LinkedIn announced that it is opening up its publishing platform – previously only available to “Influencers” like Richard Branson and Conan O’Brien – to all members.

Now, when you publish a post on LinkedIn, the content becomes part of your profile, and is shared with your trusted network. According to LinkedIn, it “has the ability to reach the largest group of professionals ever assembled”.

Given how much LinkedIn has been utilizing email to spread influencer posts, I can’t help but expect LinkedIn to include users’ posts in personalized emails to people in your network. This is just speculation though.

Along with the opening of the platform comes the ability to follow members that aren’t in your network, and build more followers without direct connections.

“Members can continue to share their expertise by posting photos, images, videos and their original presentations on SlideShare,” notes LinkedIn’s Ryan Roslansky. “Every professional has valuable experience to share. Trying to grow your business by reducing customer attrition? Read the post from Monica Adractas, head of customer retention at Box, on churning out churn. Just starting a career in sales? Read the post from Brent Beshore, the founder/CEO at adventur.es, on how to sell anything. Need a science-based planning tool for river restoration? Read the post from Glen Leverich, senior geomorphologist at Stillwater Sciences, on A Science-based Planning Approach for Riparian Restoration.”

LinkedIn first launched the Influencer program in 2012. The average post, the company says, drives over 31,000 views and get over 250 likes and 80 comments. It also announced the addition of a few new influencers to the program including: Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, CEO of AOL Brand Group Susan Lyne, and CNBC host Suze Orman.

The new publishing capabilities will become available to everyone over the course of the next few months.

Image via LinkedIn