21 Thought-Provoking LinkedIn Statistics + 5 FAQs Answered

Not sure how you can use LinkedIn as a powerful resource to drive your business or career? Wondering why in today’s world you MUST have a profile in this social network? Could use some insight that will help you work efficiently in LinkedIn? Our list of LinkedIn statistics below has all you need to know about the platform that professionals across all industries and vocations around the globe call home.

• 77% of recruiters use LinkedIn regularly.
• 94% of B2B marketers prefer LinkedIn for content distribution to any other social platform.
• Video is the fastest-growing type of content across LinkedIn.
• Compared to Twitter and Facebook, LinkedIn is 277% more effective when it comes to generating leads.
• Engagement goes up by as high as 200% in LinkedIn posts that incorporate a link.
• Adding a photo to your LinkedIn profile results in 36 times more messages and 21 times more views.

Nearly 100% of Fortune 500 companies use the social network that focuses on business-related relationships, networking, and connectivity. Twitter is second with 88%, followed by Facebook with 85%, according to LinkedIn user statistics from a 2017 report by UMass Dartmouth, Market US. 

Unlike other platforms, where people mostly seek entertainment, LinkedIn is the place to go if you want to showcase your professional experience, share your job-related thoughts and insight, and, last but not least, recruit talent for your business. As such, it can be a valuable tool in your overall strategy to succeed.

(UMass Dartmouth, Market US)

Nearly 40% of all active users of LinkedIn access the platform an average of once a day. This means that with the right marketing strategy you can target more than 100 million professionals every single day. When choosing your content, keep in mind that relevant information is what most LinkedIn users are looking for. Be careful, though – the monthly average of time users spend on the platform is just 17 minutes, so you’ll only have a couple of minutes at best to make a good impression. 

(Foundation)

LinkedIn user demographics show that 57% of professionals who use the platform are male. At the same time, millennials make up 38% of LinkedIn’s user base. Of the approximately 87 million millennials using the platform, 11 million are in decision-making positions. 

Although over 70% of LinkedIn users are based outside the US, the country is home to the highest number of people using the platform (177 million). And since we’re on the subject of the US, it pays to know that 44% of LinkedIn members there make more than $75,000 a year, which is higher than the US national median.

(Kinsta)

B2B LinkedIn statistics reveal the platform is the top choice of professionals seeking to distribute content for B2B marketing. And LinkedIn’s appeal for professional opportunities doesn’t end there. The digital mix of 92% of B2B marketers includes the platform, while over half of all social traffic to B2B blogs and websites goes through LinkedIn. Some 91% of marketing executives worldwide believe that LinkedIn is the best place to source top-notch content.

(Omnicore)

LinkedIn traffic source statistics show that more than half of LinkedIn users (approximately 57%) use the mobile app to access the platform. This share seems low compared to rival platforms such as YouTube (around 70%) or Facebook (approximately 98%), However, there could be a number of explanations for this: for example, it could be that more users access the network via their desktops or laptops at the office. Still, the percentage is significant enough to warrant any prudent business owner or entrepreneur to ensure content, including video, forms, and links – are optimized for mobile (and voice). 

(Hootsuite)

LinkedIn job listings are hugely popular among job seekers around the world. In fact, more than 122 million people have landed an interview through the network. At the same time, 35.5 million users have been able to get a job. Every month, there are close to 3 million jobs posted on LinkedIn in the US, and 20 million around the world. 

(Business of Apps)

LinkedIn marketing statistics reveal that incorporating a link into posts can boost engagement by as much as 200%. You can increase the engagement of your LinkedIn posts by an additional 50% simply by adding a question at the end. And it doesn’t stop here. Another way to boost engagement is to encourage people to comment on your posts, which is something you can do if you use photos. This will increase your comment rates by an average of 98%. 

(Impact)

When it comes to the average number of LinkedIn connections, CEOs are leading the pack with an average of 930 first-level connections. In comparison, an average user has about 400 connections. In the true spirit of any industry, CEOs are encouraged to share their wisdom and useful business advice to young and aspiring professionals looking to become more educated, skilled and knowledgeable. 

(Skills Lab)

According to LinkedIn stats, many companies use the platform to attract potential employees and share relevant and quality content with individual users. However, the social media network also provides businesses with a unique opportunity to distinguish themselves as experts in their fields – an opportunity that very few, if any, other social media platforms can offer. Globally, 57% of companies use LinkedIn business pages exactly to this end. Furthermore, nearly 46% of social media traffic to B2B company websites comes from LinkedIn.

(Media Kix)

LinkedIn advertising statistics show that the platform’s native ad software today reaches over 630 million professionals around the globe. This is an enormous opportunity for companies to make their voice heard among the most relevant target audiences. Moreover, LinkedIn Ads are very easy to generate – it only takes an average of six minutes for a first-time user to create one. At the same time, these Ads have an average CPC (Cost Per Click) of $5. 

(WorldLead)

LinkedIn hiring statistics reveal that the site is one of the most popular social media platforms for professionals looking for a career change. A report by BrandWatch reveals that nearly 75% of professionals who recently changed their job used the platform in their decision-making process. The most represented industry on the platform are information and technology services.

(BrandWatch)

LinkedIn network statistics suggest that the platform for professionals is used by a third of millionaires around the globe. Joining the network gives them access to fresh, up-to-date and relevant quality content compiled by reputable industry professionals, but also keeps them connected with companies and individuals who are very successful, have significant experience and knowledge about the business world and don’t mind sharing it with the world. If you want to connect with them and possibly learn from them, you know what to do.

(Shivansh Bhanwariya Digital)

LinkedIn connection statistics show that Steven Burda is the man with the greatest number of connections (160,000 at one point) on the social media platform. Projects with a number of Fortune 500 companies are the cornerstone of his employment portfolio, not to mention his overall experience in the finance and business sector. An acclaimed businessman by anyone’s criteria, connecting with Mr. Burda is definitely a wise choice if you’re itching to improve your knowledge of business or finance, though you’ll likely need to take a number and wait for him to make time for you in his busy schedule.

(Boolean Black Belt)

LinkedIn industry statistics clearly highlight what the majority of the tech-savvy world already suspects: the platform is by far the most popular network for professionals around the world. So much so, that more than 30 million companies call it their home. This means that each of these companies create and then manage their respective listings there. However, as LinkedIn has stated that getting each of the 70 million companies worldwide to have a LinkedIn profile is one of its long-term goals, the platform is pretty much only halfway there. 

(Oberlo)

LinkedIn recruitment statistics show that for a whopping 77% of recruiters worldwide LinkedIn is the primary platform for finding skilled and educated employees. And while recruiters today seem less fond of LinkedIn compared to 2017, when 92% of them used the platform regularly, they still prefer the platform compared to, say, Facebook, which is the recruiting platform of choice for 63% of talent hunters.

(Jobvite)

LinkedIn profile statistics reveal that recruiters and companies looking for new employees are much more likely to consider platform users whose LinkedIn profiles feature a photo. A recent study by Foundation even sheds light on some numbers: you’re looking at 36 times more messages and 21 times more views just by adding a picture. Basically, any normal-looking picture will do – it does not have to be a professional-looking, expensive headshot. 

(Foundation)

LinkedIn lead statistics from a recent Hubspot study reveal that compared to Twitter and Facebook, LinkedIn is actually a 277% more effective tool to generate fresh leads. This is further supported by other studies of marketers, showing that 43% of them admit to having used LinkedIn to successfully source at least one new customer, while 79% view the social media platform as a very good source of leads. 

(Kinsta)

LinkedIn content statistics show that the platform’s users create nearly 2 million videos, articles, and posts every day. These, in turn, generate tens of thousands of comments and tens of millions of shares and likes. LinkedIn’s algorithm was designed specifically to cater to and prioritize brands that publish fresh ideas, news items, and groundbreaking insight. And that’s all in addition to a wide and receptive audience of mostly like-minded professionals.

(Hootsuite)

LinkedIn video statistics reveal that, similar to many other platforms, video as a promotional and marketing tool is beginning to capture the attention of more and more companies and individuals around the world. Whatever the goal or the targeted audience of your marketing campaign, if you’re considering using LinkedIn to promote it (which you most certainly should), keep in mind that video is becoming the most practical and sought-after method to share information, increase engagement, call customers to action and overall promote your brand. 

(Skills Lab)

LinkedIn financial statistics shed light on yet another useful fact for businesses and marketers out there: nearly three-quarters or 375 million of the platform’s members have an annual income of over $50,000. 44% of LinkedIn users make over $75,000.

(Media Kix)

Approximately 47 million users of the social networking platform currently live in China, according to LinkedIn statistics. This is despite the fact that there are numerous local alternatives, many of which are very similar or even identical to LinkedIn. As peculiar as it may sound, this still represents a valuable opportunity that shouldn’t be missed out on, especially if your particular product or service can be useful, beneficial or generally sought after by professionals from this country. 

(DMR Business Statistics)

LinkedIn is a virtual platform for professionals from all industries and crafts, where they could exchange ideas, knowledge and employment opportunities both nationally and abroad. A very formal social media network in nature, LinkedIn allows users to create accounts (profiles) highlighting their prior and current work experience. The platform lets you connect with classmates and colleagues, upload resumes and further advance your career by building a professional network of connections.

According to a 2019 report by LinkedIn, the platform has more than 645 million users from 200 countries around the world. The growth of the social media network for professionals has been stellar since it was launched back in 2003. Its user base skyrocketed to 400 million from 160 million in the first five years following its 2011 IPO, nearly tripling its number of users overall. After that, the numbers kept going up, crossing the half-billion mark in 2017. The platform is joined by 172,800 new users every day, which means two new sign-ups every second.

Although 70% of LinkedIn users are based outside the US, the country is home to the largest number of platform members (177 million). China is second with 47 million users, followed by Brazil (34 million), France (16 million), Canada (15 million), and Mexico (12 million). 

On a regional level, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa together have 185 million LinkedIn members, accounting for over 50% of the platform’s global user base. The Asia Pacific brings another 158 million users, with the remaining 145 million members coming from Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the 22 MEAN countries.

According to experts, an engagement rate of 2% for followers, reach and impressions is good. Anything above this percentage is considered excellent, and anything below requires attention. If your performance fails to achieve this rate, consider reworking your LinkedIn content or retargeting your audience (the targeting criteria is something you can select before publishing your content).

Every second, two new professionals join LinkedIn, which adds a staggering 172,800 new members to the platform every day. LinkedIn was launched in 2003 with only ten members. Its first year of existence saw 100,000 registered users, which expanded explosively to 1.6 million by the end of 2005. By 2008, the network’s user base reached 17 million, doubling to 32 million the following year. In 2013, LinkedIn had 277 million members, jumping to 347 million in 2014 and 414 million in 2015. In 2017, the user base passed the half a billion milestone and currently counts over 610 million.

Like it or not, if you’re a professional today you’re kind of bound to have a LinkedIn profile. Owned by Microsoft since 2016, the platform’s future is now in the hands of the tech giant as its resurrection as a cloud-based enterprise lurks over the horizon. Whatever the plans, based on our list of LinkedIn statistics above you can bet that the digital place to go for the modern workforce is nowhere near to slowing down.

Sources: UMass Dartmouth, Market US, Foundation, Kinsta, Omnicore, Hootsuite, Business of Apps, Impact, Skills Lab, Media Kix, WorldLead, Boolean Black Belt, Shivansh Bhanwariya Digital,  Oberlo, Jobvite, DMR Business Statistics