What is LinkedIn, really? A job board? A social media site? An outlet for reading blog posts on what grindset marketers learned about software sales from attending their uncle’s funeral?
It’s all that and more. You can use LinkedIn to connect with people in your network, like we did on Facebook in the olden days, but you can also use it to publish content like on Instagram or Twitter/X. LinkedIn provides a number of tools to help with this. One of those is LinkedIn Creator Mode.
Well, it was called Creator Mode. LinkedIn has moved away from this branding. However, you can still find the various parts of Creator Mode scattered around the site.
Using The Remaining LinkedIn Creator Mode Tools
1) How To Make Your LinkedIn Content Visible to Everyone
Previously, you could toggle Creator Mode on and off on LinkedIn. But in March 2024, they removed this option. If you’re using LinkedIn for promotion and content creation, you can still make your content visible to Followers rather than just your network. To do so, follow these steps.
1) Click the “Me” button at the top of any LinkedIn page.
2) Select “Settings and Privacy.”
3) Click “Visibility” on the left side of the screen.
4) Scroll down to the heading “Visibility of your LinkedIn activity” and select “Followers.”
5) Under “Who can follow you” make sure “Everyone on LinkedIn” is selected, then toggle “Make follow primary” to “on.”
This will change the “Connect” button on your LinkedIn page to a “Follow” button. Anyone on LinkedIn can click that button to follow you. When they do, you’ll receive a notification and the option to connect with them as a part of your network.
Note that LinkedIn changes its interface so often that even its own help pages are often outdated. You may have to click around a little in the Settings menu to find the Followers toggle.
2) How to Post Newsletters on LinkedIn
The ability to create Newsletters on LinkedIn was previously exclusive to users with Creator Mode on. Now, anyone can do it. Here’s how.
1) On your feed, click “Write an article” beneath the post text field.
2) In the top-right of the editor, click “Manage” then select “Create Newsletter.”
3) Fill out the details of your new Newsletter. Each LinkedIn member can have up to five Newsletters on the site.
Newsletters are a great way to stay engaged with your followers and share your blogs without relying on the algorithm to put them in people’s feeds.
What Are the Benefits of LinkedIn Creator Tools?
If you’re someone who works in the B2B space or is trying to position yourself as a LinkedIn influencer, you want as many people as possible to see your posts on their feeds. Making “follow” the primary action on your profile will let more people follow your content, like on other social media sites.
Other features that were previously associated with LinkedIn Creator Mode, like Newsletters and Audio Events, have been spread out across the platform.
All LinkedIn users now have the ability to create Newsletters and to access analytics on their posts, for example. However, some features are now only available to those who meet particular criteria.
What Are the Criteria for Using LinkedIn Creator Tools?
Three features previously associated with LinkedIn Creator Mode now have their own criteria for access.
These tools are: LinkedIn Live, Audio Events, and the Follow link. Previously, only LinkedIn Creators could create Newsletters, but all LinkedIn users are now able to.
LinkedIn Live (the platform’s live video streaming and Audio Events (similar to X/Twitter Spaces) share criteria. They are:
- An audience base of at least 150 followers and/or connections
- Recent posting history on LinkedIn (reposts/shares don’t count)
- A history of biding by LinkedIn’s Professional Community Policies and a good standing record on the platform
The Follow link requires only a history of following LinkedIn’s Professional Community Policies and a good standing record on the platform.
The Professional Community Policies are pretty much what you’d expect. They’re similar to rules on other social media platforms: don’t incite violence, don’t post hateful content, and so on. Basically, as long as you aren’t breaking any of these rules, you can make “Follow” the default action on your profile.
How Do You Become a Suggested Creator on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn works a little differently than other social networks and platforms. The site will suggest contacts for you based on your existing network, but it also has “Suggested Creators.” These are people posting content on LinkedIn that the site has decided to highlight to other users.
How do you become a LinkedIn Suggested Creator or have your posts show up in other users’ feeds? It’s not totally clear, though LinkedIn does give some tips.
LinkedIn says that it relies on a “variety of signals” to suggest posts in people’s feeds. These include whether the posts are “high quality professionally relevant content” and whether they’re “relevant to all members.”
Basically, posts about inspiration at work, professional growth, and education on work-related topics are more likely to be boosted.
The site also takes into account member feedback on content, such as likes, comments, and reports. In other words, if someone is reporting your content, it’s much less likely to be suggested. Same goes for if people simply aren’t engaging with it in the first place.
So, if you’re wondering why suggested LinkedIn posts all seem to be hitting the same themes about personal development and the relentless struggle for success? It’s because the site prefers that kind of content. If you want your content to be shared with more users, you probably have to learn to post like that too.
LinkedIn Creator Mode Is Dead RIP
LinkedIn has moved away from the “Creator Mode” system. Possibly this is out of a recognition that more and more people are using the site as a social network. For better or worse, LinkedIn has become another social media site.
Is it actually a good one? Well, it depends on how you’re using it. If you’re a marketer or salesperson, you might find it to be useful. If you’re a writer, artist, YouTuber, or other kind of content creator? Maybe not. Then again, it doesn’t hurt to have a presence on the site — just don’t get sucked into the hustle vortex.
