Quo Vadis LinkedIn? – Microsoft's business social media platform under scrutiny – Image: Miss Ty|Shutterstock.com
In everyday language, “Quo vadis” is often used to mean “Where is this all leading?” or “How will this continue?” I’ve been asking myself this question a lot lately and have now decided to cancel my premium accounts on both LinkedIn and Xing. The decisive factor, however, was the development at LinkedIn. I haven’t been active on Xing for quite some time.
You can't simply say that social media is dead for business or anything like that. That would be an inaccurate claim and headline, designed solely to generate attention with a specific intention.
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Every situation is different, and therefore requires individual consideration and evaluation. As a virtually one-man operation with a corresponding network, my primary focus is on maintaining existing business relationships and keeping them informed of new developments. Acquiring new clients is not necessary for me personally, as I am already working at full capacity. Lead generation for my existing business clients is my main priority. My areas of expertise include logistics/intralogistics, mechanical engineering, photovoltaics, extended reality, and financial consulting.
For making interesting contacts and forging synergistic business relationships, business social media remains an attractive option for me. Unfortunately, the situation is getting progressively worse. In recent years, I've seen a surge in supposed networking opportunities via paid InMails, which are really nothing more than sales pitches. Almost all of them are sales-driven, and they rarely bother to address my profile or business interests individually.
So, they're sending out mass advertising InMails with the goal of generating two or three responses from interested parties. Could this be related to the sales strategy since LinkedIn was acquired by Microsoft? New goals at the expense of quality? At the end of July 2020, LinkedIn announced the dismissal of approximately 1,000 employees. The reason for the layoffs was the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated economic downturn.
If the goal is to transform LinkedIn into a business sales funnel, that's perfectly fine. We live in a free country. However, if my numerous posts attract virtually no new, interesting contacts, and I can barely reach my existing contacts because a growing number of them are no longer using LinkedIn, then I don't need a paid premium account. Furthermore, the LinkedIn Sales Navigator tool has proven cumbersome and useless compared to alternatives that, while not cheaper, are significantly more effective.
For my assessment, I have compiled some figures and data, which can be found here
A major factor influencing my decision is the difference between registered LinkedIn users and their activity levels, and those who aren't even registered on LinkedIn.
According to LinkedIn, in January 2021 they had 16 million users in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
In a survey, only 5% of respondents stated that they were registered with LinkedIn. However, 16% confirmed having an account with both LinkedIn and Xing. 68% indicated that they were not registered with either LinkedIn or Xing.
This awakens the digital silverback instinct in me: How and where can I reach the others?
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It's also interesting that the numerous posts you create and those you receive from others suggest a vibrant business community. However, a more nuanced picture emerges when you look at the actual activity figures of LinkedIn users. According to a survey conducted in the third quarter of 2020, 90% of users stated that they use LinkedIn at least once a month (or only once).
I only have user figures from the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), which is 16 million. This leaves us with an approximate figure of 1.6 million users who use LinkedIn at least once a month (or even just once). Okay, roughly 6 million use it weekly and almost 3 million daily. As I said, these figures should be seen as guidelines. The actual number could be higher or lower. But it gives you a rough idea. For comparison: WhatsApp has 58 million daily users. However, with WhatsApp, you're not (yet) bombarded with advertising or similar in-mails; instead, you can connect with your own network. And here, I don't have to post content regularly to maintain my reach, nor do I have that reach artificially minimized by supposedly "intelligent" algorithms (so that I can then run ads to increase my reach again).
Social media is first and foremost a business. The term "social" is misleading because only the synonym "societal" truly fits: a medium for society. "Social" in a broader sense, meaning "non-profit," "helpful," or "charitable," is completely out of place in this context of cutthroat business. However, these connotations are always present, conveying a kind of social component that simply doesn't exist in the world of paid advertising, among other things.
Related to this:
If you want reach, you have to pay for it or build an interesting form of reach yourself that attracts potential customers. But that doesn't come for free either. It takes work, especially in the area of content development.
Survey: Do you have a profile on Xing or LinkedIn?
Survey on profile accounts at Xing or LinkedIn in the DACH region – Image: Xpert.Digital
To stay in professional contact, the two leading business networks, Xing and LinkedIn, offer various options for digital interaction. In an Appinio survey (digital market research) from July 2019, around eleven percent of respondents from the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) stated that they were registered on both platforms. However, the majority of respondents are not registered on either of the two job networks.
Survey on profile accounts at Xing or LinkedIn in the DACH region 2019
No, neither – 68%
Yes, only Xing – 16%
Yes, only LinkedIn – 5%
Yes, both – 11%
Survey conducted in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Number of respondents: 670.
Selected countries ranked by the number of registered LinkedIn members in September 2021
Number of registered LinkedIn members by country – Image: Xpert.Digital
In September 2021, the US had the most LinkedIn members, with 180 million registered users. India and China followed at a considerable distance with 82 million and 55 million registered members, respectively. The number of LinkedIn members in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) was estimated at 17 million.
Information about LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a professional networking platform founded in 2003 and owned by Microsoft since December 2016. Users can choose between a free basic account and a paid premium account, which offers extended features.
LinkedIn's biggest competitor in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) is the career network Xing. Xing had approximately 19 million members in the DACH region in 2020. New Work SE (formerly XING SE) – the company behind the career network Xing – generated revenue of around €276.5 million in 2020 and reported a profit of €26.1 million.
Number of registered LinkedIn members by country
- USA – 180 million
- India – 82 million
- China – 55 million
- Brazil – 53 million
- United Kingdom – 31 million
- France – 23 million
- Indonesia – 19 million
- Canada – 18 million
- Mexico – 17 million
- DACH region – 17 million
- Italy – 15 million
- Spain – 14 million
- Australia – 12 million
- Türkiye – 10 million
- Philippines – 10 million
- Colombia – 10 million
- Netherlands – 9 million
- Argentina – 9 million
- South Africa – 9 million
- Chile – 6 million
- Malaysia – 6 million
- Nigeria – 5 million
- Egypt – 5 million
- Saudi Arabia – 5 million
- United Arab Emirates – 5 million
- Belgium – 4 million
- Sweden – 4 million
- Poland – 4 million
LinkedIn & Xing: How often do you use social networks for professional purposes?
Usage frequency of Xing and LinkedIn in Switzerland 2021 – Image: Xpert.Digital
According to a survey conducted in spring 2021 by the online marketing and social media marketing agency xeit gmbh, LinkedIn is used more by 21 percent of respondents in Switzerland than a year ago. In contrast, only one percent of respondents indicated that they use the business network Xing more than in the previous year.
Usage frequency of Xing and LinkedIn in Switzerland 2021
- I use more than a year ago – 21%
- I use less than a year ago – 8%
- I use it just as often as a year ago – 18%
- I don't use it at all – 53%
- I use more than a year ago – 1%
- I use less than a year ago – 15%
- I use it just as often as a year ago – 13%
- I don't use it at all – 70%
What do you expect from a brand/company on a social network?
Survey in Switzerland on expectations of companies on social media – Image: Xpert.Digital
The statistics, based on data from the online marketing and social media marketing agency xeit gmbh, show the results of a survey in Switzerland in 2020 regarding expectations of companies on social media. 44 percent of respondents expect a company's social media presence to include entertaining posts.
Survey in Switzerland on expectations of companies in social media 2020
- Information about the company/brand – 62%
- Information on topics concerning the company/brand – 56%
- Entertaining posts – 44%
- Services – 31%
- Surveys – 21%
- Competitions – 18%
- Other – 2%
Usage of the business networks Xing and LinkedIn in Switzerland by age
Usage of Xing and LinkedIn in Switzerland by age group 2018 – Image: Xpert.Digital
Nearly one in four Swiss people aged between 30 and 69 uses LinkedIn. Among digital natives – aged 14 to 29 – around 12 percent of respondents stated that they visit the business platform at least occasionally, while seven percent of young people and young adults are registered with the German career platform Xing.
Xing vs. LinkedIn
In Switzerland, LinkedIn (1.2 million) has about a quarter more users than Xing (0.9 million). However, when looking at the entire DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland), Xing leads with 17 million members compared to LinkedIn's 12 million. This is likely due to the fact that the career network Xing is based in Hamburg and is therefore more popular in Germany than its American competitor. LinkedIn, the market leader in the business networking segment, claims to be used in over 200 countries worldwide, while Xing focuses on the German-speaking region.
Use by companies and organizations
Business platforms help companies communicate with customers and business partners and support recruitment. In August 2018, 80 percent of the largest Swiss companies and organizations had one or more profiles on LinkedIn, while 58 percent used Xing.
Usage of Xing and LinkedIn in Switzerland by age group 2018
- 14-29 years – 12%
- 30-54 years – 23%
- 55-69 years – 23%
- 14-29 years – 7%
- 30-54 years – 17%
- 55-69 years – 15%
Which of the following social media platforms do you use to receive messages?
Survey on the use of social media platforms in Germany – Image: Xpert.Digital
According to a study by the market research company AudienceProject, around 59 percent of respondents in Germany stated in the third quarter of 2020 that they use Twitter to receive news. Meanwhile, around a third of respondents use Facebook for this purpose.
Survey on the use of social media platforms in Germany until 2020
- Twitter – 59%
- Reddit – 40%
- Facebook – 33%
- Instagram – 25%
- YouTube – 24%
- LinkedIn – 22%
- Xing – 21%
- Snapchat – 17%
- WhatsApp Messenger – 17%
- Pinterest – 17%
- TikTok – 11%
- Tumblr – 9%
Has your trust in social media services decreased or increased within the last year?
Survey on the development of trust in social media services in Germany – Image: Xpert.Digital
In the survey, 41 percent of respondents stated that their trust in Facebook had decreased within the past year. Trust in WhatsApp, the messaging service also owned by Facebook, increased for 20 percent of respondents.
Survey on the development of trust in social media services in Germany 2019
Increased
- WhatsApp – 20%
- Google – 18%
- YouTube – 17%
- Facebook – 14%
- Instagram – 14%
- Snapchat – 14%
- Pinterest – 12%
- Xing – 12%
- Twitter – 11%
- TikTok – 11%
- LinkedIn – 10%
- Tumblr – 10%
Left the same
- WhatsApp – 54%
- Google – 56%
- YouTube – 57%
- Facebook – 45%
- Instagram – 55%
- Snapchat – 54%
- Pinterest – 59%
- Xing – 61%
- Twitter – 55%
- TikTok – 60%
- LinkedIn – 61%
- Tumblr – 57%
Fewer
- WhatsApp – 26%
- Google – 26%
- YouTube – 26%
- Facebook – 41%
- Instagram – 30%
- Snapchat – 32%
- Pinterest – 28%
- Xing – 28%
- Twitter – 34%
- TikTok – 29%
- LinkedIn – 29%
- Tumblr – 33%
Which of the following social networks do you use to consume news?
Use of social networks as a news source in Switzerland – Image: Xpert.Digital
According to the Reuters Institute's Digital News Report 2021, the most frequently used social media services for news consumption are Facebook (31.2 percent), WhatsApp (22.3 percent), and YouTube (20.6 percent). Over 11 percent of surveyed internet users stated that they read, watched, shared, or discussed news on Instagram weekly.
This question was phrased as follows in the survey: “Which of the following services did you use last week to search for, read, watch, share, or discuss news, if any? Please select all that apply.”
Use of social networks as a news source in Switzerland 2021
- Facebook – 31.2%
- WhatsApp – 22.3%
- YouTube – 20.6%
- Instagram – 11.3%
- Facebook Messenger – 5.4%
- Twitter – 4.6%
- Telegram – 3.7%
- Pinterest – 2.2%
- Snapchat – 2.1%
- TikTok – 1.7%
For what reasons would you stop following a company?
Survey in Switzerland on reasons for unfollowing brands on social media – Image: Xpert.Digital
According to a survey conducted by the online marketing and social media marketing agency xeit gmbh in spring 2020, irrelevant content is the main reason why many followers would unfollow a brand on social media. Around 48 percent of respondents would stop following a company because they no longer liked the brand.
Survey in Switzerland on reasons for unfollowing brands on social media 2020
- Because the content is not relevant to me – 57%
- Because I no longer like the brand – 48%
- Because they post too much – 37%
- Because my questions are not answered – 21%
- For professional reasons – 16%
- Because I accidentally pressed “like/follow” – 13%
- Because I only wanted to participate in one competition/deal – 12%
Frequency of LinkedIn usage in Germany in the 3rd quarter of 2020
LinkedIn usage frequency in Germany 2020 – Image: Xpert.Digital
Only 18 percent of all German LinkedIn users log in daily, according to a survey conducted in the third quarter of 2020. The majority (90 percent) stated that they use the platform at least once a month (or only once), while 63 percent do so weekly.
LinkedIn usage frequency in Germany 2020
- Daily – 18%
- Weekly – 63%
- Monthly – 90%
How often are you active on Xing and LinkedIn?
Survey on activity on Xing or LinkedIn in the DACH region – Image: Xpert.Digital
To stay in professional contact, the two leading business networks, Xing and LinkedIn, offer various opportunities for digital interaction. In an Appinio survey from July 2019, around 13 percent of respondents from the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) stated that they were active on the two social networks less than once a month. The majority of respondents are not active at all.
Survey on activity on Xing or LinkedIn in the DACH region 2019
- Not at all – 71%
- Less than once a month – 13%
- Once a month – 5%
- Once a week – 6%
- Several times a week – 3%
- Daily weekdays – 2%
One possible conclusion
A possible conclusion regarding LinkedIn and Xing – Image: Xpert.Digital
- The majority of respondents (68%) are not registered in either of the two business networks.
- Only 18 percent of all (32 percent of registered) German LinkedIn users logged in daily.
- The majority, namely 90 percent, stated that they use the LinkedIn platform at least (or only) once a month.
- 63 percent did this weekly (on LinkedIn).
Is it worth the effort to limit digital activities primarily to LinkedIn?
The answer should be decided on a case-by-case basis. This page provides some helpful information for your own individual assessment.
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- Post the main work in a blog on the company website or as a standalone page.
- Content elements from the blog can be used as elements for social media, PR, or other forms of communication such as mailings.
Decision-making aid for the business social media platform LinkedIn: Facts and figures
Important note: The PDF is password protected. Please contact me. The PDF is, of course, free of charge
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English version – To view the PDF, please click on the image below
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LinkedIn – PDF Download
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