Social Throwback 2023: Navigating the professional landscape with LinkedIn's 2023 updates

LinkedIn, the professional social media network, began the first quarter of the year with a significant amount of updates that changed its user interface and professional usage. These changes and improvements translated to growth in numbers for LinkedIn as it received 1.7 billion visits during November 2023 with average pages per visit being 7.98. 

2023 proved to be a pivotal year for LinkedIn, marked by a stream of feature updates designed to enhance user experience, encourage connections, and empower career development. Throughout the year, the platform introduced a range of functionalities, which included accessibility improvements, AI-powered tools, and content creation enhancements. 

Among the several tweaks and changes, content creation received a boost with post scheduling, newsletter creator tools, and Link∙Ability on LinkedIn. Accessibility was enhanced with features like video captions and improved screen reader compatibility ensuring inclusivity. Given the steady improvements, LinkedIn’s revenue surpassed $15 billion for the first time in Q4 FY23. The platform’s revenue growth continued with an 8% year-over-year growth in revenue (8% in constant currency) in Q1 FY24. Additionally, the platform saw a 55% year-over-year increase in Premium sign-ups in Q1 FY24. 

Here are the updates that LinkedIn introduced in 2023: 

January

• Joining anniversary wishes feature added: Automatic anniversary greetings for one’s network.

• Improved job search algorithm that prioritizes relevant opportunities, boosting one’s chances of landing their dream job.

• Enhanced profile completion score: LinkedIn introduced a revised score system to reflect a more comprehensive profile, encouraging users to showcase their full value.

February 

• Live Video Captions.

• LinkedIn Learning integration: Ability to seamlessly access and track your LinkedIn Learning progress right from your profile.

• Live Events with Q&A and Polls: Ability to host interactive live events with features like Q&A and polls.

• Job post filters by diversity and inclusion: Filter job postings based on diversity and inclusion initiatives, allowing candidates to prioritize companies aligned with their values.

March

• AI-powered content summaries: Allowed users to get a quick grasp of long-form content with AI-generated summaries of articles and LinkedIn posts.

• Group polls and Q&A: Ability to drive deeper engagement within professional communities with interactive polls and Q&A sessions.

• LinkedIn Learning Micro-credentials: Bite-sized, career-relevant micro-credentials enabled through short LinkedIn Learning courses, adding valuable badges to your profile.

• Pulse Content Creator program: LinkedIn expanded its creator program, providing resources and support for professionals building thought leadership through Pulse articles.

April

• Link∙Ability: Share articles, videos, and podcasts directly to your connections' feeds.

• Personalized job recommendations: AI-tailored job suggestions based on your skills and experience.

• LinkedIn local events: Discover and attend in-person networking events near you through the LinkedIn Local feature.

• Company page analytics enhancements: Track engagement metrics across various content formats on your company page, gaining insights into audience preferences.

May

• Sales Navigator enhancements: AI-powered account and prospect insights in Sales Navigator to connect with the right people.

• Post scheduling: Ability to plan and publish your LinkedIn content in advance for optimal reach and engagement.

• Sales Navigator Lead Gen forms: Capture leads directly from your Sales Navigator profiles with integrated lead gen forms, streamlining the sales process.

• Personalized learning paths: Curated learning paths tailored to your career goals and skills gaps, guiding your professional development journey.

June

• Stories highlights: Showcase your career journey and key achievements with curated Stories highlights.

• Learn with AI: Personalized learning recommendations and skill assessments powered by AI.

• Customizable virtual backgrounds for video meetings.

• Skill endorsements in job postings: Employers could showcase desired skills within job postings, facilitating targeted candidate applications.

July 

• Video Captions for All: Generate captions for all your video content, making it accessible to everyone.

• Limit on free job post visibility

• Accessibility enhancements: LinkedIn prioritized accessibility features, introducing alt-text options for images and improved screen reader compatibility.

• Content moderation focus: Increased focus on content moderation addressed misinformation and inappropriate behavior.

August

• AI job seeker coach: Personalized job search tips and feedback from an AI-powered coach.

• Custom button display expansion: Ability to utilize custom buttons on your profile to direct users to your portfolio, website, or other key resources.

• Group chat enhancements: Group chats received upgrades, including file sharing and improved search functionality.

• Newsletter creator tools: Creators gained access to advanced newsletter tools, including scheduling, analytics, and subscriber insights.

September

• Reduced skill display: The feature enabled LinkedIn to focus on showcasing skills across one’s profile, reducing the default displayed skills from 3 to 2.

• Restriction on personalized invites: Limitations imposed on free accounts for sending personalized invites.

• Profile verification badge: Verified profiles displayed a new badge in the name field, enhancing trust and credibility for users.

• Social Selling Index updates: The Social Selling Index metric evolved to include engagement and video interactions.

October

• Platform news and updates: A dedicated news section about the latest LinkedIn developments and upcoming features added.

• New self-service tools: Ability to onboard usage-based services with ease through new self-service tools.

• Post scheduling for newsletters: Ability to schedule your posts directly to your newsletter for better content integration and audience engagement.

• LinkedIn announced organizational restructuring and continued investment in strategic priorities, including improving user experience and AI innovations.

November

• More post formats for scheduling: Added ability to schedule carousel posts, polls, and articles alongside regular text updates for enhanced content variety.

• AI tools in LinkedIn recruiter: Recruiters gained access to AI-powered candidate recommendations and sourcing insights.

• LinkedIn Live Studio improvements: Streamlined user interface and enhanced broadcast features.

• Employee advocacy program enhancements: Companies gained new tools and insights to empower employees to become brand ambassadors and build organic reach.
  
  

December 

• Year in Review feature: Celebrate your achievements and share highlights from the year with your network through a personalized Year in Review feature.

• Holiday-themed profile frames added.