LinkedIn Reaches Out to Younger Users, Reports Strong Southeast Asian User Base
Updated: May 20, 2022
The popular social network site LinkedIn, geared toward professionals, has grown in popularity among younger users who take advantage of the site as a source for prospective jobs and professional connections. The network has also managed to increase its reach across the Southeast Asian region, with more than 39 million users in its four biggest country markets based on its latest figures.
According to DataReportal, around 59% of LinkedIn’s users are between the ages of 25-34, and 20% are between 18-24. Only around 3% of all users are above the age of 55. With 4 out of 5 users below the age of 34, the network is able to reach out to those who are starting out in their careers. In the process, they learn from others on LinkedIn about how to grow their careers and build the connections they need for those careers.
The Observer's James Ball discussed the demographic shift in a recent news feature. He notes that this is not lost on LinkedIn executives, such as CEO Ryan Roslansky. He was recently quoted in the Wall Street Journal acknowledging that and adding, “they’re much more interested in portraying themselves on video or through a much more robust [user] profile than older generations.” To reach out to that crowd, LinkedIn has launched, among other things, a new podcast network and other features such as video integration and an audio chat platform similar to Clubhouse.
One important change that LinkedIn recently launched involves the way user profiles list life and work experiences. Recently, the company allowed users to list gaps in their employment history on their profile with 12 different options for doing so. These changes reflect an increasing destigmatisation of these life events, particularly among younger users. The Observer story quotes social media consultant Matt Navarra praising the network for adapting to the post-COVID world and the way it has changed work patterns.
As more Southeast Asian companies are using the platform to reach out to prospective employees, LinkedIn says that nearly 5% of its 801 million users are from the region. Its largest country market there is Indonesia with more than 20 million users, followed by the Philippines with 10 million, Malaysia with 6 million and Singapore with 3 million. The service is also available in four regional languages apart from English, namely Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Malaysia, Thai and Tagalog.
LinkedIn was founded by Rob Hoffman in 2002 and launched online a year later. Its growth and popularity among professionals eventually led to its acquisition by Microsoft that was completed in 2016. Currently, the social network has around 800 million users in 200 countries and territories. It has offices in 33 cities in the U.S. and elsewhere, with its Southeast Asian office located in Singapore. Ryan Roslansky is the company’s current Chief Executive Officer.
LinkedIn’s most recent financials for the second quarter of the fiscal year ending 2022 disclosed that company revenues grew year-on-year by 37% and earnings across its various business lines were about US$1B. Its job search feature draws an average of 49 million users each week and generates around 77 applications a second.
LinkedIn, a Microsoft-owned social network geared towards professionals, has grown its reach among a younger audience, with around 80% of its users being 18 to 34 year-olds.
LinkedIn's increasing reach among younger users has allowed the network to introduce new features such as video enhancements to user profiles, a podcast network, and more nuanced ways of incorporating life developments into work experience listings.
LinkedIn announced in January 2022 that nearly 5% of its roughly 800 million users worldwide are based in Southeast Asia, with Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore being its largest country markets.