Samar Yahya

 

JEDDAH – LinkedIn, the largest professional publishing platform on the Internet, primary focus is to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful. By enabling professionals to establish their online professional identity, connect with their network of contacts and access insights and opportunities, Linkedin helps members be more successful at the job they have or get the job they want through professional solutions like LinkedIn Pulse and the Publisher tool, with 313 million professionals since its launch in 2003, including 10 million in the Middle East and North Africa, around two new members join every second worldwide.



“Saudi Arabia is considered one of Linkedin key markets in the Middle East. In terms of membership, the Kingdom was one of the first markets in the region to reach the milestone of one million members on LinkedIn. Interestingly enough, our statistics show that over 50 percent of our members in Saudi Arabia access profiles via mobile phones, indicating that our membership in the country is not only connected, but on the forefront of using digital technologies,” said Jacob Thomas, Head of LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, MENA.



Ensuring privacy and protection of members information, Thomas said: “Obviously, member privacy and security is our number one priority, and we have a “members’ first” philosophy at LinkedIn. We have developed a cemented Safety Center to help members stay safe online, and our members’ personal information is protected using industry-standard safeguards,” he said.



Additionally, companies from the Middle East are increasingly using LinkedIn’s unique services as a backbone towards offering optimal platform for internal collaboration of its members. Across the MENA region, companies like Etisalat, and Emirates Airlines use LinkedIn to manage their brand communications and talent acquisition requirements as well.



“Saudi Arabia is considered as one of the key markets for social media. With a population of over 25 million, over 60 percent of which are employable representing around 15 percent of our MENA membership.  Saudis are also highly connected—the latest research shows that the country has an Internet penetration rate of almost 60 percent. The country, therefore, represents a land of much opportunity for anyone working in the technology sector,” Thomas further said.



LinkedIn is working continually to focus on members and to help more and more brands engage their target audiences and more employers recruit great talent. Today there are 3.5 million company pages form over 140 industries as well as over 2.1 million groups that engage actively with LinkedIn members.



All of these indicate daily increase relevance as a networking platform for many professionals and brands worldwide. The opportunities are equally large – there are a number of professionals and brands out there who are yet to tap into the possibilities on LinkedIn.



Social media is one of the most important communication tools today. It has provided multiple solutions for communication by offering two-way communication platform for engagement between people and corporations and governments. Sharing thoughts, insights and transferring knowledge has become easier.



“On LinkedIn, we have the capability of showing highly specialized content depending upon a user’s profile. Because of these capabilities, governments and corporate now have the ability to reach a highly targeted group of individuals, getting the right message in front of the right member at the right time,” Thomas said.



There are a number of ways brands in Saudi Arabia can leverage LinkedIn to engage their target audience like Content Marketing Score which is an analytics resource that gives brands insights into the impact of their paid and organic content on LinkedIn. The score is accompanied by recommendations on how to improve reach, frequency, and engagement. Company page and Sponsored Updates by language, Content API and content partner program and Direct Sponsored Content, offering critical ability for brands, engagement with target audience and updates at specific audiences based on demographic and geography.



LinkedIn works closely with number of strategic partners across the world, and from different sectors. In Saudi Arabia, LinkedIn is the preferred platform for brands and organizations to communicate with a highly targeted professional demographic through LinkedIn’s Marketing Solutions, and is a good indicator of the state-of-mind of this audience. A number of Saudi companies have a major presence on LinkedIn like Saudi Aramco, Mobily and STC. These giants utilize LinkedIn platforms to engage with their followers, employees and stakeholders.



“Entities including The Ministry of Commerce Saudi Aramco and SABIC are utilizing LinkedIn’s Talent Solutions to identify and recruit top talent in the country as well as a strong partnership that ties LinkedIn with the Ministry of Labor in the Kingdom. By using LinkedIn, companies can identify and secure the best candidates more quickly and more cost effectively than if they had relied on traditional recruitment tools,” Thomas stressed.