LinkedIn is reportedly launching Clubhouse-style audio events feature with a twist. In this case, users will also be able to use video! The feature is currently still in beta mode. Linkedin, with over 800 million people listing their professional profiles to build their careers, is now taking things a step further to get them to spend more and more time on the platform.
The company will be rolling out a new events platform where users can list, host, and market interactive, virtual live events. The feature will initially start as an audio-only product expected to launch in beta this month.
After the audio-only version, users will be getting a video version expected to launch in spring, aiming to target Creators that are using LinkedIn as organizers and hosts. With virtual events finding strong traction throughout the past years of pandemic life, LinkedIn’s new events product will be an all-virtual offering and open up the format to be shaped by those running the events.
A mock-up of how the audio event will look is here:
As per Jake Poses, a product manager, their philosophy is to put the organizers in control, and they want to make it much easier for users to host virtual round tables, fireside seats, and more. To expand, Poses said that some might even want to communicate with their own audience to open up to the floor and give professionals the interactivity and support they need.
Should the audio event feature launch sound familiar, this is because the feature makes LinkedIn a Clubhouse rival. With that, LinkedIn was working on the feature last year by experimenting with other features they could add to the events service, including paid ticket options, which were tested out in September of 2021.
As of the moment, Poses confirmed that LinkedIn would be launching its interactive events as a free service with no plans for ticketing at this point. The new events platform will include certain tools to run interactive content end-to-end with no need for third-party software when the feature launches.
A mock-up of how the video feature might appear in the feed is here:
Hosts will also be able to record and run events directly from LinkedIn. It will be featuring certain tools for online attendees and hosts to be able to speak to each other when it comes to living conversations for them to moderate discussions.
LinkedIn has also been working on cultivating a much wider and more active Creator community over the last few months. To this end, the company even launched a $25 million fund and incubator sometime previous autumn, with Poses noting that there are already 1.5 million Creators that are currently using LinkedIn Live, the company’s broadcast product.
