LinkedIn posts solid third quarter growth as Microsoft merger approaches

By Saqib Shah October 27, 2016

microsoft linkedin integration ms 2016 06 12 1 c — Microsoft

LinkedIn released its third quarter results today, reporting impressive revenue growth and a solid increase in registered users.

The glowing results should please LinkedIn’s parent company Microsoft, which is expected to complete its merger of the business networking site before the year’s end — provided there isn’t a hitch.

In light of the pending takeover, LinkedIn shied away from hosting a conference call and updating its outlook for the coming quarter (as is the norm). It has little to worry about, however, considering its total revenue increased by 23 percent year-over-year to reach $960 million. The final numbers beat estimates, with analysts previously predicting $959 million.

Considering stagnant user numbers continue to plague its competitors (we’re looking at you, Twitter), LinkedIn didn’t break a sweat in its third quarter when it came to attracting more members. The site’s user base witnessed a rise of 18 percent year-over-year and now stands at 467 million. Additionally, LinkedIn’s mobile traffic grew “at more than double the rate of overall member activity,” and now accounts for 60 percent of all traffic.

“In Q3, continued product investments across our platform drove another quarter of strong engagement and financial performance,” said LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner. “As we look forward, our combination with Microsoft creates the opportunity for us to dramatically increase the impact and scale with which we deliver value to our members and customers.”

LinkedIn saw an increase in revenue across its integrated product range. The company’s recruitment service, Talent Solutions, contributed the most to sales, raking in $623 million (a 24-percent rise year-over-year). The company’s ad segment, Marketing Solutions, generated a tidy $175 million, and premium subscriptions increased 16 percent year-over-year to $162 million.

In terms of the future, LinkedIn has already confirmed it’s planning to overhaul its website, complete with a redesigned look, a new smart messaging system, and an improved algorithmic home feed.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Saqib Shah is a Twitter addict and film fan with an obsessive interest in pop culture trends. In his spare time he can be…

Deals

It’s time to get creative: Get up to 20% off Autodesk software with this deal

Tech Center at Birmingham, Hermle using autodesk software to design.

This content was produced in partnership with Autodesk.
AutoCAD has long been a staple of design and drafting tool sets, from architects and engineers to construction pros. It allows you to both design and annotate your creations, using 2D geometry and 3D models complete with textures, solids, surfaces, and mesh objects. Why does that matter? It massively helps design new physical objects and spaces in a digital form. But AutoCAD goes way beyond that, as do most of Autodesk's software tools. It can be expensive to sign up for access, especially if you have a small to medium-sized team. With the current Autodesk software deal, you not only have the opportunity to try out the tools for free, but also you can get a significant discount, and lock in your price for three years. Between April 17 and 20, you can get 20% off AutoCAD LT and Revit LT Suit, and 15% off AutoCAD. That discount drops AutoCAD's price down to $1,564 -- if paid annually -- saving you nearly $400 ($391). That's an excellent deal but it won't be available for very long so act soon.

This Autodesk software deal nets you access to the company's latest products, namely AutoCAD which is an incredibly useful design and creativity tool. The most important takeaway is that it helps you complete your professional projects faster by unlocking access to automations and customizations. For example, you can fully customize your workspace with add-on apps and APIs that essentially transform the way you create, manipulate, and work with objects in the toolset. You can make things faster, especially the more you use the tool for your designs.

Business

Find exceptional talent: the best hiring platforms for small businesses

For hire sign used by small businesses on hiring platforms to find top-tier talent.

This content was produced in partnership with ZipRecruiter.
Without the right talent or the right people rather, no business could thrive, big or small. But finding top talent is extremely crucial for small businesses, especially when it comes to remaining competitive in today's market. Smaller operations generally have limited resources, so it's necessary to improve productivity and efficiency wherever possible, which is precisely where securing good talent comes into the picture. But how do you find those people? The answer is via hiring platforms a la ZipRecruiter. They not only bring in the talent but also help you better understand the people, their work histories, and their overall expertise. Moreover, they help streamline the hiring process making it easier to find relevant candidates.

In light of that, here are the seven best hiring platforms for small businesses that can help you secure a competitive edge with top-tier talent:

Deals

Need Help? These Are the Best places to hire people online

ZipRecruiter Job Board Lifestyle Post

This content was produced in partnership with ZipRecruiter.
Hiring the right people is a crucial part of developing your business. The best person for the job will be one that shares your vision, is highly responsible, appropriately skilled, and is an efficient worker. You know what you want from your next employee but what do you do when it comes to finding that person? With many different sources out there for finding the best way to hire employees, we've picked out the best places to hire people online including ways to find employees online fast or for a long-term commitment. There are dozens of sites available but it's important to pick the best outlet for the task, so you can spend less time on your recruitment drive and more time interviewing the best candidates for the job. Take a look below at the best places to hire people online.
ZipRecruiter

One of the most reliable names in the job posting world, ZipRecruiter is a great way of finding staff and quickly. It aims to make the hiring process as smooth as possible. It works by connecting to more than 100 job boards so the moment you create a job listing for your firm, ZipRecruiter posts it across the huge network so you're casting the net as wide as possible without having to manually create job listings at numerous sources.