LinkedIn wants to go business casual with Snapchat-style stories

LinkedIn is looking to get in on the social media fun with the stories feature made popular by Snapchat years ago and then picked up by Instagram, Facebook, and more. LinkedIn shared that it’s been trying out the feature internally and that it will offer up a preview of its take on stories to some users soon.

LinkedIn made the announcement that it’s been exploring “what Stories might look like in a professional context” (via The Verge).

Here’s how the head of consumer product at LinkedIn, Pete Davies sees the business connection with stories…

Stories first appeared on Snapchat, with other platforms like Instagram and Facebook adopting them soon after. They spread for a good reason: they offer a lightweight, fun way to share an update without it having to be perfect or attached to your profile forever.

Does that exist in the business world? I’d hope that most of my interactions in the break room or passing people in the hall are similarly ephemeral and light. The same holds true for cubicle and coffee shop banter around the world: sometimes we want a way to just make a connection, have a laugh with our colleagues and move on.

After having already been testing stories inside LinkedIn, Davies says it is ready to roll out a test run of the feature to users “in the coming months.” He also shared some of the things they’ve learned so far.

So, we’re currently testing LinkedIn Stories internally, and we can’t wait to test it with our members in the coming months. We’ve learned so much already about the unique possibilities of Stories in a professional context. For example, the sequencing of the Stories format is great for sharing key moments from work events, the full-screen narrative style makes it easy to share tips and tricks that help us work smarter, and the way Stories opens up new messaging threads makes it easier for someone to say, “and by the way… I noticed you know Linda, could you introduce me?”

Would you find stories on LinkedIn valuable? Or do you think it’s better for Snapchat and Instagram? Share your thoughts in the comments below!