Meet LinkedIn Creator Mode and Cover Stories!

By Nigel Cliffe

Read Time

August 11th 2021 LinkedIn Creator Mode Update: 

I haven’t found anyone who suggests that having turned on Creator Mode has made any difference at all. Neither good nor bad. So, you have to ask what was, or is, the point of it?

I don’t particularly like that the ‘About’ section is harder to find. This is because I think this section provides an incredible opportunity to maximise the potential to add context and perspective to your Profile in rich detail. Dropping deeper means it will be viewed by fewer people.

Could LinkedIn Creator Mode be Damaging for Some?

But here is why, in my opinion, LinkedIn Creator Mode *could* be damaging:

LinkedIn requires that each of us build up Connections. That is a direct connection between you and another person.

For LinkedIn to serve you well, it is my strong belief you need over 500 Connections to make LinkedIn ‘work’ for you. Taken to its extreme, a person with only 50 connections will clearly have a limited reach compared to someone with 500 or even 5,000 Connections. This is not a race to build Connections but having a good base to work from is pretty important.

Therefore, anyone with fewer than 500 Connections may be limiting their growth of new Connections by turning on Creator Mode and encouraging Followers over Connections with the button on their Profile. So, this is why I think for many people who have turned on Creator Mode it could actually be harming their growth of Connections and ultimate success on LinkedIn.

So, I guess the question is, should you turn Creator Mode off?

It all depends, of course, on your LinkedIn strategy.

But my belief is that if you have fewer than 500 connections you might be better to do so.

Above 5,000 Connections and I would generally advise having the default Follow button in place over a Connections button on your Profile.

In LinkedIn’s defence, they do say below that Creator Mode is aimed at those who regularly share content with their network. Those who do post regularly and are active, are likely to have an audience to post to, and have 500+ Connections.

How are you finding LinkedIn Creator Mode? Let me know over on LinkedIn.


Original Blog Post:

I’m giddy with excitement!

(My daughter would say that means my eyebrows both moved up, at the same time, a whole quarter of an inch… 🙂 )

Seriously though – I’m lovin’ these new features!

I’ve turned on the new LinkedIn features ‘Creator Mode’ and ‘Cover Story’ (part of ‘Creator Mode’ in this last week.

Please note, this feature will be gradually rolled out and may NOT be available to you all at this time. Nor if you don’t have it, will you be able to see it on other people’s Profiles.

However, expert B2B Copywriter John Espirian has notified me he can see my new LinkedIn Cover Story, even though he doesn’t have access to LinkedIn Creator Mode yet himself! Here is a little link to a little video of John experimenting with the App and new LinkedIn features.

LinkedIn Cover Story View for non-creator mode users John Espirian

More Visibility. More Inclusivity

LinkedIn describes the purpose of these new features: “to grow your reach and influence on LinkedIn. As a LinkedIn Creator, you can share the topics you post about the most. This will make it easier for other LinkedIn members to discover your content and follow you.”

They add: “You’ll be able to tell potential followers the topics you post about most often, which helps you build followers with similar interests. Plus, creator mode puts you first in line for new content and analytics tools we launch in the future, made for Creators like you.”

When it comes to LinkedIn Cover Stories, LinkedIn states on their blog:

“The most interesting part of every professional journey is the story behind it. No two professionals are the same: your career paths, skills, dreams, and aspirations are unique. Sharing your professional journey in an authentic and engaging way is the starting point for connecting with the communities that matter most to you.”

That’s why they have introduced new tools to help create a “more expressive and inclusive Profile.”

For freelancers, the Cover Story can be used to talk about their services and attract new clients. For job seekers, the feature can help them get on recruiters’ radars. It can help them explain their career goals and be more memorable.

As part of being more inclusive, LinkedIn is introducing an optional field at the top of the Profile, displayed next to your name. Here you’ll be able to add your preferred gender pronouns.

If you’re a LinkedIn Broadcaster, LinkedIn Creator Mode will ensure your Profile background will show your Live broadcast when you start streaming. This will help increase the visibility of your content.

Who is LinkedIn Creator Mode For?

LinkedIn cites that creators can be members, organisations, and companies who regularly share content with their network to build their reputation, grow their business, and/or empower and educate others with their experiences.

Note: LinkedIn Creators are different from LinkedIn Influencers or a Top Voice on LinkedIn. LinkedIn Influencers are invited by LinkedIn’s editorial team. The LinkedIn Influencer program focuses on executives who run large organisations, including CEOs of Fortune 100 companies, large startups or well-known brands. Recognisable leaders and industry experts are also invited to take part.

How to Check If You Have Access to LinkedIn Creator Mode

Firstly, check your Profile via the App – go in to edit – have you got a small orange cross appearing over your profile image? If so, you have the option to get cracking!

You can also visit this link whilst logged into LinkedIn and hit ‘next’ in the window that appears to see if you have access to Creator mode.

LinkedIn does say:

“We’re ramping creator mode to all members by the end of April so if you don’t have access yet, check back soon.”

So, you shouldn’t have long to wait!

Whether You Have the New LinkedIn Creator Mode or LinkedIn Cover Story Features Yet or Not Here Are Some Tips to Note:

For Your LinkedIn Cover Story:

  • Be ready to upload or create, on the spot, a 20-second introduction that will appear in the place of your Profile photo. I’d advise filming your LinkedIn Cover Story in portrait mode, which isn’t the ‘norm’ for video display on LinkedIn but works best for this new feature.Nigel Cliffe LinkedIn Cover Story
    Your Cover Story will pop up after a couple of seconds of being on your Profile. It will be displayed with no sound for a couple of seconds then will revert back to the standard image. I have made sure mine is completely different from my standard Profile Photo, to give it more of a chance to be spotted. This is due to the mystery surrounding whether or not everyone can see Cover Stories at the moment. When you click on your Cover Story, the full 20-second video plays in another pop-up window.

For Preparing for Your LinkedIn Creator Mode:

  • Have the top five Hashtags (LinkedIn continues to call these ‘Topics’?) that represent you and what you do ready to upload to your Profile as they will now sit directly underneath your headline.
    Nigel Cliffe LinkedIn Creator Mode Top 5 Hashtags
  • If you have ‘Connect’ as your present default button on your Profile, this will change to ‘Follow’ once you have turned on LinkedIn Creator Mode.
  • Interestingly, my turning on LinkedIn Creator Mode and adding a Cover Story, doesn’t appear to have changed the ‘Public View’ of my LinkedIn Profile – yet (see image below)…
    Nigel Cliffe LinkedIn Creator Mode Public Profile View
  • You can turn LinkedIn Creator Mode off if you wish.
  • The Featured section on your Profile will rise to the top of your Profile (where your About section previously was) when LinkedIn Creator Mode is switched on, so make sure you have some good content there!
  • Your Activity section will no longer show your Likes, Comments and other Activity. This is a bit of a concern for me as I usually view this information on the Profiles of people who have requested to Connect with me. It tells me how active they are on LinkedIn and if they engage. However, I won’t be able to assess the impact of the loss of this information until more people have the Creator Mode. Watch this space!

If you have LinkedIn Creator Mode, please share your experiences with me over on LinkedIn.

Find Out more

On how I can help you turn your Linkedin profile into multiple opportunities in a few hours.

    Interested in