share more casual content without harming their profiles. It essentially serves as a digital resume. LinkedIn Stories functioned in much the same way as the virtually identical Snapchat and Instagram Stories services that inspired it. It offers users a variety of visual editing tools to enhance a video that would expire after 24 hours.
In a blog post published earlier today, LinkedIn’s Liz Li said, “You wish videos could live on your profile, not disappear.” “When we were creating Stories, we anticipated that individuals wouldn’t want their videos tied to their profile, and that ephemerality would lessen the obstacles to uploading.” It turns out that you want to make long-lasting videos that convey your professional biography in a more personal way, showcasing both your personality and your competence.”
While LinkedIn’s Stories will be phased out by the end of the month. Some of the editing capabilities from Stories will be incorporated into a new, more permanent video offering that will come soon.
“Now, we’re utilizing those learnings to extend the Stories format throughout LinkedIn into a reinvented video experience that’s deeper and more conversational,” Li said in the same post. “We want to embrace Stories’ mixed media and creative skills in a consistent way across our platform. Also trying to link it more tightly with your professional identity.”
LinkedIn’s termination of Stories comes less than a month after Twitter removes Fleets, it’s kind of 24-hour video. Twitter, like LinkedIn, discovered that the format wasn’t very appealing to its millions of users. For those who already used the platform’s standard post feature to share informal content and didn’t require an alternate choice.
Microsoft recently updated its Xbox mobile apps with yet another twist on Stories. It will be fascinating to watch how long it lasts and whether or not users view them.
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