LinkedIn's New Feature Likely to Challenge Instagram, Snapchat

LinkedIn, the social network for professionals, will soon be launching a new feature that is likely to take on Facebook's Instagram and Snapchat. According to a report by The Next Web, Linkedin, which was acquired by Microsoft, will now let users upload native videos through its app.

These videos, as mentioned in the report, can be shot vertically or horizontally with a time limit of up to 10 minutes. Once posted, LinkedIn will also be offering users analytics such as who viewed the video, video count, likes and shares. Although the company won't be specifically mentioning users who viewed the video but instead will give a more broader information such as their job titles and where they currently work.

How much traction it will gain is anyone's guess for now. This could prove to be a boon for established brands and business personalities. It has been mentioned that the particular feature will be arriving worldwide in the coming months. No specific launch dates were revealed.

Introducing this new feature is likely to put LinkedIn in direct competition with other social apps such as Instagram and Snapchat. We are yet to see how the company plans to integrate the feature and how will it help those who visit the website in search of jobs.

It is worth adding that the professional social network in April this year said its membership had swelled to 500 million, as its user base showed steady growth following its acquisition last year by Microsoft.

"We now have half a billion members in 200 countries connecting, and engaging with one another in professional conversations and finding opportunities through these connections on LinkedIn," said Aatif Awan, vice president, growth and international affairs, LinkedIn in a blog post.

Microsoft's $26 billion acquisition of LinkedIn which was completed in December was the biggest-ever deal for a social media company.