LinkedIn is getting rid of its “Creator Mode” option as part of its broader shift away from hashtags as a connective tool, though it’s still keeping most of its Creator Mode elements as optional tools for all users, even if you haven’t switched Creator Mode on in your settings.
Originally launched in 2021, LinkedIn’s Creator Mode provides dedicated tools to help users to establish their presence in the app, which includes associating topical hashtags with your profile, adding a “Featured” section to showcase your content, and a “Follow” button, as opposed to “Connect”, on your profile.
But now, LinkedIn’s moving away from the optional setting. As shared by LinkedIn expert Xavier Degraux, as of this month, LinkedIn will be removing profile hashtags to highlight topics that creators share content about, while from next month, the ability to switch on Creator Mode will be removed from your profile settings.
The “Follow” button will, however, will remain present for all users, adding another means to connect, while your “About” Section will be moved to the top of profiles once again.
LinkedIn provided this overview of the update to SMT:
“We’re eager to bring the best of Creator Mode to more LinkedIn’s members. In the coming months we’ll be opening up additional creation tool access and deeper analytics to all members, investing in the tools we’ve heard work best for sharing, and building an audience, and removing the need to toggle creator mode on and off. For members who previously turned on Creator Mode, they will continue to have access to our suite of creation tools and deeper analytics. With the removal of the Creator Mode toggle, we’ll also be streamlining the look and feel of the profile by removing the “Talks About” hashtags and moving the “About” Section back to the top of the profile.”
Aside from no longer having to activate a separate mode to utilize these tools, the main change is seemingly focused on removing hashtags as a connective element, which, as noted, is part of the platform’s broader shift away from hashtag discovery.
Last month, LinkedIn explained to SMT that hashtags are no longer necessary for highlighting the most relevant content in the app, as its system now uses topics and keywords included within posts to highlight relevant conversations. With more advanced system matching, hashtags don’t really add what LinkedIn had been hoping they would in a discovery sense, so it’s now scaling them back as a focus, which also coincides with its increasing use of AI, which can also help to highlight more relevant conversations to members.
Within this, it seems that associating your profile with hashtags is also not necessary, while LinkedIn’s also looking to give all users access to more creation options, as opposed to making dedicated creators a specific focus.
Which could also be seen as LinkedIn taking a step back from working to foster a more active community of creative talent.
Like all social apps, LinkedIn’s recognized the value of its most prominent, active influencers, and Creator Mode had been a way to give them more of the spotlight, with a view to encouraging ongoing activity.
Maybe, LinkedIn hasn’t found that to be a valuable, viable push, though now, more users will have access to these tools. So it could also be about providing more capacity to more people, with a view to activating even more creators in the app.
Either way, the bottom line is that LinkedIn’s Creator Mode will soon be no more, which could mean that you’ll need to review and update your LinkedIn profile.