By Princess Jones
In the battle for social media dominance, LinkedIn would never would be considered a top contender. That’s for the Facebooks, Instagrams, and Twitters of the world to fight for. Instead, LinkedIn is a much more niche platform, specializing in connecting those who do business together. It remains the place to network with people in your industry and those you want to work with.
Recently, LinkedIn introduced a new voice note feature to its messaging service. Users can send each other short audio messages. The aim is to keep users engaged and to spark more communication on the platform.
Benefits
LinkedIn hopes that users will experience several benefits with the new voice messaging feature. First, it’s easier to leave voice messages on the go. Instead of having to type out messages on small keyboard, you can just speak your message into the phone. Most people speak much faster than they type, especially on a mobile phone keyboard.
Also, writing messages requires selective word choice to convey tone. It’s very easy for someone to misunderstand your tone via text. But with a voice message, you can be much more clear about how you intend your words.
And with so many people being so phone-adversed these days, a voice note might be the way to get that voice to voice contact without having to actually make a phone call.
How to Use It
Start by opening the LinkedIn app on your mobile device. Tap the message icon at the top of the screen. Tap the pencil and paper icon to start a message or select a message already in process. Now, you want to tap the microphone icon on your keyboard.
Another microphone icon will appear on the screen. You’ll use this one to record and control your voice message. Tap and hold the icon to record your message. (As you record, you’ll see the time counting on the right side of the screen.) Release your finger when you’re ready to send it. If you’re done recording and you don’t want to send the voice message, slide your finger away from the icon but continue to hold it down. If you get a LinkedIn voice message, tap (or click) the play icon to hear it.
Things to Remember
Currently, you can only send voice messages on the mobile app, but you can receive them via the app or on the website. LinkedIn might add the ability to send them on the web in future updates but there is no expected timeline.
Also, once you’ve sent them, you can’t take them back. So be careful about what you put in your voice message. LinkedIn is a platform for professional networking. Your voice message may be casual by nature but it should still be representative of your brand and your intentions.