What is LinkedIn Creator Mode?
LinkedIn has become a prominent publishing platform, with various ways to publish content. Now you have the opportunity to enhance your reputation and build your audience as a content creator by activating Creator Mode. What does it mean, how can it benefit your personal brand and should you turn it on?
Creator Mode is a tool for those who publish, or plan to publish content on LinkedIn. It is a feature to attract an audience, build your personal brand as a thought leader in your field and grow your reach and influence on LinkedIn. Creator mode gives you access to additional tools and features that help you create content and grow your audience base on LinkedIn. It encompasses written, video and audio content, giving individuals the ability to activate their thought leadership and be known for something while building an audience.
LinkedIn is the virtual water cooler where people gather to discuss business news, interests and innovation, career development and achievements. According to LinkedIn they have seen a 50% increase in conversations over the last year. Conversations require content. Without relevant, high value content we have nothing to engage with. People are moving beyond lurking on this platform to connect and learn more about each other through discussions. If you aren’t publishing content, you are not demonstrating your expertise and providing a place for your ideal clients and audience to engage with you.
Having a networking strategy to grow your connections is essential after building your profile, and relevant for every member, but having a content strategy applies to those who want to make an impact through thought leadership.
CREATOR MODE DIFFERENCE
Are you ready to optimise your presence to focus on your content, increase your discoverability and access tools to create content that is distributed on LinkedIn along with over 10 million other creators across the globe?
What does Creator Mode look like?
Here are three things you may see at the top of a profile with Creator Mode on;
- Talks about – 5 topics listed as hashtags
- A branded website link
- Follower number
Creator Mode puts a focus on content, which results in the profile being reorganised. The About section moves down, and Featured appears at the top followed by the Activity section. Without Creator Mode the Activity section includes your engagement plsu your posts, with Creator Mode only your content shows up.
Let’s take a look at the functionality of Creator Mode:
AUDIENCE BUILDING
Creators are building an audience and to make it easier for people to see your content anyone can follow without awaiting your approval. It is one click to follow you and given anyone can, it is a faster way to build an audience. There are three types of relationships you can have with a creator; follower, subscriber and connection. Follower becomes the focus when viewing a profile, with connection hidden behind the More button. Subscriber is specific to the Newsletter feature.
- CONNECTION
Connection is a two-way relationship resulting from a connection request being accepted. Following of each other’s content is automatic with content being displayed in the feed as influenced by the algorithm. Note: connections can be unfollowed, which means they still have a relationship but the content will no longer appear in the feed. You are limited to 30,000 connections.
- FOLLOWER
Following is a one-way ungated action. The person will receive content in the feed as influenced by the algorithm, but it isn’t reciprocal, unless you choose to follow or connect with them. Your audience is unlimited.
- SUBSCRIBER
Creators using the newsletter feature can build an audience of subscribers, these people will be notified about this specific type of content through LinkedIn and via email. It is content that is actually delivered to the person and isn’t at this time influenced by the algorithm. They may or may not be followers or connections, which means for some who aren’t connections or followers, this could be the only type of content they chose to receive, so get creative with your newsletter content.
What happens after turning on creator mode?
- The CONNECT button becomes FOLLOW for non-connections.
- The exact number of followers is displayed at the top of your profile in the introduction section.
- The option to CONNECT is available via the MORE button
- When people send a connection they automatically follow while awaiting your acceptance.
- If you decline the connection request they continue to follow until they choose not to.
- You may be featured as a suggested creator for others to follow.
DRIVE ACTION
A website link with a description is available in the profile introduction section. Use to promote your signature program, upcoming event, opt-in via your email list or page of your website.
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP TOPICS
To make it clear what topics fall into your area of expertise, you can add up to 5 topics as hashtags which show up as Talks About in the profile introduction section. Choose hashtags that show the topics you create content about.
Topics can play a part in search which increases your discoverability. When people search for the area of expertise your profile may show up in the results. You may be suggested as someone to follow after a person has followed someone else.
Content becomes a bigger focus. Turning on this mode reorganises your profile sections moving Featured and Activity sections above the About section. The Activity section preview is all about you and includes your recent posts instead of your comments and reactions on other people’s posts. This info is still available when See All Activity is clicked.
WHAT ARE CREATOR TOOLS?
To make content creation, distribution and engagement easier, creator mode may give you access to tools such as LinkedIn Live, Audio Event and LinkedIn Newsletters.
You will find these tools listed in the Creator Hub on your profile with Creator Mode on.
They are available if you meet the following criteria;
- More than 150 followers and/or connections.
- Recent original content posted to LinkedIn (including long form articles, short form posts, images, videos, events or polls)
- A history of abiding by the Professional Community Policies which means no dodgy tactics, and bad practice.
LINKEDIN LIVE
Creator mode automates submission of your access request for Live Video, which will display as available in the creator hub.
LinkedIn Live currently requires use of a 3rd party software to use which has a fee. When setting up a Live, an event is created with LinkedIn Live as the destination. So while events are available to all members, LinkedIn Live events are not.
View the Live Video Post and access the replay.
You will retain access to Live Video even if you decide to turn off Creator Mode.
Note: LinkedIn Live can still be applied for without Creator Mode, by setting up events on LinkedIn or via a 3rd party tool such as Streamyard and opting to go live (it may take a little time to be approved) if you meet the above criteria.
AUDIO EVENT
This is the latest addition to the creator tools. This feature allows you to schedule an event with audio as the mechanism to engage your audience. Unlike Live video, audio events do not require additional software and can be hosted on desktop and mobile app. Your attendees can listen or raise their hand to be approved to speak. At the time of roll out, events are not recorded and made available as a replay, but this feature is rumoured to be coming.
Check out my first LinkedIn Audio Event – LinkedIn Content Cafe
NEWSLETTERS
A newsletter is a set of published articles on LinkedIn, typically about a specific topic regularly. If you meet the criteria and this has rolled out to your profile you will see Newsletter as available in the creator hub of your profile.
Essentially a newsletter is the distribution and collation service for articles. But you can publish an article covering multiple topics, just like an email newsletter.
This feature is only available by turning on Creator Mode. If you turn off creator mode, you will no longer have access to create new Newsletters, but will become available to add further content should you turn creator mode back on.
Each newsletter on LinkedIn comes with its own page. Here people can learn about your newsletter and see past editions. A newsletter page is automatically created when you create a newsletter.
As of March 2022 LinkedIn shared that there was a 625 percent increase in the number of newsletters being published on LinkedIn, and an 89 percent increase in the number of subscriptions.
Timing is key with launching your newsletter, as you only get one chance to invite your followers to subscribe at this time. By default, your connections and followers will be invited by notification to subscribe to your newsletter once the first article of your newsletter has been successfully published.
You may choose to turn Creator Mode and focus on audience building before launching your newsletter to get maximum exposure. When your network accept an invitation to subscribe, they will receive a notification and email when you publish a new newsletter, which makes it easy to engage your audience if the content is of relevance to them.
LinkedIn members can subscribe to your newsletter to receive updates when you publish something new after your initial invitation or on discovering your content in the feed or in suggestions. Learn more about LinkedIn Newsletters in this blog.
CONTENT REPURPOSING
If you decide to use both LinkedIn Live and Newsletters, why not turn the content from your Live video into an article by summarising the key points, transcribing the content and formatting with sub headings, including images and embedding the video. This way you can engage those who enjoy watching / listening and those who prefer to read content.
Turn your article into other pieces of content to extend the value and get more engagement for a longer period of time. Document posts, images and short video snippets are a great way to engage your time poor audience or those who may have missed the content the first time around. But be sure to focus the accompanying text on an aspect of the discussion or article content and ask an engaging question to encourage discussion. Include a link to the article or Live video for those who want more info.
ANALYTICS
Creator mode gives access to creator analytics, which are aggregate analytics to show how your content portfolio (including short form posts, images, videos, events, polls, and articles) performs over time. The data is only available to you, and only available on content that is posted as public (which is the default setting) to the LinkedIn feed. If you chose an audience of just connections you will not be able to see the breakdown.
The date range for the data can be adjusted from the past seven days up to the past 365 days. Export your analytics to a .XLSX file to save it for your records and further analyse.
This feature is rolling out and available via your profile.
Notes about analytics;
- Impression demographics, article viewer demographics, video viewers, video viewer demographics are based on unique members (for example, each member is counted once regardless of how many times the content is viewed). The remaining analytics are non-unique.
- Demographics analytics are available after 25 post impressions, non-unique total article views, or unique video plays. Company demographics analytics is available after 10 unique views.
- Engagements, discovery, article performance, video viewers and video viewer demographics from LinkedIn Pages (organizations) aren’t included.
Content performance
This shows the total number of impressions and engagements (which you can toggle between) your entire content portfolio has received over the selected time period.
- Impressions– The number of times your post was displayed onscreen for at least three seconds.
- Engagements– The total number of engagements on your posts by individuals, including reactions, comments, and shares.
Engagement demographics
This shows high level information about the individual members who engaged with your content. You can toggle to see the breakdown by Job Title, Industry, Seniority, Location, or Company Size. Numbers displayed are estimates and may not be precise.
Live Video gives you analytics about who viewed the event, who marked attending, plus collective details about the live audience;
See your Audio event attendees and event visitors;
Article Performance
- Engagements– The total number of engagements on the post containing your article, including reactions, comments, and shares.
- Discovery-Impressions indicate the number of times the post containing your article was displayed on screen for at least three seconds. This number is an estimate and may not be precise.
- Article performance-Article views indicate the number of times a member clicked on your article to view it on the article page.
- Article viewer demographics– Demographic information about the members who clicked on your article to read it on the article page.
Live Video Performance
- Peak live viewers– The highest number of viewers who were watching the video while it was live.
- Minutes viewed– Total minutes this video was displayed on screen, including views less than three seconds. This includes both sponsored and organic distribution.
- Views– Number of times this video was displayed on screen for more than three seconds, including sponsored and organic reach.
- Viewers– Number of members who displayed this video on screen for more than three seconds, including sponsored and organic distribution.
- Video viewer demographics– Demographic information about members who displayed this video on screen.
Audio Event Performance
- Event visits – Metrics of LinkedIn members who visit your event page or
- Attendees – Members who mark attending
- Unique visitors – calculated daily and are not de-duplicated over multiple days.
HOW TO TURN CREATOR MODE ON
Find the option to activate Creator Mode in the resources are of your LinkedIn profile. Click on ‘Creator mode Off’, and turn it on.
Add up to 5 topics that give insight into your thought leadership which will be displayed in the introduction section of your profile as ‘Talking about‘. To update your hashtags, click on Creator Mode in Resources and remove any that no longer fit, to make room for those that do.
Check which creator tools you have available. You may need to come back and take a look if not available at the time, or when you meet the criteria.
HOW TO START CREATING CONTENT
Create content about the topics you’ve selected as a Creator consistently.
Brainstorm ideas for each topic considering challenges your ideal audience have, news and innovation in your industry, and unpacking of research in your industry.
Create a mix of content mediums of long-form text, images, video, polls, document posts, and repurpose articles and video as other types of posts to leverage the content you have created, engage more people and increase visibility and credibility in your area of expertise.
Review your engagement and analytics to determine what types of content perform best, and seek ideas for future content.
- Post at least twice a week but no more than daily.
- Publish a fortnightly or monthly newsletter
- Create a plan to use Live video
- Respond to comments on your content daily
- Continue to engage with your network daily
SHOULD YOU TURN CREATOR MODE ON?
It depends on your goals, objectives and where you are in your LinkedIn journey.
- GRADUATE, NEW LINKEDIN USER
Focus on growing your network and finding your voice. Unless you are already a thought leader in your field, leave Creator Mode off for now. - PROFESSIONAL, CORPORATE LEADER, OR BUSINESS OWNER
If content creation isn’t your focus, leave Creator Mode off, but if you are publishing content, want access to LinkedIn Live and Newsletters and are continuing to build a strategic network, then now may be the right time. - ENTREPRENEUR, EXPERT (speaker, trainer, author), EXECUTIVE
If you use LinkedIn daily, have built a solid network of the right connections, continue to be proactive in your network building, comment and post regularly, and want to be seen as a thought leader in your field through publishing content, then it is a good time to turn on Creator Mode.
If you want to grow a global audience and consistently share original content in your area of expertise, want to publish newsletters and/or use LinkedIn Live and Audio Events, then turn it on. Expect less connection requests, but a growth in followers. Stay across your followers in case someone you would like to connect with follows you, as you cannot message followers or invite them to events.
When not to turn it?
If you aren’t clear what you want to be known for, don’t use it consistently, have a small network and want to build a network of connections, and don’t share content on a regular basis, then leave it off.
THE NUMBERS
According to Product Lead for Creator Strategy at LinkedIn, Keren Baruch,
as of March 2022, more than 5.5 million people across the globe turned on creator mode resulting in nearly a 50 percent increase in the number of people following people who have turned on creator mode, and a nearly 30 percent increase in the engagement on content created by people with creator mode turned on.
NEED HELP?
Follow the official LinkedIn Page LinkedIn for Creators
Book a Discovery Call to determine if I can help with your content strategy, from idea creation, how to publishing, promote and repurpose.