By Ben Hollom
While LinkedIn is traditionally associated with professional networks and more serious businesses, it is still a social networking site above all else. In an attempt to boost conversations between users, the platform has introduced a new feature that will make it even more flexible and improve the opportunities for real-time dialogues.
Similar to Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn has added a ´mentions´ feature that will facilitate conversations by mentioning connections and companies. Initially, it will only work for LinkedIn´s English-speaking members but the company has promised that it will be rolled out for global members in the near future.
Commenting on the news, Angela Yoonjeong Yang, associate product manager at LinkedIn, said that members of the social platform are among the most engaged professionals online and are involved in a million conversations across LinkedIn. The introduction of the new ´mentions´ feature is just going to make it easier for them to start conversations with the relevant people and share knowledge with them, she added.
Writing in a blog post, Yang explained how the feature worked. First, users should type the name of a company or a connection in their status update box or a comment field on the home page. Users can then select one item from the list that appears in the drop-down and then complete the status or comment before posting it and notification of the ´mention´ will be automatically sent to the person or company that have been mentioned.
The ´mentions´ feature is not just limited to first-degree connections, as it also allows members to mention other members engaged in conversations in the comment sections of posts on the LinkedIn home page, the blog post noted.