LinkedIn is on a roll, really. And the latest in its headline-making announcements is “targeted updates”, a feature that allows you to control who gets to see your status updates on LinkedIn. Now irrespective of what the current perception of this development is, I personally think targeted updates is an awesome feature long in the making.

Here’s why:

1. Relevance increases: Given the digital space today, the problem is not to find information, but to find the right type of it. As such, marketers, business owners, etc., are always looking for content that solves specific issues for them. This is where LinkedIn is going to shine brightly, as the millions of professionals connected through it will get to consume content they’ll really care for.
2. Better ROI: Marketing works only when it is focused, and the same is true for LinkedIn. Targeted updates will allow marketers to focus only on segments that are highly relevant and will generate the most returns, which will have a positive impact on the ROI.
3. Reduced spam: Okay, not really spam, but consider that the majority of posts on any social network there are not useful for you. And if they are not useful, they only add to the mental strain of having to sift through information of little or no value. With more features like targeted updates, users will get a learner, more efficient network that doesn’t demand a lot of searching effort.
4. Brand management: As a brand you might be involved in different activities, which you may not think will influence all of your user-bases the same way. With targeted updates, LinkedIn allows you to control the visibility of your communication, so that it is seen by only those the update was meant for.

What is your take on this? Are there crucial features LinkedIn has missed that you can suggest? Voice yourself by commenting!