LinkedIn Updates Tools for Homepage, Profile Editing

LinkedIn use is exploding, and all those millions of new users added over the last two years have some updated features to play with.

LinkedIn has updated the homepage by adding a larger profile image and redesigning the whole feel of its pages with a more refined look. The power to find new contacts and network effectively is still there — it's just under a less utilitarian design.

Status: Updated

Starting today, LinkedIn members can update their profile via an opt-in sample/invitation. Everyone else will see the updates roll out to their profiles over the next few months, the company said in blog post. Larger profile images, new inline editing and richer insights into people's networks are all part of the update. 

Larger images show off a profile's highlights right at the top of the page.

Additionally, the Activity Stream, People You May Know and Background sections all have a new look, with the people section having the most dramatic change. There's a new graphic stats display for network suggestions that adds some color and useful information on those you may want to connect with. 

For updating background information on your profile, there is a new menu of options that pops up on the right-hand side. 

Suggestions are still made about what updates to make, but now they are a bit more polished.

Simpler Editing

Once updates are made to the background section, each portion gets a new little icon instead of a solid horizontal line to separate them. For example, there's a little hand next to the Volunteer and Causes section, and a little compass above the Skills and Expertise section.

This is also where the inline editing feature comes in. Now, instead of changing those skills using a new edit page, the changes can be made right from the profile — no need to click over to the Edit Profile page. 

Simpler editing makes an already popular activity even easier.

Linkedin CEO Jeff Weiner gave a brief presentation on the updates, and said the company now has over 175 million users, with 50 million of those added in just the last two years. He also pointed out how popular the recent Company Pages release has been and how millions of people are updating their profiles even though they aren't necessarily looking for jobs. 

Tell us in the comments if you are a LinkedIn Pro user or if you are cross-posting things to LinkedIn and Facebook — and how you decide what goes where.

 

 

Source : cmswire[dot]com

Yammer Launches First Major Update Post Microsoft Buy

Yammer is now officially part of Microsoft's Office Division, and the enterprise social network has released a major new update to the homepage and navigation features.

Taken together, the Yammer Summer Release is huge, and features like Inbox and access for iOS and Android are good reminders of how fast the social business space can change.

Inbox, Mobile and Search

Inbox is the main new feature, and it organizes activity and conversations for easier prioritizing. It's a fitting name because it basically mimics an email interface with unread messages, filtering and a handy search option for finding relevant information.

Use the Inbox feature to organized messages and track conversations.

A searchable inbox and mobile availability are nice features, and Inbox includes both. Additionally, Inbox can be used to send and reply to private messages, group announcements and at-mentions all from one place.

Yammer has also added a presence indicator called Online Now. It's easy to see who's available on the network at any given time, and a quick way to help decide whether to jump into a task/project or whether to move on until the needed person is ready to go. 

Online Now looks like an old friend down there. Once glance shows who's on and who's busy.

Homepage and Navigation Updates

Yammer's Homepage now features trending files, company resources and pinned announcements. Easily follow the most shared items with trending files, keep pinned announcements at the top of the page when unread, and follow offical content like benefits and HR rules with company resources. 

Navigation wise, there's easier integration with third-party apps and a new Files Directory to quickly grab files and Pages. For Premium networks, top navigation can be customized to match company colors and designs. New features are being rolled out piecemeal so the company can gauge feedback, so some features will already be showing up for some. 

Navigation changes include an expanded menu for easily discovering new Groups.

New Integrations Announced

Yammer also announced eight new partner integrations. Some highlights are:

• FuzeBox  For online meetings and conferences, use FuzeBox and Yammer to update Ticker when an employee schedules, starts, joins, ends or publishes a meeting.

• Mindjet  Share Mindjet task updates into Ticker and follow the task link back to existing collaboration projects. 

• Get Satisfaction  Push new Get Satisfaction Questions, Ideas, Problems or Praise, and topic replies, directly to Yammer's Ticker. Great for interacting with customers right from Yammer.

 

 

Source : cmswire[dot]com