Joe Pulizzi says, “In December 2013, CMI released its annual content marketing predictions report (as we do every December). That year, my first prediction was as follows:

Microsoft will buy one, maybe two, media companies in certain industries. The outcome of these moves will pave the way for further media purchases throughout the year by non-media companies.

So, I was a mere 30 months early with that prediction. Correct, but two years early.

Microsoft acquires LinkedIn

A few weeks back, Microsoft agreed to acquire LinkedIn for $26.2 billion in cash. LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner talked about the synergies between the two companies, from scaling MS Office to online training to redefining social selling. Other media outlets discussed how LinkedIn is THE key tool in the professional workspace, and combining LinkedIn’s 433 million members with Microsoft’s 1.2 billion Office users is a powerful combination. The acquisition could also be seen as a defensive move by Microsoft to keep Google and Facebook out of the B2B workspace”.

LinkedIn Purchase Will Spark Brands into Buying Media Companies

Content Marketing Institute

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