I call it a “retweet from hell”.A few weeks ago, Alex Salkever and I wealth, praising the new immigration policy approved by California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The policy is designed to help up-and-coming entrepreneurs establish roots and start businesses in the Golden State.Once I share the article link a tweetThe governor generously retweeted the tweet, which reached 2 million followers.
However, I was ill-prepared for what happened next: our Twitter feed was quickly overrun by vulgar, venom-spitting trolls who tore up this article. The situation has deteriorated to the point where my twitter stream has become a mess – most of the comments and mentions are from these trolls, throwing out various forms of invective.For insights, message me Governor Newsom, Ask if this is a recurring theme. His reaction? “Welcome to my world. :)”
It’s not just Newsom’s world, however. Under Musk’s leadership, the platform once known as Twitter has been thrown into disarray. Our timelines are filled with posts from strangers we’ve never followed or reached out to, spreading lies and bullshit. The algorithms that determine our content seem to have gotten out of hand, forcing us to rely on curated lists and trending sections. Of course, we can clean up our feeds by muting or blocking trolls. But what’s the point when this becomes the main activity on the platform? Why participate in digital town squares if most people hide behind masks to hide their identities and throw out insults with no desire to talk? Anyway, since a large part of it is bots, why bother?
make LinkedIn is more engaging and useful
Amid ongoing complaints from Twitter users, Mark Zuckerberg’s bold launch of Threads has won cheers from tech pundits, who applauded the bold move. The rapid surge in sign-ups, fueled by the already powerful Instagram social network, has fueled speculation about Facebook’s potential to establish unprecedented social supremacy. However, the main beneficiaries of Twitter’s general discontent may be Microsoft and LinkedIn.
By implementing timely and strategic product enhancements, LinkedIn has the potential to fulfill Twitter’s once lofty promise of becoming an even more compelling destination for lovers of the latest news and insights. Leveraging an inherently more robust recognition framework derived from its professional background, LinkedIn can seamlessly fit into a global business-focused social graph and comprehensive knowledge base, enabling users to precisely target and Connect with world-renowned experts.
In fact, it could even transform into a trendy virtual hangout, a real-time messaging hub where users habitually keep open, much like Twitter did in its heyday. If Alex and I were in charge of LinkedIn’s product strategy, how would we steer the ship to increase its value, increase engagement, and make it an irresistible hub for users.
Give users more control over their feeds
While LinkedIn prides itself on maintaining a civilized atmosphere, the reality is that its user experience is less than ideal. Clearly, the tools to filter and shape LinkedIn information into more meaningful journeys are lacking. As a result, extraordinary insights are often drowned out in relentless self-promotion and regrettable posts peddling hollow content like “best ChatGPT tips for crafting sales emails.”
In stark contrast, Twitter’s news team is adept at curating a curated set of stories and cultivating expert commentary around them. And that’s just part of the veritable treasure trove of news intelligence Twitter readily offers. With just a few skilled clicks, people can identify experts, follow their insights, or explore curated lists of topics, amassing an unparalleled wealth of knowledge. This means that LinkedIn is a less attractive platform for journalists to engage.
Curbing the shortcomings of LinkedIn is an easy task. Here’s our blueprint for a more polished LinkedIn:
- Provides LinkedIn power users with a collection of sophisticated tools that work like superpowers. Crafting a unique LinkedIn-branded, Tweetdeck-inspired app allows these Trailblazers to seamlessly manage and navigate their feeds.
- Revolutionize interactions by making it easier for LinkedIn users to communicate and create group chats. While Twitter’s DMs have set the benchmark for effortless speed, and even, for some, email is second-rate, LinkedIn’s messaging interface remains cluttered. It has yet to become the preferred method of day-to-day interaction between LinkedIn users. Enhanced user experience for quick message access and flexible navigation. Plus, LinkedIn’s groups often function the same as email lists, hampered by clunky management tools. There is a conspicuous lack of an easy way to set up impromptu groups to discuss specific topics. By facilitating easy interaction and gathering, LinkedIn can attract more users (myself included) to spend quality time on the platform.
- Take a decisive approach to curating and hiding posts that fail to generate substantial engagement. This includes posts retweeted by followers, though lacking in depth. Gain insights from user interactions to identify the best posts – the highest quality posts that go beyond clickbait and ephemeral views. Also, if a user deletes a post from their feed, interpret that as a definitive dismissal.
- Empowers the “now” feed. Rethink static LinkedIn news. Currently limited to five unchanging items per user per session, it sticks to an outdated way of consuming news. This position is at odds with contemporary practice. Introducing a dynamic “LinkedIn Now” feed – a fast-moving stream of dozens of stories per hour and hundreds throughout the day, tailored to users’ declared interests and demonstrated preferences, while ensuring top-tier content quality remains sacrosanct violation.
- Give journalists the same privileges as recruiters. Currently, Twitter is the research tool of choice for journalists looking for quick expert commentary. However, LinkedIn’s accurate job descriptions make it ideal for the task. Providing journalists with free InMail access or the ability to contact experts directly positions LinkedIn as a valuable resource.
- Created a powerful list function. Twitter’s lists are nothing short of amazing: experts looking for a particular topic usually get a curated list. This accelerates knowledge acquisition. However, due to their complexity, few venture into managing them. LinkedIn could revolutionize this by making a list tool that makes it easy to discover lists curated by other users or threaded discussion threads that people can follow, engage, and drop off at will.
- Unlock a vast network of experts. Today, Twitter trumps LinkedIn when it comes to seeking authority in the self-driving car space because of the latter’s self-promotional pollution. True experts get lost in the noise. Leverage the power of Microsoft Bing to enhance LinkedIn’s search capabilities and produce more effective results. Additionally, leverage LinkedIn’s user-driven insights to compile a list of recommended experts. This approach facilitates expert consumption while broadening the reach of the audience.
- Make newsletters and posts a modern publishing outlet. Now, if you run a newsletter, it must be associated with a single LinkedIn account. Two people cannot co-publish an article. There is no editing workflow. There’s no easy way to categorize newsletters or suggest relevant ones to you. That’s why Substack has grown so quickly and become the go-to source for expert reviews. Creating a newsletter in LinkedIn is also a tedious job requiring a lot of manual steps. Improving the newsletter experience and making it easier to create a true “publication” on LinkedIn could unlock enormous potential as a better publishing tool, targeting a critical audience rather than an army of random bots like on Twitter.
Twitter is a sinking ship, and its users are desperately searching for lifeboats. LinkedIn can be that lifeboat, but only if it moves fast and smart. By implementing some of the features and improvements suggested in this article, LinkedIn can become the ultimate social network for professionals who want to stay on top, grow their network, and showcase their expertise.
LinkedIn can also be a more enjoyable and rewarding place to hang out, chat and exchange ideas with like-minded people. But LinkedIn can’t do it alone. It requires users to demand more of the platform, share more quality content, and interact with each other more respectfully.
LinkedIn could benefit from Twitter’s debacle by offering better alternatives to meet users’ needs and expectations. But it’s up to us (the users) to make that happen. Are you ready to join the LinkedIn revolution?
Vivek Wadhwa is an academic, entrepreneur and author.his book, From Increment to Exponentialexplains how big companies can foresee the future and rethink innovation.
Alex Salkever is a Silicon Valley technology executive who has advised dozens of technology companies on strategy and going public.they are driver in driverless car and Your happiness has been hacked.
The opinions expressed in Fortune review articles are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of: wealth.
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