LinkedIn gets into the business of photo sharing

The professional status update is assuming a new look as LinkedIn has decided to embrace photo and rich media sharing, meaning members can finally share more than text and links in their status updates.

LinkedIn said Thursday that members can now use the share box on the home page to upload images, documents, and presentations as part of their updates. In addition, members can attach videos and rich media content hosted elsewhere by pasting a link into the box. The service's 2.9 million company page administrators also get image and file uploads with the release.

The update expands on an earlier release allowing people to add photos and videos to their individual profiles. It also marks a profound shift in LinkedIn's 10-year career and signifies the company's desire to make over its professional network into a visually stimulating zone -- likely as a means of getting hip to the times and appealing to a younger generation of job seekers.

"Whether it's a thought-provoking presentation about the future of big data or it's a picture of an inspirational quote, or perhaps it's an infographic showing the top trends impacting your industry, the possibilities are endless for what you can share on LinkedIn to add a richer and more visual component to your professional discussions," LinkedIn Senior Product Manager Itamar Orgad wrote on the company's blog.

Visuals also pair nicely with LinkedIn's desire to be the definitive professional publishing hub where professionals and businesses go to publish and share their business content. As Instagram has proven in the consumer social-networking space, a pretty image is more arresting than words.

LinkedIn said it is rolling out the rich media status update options to members over the next few weeks. The content will be viewable inside the mobile apps, but upload is a desktop-only feature at launch, a spokesperson told CNET.