LinkedIn invites Romney, Obama to share content

LinkedIn, the career-oriented social networking site, is taking advantage of the election to introduce a new feature on Tuesday that allows individuals to post original content for users to “follow” and share.

Mitt Romney and President Obama are included among a select 150 “thought leaders,” and both posted new content Tuesday for the launch.

LinkedIn is touting the fact that its users, which number about 175 million, represent some of the voters at the core of the campaign: job hunters. The economy is expected to be a deciding factor for majority of voters in November, and both candidates discussed their plans for job growth in their inaugural posts.

Obama’s post includes his TV ad “Table,” which argues for “a new economic patriotism." The post is actually a transcript of the ad, which is airing in battleground states, and touts Obama’s plan for a recovery while directly addressing his GOP challenger.

“Read my plan,” Obama invites in the post. “Compare it to Gov. Romney’s and decide for yourself.”

Romney’s plan is readily available in his own post, a “five point plan for a stronger middle class,” which concludes with his promise to create “12 million new jobs and grow the economy by 4 percent per year on average.”

The other LinkedIn “thought influencers” include a range of individuals representing politics, media, technology, academia and members of the business community. Their updates populate LinkedIn Today, a personalized update users can access by email or on the website.

LinkedIn Today is the most social aspect of LinkedIn, where users can interact with content by commenting or offering a thumbs-up.

Both candidates start at zero followers for their LinkedIn content; their LinkedIn connections are not automatically added as followers.

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